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Thursday, October 9, 2014

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 182, Logic, Data, and Scientific Sources Ideas and Other's Conversation, Methods of Revelation How to Develop Storyline, Rising Action

9 October 2014, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 182, Logic, Data, and Scientific Sources Ideas 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 scientific method can only be used to prove repeatable events.  If we are using the proper method (scientific) to prove the proper type of event (repeatable), then the next question is the reliability of the data. 

I'll get more into logic in the future, but for right now, let's look at logic and data a little more.  I mentioned five different things you can evaluate about a scientific paper that immediately tells you that you should look deeper into the paper.  Deeper in the sense of mistrusting the paper unless there is something else to recommend it.  Usually, if the paper doesn't meet the five initial tests (even one), it is not worth the paper it is written on.  The fifth check is logic.  Until I write about logic in a more refined sense, I'll define it as common sense. 

If the paper doesn't make sense, it is likely made up and not trustworthy.  For example, if the paper claims something completely out of reason--ever running machines, natural substances with curative powers, crystals that cure, pyramids that heal or preserve, turning elements into other elements without fusion...I mean there is a lot of stuff that doesn't even begin to move the logic meter.  People advertise all kinds of natural substances that are supposed to do all kinds of good--the problem is that every time these substances are tested using a double blind placebo test, they fail.  None of the natural substances you read about in the papers do any of the things they claim to do.  There is no science to back any of it.  If you find such a paper, you need to read it very carefully and check it. 

I'll mention another check--the double blind placebo test.  This is a clinical test that is accomplished on every drug certified by any Western government for human and animal use.  The double blind placebo test is not usually used in China.  This type of test uses three groups to test a drug: the group that gets the drug, the group that gets a placebo, and the group that gets neither.  At the end of the test period, the effect of the drug is evaluated in terms of the hypothesis and a statistical confidence is applied to the results.  If this type of test is not done on a drug or any other substance that claims to help human health--it isn't worth using or trusting. 

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

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