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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