Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 12 Conclusions (for now)

30 July 2013, Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 12 Conclusions (for now)

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

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.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

I decided that it is time to conclude this series about writing historical fiction and turn to writing about science fiction. I do write in both genres. I hope you discovered that all fiction writing requires immersion in the world you are writing about. Historical fiction isn't as much a special genre of fiction as much as it is a special discipline of fiction. The author must be disciplined enough to become steeped in the culture and history of the times he writes about, and he must be able to communicate that past world to his readers. Further, an author must not compromise the ideas and cultures of the past to make it feel-good to modern mores. When an author does this due to lack of discipline or knowledge, then he isn't writing historical fiction anymore. Plus, it is kind of stupid to write about the past with the blinders of the present. Such writing cannot stand the test of time and such writing can't enlighten the next generation.  A generation that really wishes to know what the world was like. Such writing is like an Oliver Stone movie--a docudrama about a time that never was and never could be.

So, again, my five personal rules of writing I have articulated thus far:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing - colliery: immerse your readers in the world of your writing.

The fifth "rule" was my main concern in these twelve short articles. This rule is pertinent to all writing. It is critical to historical fiction, but in historical fiction, the "world" must reflect some strong degree of reality. What I want to do next is move to the next obvious point--about worlds that reflect little reality to the past or the modern world. The how to of science fiction. We will expand on this concept of immersion there.

For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.

Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 6 The Voice of the Times

24 July 2013, Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 6 The Voice of the Times

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

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 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.

I'm not certain there is any writing that is easy. All writing is difficult, but I think historical fiction may be the most difficult. First, it requires a lot of research and especially primary and secondary source research (real research) that is if you intend to write good historical fiction. Second, you must immerse yourself in the culture and understand it from the point of a participant. Third, you have to be able to find the voice of the times and culture. The voice of the times and culture is the point of immersion and research. Fourth, you have to be able to write well. The fourth point is beyond the scope of this series, but is is a critical point. Many of us have read literature today that is crippled by the inability of the author to write well. Many popular books are missing the spark of good writing and makes you wonder why they were published to begin with. But back to the third point...if you can't capture the voice of the times and culture, your historical fiction will not be historical fiction; it will be a modern novel set in a historical period. That simple observation has been my greatest experience with writing that claims to be historical fiction today. Most is not historical at all, but rather modern fiction set in a historical period. When you find modern issues and modern ideas along with historical infidelity in a historical novel, that writer has not taken the three required steps to write about the times. So how do you find the voice of the times? That is a function of immersion and knowledge, but the precise point is that you have to subjugate your mind to the mind of the times. Now comes the difficult point. To have the voice of the times and culture means the ability to convey that time and culture to your readers in the modern world. I personally use many genre crossing techniques to allow a modern person to see the times and culture through the eyes of the modern world. The normal technique in historical fiction is the one from my novel Centurion http://www.centurionnovel.com/. Centurion uses the typical model of simply a novel from the viewpoint of the people of the times. There are no tricks and there is no ability or basis for comparison with the modern world. The novel unfolds as a normal piece of historical fiction writing. In The Second Mission http://www.thesecondmission.com/, I use time travel as a technique to move the reader into the past. This method allows the writer to make comparisons and to convey the period through the eyes of a modern person. It also allows comparisons with a future world or ideas. This is a complex method and requires the author to be strongly consistent in immersion and research. If the comparisons aren't there, then their is no purpose in using this technique. The third method I have used (by no means the last) is using a fantastic means to pull people from the past into the present. Aegypt http://www.aegyptnovel.com/ takes place in 1926 and pulls a being from the 18th Egyptian dynasty (1539 to 1295 BC) into that place and time. The comparisons here and the power in the novel is the ability to see the world in the French Foreign Legion in Tunisia in 1926, the period of great archaeological discoveries in Egypt, plus the comparison of the world from the eyes of a person from classical Egypt. And that ultimately is the power of historical fiction. It allows the author to present the past as it was and lets the reader see the differences from their times and culture. Tomorrow, I'll expand on this. 

For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.

Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 4 Historical Immersion

22 July 2013, Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 4 Historical Immersion

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

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 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.

The point I keep trying to make is that to write effective historical fiction, you must immerse yourself in the culture of the times. I would also advise becoming familiar in some degree with the language and writing, but we'll get to that. My primary expertise is in classical Greek and Anglo-Saxon languages. I feel that I have been able to immerse myself well in those cultures at least to the ability to write about them. Since they are the most familiar to me, I am especially concerned that other writers get those periods right in their writing. Plus, my best and most powerful examples are from those times. As I mentioned yesterday, you have to realise your moral or social prejudices must fall to the culture you intend to write about. That doesn't mean you have to give up your morals or ideas, but you have to be able to subjugate them in order to understand the culture you are studying. Yesterday, I put up the example of slavery. Slavery was ubiquitous and considered moral in the ancient world. In an historical novel, that view must come to your readers. You have to be able to dispassionately approach subjects like this to give them reality and historical authenticity. That doesn't mean you have to accept slavery, you just need to understand the culture and its underpinnings. The same is true of every other subject important to human life and interaction. One of the most misunderstood areas in ancient cultures is food and eating. We tend to imagine that people in other cultures and other times ate similarly to us. A simple trip to a foreign country or to a Japanese restaurant will show you otherwise, but it is more than that. Most ancient cultures were survival cultures. Few of the inhabitants ate as many calories as they wanted or needed. In many cultures people only ate one meal a day, at the most two. Meat was a commodity that was eaten very rarely. Meat, in most ancient cultures was only eaten as a result of religious worship--following a sacrifice. This is true of the Greeks. They had meat only from sacrifices. That means the wealthy ate meat perhaps once every other month at a festival or when they provided the sacrifice at a temple. The temple precincts were next to the marketplace and extra meat was sold in the market. The cost made it very dear. Greeks would get most of their protein from fish, a non sacrificial animal, and dairy (cheese). Can you imagine a world were meat is that precious. I tell my classes that when momma (actually a slave or the father, momma was in the gynacium--next note) took her children to the market, they cried not for toys but for meat.

About women in Greek society. I think in The Second Mission http://www.thesecondmission.com/ I gave the proper latitude of freedom to lower middle class women. Upper class and upper middle class women were kept in a gynacium at home. They were not allowed out of the gynacium when free men, other than those of their household, were in the house. A gynacium was an isolated portion of the house. Women were kept in a gynicium for their protection because in a near lawless culture, wealthy women were prey for many reasons. In many regards, it is better to be a captive in your own home than to be dead, kidnapped, or raped. Greek homes were built like miniature fortresses because of the problem of a lack of law or ability to keep laws except through "might makes right." In spite of this, the social contract of the Greeks kept a relatively lawful society, but there were no police to keep the peace. Your Demi (loosely, your familial group but of political and tribal dimensions as well) kept the peace and meted out judgement within the Demi. Already, you should be able to see that the ancient Greeks were nothing like our culture. They are nothing like the modern Greek culture. If we decouple the fact that they are so different from our expectations, we may be able to start to understand them. As you can see with food, religion is intertwined in the Greek culture. This is true of all cultures in antiquity and many today. Tomorrow, I'll write about this very important and much misunderstood dynamic of religion and life.

For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.

Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 1 Immersion

19 July 2013, Writing Ideas - Writing Historical Fiction, part 1 Immersion

Announcement: My novels Sister of Light and Sister of Darkness are about to be published. I write this blog about 2 months prior to its publication. I just heard that the proofs will be here soon--likely before the end of the week. My publisher also wants to put the entire set of novels based on Aegypt on contract--that's 5 more novels for 8 total. They also want to put my other novels on contract. The release schedule should be one novel every 2 months. I'll keep you updated.

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 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.

One of the readers of this blog gave me the idea to write about "historical and social authenticity." I thought I'd expand that thought and write specifically about producing historical fiction. This topic will cover the suggested area well and give it an overall writing focus.

So...how do you start writing a historical fiction work? The answer is easy--immersion. The solution is hard. Immersion in history and culture is a lot of work. I have written three published historical fiction novels and three published science fiction novels http://www.ldalford.com/. The historical areas I immersed myself in were: ancient Greece in 400 to 399 BC, the Levant in 6 BC to AD 35, Tunisia in AD 1926 and Egypt in 1440 to 1340 BC, and AD 7,265 Anglo-Saxon culture. The last is obviously a future culture.

So, how do you do it? How do you immerse yourself in an ancient or a future culture? You immerse yourself in the same way you learn about a modern culture. If you can physically travel to the area of study, that is a great step, but not as effective as you think. How can you go to ancient Greece or ancient Egypt? You can't. You can look at what those areas are like today, but they are only a shadow of the past. Reading, research, and study is your best friend in immersing yourself in a time, place, and culture. I start by reading primary and secondary source documents. Primary documents are those from eye witnesses of the period in question. Secondary documents are reports related by eye witnesses to others. Only after I run out of primary and secondary source documents do I move to tertiary documents. Tertiary documents are those that are not primary or secondary--generally histories. I try to use the earliest tertiary documents possible. In studying about ancient Greece, there are many great source documents. It is easy to, first of all, familiarize yourself with the period from the eyes of those who lived in it and, second of all, to begin to get a feel for the people and their thinking. That is the ultimate point, you have to begin to experience life like the people of the times. You have to begin to understand: what they ate, how they ate, how they worked, how they worshipped, how they entertained, how they slept, how they married, and how they played. What did their world sound like? What did it smell like? What were their homes like? What were their markets like...? Think about all the pieces of your life today and do not assume that anything from any other period is like that at all. You can't extrapolate. You can't interpolate. You must accept the world you are studying in the past as it is and not how you think it might be. You should attempt to wipe out every idea you have about those people in the past and your experience of life today. If you don't, you will not be able to realize their culture and times and then transfer them to paper.

I'll give you a modern example of immersion. I want to write a novel about Japan in AD 1000, the period of Genji. This has been the most difficult immersion I have attempted. The language is foreign to me. The culture is significantly different than I am used to. I have been working and studying this culture for about 5 years. I started by reading every primary and secondary source from the time. I eat Japanese food. I plan to visit Japan. I have visited Korea and done extensive study of China and Japan. I have written some on ancient China--ancient China is easy compared to AD 1000 Japan. I am working right now on the modern Japanese culture to begin to understand ancient Japan. I'm working backwards because of the paucity of primary and secondary sources. This isn't the best method, but it is a method. I will eventually write this novel, but only after I can understand the thinking and culture of the people of the time. So...immersion is the first step. I'll explain more tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com, www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, thefoxshonor, aseasonofhonor.

Development - Historical Study, more Cultural Feel in Science Fiction

7 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, more Cultural Feel in Science Fiction

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

The End of Honor and The Fox's Honor although they both have honor as a theme, they have significantly different themes.  This is true about those two novels and also about A Season of Honor.  You might ask how can you have three novels with the same theme, set in the same universe and culture with shared characters.  Let me give a short description of the theme in A Season of Honor and we can compare the three.

A Season of Honor is about a man, Baron Shawn du Lock who has had his honor taken from him.  He is still an honorable man who has not compromised his honor.  Shawn is given an assignment to take a princess to her wedding, and he falls in love with her (and she with him).  In A Season of Honor the characters must choose honor and their own future or dishonor and happiness.  This is a relatively classical theme with the twist of honor laid on it.

So to synopsize, The End of Honor is about two honorable people whose lives begin to fall apart because of their dedication to honor.  The Fox's Honor is about two people who compromise their honor for each other and their people.  A Season of Honor is about two people who must choose between honor and their own future.  You can see that the themes of these three novels may be similar in that they deal with honor, but they are significantly different.  Beyond that, these themes are somewhat unique.  I'm certain that almost every theme has been used in the history of art and literature, but I do try to use themes that are not common or overused.  I suggest you should be knowledgeable enough on themes and literature that you can understand your themes and how common they are or are not.

The same is true about the development of culture and the development of the society and culture in a science fiction novel.

I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, Language and Cultural Feel in Science Fiction

6 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, Language and Cultural Feel in Science Fiction

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

I'm writing about the themes I've used in my science fiction novels, and primarily, I'm writing about how they support and interact with history, language, and culture.  Ha...I bet you thought culture, history, and language had nothing to do with science fiction.  Although many writers don't get it, the cultural aspects of science fiction make it more difficult to write well than historical novels.  The reason is that an author who writes science fiction must endeavor to create a universe that doesn't exist.  That universe must feel real.  The only way to achieve this is by using real human culture and either stitching different ones together or designing one of your own.  Jack Vance is a pro at this--perhaps the best.  That's why he is also a wonderful fantasy writer as well.

I'll mention the second novel in The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox, The Fox's Honor.  The theme is about honor and the universe is based in Anglo-Saxon culture.  In The Fox's Honor, the main character, Devon Rathenberg is set on achieving three goals: he wants to win the heart of Tamar Falkeep, he wants to begin an early insurrection to protect the house Imperial, and he intends to die in the process (of forcing an early insurrection, not in wooing Tamar).  The theme is honor.  The problem is that Tamar can't be won ethically in their culture, but she is willing to give up her honor to love Devon.  Devon doesn't expect Tamar to be willing to lose her own honor and to risk her life to save his.  The end of this situation is an extremely complicated problem and a promise of marriage.  The promise is one that shouldn't be kept and the problem involves the nobility.  In any case, the novel's theme is one of honor broken and honor regained.  It is much different than The End of Honor even though is it about honor and in the same universe.  How can that be?
I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, more Themes in Language and Cultural Feel

5 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, more Themes in Language and Cultural Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

Here I am, back to theme.  Theme is the most important consideration in any novel.  The selection of the culture, history, and language use must fit the theme.  Many times, at least in my experience, the theme is intimately matched to the history, culture, and language because it comes directly out of them.  For example, my yet unpublished novel, Dana-ana, is about an Anglo-Saxon maiden in the modern world.  That is part of the theme and the theme, culture, language, and history mutually support each other. 

You might ask, why do I write about Anglo-Saxon culture so much?  That's like asking Tolkien why he wrote about Anglo-Saxon culture so much--it was a culture he understood well. Because I understand the culture, the language, and the history, I can write about Anglo-Saxon culture.

Back to the idea of theme.  In the first novel of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox, The End of Honor, honor is the theme, the Anglo-Saxon culture is the background for the the universe, the characters while acting honorably and within the context of their culture are suddenly forced to act in ways they never expected to.  Their world falls apart when patricide and dishonor suddenly attacks the Imperial family.  The end is two people living and dying for honor but having difficulty discovering if their own actions are honorable.  Thus the theme drives and is driven by the culture within the novel.  This is science fiction and there is a lot to write about science fiction. 

I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, Themes in Language and Cultural Feel

4 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, Themes in Language and Cultural Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

The theme is the most important consideration in a novel.  I've written before that my first consideration is to entertain and this is true, but the centerpiece of every novel is the theme.  Let's just say, you don't have a novel without a theme.  Everything within the novel must support the theme, and everything comes out of the theme.  For example, in The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox, the theme is honor.  Each novel looks at a different kind of honor and delves deeply into what honor means.  Because honor is the theme, I chose an honor based culture as the basis for the universe of the novel.  I could have chosen Japanese Samurai culture or an Aryan culture, or I could have made up a culture without any basis.  I chose Anglo-Saxon because I knew the most about it, and it is not well known by most people.  Knowing about it allows you to write intelligently about it.  Not well known gives you the ability to show and makes the novel more unique.  I suspect the number of novels written with Anglo-Saxon culture as their basis is numbered in the 10s.  I don't know of many, especially in the modern era. 

The theme drove the culture and the theme drove the plot.  Everything came out of the characters, but that is the act of creating the novel.  If you remember back to how I described the creative process for Aksinya.  I made the point that the initial picture was the creative foundation for the entire novel.  I went into great detail about how the development of the characters drove practically everything.  What I didn't tell you is that the initial idea for the theme drove the creation of the characters.  The initial picture was a stop action of the theme, and every item in the picture supported the theme. 

As I said about Aksinya, the theme was temptation.  The picture at the beginning of the novel was a temptor and the tempted.  The theme of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox is honor.  The picture at the beginning of the first novel, The End of Honor, is two people of impeccable honor who are about to have their lives shaken completely apart. 

I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, still more Methods of Language and Cultural Feel

3 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, still more Methods of Language and Cultural Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

I used the Anglo-Saxon culture to define the culture in the universe of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox.  You might ask--why Anglo-Saxon?  First, I knew a lot about it.  It was one of the first languages and cultures that I studied.  I also knew a lot about German and British culture because of my experience and language studies.  I like the culture.  It is an early warrior culture based on the early English (preEnglish) nobility.  It's feudal system is called a cometatus which is an inherited nobility not necessarily based in blood.  In it a council advises the king.

I took all the aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture and wrote them into the universe of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox.  Ultimately, in those novels, a group of nobles advises the Emperor.  There are stringent rules about succession and inheritance.  I gave a women a role higher than in the basic Anglo-Saxon culture--equal to men but acknowledging that both were different.  All in all, I tried to capture the feel of the culture in a set of science fiction novels.  Because the Anglo-Saxon culture was all about honor, the novels all share the word "honor" in their titles: The End of Honor, The Fox's Honor, and A Season of Honor.  And Honor is the abiding theme in the novels.  I explore honor in all its varieties and perversions. 

These novels are fun because they are all about space warfare, nobility, honor, and love in a setting that can appreciate all of those characteristics.  In other words, I wrote a culture into these novels that would perfectly support the theme of the novels.
I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, even more Methods of Language and Cultural Feel

2 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, even more Methods of Language and Cultural Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

Cultural feel is similar to historical feel.  Here is a freebie--okay, they are all freebies.  Historical and cultural understanding will make you able to write stronger modern and science fiction.  My Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox science fiction are perfect examples of this. 

When you develop a science fiction novel, you are developing a world that is not like the world of our experience--there are always overlaps and similarities, but building science fiction is like experiencing a different culture.  That is the absolute point and the method you should use to approach science fiction.  Jack Vance is an absolute genius at cultural development.  Many of his works revolve around cultures that are nothing like those we find in our common existence on this earth.  He is an expert at understanding and articulating cultures and especially cultural differences.  He develops his own words and languages, but he doesn't usually use language as a key to culture.  Language for him is an artifact--it is a powerful artifact.  That is, he usually does not use a language other than English, the words and concepts he develops stand for the language.  In the Languages of Pao, Vance postulates cultures driven by language.  If you have been paying attention, cultures are driven by language.

To build the universe of The Chronicles of the Dragon and the Fox, I made use of a culture I was very familiar with. 

I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, more Methods of Language and Historical Feel

1 June 2012, Development - Historical Study, more Methods of Language and Historical Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

I took an entirely different approach to my published novel, Aegypt. Aegypt deals with modern Tunisia where you have French, Bedouin, Arabic, and Tunisian cultures, and ancient Egypt. I use some prominent language pointers to announce the cultures to you. For example, I use "merde" and other well known French words and names to accentuate the French culture. (If you don't know what merde means, go look it up) I show you the Bedouin culture, and through that showing try to accentuate the differences from AmerEnglish and French cultures. I am helped in this because I have English characters (actual an Englishman and a Scotsman). With an English character, it is easy to show differences.

Where the novel is really unique is in its use of ancient Egyptian culture and hieroglyphics. My main character, Paul Bolang, communicates with the other main character, Leora, through hieroglyphics. To get to that point, I have to teach you, through showing, all about how hieroglyphics work. I have to introduce you to the ancient Egyptian culture, and because Leora can't speak (I never give you her POV directly), you can only know her mind through the hieroglyphics. Aegypt is a fun novel that approaches suspense through language and culture.

One of my fans has characterized my writing as entertaining but intellectual. That is exactly where I want to be. I would like you or any other historian to read my novels and not be able to find any historical fault in them, but I want everyone to be entertained by them.

I'll write more about this tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, Methods of Language and Historical Feel

31 May 2012, Development - Historical Study, Methods of Language and Historical Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

Like yesterday's example from my published novel, Centurion, you should bring in the terms and cultural ideas gradually and through showing.  Through the novel, you should reexplain the terms when it makes sense.  It also helps to have a lexicon. 

In this manner, I tried to keep a strong Roman historical feel through the Roman portions of the novel.  I also mentioned that in this novel, I used Aramaic names and place names for the Aramaic speakers.  In this way, I kept the cultures separate and allowed the reader to understand and appreciate these two cultures.  This is just one method of handling language and culture in a novel.

I used a similar technique in my published novel, The Second Mission.  The Second Mission is about Attic Greece and Socrates in 400 to 399 BCE.  All the names and places were Greek, but I didn't use many Greek or non-English terms.  I did provide a lexicon.  The point was that I was working in a single culture through the entire novel.  The most important work in this context was displaying the culture.  The entire cultural feel came from the differences with AmerEnglish culture.  I achieved this because the main character was an accidental time traveler--so the reader saw the world of The Second Mission through the eyes and comparisons of an AmerEnglish person.  This is one of my favorite methods for showing culture.

I'll write more about that tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, even more Language and Historical Feel

30 May 2012, Development - Historical Study, even more Language and Historical Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

How can you improve the construction of a novel so the language and culture won't overwhelm your readers.  I already mentioned a couple of very important considerations.  First, you must introduce the terms in the writing.  Don't tell--show.  For example, when you introduce the term gladius (a Roman short sword).  Have your characters receiving their muster from the Roman quaestorium (the Roman

equipment issue, storage, and smithy).  The following is this scene:

              As Portius lectured Abenadar, they walked past two other buildings as large as the barracks of the Decimus Cohort.  The first smelled of men and the second of horses.  In the center of the camp stood a smaller two-story building.  Half of the lower level was open and a large smithy filled it.  Portius took Abenadar to the enclosed half of the building.
            “This is the quaestorium and that is the forum,” Portius pointed to a twin building about 50 feet to the north.
            A split door marked the center of one wall of the quaestorium.  Portius knocked on it and after a moment the top of the door opened to reveal an armory and storeroom.  Abenadar was more intrigued by the man who opened the door.  He was ancient and grizzled.  As hoary a veteran as any Abenadar was likely to see still in service.  The man was very tall, but bent with age.  His skin was deeply scored with scars and wrinkles.  They faded into each other and accentuated the sharpness of his nose and cheeks by creating parallel tracks down his face.  His mouth almost disappeared in the profusion of canyons of skin.  As the veteran spread his large hands over the bottom half of the split door, Abenadar saw his hands were as scared and misshapen as his face.  In spite of his frail appearance, he moved with combat quickness, and his voice was sure, “Portius who is this, and what do you want?  Have you already broken the pila I issued you yesterday?”
            “No Piso,” Portius addressed the ancient legionnaire, “this is the new librarius of the Decimus Hastatus Posterior Century, Abenadar of Natzeret.  He needs a kit and armor.” 
            Piso leaned over the edge of the door toward Abenadar and squinted, “He is tall.  He will have to be fit, but I have armor for him.”  Piso didn’t open the door.  He handed a mail hauberk over the top, “Here is his lorica hamata and his belt.” 
            Abenadar examined the armor Piso called a lorica hamata.  It was formed of fine iron rings woven into one another and sewn to a leather jerkin. 
            Portius said, “Put it on, Abenadar.  Let’s see how it looks on you.”
            Abenadar glanced at Portius and then with perplexity at the armor.
            Portius laughed, “Here, let me help you.”  He lifted the bottom end over Abenadar’s head and pulled it down.  The lorica hamata clung to him, but it wasn’t too tight or too loose.  Portius pulled the shoulder flaps from the back to the front and attached them with their hooks and an iron ornament.  An extension of the mail around the loose square collar covered Abenadar’s shoulders.  The leather jerkin that undergirded the rings extended beyond the mail in wide overlapping strips.  All of the edges of the armor were finished with leather.  The whole garment reached down to Abenadar’s lower thigh.
            “Now you’re starting to looked like a legionnaire,” Portius clapped him on the back.
            Piso nodded in wry approval then disappeared for a moment.  He returned with a helmet.
            AbenadarPiso.  It was polished bronze and shaped like a half sphere.  An inch above the lip at the front of the helmet, a thin bill projected three quarters of an inch.  Below the front bill and even with the lip, another bill, this one three inches long, projected from the back of the helmet.  An empty clip projected from the very top of the helmet.  On all the helmets the legionnaires wore, Abenadar noticed this projection held a plume.  On either side of the helmet, large side plates protected the face, and thin bronze stays ran from these to the long bill at the rear.  The inside of the helmet was covered with a thick leather pad.  Abenadar tipped the helmet onto his head and said, “Where’s the plume?”
            Portius stepped up to Abenadar and fitted the sides and braces to adjust the balance of the heavy helmet on Abenadar’s head.  As he tugged on the leather straps, he said, “When you have finished your training, after the legion’s training officer, the Praefectus Legionis awards you the plume of a fallen legionnaire, then you can wear a legionnaire’s plume, but not before.”  Portius half-turned to the old man in the quaestorium, “Piso, you always seem to fit a man with just a glance.  How do you do it?”
            Piso cackled, “If you’re still alive when I get ready to leave the Emperor’s service, then, and only then will I teach you my secrets.  For almost 15 years, those secrets have kept me the quartermaster in the officium.”
            “Phew, Piso, at that rate, you will still be quartermaster when I muster out.”
            Piso cackled again.  Over the top of the door, he handed a sword, the gladius and scabbard.  These were quickly followed by two pila, one light, the other very sturdy.  Piso tossed a pair of heavy sandals to Portius who passed them on to Abenadar.
            “Here,” said Portius, “is a real pair of sandals, your caligae.”
            “And, the rest of the issue,” said Piso.  “Here is his basket, bucket, axe, leather strap, sickle, and chain.  All one size,” he quipped, “The last is also.”  Piso handed a large rectangular shield through the top of the door, “Your scutum will keep you in the land of the living—if you learn to use it well.”
            Abenadar took the shield from the old man.  It was made of curved laminated wood backed with metal reinforcements.  Attached to the back were a leather loop and a strap.  A long hanging strap was connected to the top and bottom of the shield.
            “You may have to adjust the straps of the shield to yourself,” said Portius, “How do the caligae fit?”
            Abenadar knelt over still tightening them, “I think they will be fine.  They are comfortable enough.”
            “They better be.  You will be marching most of your life in them.  Come, thank Piso.” Portius whispered to Abenadar, “You always want to stay on his best side.”  Then he continued more loudly, “We have one other place to go before you will be fully outfitted.”
            Abenadar nodded to Piso and thanked the old man.  Then he and Portius picked up the rest of Abenadar’s gear and walked across the yard to the forum.

This is the means to introduce many new terms. These words are also in the lexicon at the end of the novel.

I'll write about that tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, more Language and Historical Feel

29 May 2012, Development - Historical Study, more Language and Historical Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

I write about cultures. Because culture is my focus, I use language and language differences as a means of setting off those cultures and differentiating them from one another. You realise there can be a problem here. The problem is that in today's world you just can't use other languages willy-nilly. Most people only know one language. To use language effectively to delineate culture, you have to use tricks to indicate when another language is being used. There are lots of ways to do this.

As I mentioned yesterday, in my published novel, Centurion, I used Aramaic forms generally for names and places. This is not so unusual to an English reader because they are names. Additionally, I provided a lexicon in the back. I also used Latin terms, which are also in the lexicon. Because the Latin terms are not as familiar, I explained them when they were introduced, and I occasionally reintroduced them. Here is a couple of means of establishing a language difference in a novel. The first is to use foreign names and place names. This gives an exotic and different feel to the writing. The second is to introduce foreign words and phrases--as long as you introduce them and explain them.

I have to admit for my novel, Centurion, about half of my readers really liked my approach to language and about half didn't. Those who didn't like the approach still liked the novel. I will also confess that since I am very serious about historical fiction, I thought the approach was the best way to keep the historical feel and cultural awareness alive in the novel. For those who didn't like the approach, as an artist, I think it was necessary. Now, I do have ideas how to improve the novel for those who weren't as enamored with the style as some others.

I'll write about that tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, Language and Historical Feel

28 May 2012, Development - Historical Study, Language and Historical Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

In the past, you could gain some degree of historical feel through the use of foreign language in a novel.  It was patently common to see French, Greek, Latin and sometimes German in English and American novels.  French novels sometimes included snippets of English.  In an age when there was an expectation for the educated (at least educated well enough to read a book) to understand other languages, the inclusion of a bit of another language was the norm.  Today, people are not educated nearly as well as the poorly educated of the past.  Any touch of French (unless explained or translated) will become an unassailable mountain to your readers.  In fact, I've had problems from some readers about the level of English that I use in my novels--they claim they need a dictionary at hand, oh well.

In spite of this, there are ways to incorporate language to produce historical feel.  In my published novel, Centurion, I wanted to capture the historical feel of the Levant in the first century.  At that time, Greek, Latin, and Aramaic were the common languages.  They were the common languages much like English, French, German, and Italian are the languages of Switzerland.  The trick in Centurion was to convey to the reader when a speaker was speaking Greek, Latin, or Aramaic.  My solution was to use the Aramaic pronunciations (spellings) for names and places when the speakers were using Aramaic and the Anglicized forms when they were using Greek or Latin, for example, Miryam for Mary.  Further, when the characters were speaking Latin, I had them use the correct Latin terms for an object and not the common English, for example, gladius for short sword.  The solution was very elegant, and I think the novel captures the historical feel through language, along with other methods. 

I use language differences to some degree in all my novels. I'll write about that tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.

Development - Historical Study, more Historical Feel

27 May 2012, Development - Historical Study, more Historical Feel

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/.

I'm writing about sources of historical research and how to make historical research. These apply to any novel or any subject you might wish to study. Here is a list:

1. Primary source documents or artifacts
2. Secondary source documents or artifacts
3. Tertiary source documents or artifacts
4. Quatriary

If you do get the history right--that is the details as well as the basics--there is another piece of history that needs to fill out your works. This additional part is cultural awareness. Here is the list of how to develop your target period for writing a historical novel.

1. Primary sources (secondary second)
2. Clean slate
3. Add in only what you find from primary sources (secondary next)
4. Cultural awareness
5. Historical feel

What exactly is historical feel?  Historical feel is the quality of a historical novel, where the reader strongly can detect the culture and history within a novel yet feels immersed in the writing.  It would go without saying that the history and the culture must be right--otherwise the reader may have an impression of historical feel, but with no basis.

Historical feel means the reader can tangibly note the differences between the culture(s) portrayed and her own, but that she accepts them.  Just as in the concept of sustained suspension of reality in a great fantasy novel where the author creates a world that is not based on the principles of reality (magic, time travel space travel, and all), but the author's world has such a powerful quality of reality that the reader is completely sucked into it and completely believes it.  This is the power of great historical literature.  When the history and culture is completely accurate, and the reader completely accepts the reality of the history portrayed and yet realizes it is a completely different time and place than his own.

This duality of acceptance and perception of differences is precisely the feel a great historical novel should convey.  The means an author uses to achieve this should be based in all the regular tools in the author's writing skills but with the very critical addition of historical study and cultural awareness.  An example of an author who gets this right is Alan Bradley.  His Flavia de Luca novels are set in the 1950s in England.  I haven't noticed any historical irregularities in his very tightly developed novels.  He is well studied in the period and his knowledge of the culture is very good.  His works are well set off by his use of descriptive language that helps convey the feel of the times.  His use of language in conversation sets the tone for the culture which is much different than today.  He does take a couple of cultural issues out of their full context and applies modern morals and ideas to them, but I'll forgive him.  I'd rather have historical novels that don't ever compromise with the truth.  Still, his novels have strong historical feel and much of that feel is due to the way he uses language.

This is something I wanted to achieve in my novel Centurion through the use of language.  I'll write about that tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples: http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites: http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.