Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 740, Conversation, My Distinct Manner of Writing Q and A

20 April 2016, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 740, Conversation, My Distinct Manner of Writing Q and A

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1.  The initial scene (the beginning)

2.  The rising action

3.  The climax

4.  The falling action

5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si, is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry and rehabilitates her.

I just started writing my 27^th novel, working title, Claire, potential title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.  This might need some tweaking.  The theme statement is something like this: Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.  

Here is the cover proposal for Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si.  Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action.  I’m editing many of my novels using comments from my primary reader.  I finished editing Children of Light and Darkness and am now writing on my 27^th novel, working title Claire.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:

1.  Scene input (easy)

2.  Scene output (a little harder)

3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)

4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene)

5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)

6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

One of my blog readers posed these questions.  I'll use the next few weeks to answer them.

1.  Conflict/tension between characters

2.  Character presentation (appearance, speech, behavior, gestures, actions)

3.  Change, complexity of relationship, and relation to issues/theme

4.  Evolving vs static character

5.  Language and style

6.  Verbal, gesture, action

7.  Words employed

8.  Sentence length

9.  Complexity

10.  Type of grammar

11.  Diction

12.  Field of reference or allusion

13.  Tone - how tone is created through diction, rhythm, sentence construction, sound effects, images created by similes, syntax/re-arrangement of words in sentence, the inflections of the silent or spoken voice, etc.

14.  Mannerism suggested by speech

15.  Style

16.  Distinct manner of writing or speaking you employ, and why (like Pinter's style includes gaps, silences, non-sequitors, and fragments while Chekhov's includes 'apparent' inconclusiveness).

Moving on to 16. 16. Distinct manner of writing or speaking you employ, and why (like Pinter's style includes gaps, silences, non-sequitors, and fragments while Chekhov's includes 'apparent' inconclusiveness).

I use a classical method for writing and writing novels.  This classical design is outlined above.  I don’t think there is another means of writing a novel, but I’m sure people have tried other ways and failed. 

 

To write an entertaining novel that has a redemptive theme, you first need great characters.  One of the main focuses of my writing is the characters.  I write about entertaining characters.  That usually means they are romantic (not romance), pathos developing (invoking emotion), and with an internal telic flaw.  Not all my characters fit this archetype, but these are the characters I develop because they are entertaining.  Their telic flaw is that they need redemption of some type.  Lots of authors use these archetypes and many write redemption themes.  In fact, most popular and modern authors write redemptive themes.  Most classic themes are redemptive in nature. 

 

The difference in my characters comes from the supernatural twist I place in my writing.  In some ways this have become a popular modern approach to writing.  You will find many authors who use the supernatural in their writing.  I hate to put my writing in this class (because it isn’t), but many young adult novels appeal to the supernatural.  The Vampire novels, a host of magical novels, the Inkbook novels, the many dystopian novels, Star Wars (movie and novels—the force remember), the Harry Potter novels.  I don’t write young adult novels, but I do put a supernatural twist into my novels.  The way I do this is with a character who has some supernatural affiliation or elements. 

 

My characters drive my novels.  By starting with a character with some supernatural basis, this builds the novel in a new and very different way than another novel.  My reason for injecting a little supernatural into my writing is to point out the potential and the possibility of such things simply overlooked or hidden in the fabric of the real world.  In my novels, the supernatural just exists.  It isn’t separate from the rest of the world—it exists alongside and intermeshed.  Most people don’t see it because they aren’t looking.  You might say, many novels are character focuses with some supernatural injection.  What makes your writing different than these?

 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

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