Writing - part x688, Japan Days Monday

25 November 2018, Writing - part x688, Japan Days Monday

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.

Sixth full day in Japan.  Passport Monday.  Today the long trip into Tokyo to the US Embassy.  Rinley needs a passport—we are her support structure.  This is a bad day for travelling—it is a Japanese holiday, the Fall Equinox and ancestor day.  The Japanese go to cemeteries to honor their ancestors. 

The bad part is the traffic.  The fun part is seeing all the Japanese families traveling.  We got our Suica cards for he trains and charged them up, then off into the train and subways.  This is actually a fun part of the traveling.  As I wrote, people watching is a fun experience especially in a foreign country.  The variety of the people is interesting too.  Less interesting as we entered the Embassy district.  There you see many non-Japanese. 

We got into the US Embassy, got the passport paperwork completed and headed back out to the streets.  The initial plan was to sight see Rappongi and the Rappongi-Hills, and to eat sushi at one of the most famous sushi places in the district.  This is the wealthy area of Tokyo, and we hadn’t visited there during our last time in Japan.  So far, we have seen many new and different places, but this isn’t really a vacation visit. 

            

We were supposed to go to sushi, but the place we wanted has a one month reservation list.  We headed for Sushi Gin—that was closed.  By this time, we had roamed all around the district and the gardens.  We found a little hole in the wall with sashimi, but not really sushi except rolls.  I had a seafood bowl, basically a charashi.  It was fish and roe over sushi rice.  I also got miso and pickles, with draft Ashai beer.  I thought it was a great meal.  We rested up and headed back out.

First shop down the road had soft serve honey ice cream.  We had to have ice cream cones.  Then on to the Oida line.  I think we climbed at least to the Evangelion levels in Tokyo.  We went down about 1000 feet—or it seemed that deep.  This is the second deepest subway in the world.  We headed for the express line from Tokyo back toward Fussa.  We had full seats for that ride and then switched back to the Ome to go home-a. 

Once back in Fussa, we headed to the commissary on base for a restock.  We bought steaks and vegies for the grill.  Then we grilled out steaks and asparagus.  We ended the day with a couple of shows then off to bed.  

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  

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