Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x163, It’s Finished, more Internet Marketing

18 June 2017, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x163, It’s Finished, more Internet 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 28^th novel, working title, School, potential title Deirdre: Enchantment and the School.  The theme statement is: 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.  

Here is the cover proposal for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I continued writing my 29^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 28^th novel, working title School.  If you noticed, I started on number 28, but finished number 29 (in the starting sequence—it’s actually higher than that).  I adjusted the numbering.  I do keep everything clear in my records.  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 29:  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.

 

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.

 

I’m moving to marketing my newest novel.  Here is some basic information from the long and short form.        

 

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

 

You need to build web presence for yourself and your novels.  This is especially true for those of you who have a published novel, but still important if you don’t, yet.  You begin building web presence with a web site.  Whatever else you do, you need a web address (a URL) with your name and the title(s) of your novel(s) (book(s)).  I wrote about this yesterday, and I’ve written extensively about this before.  Get a web address with your name and one for each novel. 

 

The development of your book titles is also important—I also wrote all about this before.  I should mention something about names.  I shall.  Your writing name is like your titles—they must be slightly unique, but not completely unique.  Your writing name must be slightly unique, but not completely unique.  It also needs to be spellable, pronounceable, and findable.  I’m lucky to have a name that is unusual, but spellable and pronounceable.  When I search for my name, almost the only results are my name or my father’s name.  There are always cats and dogs, but this is what you want from a direct search.  You want people to find you and to find your book.  If you have a URL of your name, they will find you.  If they find you, they will find your novel.  That’s about it.

 

So, what can you do about your name?  My natural name works great.  My pen name works great.  If your natural name is not unique enough try fixing it up.  This is how you develop a pen name in the first place.  At the very worst, you can have a pen name that is significantly different than your real name.  You don’t even have to go to a court house to make up a pen name—just start using it.  Get the URL for it.  You might be surprised or you might not be surprised at the number of authors who have a pen name that is significantly different than their real name.  Think Mark Twain of George Eliot.  There are many many more.  In any case, the beginning of building web presence is to have a proper title and a proper name.  When I write proper, I mean somewhat unique but not completely unique.  We’ll move on tomorrow.         

 

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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