Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x140, It’s Finished, more Marketing

26 May 2017, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x140, It’s Finished, more Marketing

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.

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of a novel:

 

1.      Design the initial scene

2.      Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.       Research as required

b.      Develop the initial setting

c.       Develop the characters

d.      Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.      Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.      Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.      Write the climax scene

6.      Write the falling action scene(s)

7.      Write the dénouement scene

I finished writing my 27^th novel, working title, Claire, potential title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.  This might need some tweaking.  The theme statement is: 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 Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I started writing my 28^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title School.  I’ll be providing information on the marketing materials and editing.

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

 

For novel 28:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

 

For novel 29:  Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

 

First, you write and write and write until you are competent and someone finally accepts one of your novels for publication. 

 

Second, you keep writing. 

 

Third, you market. 

 

Fourth, you keep writing with the hope your marketing and your writing will finally come to fruition.  I want to write about the fruition part again.  Skill is a requirement.  Thus without skill, you can’t expect to entice a publisher (or anyone else) to read your works.  The million words is necessary.  If you make it with less than one million words, you are a true prodigy beyond the norm in mankind—or you have a contact in the business who helps you extensively.  The one-shot wonders in our business were likely helped by their connections more than their skill.  You can fake skill with a helpful ghost writer—we know that because most of those celebrities are too stupid and unskilled to write on their own.  Not all, but most—you know that, right?  The talking heads on the news, read what was given to them—you knew that, right?  Some people really do have the skills you might expect from their life and experience, many don’t—you knew that, right?

 

Let’s suppose you have the skills, or not.  The question is what shall I write about?  I’ve been harping from the beginning, you must entertain.  Without entertainment, no one will read your writing.  Beyond the skill and the entertaining, what should I write?  I have written, you want entertainment and a unique twist or a unique idea in the entertainment part. 

 

Some ideas trip my interest factor.  I look for pathos, excitement, and unique ideas.  I went over first paragraphs with you before.  I showed you how the initial paragraph and the initial scene drives novels and attracts readers.  The marketing materials are the same.  Some ideas hit me squarely in the brain interest area.  Some stronger than others.  I write those things that would make my brain interest area light up.  Thus, I like pathos (emotion) building characters.  I like some degree of mystery and secrets.  I like a touch of the supernatural.  You might say Harry Potty would exactly touch my brain interest areas—you would be right.  The Sparkly Vampire novel, and the Hungry Game novels would do the same.  No supernatural in the Hungry Games, but the idea is unique enough to interest me. 

 

So what are you going to write about?  If it doesn’t trip your interest and excitement, it won’t trip anyone else’s.  If it seems bland or boring on paper, it really is.  If the ideas are not unique or interesting, they aren’t.  If you are skilled (one million words, remember), and you are still having problems connecting with a publisher, it is time to evaluate your writing subjects.  Some stuff is just boring.  Some ideas are boring.  If it sounds boring to you or others—it is.  Find another topic for your writing.        

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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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