16 May 2024, Writing - part xxx686 Writing a Novel to Entertain, Ideas for Publishing
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 websites http://www.sisteroflight.com/.
The four plus two
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.
6. The initial scene is the most
important scene.
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 31st
novel, working title, Cassandra, potential title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warriors. The theme statement is: Deirdre and Sorcha
are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult
mysteries, people, and events.
I finished writing my 34th
novel (actually my 32nd completed novel), Seoirse, potential
title Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment. The theme statement is: Seoirse is assigned
to be Rose’s protector and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five
goddesses and schoolwork; unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.
Here is the cover
proposal for Seoirse: Enchantment and the Assignment:
|
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 30th novel,
working title Red Sonja. I finished my 29th novel, working
title Detective. I finished writing number 31, working title Cassandra: Enchantment and the Warrior. I just finished my 32nd novel and
33rd novel: Rose: Enchantment and the Flower, and Seoirse:
Enchantment and the Assignment.
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 32: Shiggy Tash finds a lost girl in the isolated
Scottish safe house her organization gives her for her latest assignment: Rose
Craigie has nothing, is alone, and needs someone or something to rescue and acknowledge
her as a human being.
For novel 33, Book girl: Siobhàn Shaw is Morven McLean’s savior—they
are both attending Kilgraston School in Scotland when Morven loses everything,
her wealth, position, and friends, and Siobhàn Shaw is the only one left to
befriend and help her discover the one thing that might save Morven’s family
and existence.
For novel 34: Seoirse is assigned to be Rose’s protector
and helper at Monmouth while Rose deals with five goddesses and schoolwork;
unfortunately, Seoirse has fallen in love with Rose.
For novel 35: Eoghan,
a Scottish National Park Authority Ranger, while handing a supernatural problem
in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park discovers the crypt of Aine and
accidentally releases her into the world; Eoghan wants more from the world and
Aine desires a new life and perhaps love.
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:
Let me tell you a little about writing.
Writing isn’t so much a hobby, a career, or a pastime. Writing is a habit and an obsession. We who love to write love to write.
If
you love to write, the problem is gaining the skills to write well. We want to write well enough to have others
enjoy our writing. This is
important. No one writes just for
themselves the idea is absolutely irrational and silly. I can prove why.
In
the first place, the purpose of writing is communication—that’s the only
purpose. Writing is the abstract
communication of the mind through symbols.
As time goes by, we as writers gain more and better tools and our
readers gain more and better appreciation for those tools and skills—even if
they have no idea what they are.
We
are in the modern era. In this time, the
action and dialog style along with the push of technology forced novels into
the form of third person, past tense, action and dialog style, implying the
future. This is the modern style of the
novel. I also showed how the end of
literature created the reflected worldview.
We have three possible worldviews for a novel: the real, the reflected,
and the created. I choose to work in the
reflected worldview.
Why
don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel? I can tell you what I do, and show you how I
go about putting a novel together. We
can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the
writing.
Ideas.
We need ideas. Ideas allow us to
figure out the protagonist and the telic flaw.
Ideas don’t come fully armed from the mind of Zeus. We need to cultivate ideas.
1. Read novels.
2.
Fill
your mind with good stuff—basically the stuff you want to write about.
3.
Figure
out what will build ideas in your mind and what will kill ideas in your mind.
4.
Study.
5.
Teach.
6.
Make
the catharsis.
7. Write.
The development of ideas is based on
study and research, but it is also based on creativity. Creativity is the extrapolation of older
ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form. It is a reflection of something new created
with ties to the history, science, and logic (the intellect). Creativity requires consuming, thinking, and
producing.
If we have filled our mind with all
kinds of information and ideas, we are ready to become creative. Creativity means the extrapolation of older
ideas to form new ones or to present old ideas in a new form. Literally, we are seeing the world in a new
way, or actually, we are seeing some part of the world in a new way.
The beginning of creativity is study
and effort. We can use this to
extrapolate to creativity. In addition,
we need to look at recording ideas and working with ideas.
With that said, where should we
go? Should I delve into ideas and
creativity again, or should we just move into the novel again? Should I develop a new protagonist, which, we
know, will result in a new novel. I’ve
got an idea, but it went stale. Let’s
look at the outline for a novel again:
1.
The initial scene
2.
The rising action
scenes
3.
The climax scene
4.
The falling action
scene(s)
5.
The dénouement scene(s)
The initial scene is the most important
scene and part of any novel. To get to
the initial scene, you don’t need a plot, you need a protagonist.
My main focus, at the moment, is
marketing my novels. That specifically
means submissions. I’m aiming for agents
because if I can get an agent, I think that might give me more contacts with
publishers plus a let up in the business.
I would like to write another novel, but I’m holding off and editing one
of my older novels Shadow of Darkness.
I thought that novel would have fit perfectly with one potential agent
who said they were looking for Jewish based and non-Western mythology in
fantasy. That’s exactly what Shadow
of Darkness is, but they passed on it.
In any case, I’m looking for an agent who will fall in love with my
writing and then promote it to publishers.
That’s the goal.
I’m back to
my main point—we are looking for entertaining ideas to write about. I covered some real territory in the last few
blogs, and I’ll pull this information together is a cognizant way.
The last
point I made was about experience. I
really think an author needs a broad level of experience in something, and I
don’t think writing is enough by itself.
If you look at our favorite authors from the Twentieth Century, you’ll
find a huge number happened to participate in the fighting in World War I and
World War 11. This seems to be a
favorite history fact for the World War I authors, but ignored in the World War
II authors. I find this fascinating in
itself.
When I researched
the lives of my favorite authors, I found many had military or at least
government connections into the fighting in some way. Even the great women writers of the time
participated in some way. The same is
true, to a lesser extent in the modern era.
We find many authors, especially of political and topical novels to have
experience in the military. Perhaps the
publishers are keeping their histories an intentionally secret, which I think
was the plan for the World War II authors.
In any case,
experience is a critical element of the writer both for their depth of
knowledge and their depth of understanding.
I think we perhaps see less of this in authors and less quality works
because of the obvious prejudice against certain types of writers, settings,
and plots. Yes, there is something wrong
with the world when exciting and true tales are buried by the surreal and
silly. When the makeup of ones chromosomes
are more important than one’s writing skill or thoughts. This is a real problem for art and literature. It’s an even worse problem for society and
culture with the loss of true knowledge and skill.
You can see
it in the writing as well as the stories.
I wonder all the time, where is the next Frank Herbert and where is the
next great movie? Jack Vance made a
great mark on the world of science fiction, but none of his novels have been
turned into movies. Instead, we get the
insipid Star Trek dreck and Star Bores both written by the clueless without any
idea how to entertain.
There is
still hope. We see the movie industry
turning out redo after redo. Star Trek
and Star Bores are into their multiple renditions still without much entertainment. Plus, without much reality either—they need
an experienced scientist or real astronaut to write for them. It doesn’t help when the imaginations of the
mentally crippled become the surefire fantasy worlds of the media. It also leads the stupid and youth to think
the world is much different than their experience—babes in libland.
So, you
might ask—why not write exactly what the market wants? That’s a great idea, but really more attune to
the nonfiction market. You can indeed
write a book about contemporary events and have a nearly surefire work—well especially
if you are already recognized and known, ouch.
You can also break into the nonfiction marketplace and establish
yourself. I have a great writer friend who
is building his brand in writing about writing.
He’s also moving into other fields in the nonfiction space. I’m watching closely.
Unfortunately,
my skills and knowledge aren’t exactly in the popular nonfiction areas. I could move outward into some areas, but maybe
not. I work in a couple of dead
languages, ancient Greek and Anglo-Saxon.
I could pull a Tolkien with a translation of some Anglo-Saxon text, but
without students who are forced to buy your textbook or tome, that’s usually not
very lucrative. I could and have written
essays and historical accounts of my flying experiences. They might have some traction. I have tried to get some movement there, but I
was hoping to get reestablished with a publisher and then move out a
little. Then there is the muse.
What are you
excited and inspired to write? I get
inspired every time I design a protagonist for this writing blog. The inspiration isn’t nonfiction—the inspiration
is fiction and something that is unique and new, hopefully in the world. And, that’s that.
What I mean
is this. As fiction writers, we hope for
our Harry Potty or Sparkly Vampires.
Really both the Harry Potty novels and the Sparkly Vampire novels are
not the best written works in literature.
They both ended with movie adaptations that brought in buckets of
cash. Count the Throne Game among those
as well. A boring and mendicant fantasy
novel that spawned a thousand copiers and mucho audiences. That’s all we want as writers, and I can
assure you—you won’t achieve these levels by writing to the market or even by
following the herd. Whatever you write
must be new, exciting, entertaining, and somehow touch the market and needs of
people all over the place. That’s
exactly what the novels I mentioned did.
They were real breakouts. Harry
Potty especially. Who could imagine that
those novels for kids would put magic realism on the map. Who could imagine a kid’s novel could set the
world ablaze in more than one way.
So, this is
my advice, and this is what I’m going to continue to do. Keep writing what inspires you. Gain your experience as a writer. You need to write eight to ten novels to
really be there. Continue to write and
write what is exciting, entertaining, and interesting to you. Especially if your day job isn’t
writing. Maybe even if your day job is
writing. You know someone out there will
love your writing, other than your mother.
You know as long as you gain the skills, and you write what you love to
read, you will also be writing something others will want to read. You just have to find a publisher who also
love and believes in your writing. I did
find that, and then my publisher went out of business. Oh well.
So is life. I’m looking for
another publisher. Until I do, I’m going
to continue to write about writing and keep up my search for a publisher. I’ll work on my other writing until I get back
to novel November or earlier. I really
do need to write a fun novel. I’ve even
outlined it for you—so to speak. Until
then, I’ll see what I can do to help your and my writing.
In any case,
let us continue with entertaining ideas.
That’s what leads to entertaining writing.
I want to write another book based on
Rose and Seoirse, and the topic will be the raising of Ceridwen—at least that’s
my plan. Before I get to that, I want to
write another novel about dependency as a theme. We shall see.
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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