10 June 2017, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part x155, It’s Finished, Short Form, Synopsis
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 27th 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
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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 28th novel, working title Red Sonja. I finished my 29th 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.
Fifth, you market.
Here is a list of the primary
information I develop for a completed novel.
I’ll put some explanation beside the sections. As we discuss them, I’ll fill them out for my
newest novel.
Title of Work:
Deirdre: Enchantment and the
School
Author(s) Name:
L. D. Alford
Type: Either Screenplay or Book
Book
Length: Either # of words for books, or #
of pages for screenplays
120,975 words
Keywords and Market Focus:
Fiction, friendship, Wycombe Abbey, school,
boarding, education, training, boyfriends, Eton, diva, skills, shooting,
fencing, fae, fairy, Britain, spy, goddess, Dagda, magic; will fascinate anyone
interested in friendship, boarding schools, magic, and the fae—will appeal
particularly to those who enjoy mystery and suspense novels.
Genre:
Historical Suspense
Author
Bio: Approximately 120 words
The
finest entertainment in literature is an escape into a real and inviting
culture—so asserts L. D. Alford, a novelist who explores with originality those
cultures and societies we think we already know. He builds tales that make ancient people and
times real to us. His stories uniquely
explore the connections between present events, history, and the future—he
combines them with threads of reality that bring fiction alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and
cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran
University Boston
University University
of Dayton Air War College Staff
College
Synopsis: Approximately 500 Words
Deirdre Calloway is a wild and
dangerous girl. She’s never had a
friend, was sent to boarding school at Wycombe Abbey to be finished, and has a
penchant for fighting that has earned her a dubious reputation and record. Still, she is small blond haired and appears
the exact opposite of her reputation.
Did I mention, she has never had a friend? That’s all about to change.
Sorcha Weir has hair as black as
pitch, and a face as sweet and delicate as a fae creature. Mostly because she is the offspring of a man
and an Unseelie fae. She has been secretly
attending Wycombe Abbey by using fae glamour to make her appear to be a proper
student. She escaped from the juvenile
prison at Aylesbury and secretly made her home at Wycombe. She has everything planned to learn, graduate,
and continue her education. All she has
to do is keep her attendance and presence a secret.
Sorcha has everything planned
because no one can tell she is not a proper student—until she meets
Deirdre. On the first day of classes,
Deirdre notices Sorcha’s existence and sees through her glamour. This is one of Deirdre’s unusual skills. The problem is that Deirdre has never
achieved anything in terms of personal intimacy except through fighting, and
Sorcha has always lived a rough and tumble life. To protect her great secret, Sorcha attacks
Deirdre. Deirdre doesn’t fall for the
usual brawling tricks, and bests Sorcha.
Now all of Sorcha’s goals are at risk.
Her only hope to either banish Deirdre or befriend her. On the other hand, Deirdre is oddly attracted
to those she defeats—an unpleasant result of her personality.
Deirdre is halted from fully
taking advantage of her conquest by the intervention a teacher, Deirdre’s
relative Lune Bolang. In any case,
Sorcha seeks out Deirdre to either banish her or become her friend. Deirdre’s reaction is completely
unexpected. Deirdre offers to keep
Sorcha’s secret, to share her clothing, and her room.
Sorcha and Deirdre begin an odd
friendship bound to Luna Bolang. Ms.
Bolang doesn’t seem to know anything, but maybe knows everything. She encourages Sorcha and Deirdre to join the
fencing club. She forces Deirdre and
Sorcha to participate in electives.
These electives are patently
unusual: fencing, shooting, making friends, associating with the tea-party
class, meeting boys, learning about magic, meeting the fae, and seeing angels. There is much more in store for Deirdre and
Sorcha. To keep Sorcha’s great secret
and for Deirdre to remain at Wycombe and away from Deirdre’s past and her
mother, the girls must acquiesce to Luna Bolang’s requirements.
Why is Luna Bolang at Wycombe as a
teacher? Why the odd electives and
study? Why the teaching about
magic? What does Luna intend for Deirdre
and Sorcha, and why is Ms. Rowley, the history instructor involved in
magic? The fate of Deirdre and Sorcha
lies in their own hands. The fate of
friends, associates, and others will also become their responsibilities.
Concept of the Work: Approximately 250 Words
The concept behind Deirdre is
to reveal friendship and trust bound by secrets and learning between two
opposing personalities. The protagonist
is a unique and unusual person who hasn’t lived much of a real childhood. She is paired with a girl who has lived
nothing but through hard knocks and suffering.
This work also investigates ideas about magic and records detailed
information on competition shooting.
Registration: WGA, ISBN, or Library of
Congress, Write the number.
None
Other Information: If you have more work, a website, anything
interesting and professional, especially any awards or recognition.
Sorcha: Enchantment and the
Curse www.GoddessoftheHearth.com,
a cursed woman becomes a deadly spy at the hands of a dangerous mistress.
Essie: Enchantment and the Aos
Si www.HearthGoddess.com, a
matron rescues and educates the Queen of the fae.
Lilly: Enchantment and the
Computer www.GoddessofLightNovel.com,
a math genius girl gets a boyfriend and becomes a Japanese goddess.
Valeska: Enchantment and the
Vampire www.GoddessofDarkness.com,
a British agent accidentally becomes involved with a vampire.
Khione: Enchantment and the Fox
www.GoddessNovel.com, a graduate
student discovers a demigoddess in modern Boston
Aksinya: Enchantment and the
Daemon www.AksinyaNovel.com, a
Russian princess calls a demon to protect her family.
Hestia: Enchantment of the
Hearth www.EnchantmentoftheHearth.com,
the misadventures of archeologists in modern Greece.
Antebellum www.AntebellumNovel.com the mystery
of a house that has been missing since the American Civil War and the girl who
is called to it.
The Second Mission www.TheSecondMission.com is a
historical fiction novel about ancient Greece
Centurion www.CenturionNovel.com published
January 2008 and Aegypt www.AegyptNovel.com also published in
January 2008 are historical fiction novels from OakTara Fiction www.OakTara.com
The
Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox is a science fiction series published by
OakTara Fiction
Ancient
Light is a suspense series published by Broadstreet, Eleutheria, September 2014
in a three-in-one www.AncientLight.com.
L.D. Alford
has more than 40 technical papers published in international journals on flight
test, military policy, flight safety, space, and cyberwar. His military aviation writing is featured as
Military Aviation Adventures on www.wingsoverkansas.com.
Reviewer’s quotes.
Deirdre was
banished to Wycombe Abbey boarding school for fighting and uncivilized
behavior. Sorcha escaped from a juvenile
prison for the same reason. Sorcha’s
great secret is she is illegally attending Wycombe herself.
Deirdre is the child of a goddess and Sorcha
is the child of a fae creature. What
happens when the two become embroiled in an odd friendship becomes a story of
legend—a secret legend, but a legend, none-the-less.
What problems can two girls of unusual and supernatural abilities pose
in a modern boarding school—especially a school for elegant and wealthy young
ladies? The answer lies in Deirdre: Enchantment and the School—the
results aren’t very pretty.
Short Form
1. No
more than 3 sentences about the content of your manuscript.
Sorcha Weir’s secret is
discovered by Deirdre Calloway—Sorcha is clandestinely attending Wycombe Abbey
boarding school.
When two
problem girls, both with supernatural abilities, come together at Wycombe Abbey
boarding school, the sparks are about to fly.
Magic,
the fae, British Intelligence, and learning mix with friendship, fighting, and
unexpected revelations at a girl’s elegant boarding school in Deirdre:
Enchantment and the School.
If you look above at the sentence
blurbs for Deirdre, they are filled
with excitement and inviting entertainment—the point is to interest a person in
the novel with just a single sentence.
That’s the point for a publisher or
a reader. You would like to convey
energy, entertainment, and excitement about your novel. You want the reader of these blurbs to feel
that excitement and want to read your novel.
Let’s deconstruct these marketing sentences.
Look at the first one: Sorcha Weir’s secret is discovered by Deirdre
Calloway—Sorcha is clandestinely attending Wycombe Abbey boarding school. You might ask the question, should you use passive
voice in this sentence? Great
question. I intentionally made the focus
Sorcha. The focus is on Sorcha and her
secret. The key word of interest is “secret.” The sentence could be just as easily: Deirdre
Calloway discovered Sorcha Weir’s secret.
I think it is stronger and more interest building as it is. The second part is more direct and most
wouldn’t disagree with it: Sorcha is
clandestinely attending Wycombe Abbey boarding school. The magical words are “clandestinely” and “boarding
school.” These are all words that should
generate interest. If I were to pull
them from the list of key words for the novel, those would describe the novel
to a degree. Putting these kinds of
words in marketing sentences is simply money.
Let’s pull apart the second
marketing sentence: When two problem
girls, both with supernatural abilities, come together at Wycombe Abbey
boarding school, the sparks are about to fly.
The exciting words should be obvious:
problem girls, supernatural abilities, boarding school, and sparks. The last is a figure of speech. The use of prepositional phrases allows a
bunch of information and many descriptors to fill out the sentence. Again, you can see the key words building the
description.
The last sentence if almost purely key
words in an artistic mix: Magic, the
fae, British Intelligence, and learning mix with friendship, fighting, and
unexpected revelations at a girl’s elegant boarding school in Deirdre: Enchantment
and the School. The words, magic, fae,
British Intelligence, learning, friendship, fighting, and unexpected
revelations all produce some degree of excitement. Only you or another reader can agree whether
these sentences create enough excitement to interest you in reading this
novel. That is the goal and my point
entirely.
2. One
sentence about successful works similar to yours.
Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse is a unique novel with
nothing very similar—it is an idea and a theme wholly unto itself.
3. No
more than 2 sentences about yourself. (use 3rd person)
L. D. Alford
is a novelist whose writing uniquely explores the connections between present
events and history—he combines them with threads of reality that bring the past
alive.
Dr. Alford
is a scientist and widely traveled author who combines intimate scientific and
cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality.
4. No
more than 2 sentences that include “other,” i.e. any reasons, relationships, or
other factors that might make your work more attractive.
Sorcha: Enchantment and the
Curse continues the supernatural themes introduced in L.D. Alford’s Enchantment and Ancient Light novels. It is
a standalone novel.
Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse is
exciting fiction from the celebrated author of Essie: Enchantment and the Aor Si, Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer, Valeska: Enchantment and the Vampire, Khione: Enchantment and the Fox,
Dana-ana: Enchantment of the Maiden,
Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth, Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon, Antebellum,
Centurion, Aegypt, The End of Honor, The Fox’s Honor, A Season of Honor, Sister of Light, and Sister of Darkness.
I left in the information for Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse. I’ll write and put in the information for School over the next few weeks.
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
fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline,
character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing,
information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic
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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