21 July 2025, Writing - part xxxx116 Enchantment Series, Hestia
Announcement: I
still need a new publisher. However, I’ve taken the step to republish my
previously published novels. I’m starting with Centurion, and
we’ll see from there. Since previously published novels have little
chance of publication in the market (unless they are huge best sellers), I
might as well get those older novels back out. I’m going through Amazon
Publishing, and I’ll pass the information on to you.
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 the third edition of Centurion:
|
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)
I’d like to get Ancient Light republished and
the other novels in this series published.
I’m afraid I’ll have to do it independently, but I don’t think I can
trust Amazon to do it.
In the latest debacle of Centurion,
they sent me a copy with the pages correctly numbered this time, but the title
and forepiece information was on the left and not the right. In other words when you opened the novel, the
title page was not on the left as it should be, but on the right where it
shouldn’t be. Further, the chapter first
pages were on the right and not the left.
Amazon sent a message saying how standards for publishing have
changed. I replied that they were full
of BS and that if they looked at any professionally published work in the
English speaking world expect their trash, they would find I’m correct and
their standards don’t meet anyone else’s.
I’m certain that they are publishing these
monstrosities for the uninitiated and uneducated. Their victims see they are wrong and their
books are wrong, but the Amazon publishers take advantage of their ignorance
and inexperience to provide books that will not sell and are abominations. Perhaps a class action suit is a reasonable
solution. They say they will continue to
fix my book—they better.
Now, to another series. I didn’t get tired of Ancient Light, but I
finished it. Before Ancient Light was
finished, I wanted another series that fit in the world of Ancient Light, but
that focused on new characters and places.
The first novel was Hestia.
Actually, Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth. In Hestia, I developed a novel based
on another goddess. This time one of the
Greek Titans. In fact, the only Greek
Titan who remained in the Greek pantheon.
I’ll explain more, next.
Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth is all about the accidental invocation
into the modern world of the goddess Hestia.
If you remember, the reflected worldview I write about has gods and
goddesses. You might ask how do these gods
and goddesses exist in the real world and no one sees or interacts with them
directly. That is a simple answer—how do
gods and goddesses exist in the real world?
Gods and goddesses exist in this world
based on faith. The people believe and
that brings existence. The presumption
of the reflected worldview is that three types of humans can experience and
interact with the gods and goddesses: those who are sensitive, those to whom the
gods or goddess make themselves evident, and finally, powers in the world that supersede
the powers of the god or goddess.
Those who are sensitive means those who
can see and interact with the gods and with other supernatural beings. This isn’t a stretch at all. In all human cultures, there are people and
groups reputedly who can see and interact with the supernatural. This is a classic trope and theme. For example, the people who can detect
ghosts, spirits, the Fae (fairies), and the priests and priestesses of gods and
goddesses. This is such a universal idea
in most cultures it must have some foundation for it’s existence. I use this all the time in my novels.
One interesting sidelight of this idea is
those who can detect the supernatural among the real. For example, there are those who supposedly
can see and detect the supernatural—they can see the hidden in the world. Where a normal person might just see a
hedgerow, they can see a fairy town. The
other side of this detection coin are beings or creatures who are hidden in
plain sight. For example, a god or goddess,
or a fairy creature might have the semblance of a human being. The sensitive can detect such a being or creature
in spite of their camouflage. I’ll get back
to Hestia, but this is exactly what happens in Bookgirl. Bookgirl is some type of humanlike being who
throws out mana bombs. The sensitive can
see and detect this. Bookgirl stands out
like a sore thumb to the sensitive.
I’ll write about the next two types of
detection, next.
Those who are sensitive can see the
supernatural—this is a given in human culture, and especially of the reflected
worldview. Think of Harry Potty. Only those who know or are sensitive to the
world of magic can see the world of magic.
Now, on to the next group who can perceive the supernatural—those to whom
the supernatural make themselves evident.
This is a standard basis for the
supernatural. If the gods or goddesses
or a supernatural being such as the Fae allow themselves to be seen by a
person, they can be seen. This is an obvious
starter and a cultural reality. In Asian
cultures, the gods might be visible, but only allowed to be seen physically by
the keepers of a shrine or a place. This
is also seen in their, that is an Asian approach to their royalty. The Asian and Oriental royalty can’t be gazed
at by the average person, but only those with special privileges. The royalty are kept behind bamboo curtains
and screens to hide them even from many of the highest people in society and
government. The depth of this degree of sequestration
from society, culture, and others is huge.
This is well beyond the level in Western cultures where the common are
not allowed to look at the royals directly, and must bow their faces. It’s easy to see how this led to the view of
deities not being allowed to be viewed, and that moved on to the depictions of
deities.
In the West, for example the Greeks, who
are, but the way technically an Oriental society, the early deities were hidden
from the people in the depths of the temples, but later depictions of deities
were straight out allowed and encouraged to be viewed by the people, with reverence,
of course. I point out the statue of
Zeus at Olympus and the statue of Artemis at the Temple of Artemis (or Diana) near
Ephesus. These statues were huge and
obviously meant for the people to view and revere. We are not certain how restricted these were
to the common, but we suspect the people who paid some temple tax or sacrificial
tax were allowed to see the statues. We
have significant data from the past to document this.
On the other hand, the Asian temples did
not allow the people to see the deities or the depictions of the deities at
all. They could not approach the
innermost parts of the shrine where the deities depictions or statues were
placed. They were only allowed to enter,
at most the outermost section or the shrine.
I get into great detail about this in my novel, Lilly: Enchantment
and the Computer.
So the ultimate point of what I wrote is
to show how many cultures and societies in the past kept the depictions of
deities hidden away and only viewable by those deemed fit and worthy in some
way to see them. I also related how this
came or created some cultures’ ideas about viewing their kings or other
royalty. Which came first, likely the
idea about the gods from which followed the idea of royalty. What we get as a cultural and reflected worldview
holdover is that if a god wants you to see them, they can allow it—that’s
within the power of a god, of course.
This also applies from a Christian or Biblical standpoint as well. When Moses asked the God to allow him a view,
the God allowed him to see his backside.
There are other times when the Torah explains that God allowed himself
or his angels or other beings to be seen.
This was all within the power of the deity.
So, the second revelation is that a deity
(or other supernatural creature) can allow themselves to be seen when they
desire it. I play this all the time especially
about the Fae (fairies).
We’ll look at the third instance, next.
I saved the best for last. There is a cultural understanding about the
hierarchies of power that goes something like this. The Greeks accepted the power of their
pantheon while acknowledging the overall power of the original pantheon, the
Titians. I noted that Hestia was the
only remaining Titian, but I didn’t mention that Zeus defeated the Titians while
allowing Hestia to retain her power over the hearth and home. This is itself interesting, as Hestia was
considered the most powerful goddess, but also the least powerful goddess. Her powers where those of the hearth and home
therefore very powerful, but yet very specific.
In the world of the Fae (fairies) the
power of the gods as of specific items and words can overcome their power to
hide in the world. Some certain items
and especially potions are said to be outlawed by the Fae kings and queens
because they reveal the Fae to humans and specifically the nonsensitive. The presumption is that the sensitive are
sensitive because they are more attuned to the Fae and to their cause (if there
is such a thing). In other words, that
certain powers can overcome the power of certain beings and especially the power
in the world to hide from the eyes of the non-supernatural.
We see this especially in the Fae with
certain items, potions, and words that make their supernatural world evident to
the holder, user, or sayer. This is also
true of the gods. The power of certain
gods is presumed to be more powerful than other gods. Thus, you might be able to see the power or
the god if you have an item, a word of power, or a potion from the more
powerful god.
This may or may not work for gods and
goddesses, but it certainly works for the Fae.
In the world of the Fae, a seeing stone is usually able to allow the
non-sensitive to perceive the Fae. As I
wrote, certain potions were outlawed by the Fae kings and queens to prevent humans
from seeing them. In addition, certain
words will show the Fae and Fae stuff. What
does this have to do with Hestia and Hestia?
In the novel Hestia, I present a
situation based on a spell in ancient Greek.
This spell was used to invoke the god Mithras. The point is that this spell held power over
Mithras. The god could be invoked by the
spell. I present a similar spell that supposedly
has power over Hestia. An archeologist
unintentionally invokes Hestia using the spell and blam, she is there and in
the world. People can now see the fully
invoked Hestia, however, that doesn’t mean they know just who she is.
The point of this novel is to present a
real goddess in the modern world. Some
accept that she is a goddess, some do not, and some don’t know what to think. The issue is the influence of a real life
goddess in the world. I ask in the
novel, what would she want to know? What
would she be like? What would a goddess
in the modern world do? I’ll get into
more details, next.
Here is what is fun about my novel Hestia. The real question is once we have a real
goddess in the modern world: what would she be like, what would she do, and how
would others react to her?
Further, the huge detail, for a novel,
about a goddess is this—what is the world that you come from and did exist in
like? In other words, just like a time
traveler, a goddess or a god should be able to shed light on great human
questions. The main question people, I’m
certain, would want to ask a god or a goddess is about the supernatural and the
parts of the world that are not expressly physical. They would also ask about the God. These are indeed questions I get to in the
novel. I’m all in with C.S. Lewis on
this account.
C.S. Lewis brought up the point that the
moment a writer brings up the idea of magic or the supernatural, they immediately
bring up the question of God and supernatural beings. He notes that supernatural beings are either
within the creation or outside the creation.
God and God’s powers come from outside the creation while magic and the
general supernatural, like the gods, come from within the creation. When an author, like the author of Harry
Potty brings up the supernatural, but ignores God and the overall ideas of the
supernatural, they aren’t doing anyone a favor of any kind. They are simply making up something that is
irrational and illogical—the fact that the audience for Harry Potty can’t get
to the basic questions brought up by the very idea of magic users in the world,
just points out their immaturity and lack of understanding of the world. The adults who miss this point are worse.
Harry Potty isn’t the only or the main
group who miss this point—there are many many pieces of writing that miss the
very basis for the questions they bring up.
If you want an evidence of a great novel that does ask or look into
these questions, read the original Dracula by Bram Stoker—that’s a novel and
novelist who is honest about the supernatural.
Now, back to Hestia. I’ll look at more, next.
There’s more.
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
fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development,
scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study,
marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic
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