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Friday, June 16, 2023

Writing - part xxx351 Writing a Novel, Cassandra, Other Information

16 June 2023, Writing - part xxx351 Writing a Novel, Cassandra, Other Information

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 websites 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 31st novel, working title, Cassandra, potential title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors.  The theme statement is: Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events.     

Here is the cover proposal for Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors




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 30th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29th novel, working title Detective.  Writing number 31, working title Shifter.  I just finished 32nd novel, Rose.

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:  Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events. 

 

For Novel 32:  Shiggy Tash finds a lost girl in the isolated Scottish safe house her organization gives her for her latest assignment: Rose Craigie has nothing, is alone, and needs someone or something to rescue and acknowledge her as a human being.

 

For novel 33, Book girl:  Siobhàn Shaw is Morven McLean’s savior—they are both attending Kilgraston School in Scotland when Morven loses everything, her wealth, position, and friends, and Siobhàn Shaw is the only one left to befriend and help her discover the one thing that might save Morven’s family and existence.

 

For novel 34:  Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.  

 

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:  Let me tell you a little about writing.  Writing isn’t so much a hobby, a career, or a pastime.  Writing is a habit and an obsession.  We who love to write love to write. 

 

If you love to write, the problem is gaining the skills to write well.  We want to write well enough to have others enjoy our writing.  This is important.  No one writes just for themselves the idea is absolutely irrational and silly.  I can prove why.

 

In the first place, the purpose of writing is communication—that’s the only purpose.  Writing is the abstract communication of the mind through symbols.  As time goes by, we as writers gain more and better tools and our readers gain more and better appreciation for those tools and skills—even if they have no idea what they are. 

 

We are in the modern era.  In this time, the action and dialog style along with the push of technology forced novels into the form of third person, past tense, action and dialog style, implying the future.  This is the modern style of the novel.  I also showed how the end of literature created the reflected worldview.  We have three possible worldviews for a novel: the real, the reflected, and the created.  I choose to work in the reflected worldview.

 

Why don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel?  I can tell you what I do, and show you how I go about putting a novel together.  We can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the writing. 

 

Ideas.  We need ideas.  Ideas allow us to figure out the protagonist and the telic flaw.  Ideas don’t come fully armed from the mind of Zeus.  We need to cultivate ideas. 

 

1.     Read novels. 

2.     Fill your mind with good stuff—basically the stuff you want to write about. 

3.     Figure out what will build ideas in your mind and what will kill ideas in your mind.

4.     Study.

5.     Teach. 

6.     Make the catharsis. 

7.     Write.

 

The development of ideas is based on study and research, but it is also based on creativity.  Creativity is the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  It is a reflection of something new created with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect).  Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and producing.

 

If we have filled our mind with all kinds of information and ideas, we are ready to become creative.  Creativity means the extrapolation of older ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form.  Literally, we are seeing the world in a new way, or actually, we are seeing some part of the world in a new way. 

 

The beginning of creativity is study and effort.  We can use this to extrapolate to creativity.  In addition, we need to look at recording ideas and working with ideas.

 

With that said, where should we go?  Should I delve into ideas and creativity again, or should we just move into the novel again?  Should I develop a new protagonist, which, we know, will result in a new novel.  I’ve got an idea, but it went stale.  Let’s look at the outline for a novel again:

 

1.      The initial scene

2.     The rising action scenes

3.     The climax scene

4.     The falling action scene(s)

5.     The dénouement scene(s)

   

The initial scene is the most important scene and part of any novel.  To get to the initial scene, you don’t need a plot, you need a protagonist.

 

At this point I want to finish editing Casandra: Enchantment and the Warriors and produce the marketing materials.  I intend to show you the marketing materials before I’m willing to begin writing Seoirse.  I also need to work harder at getting a publisher—basically submitting manuscripts to potential publishers and agents.

 

Here is my list of basic marketing materials:

 

Title of Work:

 

Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors

 

Author(s) Name:

 

L. D. Alford

 

 

Type: Either Screenplay or Book

 

Book

 

Length: Either # of words for books, or # of pages for screenplays

 

107,225 words

 

Keywords and Market Focus:

 

Fiction, mystery, intelligence, adventure, supernatural, Fae, fairy, France, Saint Malo, boarding school, finishing, secrets, hidden, Dagda, vampire, druid, magic, sorcery, demon; will fascinate anyone interested in mystery, intelligence operations, and the Fae—will appeal particularly to those who enjoy mystery and suspense magic realism novels.

 

Genre:

 

Magic Realism Mystery

 

Proposed Cover:




Author Bio: Approximately 120 words

The finest entertainment in literature is an escape into a real and inviting world—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 and modern people 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 his fiction alive.  L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, and is a graduate of Air War College, USAF Test Pilot School, and Air Command and Staff College.  He is widely traveled and has spent long periods in Europe, Asia, and Central America.  L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality.

Synopsis:  Approximately 1000 Words

Sorcha and Deirdre were expelled from Wycombe Abbey, an elite girl’s boarding school.  The reasons were shrouded in secret, but it delt with magic and the fire in Windsor Castle.  Sorcha’s past was revealed, and Deirdre’s pixilated naughty bits displayed on the nightly news.  In any case, their mother sent them to France for continued training.  The plan was that General Bolang would train them for a year to be aviation cadets then to Cranwell for schooling.  Unfortunately, General Bolang was recalled, and Sorcha and Deirdre received a new assignment—they were directed to the Ecole privée Notre Dame Auxiliatrice in Saint Malo, to be finished.

              Perhaps the worst assignment possible.  Instead of Cranwell, they were going to a girl’s school.  One moment, their lives were perfect, the next, they were on their way to be finished.

              Sorcha and Deirdre are stuck in a girl’s finishing school with little support and no real instructions.  All they knew is their cover—orphans under the guardianship of Madam and General Bolang.  They are Sorcha and Deirdre Bolang, girls from Paris who are supposed to be French through and through. 

              Madam Vigier, the daughter of Madam and General Bolang is their handler in the ecole, but she wants nothing to do with them.  Plus, their assignment reverses their normal personalities—Sorcha is supposed to be forward and a leader, while Deirdre is studious and quiet. It’s likely a test.  In addition, Mother Roux, the head of the school wants Sorcha and Deirdre to be flawless students and leaders for her student body. 

              They start strong but learn quickly the school is intentionally isolated even from its sister college, the Lycée Institution.  It’s so isolated that students of the ecole do not interact with the students of the Lycée, for fencing or other athletics—Mother Roux considers interaction a compromise of the dignity and training of her students.

              What Sorcha and Deirdre discover in the ecole is a student who wears their uniform, has a guard of nuns, but never attends classes or meals—she only goes to chapel and Mass.  This younger girl is held isolated in the cloister of the ecole.

              Sorcha and Deirdre are impressive students and fencers.  They make fast friends with Elodie and Laura the daughters of a Marquis and a Councilor.  Laura tells them the strange student in the cloister never seems to age and may not speak French.  Saint Malo and Brittany are places of intrigue where captives from the royalty, like Mary Queen of Scots and others were held in captivity.

              Sorcha and Deirdre realize they were sent to Saint Malo for more than finishing—they make the investigation of this girl their assignment.  That and normal schoolgirl curiosity drives them to explore the crypts below the Saint Malo Cathedral and the smuggler’s caves under the Lycée Institution—with Laura and Elodie, they are looking for a passage into the cloister. 

              In addition to their friends in the ecole, Sorcha and Deirdre make contacts outside the school.  They find a note that points to Nior Angélique, a poor British girl who works in a French bookstore and hunts witches.  Angélique is a friend of the Fae and always surrounded by flower Fae whom she can’t see.  She can control Glamour and make potions—she concocts a potion to find hidden places and things.

              While looking for hidden places, Sorcha and Deirdre search the Cimetière de Rocabey where they meet Giselle who may or may not be a vampire.

              Finally, with Laura and Elodie, Sorcha and Deirdre discover a passage from the ecole to the cloister.  The captive girl expects them and greets them.  She is Cassandra Lyons, and has been a prisoner since 1536.  Sorcha, Deirdre, Laura, and Elodie are her first friends, and they suggest Cassandra petition Mother Roux to enter the ecole.  Cassandra predicts a momentous change is about to affect her.

              The next morning, Luna Bolang, Sorcha and Deirdre’s previous handler from Wycombe Abbey visits the ecole.  When Sorcha and Deirdre are called to Mother Roux’s study, Luna Bolang proposes Cassandra, a ward of Britain and a long captive, should be moved into the ecole.  She assigns Sorcha and Deirdre as her helpers and mentors. 

              Cassandra is changed from captive to member of the ecole, and Sorcha and Deirdre have their hands full with a lady just learning French and the basics of modern society.  Now, their mystery is who and what is Cassandra.  The real problems begin when Cassandra meets Sorcha and Deirdre’s other friends.  Angélique isn’t a problem.  Cassandra knows of the Fae, but when Cassandra meets Giselle, she attacks.  Giselle defeats Cassandra, but Cassandra is long lived and not easy to kill.  In addition, Giselle shows Cassandra mercy and compassion, however Cassandra is seriously wounded.  Sorcha and Deirdre must call for Madam Vigier, their handler, and she brings Luna Bolang.  Cassandra is down for a while, and Luna wants to know who or what injured her.  The girls aren’t talking.

              Sorcha and Deirdre work hard to patch up all the difficulties between their unusual friends, but they face a growing crisis in Saint Malo and Brittany.  Luna is assigned to Amsterdam to investigate criminals sexually exploiting and murdering young women.  Giselle knows it’s a demon.  Sorcha and Deirdre and their friends must prepare to fight it.  They make all the preparations, and while collecting holy water meet two ancient goddesses, the goddesses of gentle love and love’s sharp bite, Saint Amourna and Saint Arduinna.  They contract with these goddesses, none too late because Giselle warns them the demon and his sorcerer are in Saint Malo to conduct a witches’ sabbath and they are the only ones who can stop them.

              They fight a great battle in the unholy ground of Cimetière de Rocabey.  Each of the friends bring their power and skills into an unwinnable battle, and the prayers of Elodie call first the goddesses of love then an angel.  With the help of the angel, they defeat the demon and save the city.

              In the end, we find Sorcha and Deirdre completed their assignment, and all along it was the reconciliation of Cassandra and their finishing.

Synopsis:  Approximately 500 Words

Due to magic and inopportune difficulties, Sorcha and Deirdre were expelled from their elite British girl’s boarding school.  Their mother sent them to France for continued intelligence training with General Bolang.  Unfortunately, the General is recalled, and Sorcha and Deirdre receive an assignment to the Ecole privée Notre Dame Auxiliatrice in Saint Malo, to be finished.

              They learn quickly the ecole is intentionally isolated even from its sister college, the Lycée Institution.  It’s so isolated students from the ecole do not interact for fencing or other athletics.

              They discover a girl who wears their uniform, has a guard of nuns, never attends classes or meals, is only at chapel and Mass, and is kept in the cloister.

              Sorcha and Deirdre are impressive fencers and make fast friends with Elodie and Laura.  Laura tells them, the strange student in the cloister never ages and can’t speak French.  Brittany is a place where royal captives were once held.

              Sorcha and Deirdre realize this girl might be their assignment.  That, plus curiosity drives them to explore the crypts below the Saint Malo Cathedral, the Cimetière de Rocabey, and a smuggler’s cave under the Lycée Institution—they seek a passage into the cloister. 

              In addition to their friends in the ecole, they make other contacts.  While searching the Cimetière de Rocabey, they meet Giselle who may be a vampire.  They find Nior Angélique, a friend of the Fae and always surrounded by fairies.  She can make potions and concocts one to find hidden places.  With it, they discover a passage from the ecole to the cloister.  The captive girl is Cassandra Lyons and has been a prisoner since 1536.  Sorcha, Deirdre, Laura, and Elodie are her first friends.  Cassandra predicts a momentous change.

              The next morning, Luna Bolang, Sorcha and Deirdre’s previous handler from Wycombe Abbey visits the ecole.  Sorcha and Deirdre are assigned as Cassandra’s mentors. 

              Cassandra changes from captive to student, and Sorcha and Deirdre have their hands full with a lady just learning French and modern society.  Now, their mystery is what is Cassandra. 

              Sorcha and Deirdre face difficulties with their friends, but they confront a growing crisis in Saint Malo.  Luna is assigned to investigate the murders of young women.  Giselle knows it’s a demon.  The girls make preparations to fight, and while collecting holy water meet two ancient goddesses, the goddesses of gentle love and love’s sharp bite.  They contract with them, none too late because the demon and his sorcerer are in Saint Malo to conduct a witches’ sabbath and the girls are the only ones who can stop them.

              They fight a great battle on the unholy ground of Cimetière de Rocabey.  They bring their skills into an unwinnable battle, and the prayers of Elodie call first the goddesses of love then an angel.  With the help of the angel, they defeat the demon and save the city.

              In the end, we find Sorcha and Deirdre completed their assignment, and it was the reconciliation of Cassandra along with their finishing.

Synopsis:  Approximately 200 Words

Sorcha and Deirdre were expelled from their elite British girl’s boarding school.  They receive an assignment to the Ecole privée Notre Dame Auxiliatrice in Saint Malo, France to be finished.

              They discover a girl who wears their uniform, guarded by nuns, never attends classes or meals, and is kept in the cloister.  This strange student never ages and can’t speak French. 

              While searching the Cimetière de Rocabey, they meet Giselle who may be a vampire.  They find Nior Angélique, who concocts a potion to find hidden places.  With it, they discover a passage from the ecole to the cloister.  The captive girl is Cassandra Lyons and has been a prisoner since 1536. 

              Luna, Sorcha and Deirdre’s previous handler from Wycombe Abbey visits the ecole, and they are assigned as Cassandra’s mentors.  Cassandra changes from captive to student. 

              They confront a growing crisis in Saint Malo.  Giselle knows it’s a demon.  They make preparations to fight, none too late, because the demon and his sorcerer are in Saint Malo.

              Together, they fight a great battle on the unholy ground of Cimetière de Rocabey.  An unwinnable battle, where their prayers call an angel.  They defeat the demon and save the city.

Concept of the Work:  Approximately 250 Words

The main concept of this work is a self-discovery plot about the finishing of Sorcha and Deirdre with a discovery plot about: who is Cassandra?

The secondary concept is a camaraderie plot about friends, friendship, and redemption.

The theme statement for the work is: Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events.

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.

Rose: Enchantment and the Flower, a forgotten Fae child is rescued from poverty and isolation by a British agent and action in the Orkney Islands.

Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective, the Keeper of the Book of the Fae plays golf, investigates the supernatural, and finds love.

Deirdre: Enchantment and the School www.HestiaNovel.com, the child of a Fae secretly attends a girl’s boarding school until Deirdre discovers her.

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.

Dana-ana: Enchantment of the Maiden www.Dana-ana.com, the mystery of Dana-ana Goewyn.

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 published in 2003 by Xulon.

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

              The End of Honor (published, July 2008) www.TheEndofHonor.com

              The Fox’s Honor (published Oct 2008) www.TheFoxsHonor.com

              A Season of Honor (published Nov 2008) www.ASeasonofHonor.com

Ancient Light is a suspense series published by Broadstreet, Eleutheria, September 2014 in a three-in-one www.AncientLight.com.

              Aegypt (second edition published by OakTara Fiction, 2014) www.Aegypt.com

              Sister of Light (published by OakTara Fiction, 2014) www.SisterofLight.com

              Sister of Darkness (published by OakTara Fiction, 2014) www.SisterofDarkness.com

More information is available at www.ldalford.com  

L.D. Alford has more than 70 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.

Sorcha and Deirdre were expelled from Britain and school because of magic—they are now assigned for finishing in France where a member of the British Royalty has been exiled for over 400 years.  What could happen?

Sorcha and Deirdre are exiled for finishing in an ecole at Saint Malo, France.  Along with new friends, they meet a Druid, a possible vampire, a banished royal, and some fickle goddesses—what could possibly happen? 

Sorcha and Deirdre thought they were going to Cranwell for military aviation training—instead, they are sent to France to be finished.  In a girl’s school, no less.  What they find there might upend the British nobility and overcome French Brittany.  With friends like a destitute vampire, a witch hunter, the daughter of a marques and the daughter of a French Councilor, they might have some chance at success.

1.  No more than 3 sentences about the content of your manuscript.

Sorcha and Deirdre while exiled for finishing in France discover the Lady Cassandra Lyons who is not completely human nor entirely what she seems.     

The Sorcha and Deirdre show removes with prejudice from Britain to France—their assignment is unclear and so are their true goals—it’s something about Cassandra Lyons.

The daughter of an accused witch and something else entirely was banished from England and Scotland in 1536—she’s been languishing in a French cloister since then waiting for something, perhaps rescue.

2.  One sentence about successful works similar to yours.

Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors is a novel similar to The Man in the Iron Mask, except it’s set in the Twentieth Century France and involves two girls on assignment to a French finishing ecole.

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.

Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors continues the magic realism themes introduced in L.D. Alford’s Enchantment and Ancient Light novels.  It is a standalone novel.

Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors, is an exciting magical realism and mystery novel from the celebrated author of Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective, Deirdre: Enchantment and the School, Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse, 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.

Last set of blurbs, and yes, these are just two sentences.  What do you want here?  Well, I’m trying to synopsize my novel and provide some context for it in my works.  Fiction is like art—most authors create series whether they are related or unrelated in some fashion.  Usually, these series of novels are related by characters, theme, plots, ideas, settings, and etc.  Some, like mine, focus on themes.  Artists do this too.  I want the theme ideas to come out in some fashion.  That’s the point.  In addition, I want a potential agent or publisher to know that there are more where than came from.  A real selling point for most publishers is to know the author has similar novels ready for publication.  This also speaks to the industry of the author.

 

In any case, the first statement provides a setting for the novel and speaks to the series of novels.  The second lists all the novels and has a little glitz from my publisher.  Every author who is published is a celebrated author—or so my publisher said.

 

Yeah, I do have two sentences in the first blurb—bad on me.

 

Now, when and how do you use these.  I might use them at the end of a submissions letter, or if a publisher asked for more information on the novel, I might provide this information.  It’s succinct, taunt, and specific to the series of novels.  It specifically tells the potential publisher or agent, that this novel is part of a series and there are other novels available.  As I wrote, this is important to convey in some way.

 

These aren’t blurbs you just use willy-nilly.  They are good ways to express some important information that isn’t purely plot based or that might interest a publisher or agent.  Other kinds of information you might include in such a blurb is: Jill is the host of a cooking program (for a cookbook).  Jack is a world class detective (for a detective novel).  Jane is a policewoman in New York City (for a police novel).  If I put any of my aviation stories or a novel up for submission, I might write: Dr. Alford is a professional test pilot.  Or something like that.

 

The point here is to use your points or specific points to sell your ideas and your novel.

 

The plan is to fill in these marketing materials.  I already put in the title, author’s name, and the type.  I’ll opine on these next. 

 

I put together this list from internet sources, information sources, publisher requests for information, and other ideas from agents.  The point is to fill out this information and with it, you should be able to produce your submission letters and provide the information a publisher requires.  This isn’t the end-all, but it does prepare you for most information requests from your publisher.

 

In addition, this provides you with all the information you will likely want to populate a website with.  You can actually take this verbatim and fill a website for your novel.  I’d recommend being a little more creative in your website development, but with the information above, you can provide a potential reader or publisher with everything they need to give your novel a first blush look.

 

Is a website helpful—who knows.  When you have a published work, I think it can be.  In the interim, I’m not sure.  It’s hard today to tell how many visitors you’ve had and the success of the website in advertising.  This is especially true if you don’t have any works to sell.  It’s also true if you don’t have any sales.  If you are self-published on Amazon or are advertised on Amazon, you can easily see your sales.  That’s not as true with your own website. 

 

I’m of the opinion that you should own your own website for every novel.  I’ll get into this as we move along on the marketing materials. 

 

The first point is to have a plan and to develop your marketing materials.  The plan is listed above.  I’ll get to the details next.   

 

I’m still editing Cassandra and I’ll cover some of this before I get to the marketing materials.

 

I’ll repeat.  I just finished up Rose, and I want to finish up Cassandra.  I’m moving in that direction. 

 

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

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