Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 223, History Mystery Plot, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

19 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 223, History Mystery Plot, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

Then came The Moon Stone.  Novels prior to The Moon Stone were all about character revelation.  The focus was on the people.  The mystery was the people.  Look at Oliver Twist or Jayne Eire.  The revelation and the revealed mystery was simply the people in the novel.  The authors had devised the concept of plot revelation, but in The Moon Stone, the revelation was an object and not necessarily the people.  Now, don't get me wrong, an important part of The Moon Stone was the revelation of the people, but this new type of novel brought into play a new idea--the idea of a mystery outside of human revelation. 

This is what mystery novels are--they are a revelation of an event or a thing rather than the revelation of a person.  All novels solve or resolve some kind of mystery, but a true mystery novel solves or resolves a problem based on a thing or an event (robbery, murder, secret, lost item).  The Moon Stone is considered the first "mystery" novel in English.  It would not be the last, by any means--the idea that an event or a thing could be revealed sparked the imagination of many writers and readers. 

Note, that there are other types of revelation or solutions.  The revelation of a character's life is the standard form a novel.  The revelation of an event or item is the standard form of a "mystery" novel.  We just defined two genre of writing.  There are other forms of revelation and each has its own genre.
             
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 222, Mystery Plot, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

18 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 222, Mystery Plot, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

Initially novels in English were written in a journalistic form.  They were in the first person, present tense, implying the past.  The point of the novel, at that time, was to convey a story in a long format.  The first novels in English were written by Daniel Defoe.  I hope you have read them all.  Novels changed rather quickly as the form and the format was developed and improved.  At first, the idea of the novelist was to tell the story of the life or an experience of a character--character revelation.  In other words, novels began with the idea of revealing the protagonist.  This was their initial form for a while.  Even later novels in English bear this stamp: Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Vanity Fair, and all.  Many, if not most novels from the early period are all about character revelation and less about plot revelation.

Things began to change slightly in the Victorian Era.  The novelist already had the right idea, although character revelation was the focus, the novel needed plot revelation to build and resolve the storyline.  Novels took the form of the third person, past tense, implying the present (or near past).  Novels moved quickly from a journalistic form to a reporting type form.  They also began to take on the five discrete parts in the development of the plot.  This process was relatively fast because the novel went from about one hundred percent character revelation to a long form of the short story.  The short story form was developed, in English, about five hundred years before the novel.  The idea of the discrete parts of a story were not unusual to the early novelists.  The power of the novel was in the proper writing of these parts--however, the novel was still in development.
             
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 220, Truth the Point of Proof and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

16 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 220, Truth the Point of Proof and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

More to the point of proof and truth is what we see in mystery novels.  I assert that every novel should be filled with mystery--the biggest mystery is the revelation of the protagonist.  Even the plot of every novel is filled with mystery--what will happen next.  Our usual conception of a mystery novel is one where a detective (of some sort) investigates a crime (of some sort), and resolves the mystery through evidence and deductive or inductive reasoning.  Here, to a degree, is really the form of every novel--this is a mystery theme.  Most novels are not necessarily "mystery" novels, but every novel includes mystery, and I propose that the greater the mystery, the greater the power of the novel.

For example, Aksinya, I gave you this entire novel, so it is easy for me to use it as an example.  There is no mystery about why Aksinya called the demon in the first place, but there are mysteries throughout the novel.  The obvious question is who really is Aksinya and how did she get her powers.  The second is, what will the demon do, and within this context is how will the demon tempt Aksinya next.  The temptation by the demon is a recurring idea in the novel.  This is an important concept that the novel is built around, but the entertainment value is part of the mystery I'm writing about.  The anticipation of the reader is what this is all about.  In Aksinya, I give clues to each successive temptation--many of them come directly out of the mouth of the demon, but they are so unbelievable, Aksinya can't believe them.  For example, the young man, Ernst, who falls in love with Aksinya--was a setup by the demon.  Aksinya is tempted and takes Ernst's love hook line and sinker, but the mystery is about how the man knew about Aksinya and what it means.  We discover in the theme climax, that the demon set up Ernst as a temptation for Aksinya and Ernst and used Aksinya's lady-in-waiting to seduce Ernst and ruin the potential love and engagement.  All these are mysteries and secrets that are revealed through the plot of the novel.  Although Aksinya is not a classical "mystery" novel, it is full of mystery.  The elements to prove truth are used throughout to give strength to the novel and the mysteries.
             
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 219, Truth the Point of Proof and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

15 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 219, Truth the Point of Proof and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The Scarlet Letter is a great example of what I'm talking about because most educated people have read it.  Let's turn to a more modern example, Dandelion Wine.  I've written before that this is likely the best current novel in the English language.  It is an example of a "story-style" novel writer, because it is obvious formed of short stories pieced together with a single theme.  The single theme is the changes in the twentieth century world.  In this novel, we are shown bits and pieces of the past and present and see how they relate to the now and the future.  Bradbury is very careful to keep the novel on a very tense footing that does not let the reader know explicitly the truth from the false.  I'd almost rather say the not truth or the not true.  Bradbury is trying to get something into the world of his writing that is much more powerful than the empirical, but he approaches it with empirical certainty.  For example, the time machine...is an old man who relates his knowledge and impressions of the past, but Bradbury never lets the reader off the hook.  The question is always: what is true.  The answer isn't given.  The truth isn't hidden in the events but in the words and the world. 

The machines give it away.  The happiness machine from Dandelion Wine is a device, but it brings not just happiness--what does it really bring?  The author never fully tells us.  The truth is not as important as the feelings and the family.  The green machine is an electric car.  It represents transportation, but causes its users pain, fear, and suffering.  How wonderful it is to live in an empirical world, surrounded by the spiritual...or not.  Just what is the creature that haunts Greenville?  What kind of truth can be found in an elixir of fresh mountain air that brings respite both physical and spiritual?  Bradbury produces magic without magic and sorcery without sorcery.  The edge between truth and not truth never lets on what is really true or really false.  This is the power of literature.
             
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 215, more Proof Logic and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

11 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 215, more Proof Logic and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

If you remember the mathematical proofs you had to do in geometry, you know how to develop a logical proof.  You start with definitions.  It looks like this:

1.  Define the terms
2.  State assumptions
3.  Produce proof
4.  Logical conclusion

I hope you realize that the major purpose of philosophy into the early 20th Century was to prove God.  Almost every proof was based on this as an argument.  The big problem is that you can't prove a true, you can only prove a not true.  If you remember your Geometry, you will remember this very important dictum--you can prove it in logic.  The proof of God was resolved with Kant.  Kant's proof of not true that proves the true of a God is perfect and has not been refuted.  This is one of the reasons modern philosophy gave up on the proof of God--it was proved (in favor of God).  In the other hand, modern philosophy has given up over 10,000 years of human thought to conclude (without proof) that God is dead--because they say so.

In any case, the major use of logic, beyond, and with mathematics was to prove sticky things that could not be directly measured in the physical world--like the existence of God.  The ultimate focus of this is the way to prove and know truth for yourself and in your novels. 

So, if you intend to prove a repeatable event in your novel--use the scientific method.  If you want to prove a non-repeatable event--use the legal-historical method.  If you are looking at mathematics, classic philosophy (as opposed to Greek philosophy), and ideas outside of the physical world--use logic.  You can additionally use logic for ideas within the physical world, but not provable by other means--for example, inductive and deductive reasoning (think Sherlock Holms) are both types of logic.  The key is the ability of the author to present truth to her readers in the most appropriate and correct fashion and to not use the wrong means (unless it is intentional).  We'll discuss this next.
             
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 208, Logical Proof and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

4 November 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 208, Logical Proof and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

If you remember the mathematical proofs you had to do in geometry, you know how to develop a logical proof.  You start with definitions.  It looks like this:

1.  Define the terms
2.  State assumptions
3.  Produce proof
4.  Logical conclusion

In a mathematical proof, you would work it like this.  I define a, b, and c as objects from a set of same objects.  I define the concept of equal as identity: a=a means a is the same as itself--it is equal to itself.  We assume that a, b, and c exist and that they are not the same thing.  There are also some other assumptions that are very basic.  The proof is if a=b and b=c.  The logical conclusion is a=c.  Pretty simple is it not.  This is a mathematical proof that is very simple.  If you remember back to geometry, this was the entire basis of geometry.  This is also the basis of all of mathematics.  We use the conclusions of mathematical proofs to accomplish addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, derivations, integration, all of algebra, and all.  Everything in mathematics is based in mathematical proof and therefore logic.  Logic is the basis for it all.

The reality or perhaps unreality of mathematics really begins with irrational numbers and numbers in the irrational plane.  This is the first place most people begin to realize that math isn't about reality at all.  Irrational number and operations in irrational numbers should begin to show how far math is from any reality.  Although we imagine math is real, nothing in the physical world can begin to match the perfection of mathematics.  This is why the Greeks literally worshiped mathematics in their Mysteriums.  At least two Mysteriums were based in geometric proofs and there may have been more.  The Pythagoreans were founded by Pythagoras--his mystery was the Pythagorean Theorem in a geometric form.  How they did it, we don't know, but that was the mystery of their Mysterium.  Likewise the mystery of the Osirus Mysterium was Pi (the number).  They used some geometric means to display the mystery that we don't know today.  In any case, these people were using mathematical logic and proofs to show, in their minds, an impossible part of the physical world--that is a piece of the real world that was not part of the physical world.  It was a glimpse into the world humans normally couldn't see.   
 
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 202, Mysterion, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

29 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 202, Mysterium, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

When a culture begins to realize that natural phenomena and not gods make things move and grow, there is a natural movement toward mysterium.  A mysterium is a type of religion that is always characterized by secret ceremonies and an initiation.  There are usually levels of initiation.  The levels of initiation, especially the last, is characterized by a mystery that is revealed.  The mystery of the Pythagoreans was the Pythagorean theorem in geometry.  We are not certain today how they did this, but Greeks didn't have algebra, they had geometry.  They showed the Pythagorean theorem as a geometric proof.  This was the mystery of Pythagorus.  The mystery of Osirus was Pi as a geometric proof.  How they did it, we don't know, but that's what it was.  The mystery of Dementer was a seed, a sword, and a phallic symbol in a box.  We know this from eye witnesses.  This is a very simple mystery. 

Mysteries of a mysterium were always something real and usually something that was basic in science and the real world.  The point of the mystery was to show that the mysterium proved a concept that had been once thought to be in the province of the gods--or that characterized a god or an idea.  The mystery was something that could be explained by natural phenomena and not by the "gods."  This is what I meant when I wrote yesterday that with philosophy comes the mysterium. 

A mysterium is characterized by a mystery, a initiation ceremony, a level of initiation, a baptism, a confession, a meal with the deity, a revelation of the deity in the mystery.  Notice that Christianity has many of these characteristics.  Christianity is not a mysterium by definition because it has an open initiation ceremony.  Further, Christianity took on many of its characteristic from the Hebrews and not as a Mystereum.  In any case, mystereums are named for their leader or their god--thus the Greeks perceived Christianity (called teen hodos, the way in Greek) as a mystereum and called the members of teen hodos, Christians.  There are many examples of mystereums in the ancient and modern world.       
 
More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 199, Animism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

26 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 199, Animism, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

The way people think about the world is rooted in their religious (spiritual) view of the world--no kidding.  There are four stages in religious thinking (religions):
1.  Animism - gods in everything, man is fated
2.  Pantheonic Paganism - gods rule certain things and both man and god are fated
3.  Mysterium - gods rule and man can know god through rituals and education
4.  Gnosticism - god is there and man can be like him through knowledge

I'm writing about how animism affects a culture and society's thinking.  In animism, the gods make everything happen.  It means that fire occurs, not because of some understandable scientific process but because of the whims of a god.  It means that things occur because of a god or gods and not because of natural phenomena.  The entire world of the animist is based and occurs because a god makes it happen.  Therefore, before a person can do anything, they must appease and work with the gods.  If you read my novel The Second Mission, you can see how this works to some degree.  The Greeks would not kindle a fire on their own--they had to get the fire from the local temple, which received their fire from Olympus, which renewed their fire from a shield and the sun at the summer solstice.  A hearth fire was never allowed to go out, and before the fire in a home could be reinvigorated in the morning, an alpha symbol and the proper prayers and libation had to be made.  Likewise, before the fire could be prepared for the evening, an omega and the proper prayers and libation had to be made. 

Every action in an animistic culture requires a prayer and a sacrifice, usually a libation.  Every act was considered to be under the control of the gods (fated).  The word for human fate in the Greek is pathos.  Pathos is also the word for uncontrolled emotion especially uncontrolled sexual energy.  In Greek thought, a person who had uncontrolled emotions or action was fated.  In the animism world view, humans can't make decisions and they can't control themselves.  The move from animistic thinking to pantheonic paganism comes with literacy.  As a culture gains literacy (and basic civilization), they begin to need different and new gods.  

More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 196, more External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

23 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 196, more External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  Let's see how we can use these tests. 

If a document passes the bibliographical test, it is considered accurate and a historical document.  The next step is the internal test.  First, we look at the witness.  If the witness claims to be primary, that is accepted automatically (unless another better source contradicts it).  A primary witness automatically trumps any other document of a lessor witness.  Next, you look at documentary claims.  If the document claims to be history--it is automatically considered history--that is unless another source of equal or better bibliographical claim is available.  Or if the document is not primary or secondary, then claims that can't be verified can't be accepted without some proof.  Here is a great example, the Torah (first five books of the old testament) claim to be history; however, the witness is tertiary until Moses comes on the scene.  Once you have Moses, who claims to be the author (and must be accepted unless an equally old and accepted document claims otherwise), the document is primary or at worst secondary (someone could have told Moses about his family).  The problem with the historicity of the Torah before Moses, is there is no primary or identified secondary witness.  This makes the document tertiary at best.  It is no better than a modern history book.

The value of the early parts of the Torah (specifically Genesis), isn't historical in the sense of the other writings of Moses, but rather, as literature and to know about the thinking of the Hebrew people at the time.  It has great value as a historical document, but it can't be used to prove any historical event--unless you can show corroboration with other historical evidence.  Christians, Jews, and others need to understand this about the Torah--it is very valuable as a historical document, but until Moses, it is only a tertiary witness.  It has the same authority, in history, as a history book.  After Moses, the witness is primary--that makes it a very credible and irrefutable historical source--unless you can prove with another document (or evidence) that Moses was not a primary witness.  What about those pesky miracles?

More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 195, External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

22 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 195, External Test, Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic. The three tests used for all documentary evidence in history are: the bibliographical test, the internal test, and the external test.  We covered the bibliographical test and the internal test.  The external test evaluates the document in terms of other evidence.  So, when we compare other documents of the same witness to our document, we are looking for similar or different information.  We can also compare other evidentiary evidence.  For example, there is a dedication to Pilate on a stone in Caesarea Maritama.  This provides external evidence of the existence of Pilate.  You really didn't need any--there are too many documents in antiquity that name him, but the additional archeological evidence bolsters many points.  In antiquity, there is literally very little hard evidence of many people and events.  The corroboration by multiple sources makes the evidence near irrefutable. 

That is the point of the external test.  When we compare documents or other evidence and documents, we only consider a document to be wrong if there is overwhelming evidence from another source of a similar witness.  So, a primary document that passes the bibliographical test always trumps any secondary or tertiary source.  Likewise, an archeological source isn't necessary, but it always proves another source.  It is highly unlikely that archeological evidence would disprove any source--it can only prove a person, place, or thing (event) occurred.  It can't do otherwise.  A documentary source, on the other hand, proves events, people, and places.  We use these tools to prove history.

More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 193, Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

20 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 193, Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic.  All documents in antiquity are judged by a process that can be used for all evidence.  This process allows the historian to grade and qualify historical evidence.  As I mentioned, all documents in antiquity go through this process, however any piece of evidence can be judged using it.  There are three steps in validating historical documents.  The first is the bibliographical test.

The bibliographical test measures the quality and the accuracy of the document that we have.  Usually, the bibliographical test is only applied to manuscripts.  Manuscripts are hand-written originals or copies of documents.  The method can also be used for printed documents.  In the bibliographical test, we look first at the number and type of manuscripts that have been passed down to us.  The most important thing that most people don't know is that there are no extant originals of any document written in antiquity.  All the documents we have are copies.  Antiquity is variously defined as from about 700 to 1400 AD.  700 is when we begin to get some originals.  1400 is when the printing press came into use.  The number of manuscripts allows us to compare the differences between copies to determine the most accurate and approximate original.  For most documents in antiquity, we have only one copy.  That's too bad, but that's the way it goes. 

The second bibliographical test is the nearness of the copies to the original.  If the earliest copy is only 200 years from when the document was originally written, this is considered excellent.  The average time of the earliest copy to the original in time is 1000 years.  That's too bad too.  Here's how the bibliographical test is used.  Josephus' Wars has about 51 copies extant.  The earliest copy is about 900 years from the original written in the first century.  Compare that to the book of Luke.  There are over 200 copies extant of the book of Luke.  The earliest copy is about 200 years displaced from the original.  Both of these documents were written in the first century.  Josephus is a secondary to tertiary witness, while Luke is a primary to secondary witness.  Compare these to Pliny the Youngers History which is a tertiary document with 3 copies and about 900 years from the original.

Your history professor should be giving you this data for every primary, secondary, and tertiary source she/he uses in your classroom.  And remember, a tertiary source is not considered good history unless there are no other sources.

More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 192, Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

19 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 192, Documents Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic.  Did you notice that though I started with the most direct evidence: photos, videos, and recordings, it became very clear very quickly that without context, they weren't worth much.  The context for all of this evidence is written.  You can guess then that the most important evidence is written documentation.  In general, the evidence is just called documents.  Documents give context and record details.  Documents are relatively difficult to fake--although they can be faked.  Documents can be used to demonstrate the evidentiary tests that are used for all evidence.  I'll get to that tomorrow.

Remember, we look at evidence in terms of primacy of witness.  A document can be a primary, a secondary, a tertiary, and I add in the quatriary source.  If you have an eyewitness account of anything in history, that is primary. If it is from an eyewitness, but by another source, it is secondary (the report of an eyewitness).  If it is anything else in history, it is tertiary--a history book is a tertiary witness and worthless for historical evidence.  Quatriary means fiction or opinion--about the same thing in terms of history.  As an historical fiction author, I'd like to point out, that although a tertiary witness is not good for historical research, a well researched historical fiction or history book can provide excellent information in a palatable format.  That's one of the reasons I write historical fiction--to make history entertaining to my readers.  I just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about the value of a tertiary witness.  

More tomorrow.

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

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 191, more Witness Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

18 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 191, more Witness Legal-Historical Method and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

Announcement: My editor sent a round of emails last night concerning the back cover materials.  That included the book teaser and the author bio.  They looked good.  They also sent the covers for the individual novels.  I'll put up the covers when I can.  The proposed 3 in1 cover and info can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  I'll keep you updated.  I should have three new books out soon.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my newest novel, Valeska, is this: An agent of the organization becomes involved with a vampire girl during a mission, she becomes dependent on the agent, and she is redeemed.

Here is my proposed cover for Valeska:

I decided on a white cover style.  You can see more at www.GoddessofDarkness.com.

The purpose of a novel is to reveal the protagonist and usually the protagonist's helper, the author needs to place them in circumstance that allows them to reveal themselves.  The means can be conversation, exploration, discovery, other's conversation, confession, accidental discovery.

There are three ways to know truth: the scientific method, the historical-witness method, and logic.  Once you determine the primacy of witness for the evidence, then you can begin to determine the truth about something that happened in history.  Evidence comes in many varieties.  Some of the best evidence are videos, photos, and recordings.  As long as these can be corroborated as accurate and the individuals identified on them, they can be near perfect records of the past.  Unfortunately, they only have existed for a little more than a hundred years (photos a little longer), and they are easy to fake--especially now.  Photos and recordings don't usually give a story--only a part of a story.  They tend to be incomplete in ways other evidence is not.  Videos are good, but they also have a problem of reference.  When viewing a photograph, have you ever wished to see more?  Have you wanted to see behind the camera or at another angle?  When viewing a video, have you wondered what was going on outside the video?  What was going on behind the scenes?  Recordings have the same problem from the standpoint of sound--just what is that sound outside the reference of the scene?  Where is the recording being made?

The important information for photos, video, and recordings is context.  Context is critical.  The context for all of these either comes on the record itself or in words attached to the record.  For example, the caption on a photo, the identification or introduction of a recording or video, or the document attached to the recording or video.  In every case, it is the words either attached or part of the record that gives context and brings understanding to the record.  This documentation is the greatest basis for all evidentiary records.   

More tomorrow.

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