Writing - part x569, Developing Skills, Real Supernatural Research

29 July 2018, Writing - part x569, Developing Skills, Real Supernatural Research  

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but my primary publisher has gone out of business—they couldn’t succeed in the past business and publishing environment.  I'll keep you informed, but I need a new publisher.  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 29^th novel, working title, Detective, potential title Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  The theme statement is: Lady Azure Rose Wishart, the Chancellor of the Fae, supernatural detective, and all around dangerous girl, finds love, solves cases, breaks heads, and plays golf.  

Here is the cover proposal for Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I’m planning to start on number 31, working title Shifter. 

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 30:  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 31:  TBD 

Here is the scene development outline:

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

          

Today:  I noted yesterday, there are two ways to approach the development of science fiction and fantasy worlds.  The first is kinda, must make it up.  I used Harry Potty and Dune as examples.  What I wanted you to note is first, making it up on your own is hard and takes years of study and work.  Second, it ain’t easy as Harry Potty shows.  Dune is cogent while Harry is not very. 

Plus, there is a third point that drives directly into the second means of developing a fantasy or science fiction universe—there must be some level of integration with human society.  John Brunner did write one book completely about an alien culture, but to be understandable by humans, all the concepts of the aliens had to be turned into human ideas and concepts.  Likewise, with building your own universe, you have to integrate the whole into the human world.

Thus, in Harry Potty, we have the background of modern Britain.  In Dune, we have a projection of human society thousands of years in the future.  The second means of developing the universe of your fantasy or science fiction is to start with a human society.

Here’s what I do.  All my novels include some degree of the supernatural.  I research the supernatural as understood in human cultures and society and I integrate it, hopefully seamlessly, into the world of my novels.  I start with the world we know and place in it already known cultural and societal myths.  To do this requires extensive research.  As you might or might not know, myths have more than one version and focus.  The job of the writer in research is to know all the versions and to change the focus to the current work of the author.  This requires hours and hours of study. 

Usually, my study comes at the beginning and during the writing of the work.  I’ve noted in many of these blog posts how I develop a character.  This is usually where I begin my process of research and study.  Depending on the novel and the topic, I might spend weeks, days, or hours on a specific area.

For example, I was writing about developing a Cassandra character for my newest novel.  I needed a private school in France for my setting.  I spent two days of research for just such an academy.  I found one that was pretty close to what I wanted.  Plus, I will note to you that I can take a little more latitude with a French school than I can with a British or American school.  The reason is that most of my readers are English speakers and live in English countries.  If I take any liberties with British schools, my readers might catch it.  On the other hand, few British or Americans will know enough about a French academy to really complain.  I will assure you, I will make as few changes as possible to reality, but likewise, less information is available about the object of my study. 

This is how authors are supposed to work and develop their worlds for their readers…and there is still more to the supernatural.

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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