Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x125, It’s Finished, Next Steps

11 May 2017, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x125, It’s Finished, Next Steps

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  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 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.

     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 27^th novel, working title, Claire, potential title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.  This might need some tweaking.  The theme statement is: Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.  

Here is the cover proposal for Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I started writing my 28^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title School.  I’ll be providing information on the marketing materials and editing.

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 28:  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 29:  Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

 

I finished writing School.  It is definitely one of the Enchantment novels.  I guess its name should be Deirdre: Enchantment and the School.  The novel really went in some unexpected directions for me.  I introduced one of my ubiquitous characters Mariread Rowley.  Mariread is a very pitiful person.  She was once involved in magic, but that ruined her somehow.  She appeared in Dana-ana as a defender of Dana-ana.  Somehow Mariread had been involved in magic use, and she had defended Dana-ana in her trial.  In the novel, Mariread is a Doctor of History at King’s College and teaching courses in ancient British history.  Mariread provides information and help to Dana-ana. 

 

Likewise, Mariread turned up in Essie.  In this novel, Mariread was teaching at a girl’s boarding school.  She is a Doctor of History and is now teaching girls instead of at King’s College. 

 

In School we finally find out what happened to change Mariread.  We find out how she got to King’s College, and we see the set up for her defense of Dana-ana.  I really love it when ideas come together like this in a plot. 

 

In School, Mariread is the antagonist.  She is the foil for Deirdre and Sorcha, and she is a much greater foil than you can imagine.  I think the climax plays like I like my climaxes.  It is earth shattering to the characters, but not necessarily earth shattering.  No end of the world for the world, but an end of the world for the characters.  The climax is deeply personal and the falling action is deeply personal.  That’s the way I like it.  The power of the novel is what happens to the characters.  The fun part is including a very odd character (Mariread) who has been an important character in a couple of other novels. 

 

The novel is finished, and I’m working on the initial editing.       

 

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  

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