Writing - part x684, Japan Days Thursday

21 November 2018, Writing - part x684, Japan Days Thursday

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but my primary publisher has gone out of business—they couldn’t succeed in the past business and publishing environment.  I'll keep you informed, but I need a new publisher.  More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing 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 29^th novel, working title, Detective, potential title Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  The theme statement is: Lady Azure Rose Wishart, the Chancellor of the Fae, supernatural detective, and all around dangerous girl, finds love, solves cases, breaks heads, and plays golf.  

Here is the cover proposal for Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I’m planning to start on number 31, working title Shifter. 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

For novel 30:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

For novel 31:  TBD 

Here is the scene development outline:

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

          

Today:  I’m off to Japan and actually Tokyo again.  This time I’m going to see my son and daughter-in-law again, but with the addition of a brand new granddaughter Rinley.

Second full day in Japan.  Lazy day, we were looking after the baby.  Lunch was leftovers and onigiri from the 7/11.  Convenience stores really are convenient here—almost one on every corner.  Everything is amazingly fresh. 

In the evening, we tried to go to sushi, but all the restaurants on our list were closed.  We ended up going to the Okinawan restaurant near the Fussa train station.  This was a new experience for me.  Okinawan food is similar in cooking style, but not in actual food stuffs.  The style is also more shared dish, and that’s what we did.

Sea grapes are a seaweed with little saltwater filled bulbs and an appetizer shared dish.  You dip it in soy sauce.  It is much like seaweed salad but with the zest of the little bulbs breaking and sending jet of salt water into your mouth.  Very interesting flavor and touch.

I ordered Okinawan onimiyaki.  Onimiyaki is a Japanese pancake with meat and usually cabbage in it.  In Okinawa, they leave out the cabbage and it is a pancake with octopus in it.  Very tasty and fits with the flavors.  We also shared shashimi that was tuna, mackerel, and salmon.  The presentation was nice and the style was nearly typical Japanese except the way the fish was cut was different.

Okinawan tempura is also different.  It is mostly seaweed with other vegies and forms a tempura mat.  It is very tasty and is served with sea salt to sprinkle on top.  It provides a very refreshing flavor.  The shrimp and avocado was a little different too.  The shrimp was tempura as was the avocado.  It had a shiracha and roe dressing. 

I can’t finish without writing about the Okinawan drink awamori.  This is a liquor made by distilling saki.  It was served in small pots with cups filled with ice.  It is like drinking an unaged whisky and matches well with Okinawan food.  It is also strongly alcoholic.  We tried the Orion an Okinawan beer.  The people were very nice and the food was authentic and pleasant, but different.           

When I return, I’ll give you more about submissions.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic