Writing Ideas - More Inspiration

17 July 2013, Writing Ideas - More Inspiration

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

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 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.

I wrote before, that to be inspired, I write http://www.ldalford.com/, but you knew there had to be more to it than that--didn't you? There is. I'm not sure exactly what inspiration is. I just get ideas. When I get an idea, I write it down. Some are mundane. Some are more than mundane. I turn them all into writing. The point is, when I get an idea, I write it down. That way I won't loose it. I keep a couple of idea books around. One I carry everywhere, and the other one is by my bed. If I get an idea in the middle of the night, I write it down. I have a list of Military Aviation Adventures I will write about. The list comes from my experiences in military aviation. When I remember an experience, I add it to the list. The list is about 200 ideas long--enough for 200 short pieces (3000 to 6000 words each). When I read the paper, if I get worked up about some item of news, I don't seethe about it--I write it down in an essay or opinion piece. Many of these pieces will never be published, but I write them anyway. The point is to be inspired by life and record that inspiration. Imagine your life as exciting and inspiring. Imagine your characters and your writing as exciting and inspiring. This is how you develop ideas and get them on paper.

Another point that likely requires an even longer post: I don't write about myself. Even when I am the main character in a Military Aviation Adventure http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/, I don't write about myself. I'm not living vicariously through my own writing. I don't try to make myself the hero of my fiction. This is something many authors don't seem to understand. They are all about turning their mundane persons into an exciting fictional character. If they do, their characters aren't real and everyone can tell. That's why blog writers and writers who convey themselves with all their faults are more popular than those who don't. Of course some blog writers and self aggrandisers make up the stuff to sound more pathetic. They should stick to fiction. This is why I say--don't write about yourself. My old self who lived those Military Aviation Adventures is much different than the self I am today. I don't write about myself. More than that, though my opinions and ideas surely come through in my writing, that is not wholly my intent. My intent is only to get the theme through to the reader in an entertaining fashion. I don't really want to put up a soapbox and have my characters pontificate my opinions. I put words in the mouths of my characters that I don't agree with. I don't like some of my characters. I don't like some of the characteristics of my heroes and heroines. I don't write about myself; I give life to characters who are entertaining and who appear real. They are separate and different from the me I imagine, or they wouldn't be real--they would just be clones of the mental me. Maybe I should develop this point in more depth tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.

Writing Ideas - Inspiration

16 July 2013, Writing Ideas - Inspiration

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

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 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.

Inspiration! Just how do you get it, and what is "good" inspiration. If you want to be inspired--write. That's it. Inspiration is enveloped in the process or writing. I see writing as cathartic. You fill up your brain with good things and out comes great writing. This means you can't write well unless you are steeped in good stuff. Your mind needs to be filled with positive and powerful words, music, images, and energy so when you get in front of a piece of paper, what flows onto the paper is rich and luscious. Let's put it this way, if you spend your time reading Dick and Jane, you will write Dick and Jane. If you spend your time reading Hawthorn and Dickens, you will write Hawthorn and Dickens. We haven't begun to speak about your individual voice as an author. So I want to fill up my mind with powerful stuff that then turns into powerful words on a page. So what were those initial words about "just write?" I was speaking about inspiration. If you wait around for inspiration to hit you in the head, and then you write, you'll never write anything (or very little). I find inspiration comes from the experience of writing. Since I write in scenes, I do try to imagine the scenes as a focus to the writing and that provides much of the inspiration. You might ask, where did the original inspiration for the overall novel or writing come from? Generally, it comes out of the process of writing. In other words, I imagine a scene I would like to write, I write to develop the scene, and that provides the inspiration. Sometimes the scene I write has nothing to do with anything else in the future (like a novel), sometimes it does. Sometimes the scene develops into a short story. The point is, I don't wait around for inspiration, I just start writing and see what comes of it. If you need some guidance in your writing, use a text book or figure out some kind of template. Write about descriptive scenes or simply describe the room you are in right now. If you can't get anything going from any of that--then writing may not be your thing. Or just wait for some inspiration.

For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.

Of Skunks and Inspiration

There I was.... That's the beginning of every bad or good aviation story, and this isn't an aviation story.  Well, there I was sitting in bed around midnight and reading on my iPad when my Shellie, Chino, came in snorting.  He snorts all the time (it means he's offended about something), but this was strange snorting.  I had heard him in an altercation with the neighboring wildlife--he does that often.  Usually he gets upset with raccoons, opossums, squirrels, birds, ducks, geese, and sometimes, skunks.  He was slammed by a skunk a couple of years ago--I thought he had learned his lesson.  He didn't.  There was no smell at first--then it came all at once and filled the room.  The smell was nothing like the terrible short whiff you get from a drive by skunk squish.  This was potent, and I could tell the skunk had been grazing in the rosemary in my house goddess' garden.  The house goddess rose from her slumber with a look of action in her eyes.  I knew what that meant.  I just wanted to throw the dog back into the darkness.  He could play all night with the skunk for all I care--his shots are up to date.  The house goddess pulled the skunk stink solution from her cupboard--did I tell you, she is always prepared (better than a boyscout or a girlscout).  We ended up in the poolhouse.  I ended up with skunk stink all over my hands.  The dog was desmelled, and I closed him in the mudroom.  No more midnight wilderness encounters for him.  Then we opened the windows, turned on the fans, and turned off the AC.  I went to sleep with the scent of very potent skunk in my nose.  I think it was slowly numbing my smeller, but not enough that I couldn't smell skunk.

What does this have to do with inspiration?  Actually nothing.  I have some new experiences, but all I wrote, I wrote to you.  I'm not sure how to turn this into a good scene either--all I could think is how mad I was at the dog for being stupid again.  Maybe he needs glasses--how about night vision goggles.  I thought dogs were supposed to be able to see well in the dark.  You would think after one skunk experience, he would have "caught a clue."  You can't feel sorry for the dog, the skunk, or the victims (me and the house goddess)--it would never make a good scene.

More on Inspiration

I wrote before, that to be inspired, I write http://www.ldalford.com/.  But you knew there had to be more to it than that--didn't you?  There is.  I'm not sure exactly what inspiration is.  I just get ideas.  When I get an idea, I write it down.  Some are mundane.  Some are more than mundane.  I turn them all into writing.  The point is, when I get an idea, I write it down.  That way I won't loose it.  I keep a couple of idea books around.  One I carry everywhere, and the other one is by my bed.  If I get an idea in the middle of the night, I write it down.  I have a list of Military Aviation Adventures I will write about.  The list comes from my experiences in military aviation.  When I remember an experience, I add it to the list.  The list is about 200 ideas long--enough for 200 short pieces (3000 to 6000 words).  When I read the paper, if I get worked up about some item of news, I don't seethe about it--I write it down in an essay or opinion piece.  Many of these pieces are never published, but I write them anyway.  The point is to be inspired by life and the record that inspiration.  Imagine your life as exciting and inspiring.  Imagine your characters and your writing as exciting and inspiring.  This is how you develop ideas and get them on to paper.

Another point that likely requires an even longer post: I don't write about myself.  Even when I am the main character in a Military Aviation Adventure http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/, I don't write about myself.  I'm not living vicariously through my own writing.  I don't try to make myself the hero of my fiction.  This is something many authors don't seem to understand.  They are all about turning their mundane persons into an exciting fictional character.  If they do, their characters aren't real and everyone can tell.  That's why blog writers and writers who convey themselves with all their faults are more popular than those who don't.  Of course some blog writers and self aggrandisers make up the stuff to sound more pathetic.  They should stick to fiction.  This is why I say--don't write about yourself.  My old self who lived those Military Aviation Adventures is much different than the self I am today.  I don't write about myself.  More than that, though my opinions and ideas surely come through in my writing, that is not wholly my intent.  My intent is only to get the theme through to the reader in an entertaining fashion.  I don't really want to put up a soapbox and have my characters pontificate on my opinions.  I put words in the mouths of my characters that I don't agree with.  I don't like some of my characters.  I don't like some of the characteristics of my heros and heroines.  I don't write about myself; I give life to characters who are entertaining and who appear real.  They are separate and different from me or they wouldn't be real--they would just be clones of me.  Maybe I should develop this point in more depth tomorrow.

Inspiration

Inspiration!  Just how do you get it, and what about "good" inspiration.  If you want to be inspired--write.  That's it.  Inspiration is enveloped in the process or writing.  I see writing as cathartic.  You fill up your brain with good things and out comes great writing.  This means you can't write well unless you are steeped in good stuff.  Your mind needs to be filled with positive and powerful words, music, images, and energy so when you get in front of a piece of paper, what flows onto the paper is rich and luscious.  Let's put it this way, if you spend your time reading Dick and Jane, you will write Dick and Jane.  If you spend your time reading Hawthorn and Dickens, you will write Hawthorn and Dickens.  We haven't begun to speak about your individual voice as an author.  So I want to fill up my mind with powerful stuff that then becomes powerful words on a page.  So what were those initial words about "just write?"  I was speaking about inspiration.  If you wait around for inspiration to hit you in the head, and then you write, you'll never write anything (or very little).  I find inspiration comes from the experience of writing.  Since I write in scenes, I do try to imagine the scenes as a focus to the writing and that provides much of the inspiration.  You might ask, where did the original inspiration for the overall novel or writing come from?  Generally, it comes out of the process of writing.  In other words, I imagine a scene I would like to write, I write to develop the scene, and that provides the inspiration.  Sometimes the scene I write has nothing to do with anything else in the future (like a novel), sometimes it does.  Sometimes the scene develops into a short story.  The point is, I don't wait around for inspiration, I just start writing and see what comes.  If you need some guidance in your writing, use a text book or figure some template.  Write about descriptive scenes or simply describe the room you are in right now.  If you can't get anything going from any of that--then writing may not be your thing.  Or just wait for some inspiration.

Centurion is featured on another blog

This week Lynnette Bonner is featuring my novel Centurion http://www.centurionnovel.com/ on her blog at http://www.lynnettebonner.blogspot.com/. The account on her blog tells about how I got the idea for the novel, wrote it, and eventually found a publisher.

I am planning to write a sequel to Centurion. I already have a name and plot in mind. The name is Praetorian, and the plot will be set in Rome during the period after the crucifixion until around AD 56 or so. This allows the integration of Paul into the plot and the theme. I'm not certain how I will work that history into the novel. There has been a question about the time of the death of Paul. Many historians think he died in Rome in AD 55, but the writing of the pastorals "Timothy and Titus" plus the trip to Spain would have required at least a decade later. This historical anomaly requires some explanation and would be a perfect topic for Praetorian. I spent a lot of time in Rome and environs, so I'm familiar with the territory. I haven't started the writing yet because I just finished Dana-ana www.GoddessNovel.com (current working title). I usually have to wait a while for inspiration (at least a couple of months to get the previous book out of my mind). In addition, I have a couple of other novels in the writing list ahead of Praetorian. I've even gone so far as to outline Ddraig Goch. This science fiction novel is planned to complete the Ghostship Chronicles http://www.ghostshipchronicles.com/.

Right now, I'm writing from deep in corn country and my granddaughter is sitting on my lap and telling me to draw Sam the pony for her. That means you should expect a new addition to the aviation blog http://www.ldalford.com/ when I fly back to the Air Capitol on Wednesday.