Writers In Progress (WIP)

Robot Nurses and Tractor Beam May Be Here Soon

2011-11-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

In another example of Star Trek influencing real-life technology/research, NASA is spending $100,000 to analyze tractor beam techniques at its Goddard Space Flight center. The article referenced discusses past research and intial successes with "optical tweezers" that can trap objects in small lasers. Near-future applications could include installation of such devices on rovers to be sent to other worlds or deep space probes - allowing them to collect samples that otherwise would not be obtainable. Personally, I like the idea of the "optical tweezers." This could be a good term/technology for writers to use, especially if they want a credible tech basis for their writing. When I first heard it, I was thinkinging mainly about healthcare applications - like optical surgery, but you make your own decisions.

Speaking of healthcare, Roomba owners might find this interesting. Toyota and iRobot has developed a home-use "robot nurse" named Ava which could be available for purchase as early as 2013. I must admit that the video attached to the article isn't exactly something to ooh and ah about. Ava looks like a mobile broomstick/post with a tablet computer on top. That tablet would seem to be the key as the iRobot CEO mentions can show the face of a doctor or actually connect to a real physician. What isn't really mentioned is that this device could probably be easily adapted for healthcare monitoring. I mean basic vitals could be taken with attachments (automatic blood pressure cuff, pulse sensor, pulse/ox meter, respiration...) that are currently used by medical professionals.

The robot article also shows an example of another device attached to a patient's leg from the knee to the foot. The caption shows the device as something that could help patients walk, but not just by giving support and possible muscle enhancements. Patients who undergo knee surgery could use this device as part of their rehab and reduce the time needed with a physical therapist.

I've discussed bigger examples of this type of technology in my Iron Man 1/2 post last year. One thing I find interesting is the size difference between the device shown in the post developed last year and the picture of the device on the person's leg. While there are obvious differences in functionality, it's still interesting how much more streamline the medical device is and it's technology is only one year newer.

The World Is Ending - Postponed From Earlier Date

2011-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

You heard it here. Of course, chances are if you are reading this post after Friday, October 21, 2011 the prediction was wrong. I'm sorry, I mean it might have just been postponed....again. You may remember the predictions of radio preacher Harold Camping who said Judgment Day would come May 21, but when it didn't happen, he said that was just the spiritual judgment day. The world will end more quietly Friday October 21. So should we waste time continuing to write and edit, or just have fun in our last 24hours (plus or minus). I mean, I have some work deadlines coming up from my paying job.

You know what really sucks about this prediction? If it's true, I'll miss the opening of Avengers.

Sometimes these "news" stories are odder than any fantasy or sci-fi story and makes me think about doing something like a short story with such a theme. Although, I think it works better for a comedy.

Was the Kraken Real?

2011-10-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

The answer is - maybe. That's right. One of our favorite mythological monsters, and the ship crunching pet of Pirates of the Carribean's Davey Jones, may have really existed according to an article on foxnews.com.

While direct evidence of this creature hasn't been found, there has been some evidence of its existence based on markings on the bones of ichytosaurs - 45-foot long water dinosaurs that might have been prey for the possible monsters during the Triassic period. The key evidence seems to be in bones found in one location that most likely didn't die at the same time - indicating this could have been the kraken's lair. If such creatures weren't soft bodies there might have been more fossilized evidence, but unfortunately all we have is theories and a possible location of the Kraken's dining room. Following discoveries like this can give some credibility to stories with related monsters or themes. I mean a REAL monster that snacked on 45-foot long dinosaurs makes for cool stories.

Real Steel Armor Has Kinks (Spoilers)

2011-10-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

Since I had the day to myself, I thought I'd check out Hugh Jackman's new movie Real Steel. Overall, I have to say that it was entertaining, but it had a really slow start. Worth going to, but try to save a couple bucks by going to a matinee.

Overall Strengths: Hugh Jackman put on a good performance to me. In the first few scenes, I didn't like him or sympathize with his problems. However, that was probably by design. Obviously he became more likable as the movie progressed. To me, the pivotal scene for him was when Bailey Tallet (played by Evangeline Lilly) was talking to Max (played by Dakota Goyo) about Charlie's boxing past and one of his best fights in his boxing career.

The special effects. That goes without saying. They were great. There were a few views of the star robot, Atom, where one repair weld on his face looked almost like a mouth. I almost expected Atom to smile.

Chemistry between Charlie and Bailey. This was credible and not overdone. This is a mild spoiler (bigger spoilers below), but I liked Bailey's line to Charlie "1,200 miles for a kiss?" Nice.

Doing the robot. When Charlie saw Max dancing with Atom, I liked how he spun it. Making it a gimick for the show. Smart and funny.

Overall Weaknesses: Max. Sorry, but I really didn't like the kid. While you saw flaws in Charlie and Bailey, this kid seemed too perfect. Not perfectly behaved and all. More like too mature, too smart, and too "right." The kid seemed to have all the right answers. His character didn't seem real to me at all.

The opening scenes were way too predictable for my taste. So many cliches and overused ideas. While the opening was a bit of a surprise (the fight at the fair), you knew exactly what would happen the moment the competitors were announced. Pretty much the same thing with the next fights.

Some of the tech that made Atom special also was a flaw in the movie. (Minor spoiler) The ability to mimick someone. Wouldn't that have been picked up more? Give human fighters a chance to compete through the robots. Only giving that one here because it is in most of the trailers. More below in Spoilers.

SPOILERS:

The robot fighting a bull? Could have been better, but when Charlie started getting arrogant and paying more attention to the cute girls in the stand than the bull, I was hoping the bull would knock the robot through the fence and right onto Charlie. Besides, why wasn't the guy who set up that fight arrested for cruelty to animals? I mean the bull tore the robot up, but that guy who set it up would have been jailed for trying that. But then he couldn't have come back to kick Charlie's @ss later.

Max - annoying. Again, the kid was too perfect and too smart. From his ability to speak Japanese to his negotiating more money to the

Atom's ability to mimic was one thing, but his ability to absorb punishment and keep functioning. Again, why didn't other, newer robots have that?

When the aunt was trying to console Max by telling him about all the toys she had for him to play with, I almost laughed. He never once seemed like the type of kid interested in "toys." It gave me the impression she knew as much about the boy as his father did.

Zeus running low on power. Come on. Okay, maybe they operators were so used to winning early they didn't see a point in giving enough power for a full fight, but that did make the fight a little anti-climactic.

The final fight, from the very beginning reminded me so much of Rocky, I half expected Zeus to start chanting "Zeus in 3..."

Editor Picked My Submission Pointing Out The Good and The Need Work

2011-10-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

It seems like it's been so long since I updated my blog that some might think I'm dead. I'm not and here's some proof. I know that I've mentioned the online critique group Critters a few times. Well, I'm also using another online group - the online writing workshop for science fiction, fantasy and horror (OWW/SFF). One big difference this group has from critters is you pay for OWW/SFF, but they have professional editors on staff who review and publish comments on submissions each month.

I was thrilled around mid-September when I learned that my current submission to the OWW/SFF web site, Legacy Soldier Ch 11, was picked as the editors' choice for science fiction and a review was written up in the OWW/SFF newletter (link below). It is a critical review pointing out several areas where the chapter could be enhanced. I couldn't really argue with the comments even though I think some implied questions would be answered if the person had read from Ch 1 - Ch 11. Not saying I dissagree. What I like is that the editor (a professional editor) gave some specific examples where the chapter could be firmed up and made some overall positive remarks like:

"These opportunities weren't quite fulfilled in this chapter, but the attempt is still competent, the bare bones of it there, and the idea of drafted kids with telepathic abilities, while not new, is still plum to explore. The personalities of the characters are diverse enough to provide great potential for natural conflict, and there are a few great turns of phrase that enhance this (like "telepathic friendly fire")."

And the ending:

"Overall the punctuation needs work and the chapter ended in an odd place, but the set up as a whole -- the plot and the characters -- all have potential; the foundation has been laid. The conflict is inherent and interesting, and that is the main requirement to drive any story forward."

http://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com/ww-cgi/ww/framer.cgi

Overall, I'm happy with the review. It shows me that I'm on the right track and that my story mostly needs clean-up work. Now I just hope I can get the time to do that!

More Deadliest Warrior Zombie vs. Vampire

2011-07-26T18:26:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd share this link. Comic Con panel discussing The Deadliest Warrior Zombie vs. Vampire.

Book Review: The Lost Fleet Beyond The Frontier: Dreadnaught

2011-07-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome back, Black Jack! Before I get into any nitpicks, let me open with the fact that I finished this book in record time. I have limited time to read, so some books can take me 2 months to finish. I was done with this one in a couple of weeks. Now I have to wait.

This story was fast paced and very entertaining. I liked that Jack Campbell didn't rush Black Jack and the fleet through Syndic space and into alien space. The time to get the fleet ready, problems found with the ships due to their design/combat life-expectancy, character relations... All seemed credible and helped build up interest in the characters. Especially since I haven't read anything about them in about a year - nice to get a reminder.

Here are some things I wasn't as fond of. This book was too open ended. I know it's part of a series, but in the first Lost Fleet series, I remember the books each ending with a significant event - something came to a close.

For example - Dauntless went through the story with Black Jack getting use to being in command of a fleet suffering from hero-worship while dealing with his own issues and losses. The book ended with a climactic battle. While the reader knew the series would continue, there was a feeling of closure for that part of the story.

The trickery/politics involved were entertaining. The concerns that the end of the war with the Syndics causing a rift within the alliance seemed completely credible. I was actually drafting a short story for a Star Trek fanfic contest that followed this (with the Romulans friends, there are no major threats, so some worlds would likely pull out of the Federation).

The return of Victoria Rione was expected. I love her comment "I'm a bitch, and I have to stay in practice." in reference to provoking Captain Desjani. There's a lesson here. Profanity can highlight a scene, but I think profanity is overused in literature, especially military sci-fi/space opera. Jack Campbell crafts an excellent story with good dialogue without profanity. When he uses it, it's because there's no better way to phrase it.

SPOILER ALERT:
I would have preferred if this book ended with the fight against the aliens they sought. The good part of that was the development of an effective battle strategy. Saving some prisoners was good too. Maybe hint that there was another species possibly involved, but DON'T bring them in yet. I would have preferred the Death Stars wait until the next book.

I'm mixed on the development of Jane Geary. Good captain and pulled off a good strategy (deliberately disobeying Admiral Geary), but I'm not sure if I like how defiant she seemed to be.

My Review of Captain America - Minor Spoilers

2011-07-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

In a rare circumstance, I was actually able to be able to see a movie before it goes to the cheap theater or DVD. I think it's funny that SyFy's been running marathons of The Greatest American Hero (loved that show) followed by a group of old second rate (or worse) Craptain America movies from the 70s and 80s (maybe early 90s, but they sucked).

Personally, I enjoyed doing my review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. In that review, I made comparisons with the novel. Well, the only book I could find for Captain America was for kids. Oh well.

Bottom line is that if you aren't looking for Oscar calibre acting, screenplay or anything like that, you'll be entertained. Not one of the best superhero movies, but certainly not the worst.

Good:

There was plenty of action without it really seeming too gratuitous.
A couple of fun twists.

Howard Stark's involvement throughout the movie. Remember in Iron Man 2 that Nick Fury told Tony Stark that his father, Howard, was a founding member of SHIELD.
In the beginning, Captain America is a bit of a joke (More in the spoilers).

Captain America's final line. Not to sound too much like a spoiler, but there were a few references to finding the right dance partner between Steve Rogers and Agent Peggy Carter. What's the line? You'll have to see the movie. It may not seem like much to most, but I liked it.

Bad:

None of the characters seemed to have enough personality. I've got nothing against Chris Evans, but he was a mediocre Captain America. I really couldn't sympathize with the character when he was down. I just didn't see the mastery of the attitudes you want like I found in Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark/Iron Man, or even Eric Bana's Bruce Wayne/Batman. Just not much personality.
Hugo Weaving's German accent. I love Hugo. He's awesome, but a bit underwhelming as Red Skull.
Fight between Captain America and Red Skull. A bit anticlimactic. In all actuality, I'd expect Cap to beat Red Skull much easier. Why? You get the impression Red Skull was always considered a tough guy. Steve Rogers was the 89 lb weakling always getting beat up. He was use to getting hit by bigger and stronger guys but he always got up. I'd just say that he can take a punch better than Red Skull.
Opening scene. It takes place in modern day. This and the ending scene are typically the scenes snuck in after the credits.

Spoilers below

Finding Captain America's shield in the mysterious reckage during the first scene made it too obvious what would happen at the end.
I can't help but wonder if that power source is going to be part of the Avenger's movie. You can assume it's alien tech throughout the movie, and I think the near-ending confirms that pretty well. Think about it - the whole plot leading up to the cube falling from the plane to be found by Howard Stark. What happens to the cube?
Does anybody else thing Red Skull will return for Avengers? It looked like he was teleported, not destroyed. Why teleport him if you don't plan to send him back.
Bucky dying was no big deal. Remember what I said about the characters not having enough personality? I didn't really fell a sense of loss from Steve Rogers regarding his friend. I felt more sympathetic that he couldn't get drunk!
I liked Captain America as a marketing tool for selling bonds rather than using him as a real soldier. I don't know if that's how it worked for the comics, but I liked it. When he's trying to entertain the troops and gets things thrown at him and the ridicule by the front line soldiers was, to me, one of the best part. It showed Steve Rogers that getting his new strength and power didn't automatically mean he'd gain the respect of those he wanted as his peers.

Not Your Typical Transformers 3 Review. (I Hope) WARNING - SPOILERS

2011-07-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is a blog about writers/writing, so I thought I'd add a little about differences between the movie (which I saw last night) and the book (which I read last week).

First, I have to say that, as a Star Trek fan, I loved the casting of Leonard Nimoy as the voice of Sentinel Prime. Old-school Transformer fans might remember Mr. Nimoy was also cast as the voice of Galvatron (a rebuilt Megatron) in the 1986 animated Transformer movie. Those who weren't sure about the voice of Sentinel should have had all doubts removed during one scene in Chicago as the space bridge is being prepared when Sentinel uses a comment that Kirk and Spock used in several Star Trek movies starting with STII: The Wrath of Khan, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." I can't help but wonder if Mr. Nimoy came up with that idea or if it was the writers.

Anyway, back to the point of the post. First, I found the movie fun, fast, and entertaining, but in no way was it Oscar-worthy. That's fine. I've seen Oscar winning movies that I thought were highly over-rated. The turning of Sentinel Prime was an interesting twist. When I first saw Sentinel in a preview, I had to ask myself why make his face look like it has a mustache. It obviously highlights that he's older than Optimus Prime, but they're robots - they don't grow facial hair. Same with Jetfire in Transformers 2. Why do they have to sound older? Maybe give them deeper and slower voices like you'd get from a toy when the batteries are getting low [chuckle to myself].

Another problem. Why is Megatron so messed up? In Transformers 2, Optimus ripped Starscream's arm off, and Starscream put it back on with no tools. Why couldn't the Decepticons get parts to fix Megatron after part of his face/head was blown off in Transformers 2? That was a bit annoying to me in the book and movie.

One of the big differences in the book was that the book had the Autobot Twins (the annoying little Autobots from Transformers 2). In the book, when Sentinel turns and kills Ironhide, he then turns his weapon on Bumblebee, but one of the twins sacrifices himself, jumping in the way and takes the blast, saving Bumblebee. The other twin goes absolutely balistic and attacks Sentinel. While he doesn't last long, the sheer fury of his attack buys Bumblebee time to escape. I understand why that wasn't in the movie. Too many people would probably have watched that scene and labeled Sentinel as a cinematic hero for offing those two despite his evil turn and rooted for him to win the day.

Another difference, while not as big, is Que - the old-looking Autobot who helped design weapons (assumingly named/nicknamed after the James Bond weapon/techie Q). In the book, it's Wheeljack. Surprisingly when I looked up the credits to confirm the name, the voice credits all say "Que/Wheeljack." I never heard the name Wheeljack being used in the movie or the name Que in the book. While Que was just gunned down in cold blood/lubricant, Wheeljack went down fighting. When the bridges went up in Chicago, Wheeljack went in the drink and was ambushed. He took out one of his attackers, but was quickly overwhelmed. The book also smartly pointed out that separating Wheeljack from the others and Prime from his trailer was deliberate - separate Autobots and humans from their best weapons.

When the space bridge control pillar is destroyed in the movie, it looks like Cybertron may have been destroyed - the book implies otherwise, that it's just sent back. The movie effect looked like it was sucked into a black hole (not at all as it seemed to appear beyond Earth).

Finally (biggest spoiler below). And this was a big twist. After Carly (in her only purpose-related scene) pisses off Megatron to get him into the fight by calling him Sentinel's bitch (great line), Optimus and Megatron do destroy Sentinel together, but Optimus never kills Megatron. In fact, Megatron tells Optimus he's tired of fighting and just wants to find a way home, to rebuild Cybertron without a conqueror's mentality. Optimus is skeptical but lets Megatron go warning that he could become a target of other Decepticons. Megatron seems willing to accept this risk. This could lead to interesting future book storylines. Following the book, Megatron could come back to Earth and ask Optimus for help. Optimus would obviously go (eventually) but always wary of a trap. Following the movie ending, it would just be another Decepticon. I'd prefer a following of the book's ending.

Overall, I found both to be fun and fast. I usually take twice as long to finish a book and need at least one bathroom break in a 2+ hour movie, so I'd say both are worth the time.

Worms Bringing New Credibility to Life on Other Worlds

2011-06-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

So called "worms from hell" may help unlock answers to the question about whether or not it's possible for life to exist on other worlds. Nobody's saying that these worms were brought here be extraterrestrials of course. Round worms called Nematodes were found about a mile underground in South African gold mines. Nematodes are very resilient creatures, being found in all kinds of habitats: polar, desert, along the ocean floor, in fresh water...

While it's not surprising to find worms underground, before now nobody thought that complex/multi-cellular life forms could exist in the harsh conditions that you would find so deep underground. That's where the tie-in to life on other planets comes in according to author Marc Kaufman. After all, if they can exist in such varied and harsh environments here on Earth, why not on other worlds?

Gas From Uranus? Let The Jokes Begin

2011-06-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

One way I've read to fuel a theoretical interstellar space ship is using Helium 3. While not abundant on Earth, there's plenty on outer planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Using a concept like this would be great for science fiction. The article talked about a space-gas station created at these planets. But I see other possibilities. Why limit yourself to interstellar space travel? What about in-system and using the gases for other sources. A writer could turn this to corporate sci-fi with competing gas mines. This could lead to threats of in-system wars, embargos... I think I've said enough about that.

Deadliest Warrior Analyzes Zombies vs. Vampires

2011-06-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

That's right. After seeing a recent commercial advertising the upcoming 3rd season of The Deadliest Warrior on Spike TV, I checked the site to see some examples. Scrolling down a bit I almost couldn't believe my eyes, but a quick click on the video link and viola - Zombies vs. Vampires. While the video really doesn't really give a preview of the episode content, it is still an interesting idea. I've been a big fan of the show since it premiered because of its analysis of various warrior cultures, the techniques they use, and (or course) an analysis ot their weapons.

What's would be unique about an episode pitting zombies against vampires is the weapons part. The Deadliest Warrior typically had experts bring four weapons - long range, medium range, short range, and special weapons. What I'd really like to know is how that's going to work with zombies and vampires. What "weapons" will they analyze?

What's fun about this is that fantasy writers might be able to use some of this information in developing stories with these two classic monsters. Okay, so it wouldn't be a complete source of information, but it could give some ideas that could add credibility to the story.

Then again, this could be just one big joke by Spike TV. But I hope not. Maybe the producers could add more like Werewolf vs Vampire and a couple of others, then have a Deadliest Monster Warrior marathon on Halloween.

Cool Stuff From Kepler For Science Fiction Writers

2011-05-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, I found a link to an interesting article on space.com. The article/slide show focuses on the strangest alien planets found by the Kepler spacecraft/telescope. Some of the worlds discovered could be particularly interesting for science fiction writers who want to include real science to add to the story credibility. Here are a few examples of worlds from the slide show and how they could be used.

Closest planet: Epsilon Eridani b orbits an orange sun-like star only 10.5 light years away. Whether your story uses faster-than-light (FTL) travel, near-light-speed, or stasis, you could reference such a world as a staging area for sending ships deeper into space. A space station or planet-side outpost coule be used. It could also be a staging area for an aggressive species planning to invade Earth.
A planet in Globular Cluster M4 is referenced as the oldest planet found - an estimated 8 billion years before Earth. If you want to discuss more advanced races, an older planet is a good place to start, that way you don't have to get into debates on the speed of the evolutionary process. They had a head start.
Fastest planet: at only 740,000 miles from its sun, this planet makes its orbit every 10 hours. I honestly couldn't say how to use it, but it just seemed too interesting not to mention.
Waterworld: A hyperspace-hop, slipstream-skip, and warp-jump away at only 40 light years lies GJ 1214b. Researchers believe that this planet (about 3X the size of Earth and over 6X as massive) is most likely a water world. I shouldn't have to give the obvious suggestion that humans move to this world for the water. It could be a good place to bring up aquatic alien life (sentient or otherwise). But another possiblity is another staging area. Load up on more water for consumption and/or splitting water atoms to take oxygen for life support and hydrogen for fuel.
Dying world: WASP-18 is another world with a fast orbit - less than one Earth day and scientists theorize it could be orbiting closer to its star and impending doom. This could be tied to lost civilization, planetary evacuation types of stories. Encountering ships from the survivors.
Most Habitable: Gliese 581 d. Only about 20 light-years away this is apparently the world with the greatest possibility for being habitable. It's about 8X as massive as Earth. I googled for a bit more since I'd heard of Gliese 581 before and found similar stories about the Gliese 581 c possibly being habitable. Note that 581c also has a quick orbit - 13 days. Again, obvious story-lines one could use include staging area for deeper space travel, colonization... Consider the potential difficulty of colonizing a world with a short orbit.

Keep in mind that Kepler's mission is to search for Earth-sized/like worlds. Some of these don't fit that description, but they're interesting nonetheless.

Researchers Grow Brain Cells.

2011-05-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

According to an article I read through the Fox News web site, researchers have reported success in growing brain cells. That's right, brain cells. The cells in are called astrocytes and can play an important role in diseases like dementia and others effecting the central nervous system (astrocytes are found in the brain and spinal cord).

Naturally I'm sharing this for what it could mean to writers of science fiction. Technology to regrow brain cells could eventually lead to curing many brain-related illnesses, correcting brain damage suffered from accidents...

On another note, this article shows how quickly things we see as possible only in science fiction can quickly make the sci-fi technology obsolete. Fans of Star Trek: The Original Series will no doubt remember the episode "Spock's Brain" where Spock's brain is stolen and used to run an underground complex. McCoy, with the help of an alien teaching device eventually puts Spock's brain back. But with this technology, perhaps it would be possible in 200-300 years to regrow the brain. Perhaps they could just download the consciousness.

Another Star Trek reference is the Next Generation episode when Worf's spine is broken and an experimental treatment is used to regrow his spine. In about 300 years, that could be more common than shown.

Okay, Worf and Spock aren't human, but that's not relevant. In both shows, it was indicated that the situation would have been as dire for humans (or worse). Who knows. By the time those dates really come around, such repairs could be as routine as an appendectomy is now.

The Zombie Brain

2011-05-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled across this cool article on the zombie brain - how sci fi teaches science. Some interesting components include references to child psychiatrist, Dr. Steven Schlozman's new novel "The Zombie Autopsies." While I'm not a big reader of zombie novels (although I love AMC's Walking Dead), I'm always interested in the perspective of experts turning up the science fiction in their fields or related fields. Schlozman's novel seems to use a one-part resident evil, one part cold virus in that the virus was deliberately engineered but can be passed without taking a bite out of helpless victims.

Inserting some facts, the virus would have to completely destroy the frontal lobes to take away higher reasoning and logic functions. If you've watched Walking Dead, you may remember a scene in the secret CDC bunker where the scientist was experimenting with zombie blood and had actually scanned his own wife's brain as she deteriorated, died, and turned zombie. The scene showed the scan of her brain as it shut down and then only a small part started working again.

The article goes on to discuss how such a virus would be made, how we'd probably fight back, and even ties it to actual infectious diseases we face today.

Overall, and interesting article and a promising premise for the book. If the book is half as intriguing as this article, it should be a great read.

50th Anniversary

2011-05-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

As Cinco De Mayo comes to an end, let us take a moment to remember an important historical event - one especially relevant for sci-fi and space fans. It was 50 years ago today that Alan B. Shepard Jr. climbed into the Freedom 7 capsule and, in a 15 minute sub-orbital flight, became the first American in space.

Thank you Mr. Shepard.

Trying to Regroup and Recoup

2011-04-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

How do you regroup and restart writing when faced with a loss of past work/edits? I figure that one is to do the same thing I did when I finished my first novel draft - have some fun with a short story. When I glanced at some of my recent blog stats, I noticed my post on the Star Trek fanfic contest had some recent hits.

The good and bad of it is that I've got a couple of ideas for stories, but I'm not sure which to choose. Contest rules limit to one story.

One idea follows the last Next Generation cast movie - Nemesis. With the Romulans becoming friends, all of the Trek villains are now allies. Starfleet wants to promote Picard to admiral and make him a figurehead in the Federation. Some high ranks in Starfleet are worried that with all the known Trek villains now friends, that this will actually split the Federation. Why? You'll have to read it and find out.

The second story idea takes place about a year after the JJ Abrams Trek movie. The Enterprise has spent lots of time touring the Federation with the crew being more like celebrities than Starfleet officers and explorers. Kirk finds things becoming very routine and actually getting dull. When a chance for action comes about, he jumps at the chance - too quickly and people die for the first time as a direct result of his orders. How will he react? Think about it. His situation is really no different than a Navy Academy Senior going from the classroom directly to command of an aircraft carrier. Is he truly ready to command?

So, which to write? I think both have potential. Obviously I think they do or I wouldn't consider them! I'm open to input. Which sounds more interesting?

Share your feedback and

Write On.

Rest In Peace William Campbell

2011-04-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Actor William Campbell died today. Star Trek fans will remember Mr. Campbell as Trelane, The Squire of Gothos and (more importantly) as Captain Koloth from what many consider to be the best of the original series episodes, The Trouble With Tribbles.

I'm sure that true Klingon fans will stare into the eyes of death and howl a warning to the dead for one of the greatest Klingon warriors has joined them.

Rest In Peace Mr. Campbell and thank you.

It Was Inevitable But Came Quicker Than Expected

2011-04-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

E-Books have outsold hardcover and paperbacks in every reading category in the US. The sales were over 200% higher than just one year ago.

Is this a fluke? Doubt it. It's been discussed for a while but many that I've spoken to thought it wouldn't happen for a few years. However, keep in mind that e-readers ranked among the top gifts for last Christmas and e-book sales have been on the rise..

Not something big publishers are too fond of. Especially now that small publishers and self-publishers are taking the fight to the big dogs regarding prices. This leads to smaller margins. To make things worse, I'm hearing more and more about e-book libraries coming. Why is that worse? Libraries are more likely to buy extra copies of the same book, not just for demand but, let's face it, people are harder on things they don't own. Library books are more likely to get damaged and need replacing. That wouldn't be an issue with e-books. Best part for library patrons is, unless the library can only share a limited number, no waiting list.

Redundant Backup Is An Oxymoron

2011-04-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

I've been procrastinating about this post because I'm embarrassed to admit this. I've been in a major writing/blogging slump because a few months ago I hit the unlucky/stupid jackpot. My computer had a virus and, while many files were saved, much of my writing was lost. Fortunately, I had it all backed up on a USB flash drive - that got left in my pants pocket and washed - aka RUINED.

At first, I thought all was lost until I went to our old computer and did find a copy of my story. The problem is it was about 1-2 years out of date. So, I'm back to a raw draft - most of my edits lost and friends who've edited for me deleted their copies. For now, I'll probably have to shelve this piece and, when I have time to write again, work on another project. There are plenty of creative voices in my head. I'm sure one of them has something entertaining to say.

Learn from my stupidity. Don't just backup often, make a couple of backups to keep your work safe!

Commercials on Kindle! Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?

2011-04-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

I've heard family and friends say that they'd be willing to pay a little more for DVDs and Blu Rays if it meant skipping ads and things like that. This is a little like that. A new Kindle is coming May 3 that costs $25 less, but the price is sitting through some "well-placed ads." But Kindle/Amazon isn't using the term "ads." They're calling it a "Kindle with special offers."

One difference I've heard with these ads is the ability to vote on the types of ads through their web site and the AdMash Kindle app.

I think I'll stick with my iPad e-reader.

Motivate To Write Through Non-Writing Projects

2011-03-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

After about 2 months of working out, training, and happily sweating off about 25 lbs, I finally tested last Saturday and earned my second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Of course, one of the best aspects of that was the fact that my six-year old son was there to watch it. He seemed more interested in his iPad for the most part, but took notice sometimes when Daddy got up for sparring, grappling, and board breaking. What dad doesn't like to succeed in front of his child?

For the most part, I've done no writing or editing work on my own projects during this time, but I'm hoping to change that some now. In some ways, I think this break is good for me as a writer. I'm in the best shape I've been in for a few years, I have a renewed sense of self-confidence because of what I have just achieved, and now I can come back and look at my projects with a fresher perspective.

I know some people who seem so dedicated to their writing that there's no room for anything else. I don't think that's good for anyone. Too much focus on one thing will lead to burnout and frustration that much faster. Don't be impatient. Sometimes it will help writing to walk away from it and do something else. Some science fiction writers are former military. I've seen how some writers are also artists or have other hobbies.

Another consideration is that I believe that my martial arts training helps my credibility as a writer. I remember in writing workshops hearing people say, "Write what you know." Incorporating outside interests into writing helps the credibility of a story, and makes associated research easier/more pleasurable (less like "work"). Also, think of your favorite writers. When reading the bio on the backs of the books, how often do you see that they've had military service, or other activities where their expertise shows clearly in their writing? As a reader, does that make you more interested in the author than if the book bio simply listed a college and no "life experiences?"

Personally, I like reading good books written by interesting people. I'd be very proud to include things in an author bio as: former member of the United States Army. 2nd Degree Tae Kwon Do Black Belt (maybe 3rd by the time I actually publish). Of course, my most important credential is, and always will be, Daddy.

Get out, take on the world and

Write On.

Stargate's End

2011-03-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I'm sure those who read this have already seen some other posts regarding the upcoming cancellation of SyFy's Stargate Universe (SG-U). I've seen some of them and agree with some things while disagreeing with others. Let me make a comparison with the prior shows, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis (SGA).

SG-1 and SGA had so many similarities that the shows really didn't have a lot of things that differentiated them. Both had balanced ensemble casts who seemed very familiar. The immediate leaders Col O'Neil (replaced by Col Mitchell) for SG-1 and Col Sheppard for SGA were competent military commanders/pilots who basically came off as likable goofballs. Each show had their scientific genius (Carter/McKay). The addition of Ronan on SGA was their answer for Teal'c. In some ways Daniel Jackson and Teyla filled the same roles. While they were very different people, they both seemed to play the role of the team's conscience/wisdom. SG-U didn't have the chemistry those characters developed. And fans noticed.

Overall plot similarities. When it came right down to it, both shows were about protecting Earth against malevolent entities. For SG-1 it was the Goa'uld and then the Ori. Both similar concepts - highly advanced races that consider themselves gods and plan to enslave humanity. For SGA it was the Wraith. While not having delusions of being deities, the Wraith were obviously a threat. They wanted us to eat, which does indicate a level of superiority even if it's not god-like. Face it, we think we're better and more deserving than our dinners.

The producers of SG-U wisely wanted to come up with something different so it didn't look like another spinoff/new names and same types of character. Good idea in concept, but unfortunately they took it too far from a formula that worked. I never really got that into the characters. I looked up a couple of things to refresh my memory (since the show couldn't keep my interest enough to make me care to follow the broader plot). IIRC, early in the show, Destiny seemed to be following seed-ships that were dropping Stargates on planets. However, I thought I saw more recently a big reveal that Destiny's true mission had to do with finding the origins of the universe? If Destiny's the ship that's looking for this great truth/solve this great mystery, why is it following the seed ships? Shouldn't it be leading?

Lastly, regarding the overall plot. SG-1 and SGA had threats to humanity and the fans liked having a constant threat/villain to boo (or even cheer), while SG-U was looking for the source of the universe or something (literally) more cosmic. The broad plot for SG-1 and SGA, while possibly more cliche, were at least exciting. For SG-U, I give it's reveal a big "WHO CARES!"

Better luck next time SyFy.

Good Quote For Writing and Life

2011-03-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, I'm finally taking my second degree black belt test. At my school, ETO, one requirement is to write an essay. Since I'm testing for second degree, my topic was how a black belt turns to back into a white belt. A friend of mine gave me a good quote from author Louis L'Amour that fit this perfectly:

"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning."

Obviously this relates easily to writing and editing and how often do we, as writers, hear that? I've heard other versions, like "When you think you're done editing, you're half way there." It really is similar in concept to martial arts. Getting my first black belt was great, but I knew I still had so much I could learn. And more importantly, I wanted to learn more. Writers have to carry that same hunger. Once the story is written, you must WANT to go back through it over and over and over again to make the manuscript sparkle like the brightest diamond. Then, take a step back, rest and start again.

My Favorite Book May Become A Movie

2011-02-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

Just read that Paramount Pictures has bought the rights to make John Scalzi's Old Man's War into a movie.

Details at: http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/paramount-buys-old-mans-war-for-wolfgang-petersen-and-scott-stuber/

If it's a success and goes through the entire storyline with Ghost Brigades as the sequel, I wonder whether they'll use The Last Colony to wind out a trilogy, or use the alternate version of that by following Zoe's Tale? Perhaps a combination of both.

For those who haven't read this series (and I highly recommend it), The Last Colony and Zoe's Tale are the same story from different perspectives. The Last Colony follows the actions/POV of John Perry (protagonist from Old Man's War) while Zoe's Tale follows the same plotline from the POV of Perry's adopted daughter Zoe (introduced in Ghost Brigades).

The idea was also done successfully by Orson Scott Card in Ender's Shadow - the telling of Ender's Tale from the POV of one of Ender's lieutenants - Bean.

Regardless, let's just hope that the translation from Scalzi's masterful story to the big screen doesn't crash and burn.

Plant Technology

2011-02-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article from Fox News on research that will turn ordinary plants into security devices. The plants turn white when certain elements enter their environment.

Now think about this for writers. Take this to the next level. If technology exists to make plants change in the presence of certain chemicals, what about people? Setup a biological defense against specific aliens. Or even more specific. Say a law enforcement agency has a simple DNA sample. What about plants that could detect that person's DNA?

Think of how this could be used. Rather than a large team of tech experts with sophisticated and complicated equipment, maintenance of the system could be done with a biologist. A story could highlight how this approach could be used at facilities with fewer financial resources. Create plants that, once "fed" a sample of DNA or certain chemicals, it reacts in their presence.

So keep researching and

Write On.

Books I'm Looking Forward To Getting In Early 2011

2011-02-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

So far, there are two books that I'm looking forward to getting either in hard copy or as a download for my iPad. In the last year, I've basically split my reading. I'm keeping one hard copy book and one e-book. The hard copy book is typically what I read on the bus coming home from work, and the e-book is what I'll read in bed.

Anyway. First up is Center of Gravity: Star Carrier: Book Two by Ian Douglas, due out February 22, 2011. I have to say that the first book I read by Ian Douglas didn't exactly rate in my top 10. If you read my December post on escalation vs. twist you'd understand why. The book had a lot of action, but it seemed too focused on the escalation and not enough twist for me. That said, I was much more impressed with Earth Strike: Star Carrier: Book One. That had enough originality and twists to keep my interest throughout the book. And it's perfect timing since I recently finished reading my first e-book, When All Seems Lost, by William C. Deitz (part of the Legion of the Damned Series).

The other book I just learned is coming out is the continuation of the Lost Fleet Series by Jack Campbell. I was thrilled when I first learned that The Lost Fleet Series would be continued in two parts. The first book for one of those, The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught, is due out April 26, 2011. The Lost Fleet Series is one of my three favorite science fiction series and has been a great inspiration to me in my writing. One reason I loved the Lost Fleet Series is the twists and style of writing gave just enough details on the tech to give credibility and the space battle descriptions were among the best work I've seen. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Black Jack Geary come to grips with his situation, learn to adapt to a new time and new military, deal with treachery, and his personal feelings. All-in-all, an exceptionally well-rounded and well-written tale.

That's all for now. I urge anybody to put these books on their pre-order list and until you get them,

Write On.

I Thought Those Holes In My Belt Were Just Decorative (Off-Topic: Training Mode)

2011-02-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

Since I was first pre-tested for my second degree black belt, I've lost about 10-12 pounds, my SUV spare tire has been replaced by one for a subcompact, and my man-boobs have shrunk from about a C cup to about an A. The test hasn't been formally scheduled, but I could have another 3 or more weeks to prepare.

Since I'm in "training mode" I am attending more classes, but when the test is over, I'll go back to my normal 2 - 3 classes per week (rest of the weeks is family time). So how do I maintain when my training routine goes down? Early losses are typically fastest and taking more classes helps definitely, but some things that have helped included some changes in eating and more cardio work.

Late night snacks/eating after my Tae Kwon Do class are a tough habit to break. I'm hoping I'll be able to continue avoiding them after the test.

It also seems to help that I changed my lunch habits at work. I use to bring nothing but stuff you'd find on a fruit/veggie platter (grapes, baby carrots, apples, bananas...). Unfortunately I never really felt full, so I'd turn to snacks. Now I take a bit more. My new favorite at lunch is grilled chicken caesar salads or grilled chicken caesar wraps. Much more satisfying, so I don't want to snack as much.

Hopefully, by the time I post again, I'll be locked in below 200 pounds.

Blind Driver

2011-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

That's right, I just heard about a blind man demonstrating a new technology that would allow blind people to drive. I heard about it and read the story on Atlanta Radio Station Star 94.

The car, obviously is loaded with high tech equipment like laser range finders, cameras, and more that will apparently map out the environment. The technology "communicates information non-visually to a blind person allowing them to safely drive an automobile." The driver wears special gloves (you can see wires/cables on the gloves) that help with steering/let the driver know how far to turn.

The system would probably need safeguards that would automatically slow or stop the vehicle in certain instances like if someone stopped abrupty or something/someone moves suddenly in front of the vehicle. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if that is added to cars for sighted people.

For a direct link to the Youtube video, check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UdCJDEkTXcI

Now think about this technology for science fiction writers. Sure, in space opera or futuristic science fiction, you can discuss technologies that let the blind function like sighted people. One of the best known is Geordi LaForge's VISOR from Star Trek: The Next Generation. But what about something more like science fiction in the modern world - urban science fiction? I could see this type of technology brought up for a blind character, or even a blind protagonist.

So keep researching and

Write On.

Reviewing A Draft Before Sharing

2011-01-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Recently, I went through and critiqued a short story through Critters. It was one of the worst things I've read. The writing was so bad and littered with inexcusable grammatical errors that I completely lost track of what the story was about. Because the writer sent the draft in such poor condition, I really think he/she will not get the best feedback on the story because I believe other readers/critiquers will also be distracted by the poor writing. Also, since there are lots of stories to choose from constantly through Critters (and other online writing/critting groups) that some may start, get fed up and decide to choose another story that is easier to read. Poorly written stories can take more time to critique.

Now, let me remind everyont that I'm a fan of Critters. Overall, I feel they've helped my draft novel, Legacy Soldier, progress and improve. They also helped me find some stupid mistakes. There is only so much you can do to edit your own work because you're so close to it that you know what you want to say and sometimes confuse that with what you're actually saying in the story. That's where having others to give an objective read is important. That said, we as writers should try to give our best draft to beta readers/editors.

Even a first draft shouldn't go out as just after it's been written. If you want the best quality feedback, send the best quality drafts. I know I've mentioned these tricks/tools before, but let me go through a few again.

Run a spell/grammar check. These tools aren't infallible, but they do help clean up a story. Another trick I've heard is to read your story/chapter to yourself out loud. Does it sound right? If you have a friend/family member willing, let them read it to you. If they have trouble reading parts, you may want to re-write. If you don't have someone who can do that, a tool I've found helpful is a free downloadable text-to-speech software called Ultra HAL. C/NET rated the free version pretty well.

So remember, write, read, re-write, read again, and

Write On.

Innovations for Space Flight

2011-01-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

I just saw a slideshow on FoxNews' Tech link focusing on 10 new innovations for future space flight. Some are pretty much what you'd expect. There's a slide for a new Mars rover, discussion of what kind of transport vehicle will replace the space shuttle, exercise equipment for astronauts and other things that I've been hearing about for a couple of years now. But then there are a few that I haven't heard about as much.

Examples: Nantennaes. Billions of tiny antennae on the wings of unmanned aerial vehicles that would help provide electricity and power for an engine. While this sounds like a high-tech version of solar panels, the technology is much more advanced and worthy of note to science fiction writers.

A robot motor that could operate in extreme heat, like on Venus. Again, while not necessarily something people haven't heard of before in sci-fi, it's still interesting to know that there is currently such a device that could operate in temps allegedly up to 932 degrees. According to the article, the nearest competitors can only withstand half that temperature. This is a good example of how sometimes tech takes a massive leap forward before returning to incremental advances.

Whoever came up with this one must have been a 7 of 9 fan. Skin tight space suits. Apparently this type of attire helps to reduce the bone loss for astronauts in space for extended periods by simulating the effects of gravity. When you think of the fact that astronauts going to the ISS often spend months there and considering a recent post I made regarding an article on a manned trip to Mars. A one-way trip would take months - almost a year IIRC, this is an important development.

Is the Military Going to Have Invisible Vehicles?

2011-01-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

Star Trek fans might be hoping we have a cloaking device ready for the Klingons and Romulans. According to an article on Fox News' tech page, the answer is yes. Invisible tanks, planes, and armor could be in use within 5 years. Rather than the whole "bending light" theory, this tech would use cameras and a high tech display to project the surrounding environment onto the hull of the vehicle rendering it effectively invisible - similar to a chameleon blending into the surrounding.

One thing I found cool is that I use a tech like this in my draft sci-fi novel, but not for military applications. The tech is used on the roof of an flying limousine and effectively makes the roof disappear so the occupants can stare at the stars. I one-up it by adding some touch-screen tech (like an iPad). Touch a star visible and get the info on it.

With this new tech coming out, I may have to tone down the surprise or make a comment that the characters hadn't heard of the tech used on anything besides military vehicles. Something to incorporate the science facts of this tech. Regardless, it's cool to see this tech really coming about. It's one of the great things about sci-fi. Things we dream can become reality.

Keep researching for your stories to include credible tech and

Write On.

SyFy's New Show - Being Human.

2011-01-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm trying SyFy's new show, Being Human. Fortunately for me they're showing the premier twice. Otherwise, I'd have missed the first 20 minutes due to my Tae Kwon Do class.

Characters.
- Vampire: a bit cliche. Pale skin and a bit too suave. Does becoming a vampire automatically make everybody so confident. Unless I missed something, daylight didn't seem to hurt him. At least they didn't have that drawback and, thankfully, he DIDN'T sparkle.
- Werewolf: Likeable but kinda reminds me of Oz from Buffy and Henry from Sanctuary. They never seem that confident, but come off as likeable bozos.
- Ghost: Great intro, she has trouble controling herself. While it reminds me of Patrick Swayze in Ghost, I like the way they did it. Not sappy, but she was so happy that someone could see/hear her, she kept poofing out. She's got a fun attitude. So far, she seems to be the most likeable character.

Brief scene where the vampire calls the mother of the girl he killed from a pay phone made me ask myself a question. When was the last time I saw a pay phone?
Werewolf guy trying to avoid his sister was pretty good too. A little family drama that also gave some clue how long he's been a werewolf. I like his sister following him to the place where I think he's locked away to wolf out. Funny line from sister - "You're not nearly as mysterious as you think you are" and then locks herself in the room with him. Nice cliffhanger for the season opener.

Don't like that the vampire is involved with other vamps. Another cliche. Why are there always multiple vamps? I know it takes a vamp to make a vamp, but the same for werewolves. Come on. Yes, vampy's trying to get away from their kind, so to speak, but that's a bit too Angel or Forever Knight. There are obviously other ghosts and werewolves in this world but those characters don't seem to know any yet. Good.

Overall, it's not a bad start. Vampire's a bit cliche, but I think it's got promise anyway.

Should I retire on Mars?

2011-01-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

If I'm lucky, I'll be able to retire some time in the 2030s. A lot can happen in the next 20 years. From what I've read in an article on FoxNews, perhaps even a manned one-way trip to Mars. To summarize, the article references a recent article from the Journal of Cosmology that gave great details how a privately funded manned mission to Mars could take place as early as 20 years from now. More than 400 people have already volunteered as colonists.

Interesting how it specifies "privately funded." Can't trust the government? Well, let's face facts. It seems like the private sector is doing more to advance the possibilities of space travel. In my draft novel, LEGACY SOLDIER, this fits in with the backstory. One of the societies came from humanities first attempt at colonizing outside of our solar system using privately funded and developed a prototype faster-than-light propulsion. Needless to say, they have many volunteers - mostly scientists (high tech types, biologists, physicists - enough different PhDs that it could really mean Piled higher and Deeper).

Anyway, when the colonists first get to Mars, it's likely that the ship itself will be designed to serve as a colony/outpost. But that couldn't last forever. Bio-domes and other habitats will probably follow. Russian architect Alexander Remizov designed a "green ark" that resembles a giant slinky and has the capacity to house 10,000 people. While the design is most likely intended for Earth-bound use (as implied by the floating version), such a structure would be a likely necessity on a colony. That is until Arnold Schwartzenegger shows up and finds the alien machine to give Mars an atmosphere (remember Total Recall?)

Now, we also have to think about transportation. Considering the limited resources, I doubt that big SUVs will be taken along. Walking might work at first, but some type of motorized transportation would eventually become needed. Well, GM has debuted some small pod-like cars that seat two, run on two wheels, are completely electronic and can drive themselves. The Electric Networked Vehicle, or EN-V (pronounced envy) that they anticipate could be ready for the market in 2030. These small vehicles would be the perfect type of conveyance in a self-contained society. The EN-V's controller/steering "wheel" is actually rectangular. At a glance it looks like a small iPad or big iPhone. Due to the size and having no real dashboard, it would make sense to have guages and other vehicle information available on the controller.

So there you have it. Real tech mixed with some credible concepts that could lead to the first attempts at off-world colonization within out lifetime. Until then, this makes for good background information and technological support for credible writing.

Look to the stars and
Write On.

Acceptable SyFy

2011-01-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know if someone at SyFy was listening to me or not. Probably not, but I noticed this morning that SyFy is airing Merlin Marathon. Personally, that series hasn't exactly drawn me in. No surprise, I'm not big on the series, but it is at least part of the genre that built up SyFy. While the marathon will be unfortunately interrupted by WWE wrestling, immediately following that action-based sitcom will air the season premier of Merlin.

Sunday, I just found out, is TrekDay on SyFy. If they air some of the good stuff, I'll forgive them for showing Star Trek: Nemesis.

After I made my first post about SyFy vs. History Channel, I was contacted by an old friend who said that BBC also has some good stuff. SyFy is apparently checking them out also - January 17, SyFy airs Being Human. Based on a critically acclaimed BBC series, SyFy places three 20-something roommates - a ghost, vampire and werewolf - trying to keep their secrets and help each other. Sounds a little like an urban fantasy Melrose Place (the original one). I'm willing to give it a chance. I love the werewolf's line in the advertisements - "We'll have full moon parties. We'll invite the neighbors over and eat them." Funny, but I don't know if the ghost eats.

And for the retro and Bruce Lee fans, I saw a commercial that SyFy will air a Green Hornet Marathon Tuesday, January 11. That's right, the original Green Hornet and Kato will be back. It will be fun to see Kato kick some @ss.

It's nice timing. Seeing some of the greats is inspirational as I kick my own Tae Kwon Do training into a higher gear as I practice routines for my next black belt test. I've lost about 3 pounds and I tried to make my sparring in regular class more intense.

Training Day 1

2011-01-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Looks like I have another New Year Goal and something new to blog about. At my Tae Kwon Do class (can't believe the newsletter tab still has a picture from my black belt test - I'm the bald guy on the left side) last night, I went through some pre-testing drills with another black belt and some advanced red belts. So it looks like I'm going to be testing for my second degree black belt some time in February and that means that I've got to go into training mode!

Just for fun, and to keep me accountable, I'm going to include blog entries dedicated to training for this test. My first degree test was the most grueling thing I've ever gone through and this will be even tougher. The toughest parts were the three sparring sessions. Each spaced out between testing on techniques, and forms/katas. The first was just regular sparring. Nice warm-up.

The next was round-robin sparring. A group of helpers (mostly black belts) lined up and sparred me one at a time for about 30 seconds. Every 30 seconds I'd face a fresh opponent. I ended up sparring each person twice. Those taking their second degree test sparred their opponents three times. Definitely lots of cardio.

The last sparring session was multiples. I faced off against two black belts whose combined age was probably still less than mine (a 3rd and a 4th degree). Next time, I'll have to face three.

Other things are similar. Everybody works techniques and forms starting with white belt and working their way up. All black belts have to know the weapons forms. The simple one is with an escrima stick, but the more complicated (my favorite) is the bo form.

I need to take some time to polish my forms, and weapon techniques, but the most important thing to do is work on my cardio. This morning, I spent about 25 minutes warming up with a medicine ball workout and then going to the clubhouse gym for about 40 minutes on an elliptical. Since I'm working from home, I might practice some forms at lunch.

If you think it's out of place to talk about training for a martial arts test on a writer blog, don't worry. This is one of those things that I like to think goes to credible writing. Hopefully, if people see that on my book bio sections, they'll appreciate my fighting scenes that much more. Also, I have to write an essay - test of wisdom basically before the test.

So, be healthy, enjoy the new year and

Write On.

New Year Goals

2011-01-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year. Like many others, I'm setting a couple of goals for 2011. And, of course, most are related to writing.

First, I want to complete edits on Legacy Soldier and start sending it out to agents and publishers. I've sent it out to a few and did get some partial requests, but in the end they all turned to rejections (those who've replied). There are a couple other big agents I want to target, but I want one more coat of polish on the manuscript first. Keep that idea in mind. Just because you have sent off your manuscript doesn't mean you should just sit back and hope it's adequate. Take some time away and then look it over again.

Second, I've started two new stories and I want to finish one - maybe just at novella length. One is an urban sci-fi mystery story called TIA. TIA is short for Temporal Investigations Avatar. The technology allows the user to send their consciousness back in time to watch a crime. The catch is that the past isn't as linear as most thought and a person must be trained to navigate to the time and place of the crime to find key pieces of evidence and identify the criminals.

The other is an alternative Earth urban fantasy were the eastern 13 states have been taken over by werewolves. The protagonist is part of the military Border Patrol that tries to keep the werewolves from advancing. Her team is tasked with protecting a lab that might have developed a vaccine for the werewolf condition. The lab is attacked and her lover bit. With a no-tolerance policy (those infected are killed) and only one vial of the vaccine surviving the attack, she has to get the vaccine to headquarters while safeguarding her lover hoping that the vaccine will also lead to a cure before his condition is discovered and he's executed.

So wish me luck, enjoy the new year and
Write On

History vs. SyFy Channel Round 2

2010-12-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

It's 10 am on the East Coast and I have one more week off before having to go back to my regular work routine next week. So, I started doing some channel cruising. Naturally, I checked the SyFy channel and what did I see? They're running a marathon of Friday the 13th - the series. Now, I'll give them a point or two here. That is at least fantasy and my original posting on History vs SyFy, part of the basic argument was that SyFy had less sci-fi/fantasy and more of whatever garbage they could sell. Unfortunately, that series was absolutely horrible. At least in my opinion, and I don't think I was alone. After all, I don't think the series went past one season.

Now. The History Channel is showing some good stuff, especially for those who like to question the tech of science fiction and fantasy stories. Or, more importantly, those writing or trying to write fantasy and science fiction. Yes, I'm back on my credible writing kick. Well, History Channel is showing "Spider-Man Tech," then "Star Wars Tech," and then "Batman Tech." I wonder if Jack Nicholson will be watching the last one so he really can find out more about Batman's marvelous toys. Later today is scheduled a two-hour special on the Last Stand of the 300. It chronicles the third day of the incredible stand of 300 Spartans vs the Persian army. If you miss the three "tech" shows, fear not. They're being re-broadcast after the special on the 300.

So, in round 2 SyFy is coming back with some type of sci-fi/fantasy broadcast, but I think that History Channel wins again with quality shows that are more likely to keep interest. Now, I'm hoping to watch some of these History Channel specials, but I'm home with a 6-year old and I have to keep him entertained too. Fortunately, he got some cool Spider-Man and Iron Man toys for Christmas, along with some good games. I'm sure we'll have some fun with this. Yes, I'm a big kid and think the Spidey/Iron Man vehicles are cool. All guys do. Ladies, here's a secret. One reason men want to have sons is that it allows us to play with the toys too!

Anyway, these History Channel specials are pretty interesting and good for writers in progress to get some ideas to help with the credibility of their writing. If I get to take advantage of some, I'll be happy. Otherwise, I think I really need to look into a DVR. So, tune in, set your DVR, and

Write On.

Tracking Santa Has Begun

2010-12-24T04:28:00.000-08:00

NORAD's annual Santa tracking system is up and running. For those with kids, check out NORAD Santa to see where the big guy is. Make sure everybody is snug in their beds and no creatures are stirring.

Seriously, I hope everybody has a Merry Christmas. Enjoy yourselves, give thanks for what you have, pray for those who don't have enough, and when all the presents are unwrapped and the cookies are eaten, sit back and

Write On.

PS, for those who want a reminder of what Christmas is all about, nobody has ever said it better than Linus IMHO

Escalation or Twists. What Carries A Story Better?

2010-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

Most people reading my blog know that I'm involved in a blog chain through the Absolute Write Watercooler.

FWIW, this was my submission. Note, that my story has a slight twist and so do some of the other blog chain submissions. It reminded me of a discussion I'd had with friends about story format/styles. When it comes to action-oriented stories, particularly science fiction and fantasy, I've noticed most of the stories fall into two major categories. Escalation and twist.

Escalation based stories seem to start action fast and early. As the story progresses, the action drives it. While this is interesting to me early, I tend to get a little bored with them about half-way through. I've read a number of sci-fi/fantasy books that seem to fall into a generic mold. Have you read stories that do this?

Open with an unusual finding - Mysterious temple, space ship, planet, portal, hidden lab, secret government facility... Main characters enter/investigate (even though they shouldn't - like going upstairs to hide in a horror flick rather than running out the door or calling 911 on a cell phone) and are attacked by small creatures, or lightly armed guards. Small arms takes care of the immediate threat, but then the threat gets bigger - new traps requiring something different: new technology or bigger guns. Some stories give multiple concurrent scenes from different POVs - ground troops, aerial attacks, orbital combat. All going on at once and while they're tied in together, it's still a variation on the same theme. The nice thing about those is that they do give different angles on the storyline, but still follow the same formula - action intensity.

Unfortunately for me, it's like watching a comedy. I actually don't find most comedies funny. Why? Because I spend all my time looking for the joke. What makes a joke funny? Timing/execution, and surprise. There's usually no surprise in comedies. Some are amusing, but in general, I get bigger laughs from dramas where the joke comes out of left field. If I want to watch a "comedy" on TV, I'll watch pro wrestling. That's basically an action sitcom to me.

Action stories are much the same. I like anticipation. When I've read books using escalation, I've been tempted to skip whole chapters if they seem to just continue the action or increase it (more soldiers, bigger weapons, or other "bigger action"). At the very least, I sometimes read topic sentences and skip the rest of the paragraph. In the worst case scenarios, I just put the book aside.

Why don't I give specific examples of these story? Simply put, they're published and I'm not, so who am I to judge? I'm willing to bet those who read this post will have one or two of their own examples.

As for the twists, those are my favorites. These stories may not always keep up the pace of action, but tend to keep my interest better even in the slower partsYou don't know what's going to happen and can't skip whole chapters. I want to look for the surprise, the plot twist and complexity. That's what carries a story for me.

I know that I'm oversimplifying, but it seems to be the trend that I've seen.

Anyway, let me just end saying Merry Christmas and

Write On.

New Weapon Tech and Teleportation Theories

2010-12-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Despite my recent rant on Transformers 2, one cool scene was the use of the rail gun on Devastator. Well, it appears that it's not just sci-fi or a rumor. On December 10, a Navy test produced a 33 megajoule finding. To quote the article, "A single megajoule is roughly equivalent to a 1-ton car traveling at 100 mph." Remember, the rail gun does not use an explosive projectile. The destruction uses nothing but kinetic energy. The weapon is expected to be able to hit a target 100 miles away (compared to the current range of about 13 miles by current Navy guns.

So, if you're writing an urban science fiction story with a rail gun. I'm sorry, but it's no longer science fiction.

Next. For all the Star Trek, fans here's an article that has found new plausibility in teleportation/transporter theories. But rather than breaking down a subject's molecular structure, transforming it to energy and transmitting/beaming it to a location where it's reassembled, the theory follows new quantum physics theories on parallel universes. Not only do these theories bring new light on teleportation, but time travel. To be honest, it's all a bit too complex for me to really translate but I plan on keeping my eyes open for more articles like this.

Now think of the application in science fiction technology. Not only do you have a credible basis for teleportation technology, but you could bring parallel universes into it.

So, do your research and

Write On

Transformers 3 Trailer Released

2010-12-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

That's right. The third Transformers movie is comoing out July 1, 2011 and the trailer is out. This time we learn that the Apollo 11 mission found a Transformers space ship that crashed on the moon. At one point they stop transmitting to Earth and are told my mission control that their mission is a go and they have 21 minutes. As the astronauts explore the wreckage, you see dead or de-activated Transformers in the ship, but you don't know if they're Autobots or Decepticons.

The best hint is at the end when the camera zooms in on an old Transformer who looks like he has a mustache (why a robot would have a mustache is beyond me). Zoom in on his eye and it starts to glow blue. That makes me think it's an Autobot, since that was how their eyes looked (Decepticons had red eyes - maybe they need Clear Eyes).

I looked at the trailer a second time, pausing on the old Transformer. Then it hit me. I think this is Alpha Trion. Those who remember the 80s cartoon might remember Alpha Trion as Optimus Prime's mentor. But, that doesn't mean the ship is Autobot. Perhaps the ship crashed when Decepticons tried to take it over? Maybe the Autobots raided it. Anyway, we'll have to wait until July 1, 2011 until the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

I just hope it isn't the disaster that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was. I mean if you just wanted an action-packed blast-fest, it was adequately entertaining, but for story? Well...let's see.

What was the deal with the Fallen? Megatron was the leader of the Decepticons. End of story!
This weapon in the pyramid built by the Primes and the Fallen to destroy a sun. If they weren't supposed to use it on a star supporting life, why did they even build it here? There are so many stars with no life, that the premise was just ridiculous.
Only a Prime could kill the Fallen, but all the other Primes combined couldn't do it.
In the first Transformers movie, Optimus Prime and Megatron fight it out and Megatron actually beats Optimus. But in the second, Optimus not only slaps Megatron around, but he's beating two other big Decepticons also! The only reason Megatron stabbed Optimus is because Optimus stopped to look for Sam.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Now if you want another take on how the second Transformers movie should have gone, here's a link to a friend's fanfic Transformers Reboot.

Anyway, let's hope for the best and

Write On.

PIrates 4 Coming

2010-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean 4. The movie is scheduled for release on May 20. This time Captain Jack is looking for the fountain of youth and runs into Blackbeard.

Downside: No Keira Knightly or Orlando Bloom.

Upside: Penelope Cruz, , and zombies. That reminds me of an article somebody sent me months ago. It was a list of movies that would have been better with zombies. We'll see if improve this movie! I think it's more likely that the producers are trying to go to the well (or fountain in this case) one too many times.

Deleted Battle Chapter

2010-12-15T04:26:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd post this deleted chapter. I really enjoyed writing this chapter as it was going to be the first "real" battle in the book. One hope I had was that by adding an action chapter like this early, it would help excite readers. One thing that made me realize that isn't always the best approach was reading the first book in Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series. The first book, Dauntless opens with a fleet basically retreating from a battle and most of the book has them on the run. The actual battle doesn't take place until the very end, but it was still one of the best books I've read. Now, I did leave some action scenes/chapters, but removed this one for word count and the simple fact that it includes no main characters to the story. It was more of a gratuitous battle scene.

However, the battle did set the stage for the main plot to begin unfolding. My main character was working on a research project when word arrives that a "friendly" ship was destroyed stopping an enemy ship en route to Earth. This information reached the research station with orders to mobilize personnel (including the main character) to another ship and prepare for the enemy.

Again, I really enjoyed this chapter, but in order to reduce word count, I deleted it and just included a reference to it in the message sent by the

Remember, this was a first draft of the chapter, so it is probably a bit rough. Hope you like it though. It might give an idea for how I tried to set up battle scenes (wanted them to read with some credibility).

Enjoy and Write On.

Chapter X

Captain Terrance Curtis stepped onto the bridge for his watch shift on the Reliance. The destroyer-class cruiser was said to be the fastest ever constructed by Ganeshans. Despite the honor of being the commanding officer, Captain Curtis sighed at his orders.

“Investigate star system for signs of enemy presence,” summarized the orders. The details that followed did not provide any useful information.

The most advance ship in the fleet chasing sensor ghosts from other systems along possible paths, he thought. Unfortunately, he also saw the logic in the orders. Reliance possessed the speed and maneuvering agility of smaller cruisers and more firepower than any ship in its class. It was also the closest ship to the designated coordinates.

He walked to the main science station. First Officer, report.

The officer on duty nodded to him responding telepathically, Not much to report, sir. All scans of the sectors give no indication of a recent FTL conduit.

Captain Curtis’ eyes opened slightly wider. Clarify what you mean by ‘recent.’

Of course, Captain. We have picked up possible signs of FTL activity. Analysis of the system scans show minor deviations in the orbital patterns of system debris consistent with a small FTL corridor. Most likely a probe. We estimate it occurred no more than sixty days ago.

Captain Curtis pulled the scan details on his PDU. It had taken nearly two days to scan and analyze the details. He had hoped to find nothing to justify leaving, but that would not happen now.

Comm officer, prepare an FTL compod. Include the scan data, analysis, and the most likely courses based on known Ozaran territories, probable incoming and outgoing FTL conduit coordinates, and recent intelligence reports.

A young woman with short black hair turned and to the captain, Sir, the FTL conduits were in the same area. Whatever came here didn’t continue.

Captain Curtis pulled up the data on the system where the sensor ghost leading to his orders was identified. The improbable had happened. Along the projected course, there was only one logical target for the Ozarans. And they’re practically defenseless, he thought. Whatever they would send, sooner or later it would come through this system. The last system they would have to leave FTL for a final course adjustment.

He sat in the command chair and activated the ship wide comm.

“Attention all hands, this is the captain,” he began. “We have confirmed a recent enemy presence and are in the process of informing Tactical Command. We will continue to patrol this system at general alert status until reinforcements relieve us or we receive orders to leave.”

Captain, the compod is ready, Captain Curtis heard from the communication officer.

Captain Curtis knew it would take nearly thirty days for the compod to reach its destination and another thirty days to hear a reply. If reinforcements would come, it could take days longer for them to arrive, assuming there were any ships close by. Even when the first ship, or ships, arrive that would not mean Reliance would be relieved. But for at least the next sixty days, they were the only line of defense.

For twenty days, Captain Curtis kept his crew occupied, running combat readiness and emergency drills. For the last five days, the captain instituted a competition recommended by the first officer for each of the four watches. Each watch crew was given the same exercises, and the crew that displayed the best readiness won. The first officer’s watch crew won three times straight and Captain Curtis was determined to break that streak.

“This is the captain,” he boomed over the comm. “Prepare for drill zero two six. We’ll start with precision firing tests and follow with simulated targets. Remember, you’re the captain’s watch and as captain, I should not have to settle for second in anything on my ship.” He eyed the bridge crew, not needing telepathy to feel their tensions. “When we have won the next five competitions, I will personally buy each member of this watch a flask of Ozarian ale.”

Cheers erupted from the bridge. Ozarian ale was a favorite of military personnel for years even though aside from having the look of Ozaran blood, there was no other connection to alien enemy. Captain Curtis remembered the story that when the first barmaster introduced the non-alcoholic beverage, he marketed it under the idea of drinking the blood of an enemy after a victory.

Bribing the crew, Captain? The first officer mused.

A good captain knows how to motivate the crew, Captain Curtis replied. Besides, I heard you promised three days of R&R for each competition your watch wins a majority of the competitions. You know, it’s my duty to approve, or deny such requests.

The first officer smiled and walked off the bridge leaving Captain Curtis to his war game.

“Contact, port-side, twenty five degrees positive on the dorsal side,” called the tactical officer.

Captain Curtis head snapped in the direction of the tactical station. The simulation he selected started with contacts to stern. Tactical officer, confirm simulated or real contact.

“It’s real, sir. The simulation hasn’t begun yet,” the tactical officer replied. “FTL conduit forming twenty five light minutes from it.”

So whatever it is, it came through almost twenty five minutes ago, Captain Kerr thought. “Battle stations! Tactical, I want to know what we’re dealing with - size and number of vessels approaching.”

Intercept course Captain? the helmsman asked.

Captain Curtis shook his head. Hold position, helm. I want to see if they turn to us or run.

I don’t understand.

If they run before we confirm their identity, it could mean they are a smaller vessel that could identify us first. That could indicate they’ve made advancements in scanning technology. We’ll send that information on. Captain Curtis stared at the main viewer and the indicator highlighting the location of the FTL event horizon. “Comm officer, prepare an FTL compod. I want a live feed of all our transmissions, scans, and log entries sent to Tactical Command when we are within five light minutes of the incoming vessel.”

The next ten minutes passed in silence. Then the tactical officer spoke up, “I have confirmation on the enemy ship’s course. Ozaran medium cruiser is on course to through the system, zero point one five light and accelerating. Based on current course, they’ll be able to go back to FTL in ten hours. I’m projecting probable targets along their most likely FTL flight path.”

“I think we know the probable target,” Captain Curtis interrupted. He knew the Reliance could easily overtake the enemy vessel, but did not want the Ozarans to know how easily. “Set intercept course and accelerate to zero point two five light.”

We could intercept almost an hour sooner at zero point three light. The helmsman sent his question telepathically because verbally questioning a superior’s orders was considered a violation of protocol.

Captain Curtis knew everyone on the bridge had the same question, but only the helmsman deliberately shared it. He’s opportunistic, but not pushy. My kind of officer. Captain Curtis tried to keep the thought sheltered from the helmsman’s telepathic mind.

“We’ll show the Ozarans what we can do soon enough.” This was the only response Captain Curtis shared.

Seven hours passed. Ordinarily, the next watch crew would be ready to take over, but with only minutes until Reliance engaged the Ozaran vessel, the captain had ordered them to man the auxiliary stations. Reliance was the faster, but the medium cruiser possessed greater firepower.

“Tactical, I want every scan detail you’ve done on that ship linked to my PDU immediately.” The tactical officer complied without any reply. Captain Curtis went through various details. He confirmed the obvious weapon placements, seeing no blind spots to exploit.

“I want a readout of their power distribution. Setup an overlay on the main viewer with real-time scans,” Captain Curtis knew real-time was relative. The scans would have the same light-speed based time delay, but by the time they reached engagement range, the delay would be negligible.

“Two minutes until we’re in weapons range, Captain,” the tactical officer announced.

“Helm, adjust course, ten degrees positive z-axis. We’re close enough that if they drop mines I don’t want to run into them.”

“One minute until firing range.”

Color fluctuations through the Ozaran ship figure on the viewer caught the captain’s attention. He knew what it meant even before the tactical officer spoke again.

“Enemy vessel is raising shields and powering weapons,” the tactical officer said.

Captain Curtis could see from the power readings, not only did the Ozaran ship outgun Reliance, it had more powerful shields. We have to hit them first and it has to count.

“Helm, take us to zero point three light, maximum acceleration. Tactical, raise shields and ready weapons.”

“Yes sir,” both officers replied.

Seconds later the tactical officer called out, “Enemy ship is firing.”

Captain Curtis watched the tactical readout as the energy weapons and missiles passed behind Reliance, where the ship would have been had they not accelerated. He programmed coordinates into his PDU and transferred them to the tactical station. “Aft ventral thrusters, bring us perpendicular to the enemy vessel. Target all forward weapons on these coordinates and set to fire. Set helm to automatically reverse engines as soon as the first salvo of missiles launches.”

Thirty seconds later, the exchange of fire between warships began. For a long five seconds the shields on both ships flared colorfully as they disbursed energy absorbed from incoming fire. The power surges briefly distorted the display on Reliance’s main viewer.

“Damage report,” the Captain Curtis called.

“Forward shields down forty percent, FTL system damaged,” replied the crewman at the engineering station.

“Status of enemy vessel.” He could see most of the information on the main viewer, but wanted confirmation of details.

“They’re shields are weakened and a minor hull breach near a dorsal weapons emplacement. I’m also reading fluctuations in their power output,” replied the tactical officer.

Captain Curtis nodded. The power fluctuations were significant. He knew the Ozarans were trying to re-route power to firm up shields in the damaged section, but to do so would require drawing power away from other areas, leaving them more vulnerable.

“Helm, get us back into firing position for the same target. Keep us on a parallel course. Tactical, as soon as we’re in firing range, target their engines.”

“Yes sir,” replied both officers.

“Thirty seconds until weapon’s range,” the tactical officer announced.

Captain Curtis watched the enemy vessel larger on the main viewer. He gripped the armrests on his command chair as Reliance began firing. The Ozaran ship’s shields flared, disbursing the energy of the attack throughout. The view looked like a series of rainbow waves rippling through the shields. To the captain’s surprise, the light show stopped quickly. It could only mean one thing.

“Helm, evasive full starboard! Tactical drop mines!” he shouted. Sudden explosions rocked Reliance hard enough to throw Captain Curtis from his chair and to the deck. He heard commotion throughout the bridge as the crew scrambled to get back to their stations.

“Report!” he ordered.

The crewman at the engineering station was the first to reply. “Bridge computer is inoperative, Captain. We’re blind here.”

That was not a report Captain Curtis could accept. He retrieved his PDU. “Auxiliary control, this is the captain. Bridge systems are down. Report status.”

Moments later the familiar voice of the first officer replied. “Main engines down to seventy percent capacity, ventral shields down, and we have multiple hull breeches.”

“What happened?”

“The Ozaran reversed engines as we fired on them and they hit us hard as they passed below. Our automatic targeting system compensated enough to maintain eighty percent targeting efficiency.”

“What’s the status of the Ozaran vessel?”

“I’d have to say we gave as good as we got. Their dorsal shields are down and their bow shields took severe damage when they collided with a couple of mines.”

“I’ll be down there in a minute. Bring us around and protect our ventral side. Have a medical crew report to the bridge to tend to wounded.”

“Yes sir.”

Captain Curtis ran from the bridge and into an elevator, keying the command to take him to the auxiliary control deck. Two decks before reaching the destination he felt himself thrown into one of the elevator walls. We’re hit again, he thought. He quickly realized the elevator had stopped. He tried the override, but it did not respond, so he opened the control panel and pulled the emergency release lever forcing the hatch to move slightly. He continued pumping the lever until the hatch slid open enough for him to squeeze through. Lights flickered in the corridor as he went to the emergency access conduit barely ten running paces away. He slid the manually operated hatch aside and climbed into the conduit, using its ladder to climb down the last two decks. Moments later, he arrived in the auxiliary control room.

“Report,” he called as the crew turned to face him.

“We’ve both made another pass on each other,” the first officer began. “We were able to hit their unprotected dorsal section with particle cannons while keeping our ventral side protected. We’re reading more power fluctuation in the Ozaran ship. I think we’ve damaged their main power systems and they’re trying to re-route backup power.”

“They’re almost in weapon’s range, coming directly towards us,” another crewman announced.

Captain Curtis turned his attention to the viewer as the Ozaran ship closed. “Helm, full reverse for fifteen seconds, then I want full forward acceleration and starboard thrusters. Tactical, program firing solution with forward and starboard weapons.”

The crew complied with practiced efficiency. Shields lashed again and the power surges again created distortions in the viewer. Then a crewman turned to the captain and first officer. Horror covering her face as she reported, “Sir, enemy vessel has fired their port maneuvering thrusters. We’re on a collision course now!”

“Emergency evasive! Sound collision alert!” the captain shouted. He quickly realized his ship’s inertial dampeners had also sustained damage as Reliance’s helmsman complied with his orders. The captain nearly lost his footing, stumbling forward a step before regaining his balance. The emergency klaxon sounded throughout the ship as the two vessels closed.

“Put the enemy vessel on the main viewer,” the first officer ordered. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the Ozaran vessel appeared.

It was so close that the ship filled the viewer. Seconds later, both ships began firing. Captain Curtis imagined that, from the outside, the weapons fire between ships so close would look like a solid sheet of multicolored energy between them.

Again, Reliance lurched under the impact of the enemy weapons. Captain Curtis realized that, at such close range, targeting efficiency was irrelevant. There was almost no chance of missing.

Power surges overloaded most of the displays and systems in the auxiliary control room. He looked at the functioning displays at the tactical and engineering stations to see the impact points on his ship. He realized that the only reason they could survive was that as the helmsman implemented the evasive maneuver, he has also fired maneuvering thrusters to keep the most heavily shielded section of Reliance facing the Ozarans.

The firing finally stopped and Captain Curtis made his way closer to the engineering station. “Report.”

“It’s coming in slowly, sir” the engineer said. “Main computer has taken damage, all shields are down, hull fractures across…”

Another series of explosions interrupted the engineer’s report. His console exploded in front of him, leaving deep gashes and burns on the man’s face. Captain Curtis, also cut and bleeding from flying debris, checked his crewman’s pulse. He lowered his head and turned to survey the damage in the room. A support beam had broken through the ceiling and killed the first officer.

“We’re hit again, Captain,” the tactical officer yelled. “I don’t understand. We were out of range and they couldn’t have maneuvered that fast…”

“They deployed more mines and we ran directly into them,” Captain Curtis replied looking at the wreckage. If we sustained structural damage this deep in the ship, the damage must be vast.

He moved from one station to another trying to query the ship’s status and that of the Ozaran ship. When none responded, he pulled his PDU and tried to link into the ship’s main computer. It was slow, as the engineer said, but he began to retrieve some data. Reliance had suffered catastrophic failure in its defense and drive systems. The main power core was unstable. All that was still functional was minimal sensors, emergency life support, and a couple of maneuvering thrusters. Then he tried to access the sensors to determine the status of the Ozaran ship. All he could retrieve was its general location, course, and speed.

“Helmsman, I need maneuvering thrusters. Turn us seventy degrees to port.”

“Sir?”

“Just follow my orders,” Captain Curtis said. Then he went to the communication station, unsure if it worked, he tried a ship wide call. “Damage control teams, focus on engines and weapons. Emergency medical team to auxiliary control.”

Captain Curtis then turned and walked silently from the auxiliary control room. He followed the corridor to a hatch with a sign that said “OBSERVATION LOUNGE.” As he entered one of the few leisure rooms on Reliance, he sighed at the devastation. The entire outer wall was made up of three clear plexi-panels allowing crew members to relax and watch the outside. Metallic emergency panels now covered two of the panels. Furniture and other items in the room were piled up against the emergency panel and the remaining plexi-panel as a result of the explosive decompression obviously suffered in the room.

A tear came to his eyes as he moved the debris from the storage compartments built into the far wall. He finally retrieved a digital enhancing scope, typically used by crew members for stargazing. But Captain Curtis had a much closer target to view through the scope. He quickly found the Ozaran vessel and set the scope for maximum magnification. The ship had split and the two major sections were adrift and tumbling. He felt some satisfaction in the moments when the dorsal section faced Reliance showing hull breeches throughout.

“We gave better than we got,” he whispered. He stared again and then frowned as he saw a projectile launch from the aft section of the Ozaran ship just before a series of explosions, beginning with the engines engulfed the severed section. He knew immediately from the trajectory the projectile wasn’t a weapon.

He set down the scope and pulled his PDU querying the computer for the status of their FTL compod. He sighed in relief to see that it had entered FTL two minutes before the battle had begun.

Now we just have to hope that our compod reaches our reinforcements before theirs does. He knew that was not the only concern. The Ozarans, knowing their ship was destroyed would certainly send a larger force. He hoped that, even though the compod launched from Reliance did not have data on the battle that his superiors would realize Reliance was lost and send a stronger force also.

An alert klaxon sounded again, followed by a garbled automated message. “Alert, main power core overloading. Failsafe is not responding. All hands abandon ship.”

Captain Curtis did not leave the room. He knew the escape pods could only store provisions and atmosphere for a few weeks and it would be at least two months before any allied ships arrived. Any crewmembers who survived the explosion were almost certain to face slow death from starvation or oxygen deprivation.

He turned over a chair and pulled out his PDU. He queried his personal files and looked though a family album. Images of his wife and two adult daughters appeared. He had hoped to make it home in time to see his youngest daughter graduate from her medical training.

“I love you all,” he whispered continuing to change from image to image for the next seventy-two seconds. Then Reliance exploded.

Best Sky Show Tonight and How It Could Be Used In A Story

2010-12-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

All you night owls should prepare. The Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak tonight (December 13) into early tomorrow morning (December 14). One interesting thing about this annual phenomenon is that scientists really don't fully understand the source of the Geminids. The source was traces to of the a strange rocky object named 3200 Phaethon that sheds very little dusty debris — not nearly enough to explain the Geminids.

One thing that could be a cool writing tie-in (and it's probably been done before in something I haven't read) is to have alien visitors land on Earth during this shower, using the shower itself to conceall their entry into our atmosphere. Such a reference could give credibility to that part of the story.

Keep watching the stars. Dream and

Write On

Why Didn't Somebody Tell Me This About E-books

2010-12-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

I've been talking here and on multiple forums about comparisons with E-books and paper books. One thing that many have commented on is that there really isn't much money saved on e-books from best selling authors. Well last week I broke down and bought an iPad. First thing I did was download some free educational apps for my kindergarten son. Mostly math. But when he was willing to put it down, I downloaded a couple of e-reader programs (Kindle and the iPad reader).

I found something that I haven't heard anybody discussing about e-readers. To me, this is where you can save money on the best sellers. Nobody told me that you can download free parts of books. From the books I've read, it's usually the first 30+ pages. Just enough to let you know if you'll really be interested in the book. If you like it, you buy the full book obviously.

Naturally the cost saving is obvious. If you don't like the book after the first 30 pages, you've lost nothing. This also highlights the importance of hooking your reader early. A general guideline I've heard and recommend when I critique is that the first chapter of any book has two functions. Introduce the main character (or at least one) and set the direction for the plot.

Another consideration is that, from what I've heard, if you go to Barnes and Noble with a Nook, you can read any e-book there for an hour. If you go back frequently enough, you could probably read an entire book free. Stop by, get a coffee (if they have a coffee store) and read your Nook.

Keep that in mind and

Write On.

Now What?

2010-12-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Now that I've begun submitting my query letter and story to literary agents, the question is what to do now? Writer creativity cannot live on editing alone, so I need to decide on my next project.

The first, obvious, project to consider would be a sequel to Legacy Soldier: Hybrids Deployed. While this does follow my personal favorite genre - military science fiction, it also has some disadvantages. First, military science fiction is not exactly a fast-growing area. In fact, as many experts have pointed out in articles and blogs, it's on the decline. A second issue is that if the goal is to get published, should I devote my time to continuing a series when the first hasn't been published?

Fortunately, I have many voices in my head. But the problem is figuring out which has the most marketable idea. I've had online discussions about this on a few forums, and typically get the same response - just write something. To me, it's not that simple. Most of the advice I've gotten has been purely from a writer's perspective and it seemed to be about continuing the art. It doesn't matter what I write as long as I write. But the ultimate goal is to publish, right? While writing is an art form, publishing is a business.

So what are the top choices? I have an epic fantasy that I shelved for working on Legacy Soldier. The fantasy is started, but being epic fantasy, it's very complicated - world building and plot details. I might have more luck with something a bit less complicated. That and, like military sci-fi, epic fantasy doesn't seem to be a growth market for rookies.

I have two voices in my head that are probably twins. Seriously. They're "pitching" an urban fantasy and urban science fiction murder/mystery story. The fantasy protagonist is a college student who's mother is a criminal investigator/profiler. The science fiction protagonist is the profiler. Naturally the other detail is that the student has an ability that she must learn to use (been using it for years, but never understood it) helping her mother with an investigation. The profiler in the science fiction version is introduced to a new technology that she must learn to fully utilize. I don't have a name for the fantasy story, but the sci-fi version would be called TIA (an acronym, not a name). One thing to consider here is that I could open this with the hint fiction I posted from the December blog chain. It seemed well received.

The last one is, and I don't believe I came up with this one, an urban fantasy/alternate reality story that has the US in a civil war - humans vs. werewolves. The wolves have basically taken over the east coast, so I call this one Beast Coast.

That's just a few ideas. I wish I could work on them all concurrently, but my son would graduate from college by the time I finish anything! Like most people, I have a regular job to pay the bills, a family, I take and teach Tae Kwon Do, and when time allows, I write. Right now, there's so little free time with the holidays and work that I'm not likely to make much progress until February. On the bright side, Feb 18 - 20 is the TrekTrax convention here in Atlanta and I'm already signed up for the writer's workshop. Maybe I'll have a chance to field some of my concepts by the pros and get an idea of how to prioritize.

So, I'll dabble where I can and...

Write On

December Blog Chain

2010-12-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

Last month, the AW blog chain focused on drabbles (stories 100 words or less). This month the bar has been set higher. Actually lower - word count that is. Below is my submission for the December blog chain - hint fiction (25 word stories), followed by a list of all chain participants. Enjoy and

Write on.

Agent Wilson stared at the Senator’s body and then glanced at the fresh prick on his finger from zipping the hooker’s dress. Then he collapsed.

December Blog Chain Participants

Auburn Assassin http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/ and her submission

jonjon.benjamin http://jonbonbenjamin.blogspot.com/ and his submission
Yours truly
CScottMorris http://cscottmorrisbooks.com/
Proach http://desstories.blogspot.com
Aheila http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/
GradyHendrix http://www.gradyhendrix.com/
AimeeLaine http://www.aimeelaine.com/blog/
Regan Leigh http://www.reganleigh.com/
HillaryJacques http://www.hillaryjacques.blogspot.com/
Ad. http://everingoodstead.wordpress.com/
Orion_mk3 http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com/
Regypsy http://www.regypsy.wordpress .com
Dolores Haze http://dianedooley.wordpress.com/
Semmie http://semmie.wordpress.com/
ElizaFaith13 http://girlgamersunite.blogspot.com/
ania http://aniavesenny.blogspot.com/

First Partial Request

2010-12-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Last week, I started sending out e-queries to several agents I found on AgentQuery. I sent out about 10 queries based on their criteria - some just query letters, others with synopses and/or chapters.

On my way home from a short work-related trip to DC, I stopped for some Chinese takeout. My fortune cookie told me that today was a lucky day to take a gamble. By coincidence, in my email was a request from one of the agents for a synopsis and the first 50 pages. The thrill of a partial is one thing, but after a stressful trip it was unbelievable.

I actually sent 51 pages, explaining that the last page ended Chapter 3. Maybe tomorrow, I'll order a quart of the house fried rice rather than just a pint.

Wish me luck and

Write On!

Editing and Deleting 4

2010-12-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, so I thought I'd drop in another deleted scene. This was one of my original opening chapters and takes place even before the deleted prologue I shared in Editing and Deleting and Editing and Deleting 2. My main character's birth mother has just learned that she's pregnant. Problem is that she's a prostitute and a baby bulge isn't good for business. So she looks into an abortion. However, the main character actually talks her out of it.

The intent here was to show in an early chapter some of the main character's extraterrestrial abilities. His bio-dad's people are conscious in the womb and quickly develop a telepathic link with the mothers. Initially it's just instinctual, but it grows. This part is a very short section of the scene.

Hopefully, once I look through my archived chapters/deletions, I'll find a section where the birth mother (on the run) finally figures out her baby (still in first trimester) is talking to her telepathically. Needless to say she freaks out a bit.

Legacy Soldier: Deleted Scene 1

Candice entered the Hilton suite Steve had reserved and threw her bag across the room in frustration. No results until tomorrow, she thought recalling what the doctor said about her blood test. She did not blame the doctor. It was not his fault the health center did not have lab facilities to test her blood.

She took off her traveling wig, a long-blond wig she used to conceal her identity in hotel lobbies, and sunglasses. Then, she toured the suite and found a hot tub in the bathroom, just as she had hoped. Steve would probably not arrive for almost an hour, so she decided to relax in the tub before changing her clothes.

As the tub filled, Candice lit some scented candles. As she sat in the warm water, the vanilla sugar scent filled the room. Relaxing in the caressing water, she closed her eyes and thought about the possible pregnancy.

What’s to think about? There’s no way I can keep it. I have to schedule an abortion. I certainly can’t earn a living with a basketball-sized stomach. Guys into that are usually into other weird shit. Looking at her stomach and breasts, she chuckled. Of course, some would appreciate what it will do for my tits.

She reached for the phone, moved near the tub earlier, but something kept her from dialing. She knew it was the only practical decision, but she felt reluctant.

Dammit, this is no time to develop a conscious. She picked up the phone and began to dial.

“No, please.”

“Who said that?” Candice said, fumbling with the phone, almost dropping it into the water. She stood and looked around for a moment.

“Is anybody there?” she asked wrapping herself in a towel. She received no reply. “Steve, if this is a joke, it isn’t funny.” Still no reply. Candice thought for a moment and realized that she would have heard the door open and close if Steve had arrive.

Keep it together girl, she thought. She decided scheduling an abortion might just add stress that she did not need just before Steve arrived and that there was time to deal with the pregnancy later. So she dressed and watched television until Steve arrived.

At 1 pm, she heard a knock at the door, just as she finished re-staging the bathroom. She assumed it was Steve, walked to the door, and looked through the peephole to confirm his identity. At first, she was not certain it was Steve. He usually kept his hair colored medium brown, but this person had more gray. Then she remembered commenting to him that gray hair made men look more distinguished and decided he took that as a recommendation.

“Why didn’t you just let yourself in,” she asked. “The room’s in your name.”

Steve stepped through the door carrying a paper bag and lightly kissed her on the cheek as he passed her leaving the scent of freshly applied Old Spice behind. When Candice closed the door, he turned and handed her the contents of the bag.

“LeCral Winery.” she said. “You’ve been bringing this around a lot lately.”

“It’s a local winery that I invested in a few months ago. It’s operated by a man named Krandel LeCral,” Steve explained removing his brown sport coat.

The smile slowly drained from Candice’s face, “His name sounds familiar.”

“It’s not an easy name to forget. You may recall that I referred you to him for…services about a month ago.”

“That’s right. I remember him now.”

“Fondly he hopes. In fact, he was hoping to get in touch with you again. I know you prefer to communicate through email accounts that you set up, so I brought his business card. You can contact him at your convenience.”

Candice looked at the card. Steve was correct about the email, but she had only setup free email accounts to communicate with regular clients. The first time she accepted a referral from a client, it felt weird, like a guy loaning his car to a friend. After a while, she found it was the best way to find reputable clients, but discussing one client with another still felt odd.

She thought for a moment about her meeting with Krandel LeCral. He was easy on the eyes. Physically fit with just a touch of gray in his dark brown hair, but his eyes seemed to hide something. Of course they did, she thought. How many people are completely open with a prostitute, especially on their first encounter? As she thought about her sexual experience with him, she had a strange feeling. For a moment, she wondered if the feeling was nausea, but she was not sure.

“Are you all right?”

Steve’s voice regained her attention, “Yes, I’m fine. If you see him, tell him I’ll be in touch soon.” Being caught daydreaming about someone else is a great way to lose a regular client, she mentally scolded herself.

“Good,” he replied opening the wine bottle. “Your last message mentioned something special. I can’t wait.”

Candice went to the cabinet above the bar and retrieved two wine glasses. As Steve poured the wine, she slowly walked towards the bath using her more seductive gait, undressing as she progressed. As expected, Steve followed the short trail of clothing. Candice watched as his eyes moved from the dress on the bathroom floor to the tub where she had already lowered herself. He set the wine glasses down and began to unbutton his shirt when she playfully pointed with her foot, “Why don’t you light those candles first.”

New High Speed Rail Record and Technological Advancements

2010-12-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

Today a Chinese train set a new world record for the fastest unmodified passenger train with a speed of 302 miles per hour. The train ran on a high-speed line between Beijing and Shanghai. Although the train will not begin regular operations until next year, it is already being hailed as revolutionary as it will cut the 10 hour trip between the cities down to 4 hours.

Radical changes like these make science fiction writers practically salivate. Typically, we see technology change our lives a bit more incrementally. Of course, in the US we don't seem to see this technology at all, but that's besides the point.

Another point I'd like to make is how fickle techology is in its advancement. Some scientists and science fans (including science fiction fans) will look at this new record and hypothesize on what it means for the future. Remember when the iPads came out? Some quickly compared it with data devices used in shows like Star Trek (Next Generation, DS9 and Voyager to be more specific). But can these leaps also lead to unrealistic explanations?

If you've watched one of the few entertaining science fiction shows left on SyFy - Eureka, you saw the addition of James Callis to the cast last year. His character was accidentally brought to 2010 from the late 1940s. I remember one interesting quote his character had about the 21st century - "I thought there would be more flying cars by now." Speaking of flying cars, we're only 5 years away from the flying cars shown in Back To The Future II. Granted, that was a comedy, but a few decades ago, people probably did expect flying cars not only to be a reality, but a regular form of transportation.

Another example of science fiction technological timelines missed can be found right in the title of one example - Space 1999. 11 years after the moon was blown out of orbit, we still are really not significantly closer to Moon Base Alpha.

Will we get there some day? Perhaps, but keep in mind when reading and writing science fiction that, as I just said, technological advances can be fickle and unpredictable. But sometimes that's what makes them really cool. Let's face it, if we had regular and scheduled technological revolutions, I'd probably have nothing to blog about!

Have a good weekend and

Write On.

NASA Conference - Paradigm Shift in Search for Life.

2010-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

A NASA-funded study has concluded that the definition of what comprises life must be expanded. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur are the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on Earth. While carbon is most commonly known - reference to carbon-based life forms, Phosphorus is critical for the energy-carrying molecule in cells and also the phospholipids that form all cell membranes.

The research has discovered a microorganism on Earth that substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components. One reason this is so interesting is that arsenic is well know as being poisonous to most life on Earth. As such, it forces researchers to re-define what they believe constitutes life forms.

Since typically researchers searching for evidence of life have focused primarily on life that would need an Earth-type environment must now broaden their horizon. And, theortically, since these microorganisms substitute arsenic for phosphorus (given similarities between the elements), could life exist substituting one of more of the other five building blocks?

Imagine the possibilities, science fiction fans and writers. I like to say readers are becoming more advanced, so credibility in stories and world building are important. This give credibility for world building in a variety of environments poisonous to humans.

So take a moment tonight and look at the stars again.

Hope you have clear skies.

Write On.

Holiday 1

2010-12-02T03:40:00.000-08:00

To all the Jewish sci-fi/fantasy fans and writers, I just wanted to say Happy Hanukkah.

To the rest of us, 22 shopping days left until Christmas!

Hit the sales and

Write On

NASA Conference Announced

2010-12-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, December 2, NASA will hold a news conference to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.

News reports are saying that NASA is not giving many details, but that's no surprise. If they give too many details, who will need to listen to or watch the conference? The conference/announcement is scheduled for 2 pm Eastern time December 2.

The most popular theories include evidence of some type of life (beyond bacteria) existed on Mars. The only tie is the rover that's been stuck for the last ten years. While that gives plenty of time to study the soil for microscopic organisms, was the rover designed to conduct that type of long-term study? Probably not.

Some believe the announcement is more related to the quest for extraterrestrial life on Saturn's moon, Titan.

It's a pretty safe bet this won't be something that will change the world as we know it, but any evidence of the existence of life, or even the possibility is very exciting to science fiction writers. It gives us hope for credible theories to support aliens and world-building in our stories.

We'll know tomorrow.

Until then, look to the stars and

Write On.

Starfleet Fanfic Contest 2011

2010-12-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last year, Starfleet International opened a new website dedicated to Star Trek Fanfic. Recently the website has opened for submissions to the 2011 STARFLEET Short Story Contest. Those wishing to submit must be members of Starfleet International. The top entries (I believe the top 4 or 5) are published in the Starfleet Communique - official publication of SFI read by members around the world.

I believe submissions are accepted until June, but check the web site for details.

Live Long and Prosper and

Write On

History Channel vs. SyFy

2010-11-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm finding more and more intersting material on the History Channel than SyFy. I'm not just talking about the change from SciFi to SyFy either. Let's face it, the quality of shows on SyFy has been dropping and what are they replacing traditional science fiction and fantasy with? Wrestling? Okay, that's about as fictional as you get, but I'd file that more under the genre of violent sitcom than something for SyFy. Actually, if I may be blunt, I'd put it in my fictional channel called WTF.

Now let's look at the shows on the History Channel. For the sci-fi lovers there are shows like The Universe, Ancient Aliens, and one I just discovered (not on the online list) called Bad Universe (focused on scientifically plausible threats to our world, how and why - including aliens, asteroids...). Then for the fantasy fans there's MonsterQuest, Mystery Quest, and others. Besides, the series, there are a number of specials/movies produced.

Not only are these shows entertaining, but they often give some interesting facts/research information that could be useful in writing. Using the television may sound like lazy person's research, but these are good, quick references for writers to review in more detail on their own.

So tune it, watch, and

Write On

Deaths in Entertainment

2010-11-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

It's a sad day in the entertainment world. By now everyone's probably heard about the death of iconic movie funnyman Leslie Nielson.

For science fiction, particularly Star Wars, fans there is another significant loss. Irvin Kershner, director of Empire Strikes Back and James Bond movie, Never Say Never Again, died at age 87 at his home in Las Angeles. I'm sure Master Yoda would remind us at this time to rejoice for Mr. Kershner becoming one with the living force.

Water and Food in Space.

2010-11-29T06:33:00.000-08:00

Time to get back on topic. You're writing about a long trip in space or an orbital habitat. What do they eat? Where do they get their meals?  This may seem almost too easy for many, but sometimes readers (and hopefully agents/publishers) like an innovative twist on things some take for granted.

Keeping with my preference on adding credibility to science fiction writing, here's an article on space farms that some might find interesting. A few interesting points - the idea that Mars may at one time have had liquid water. Also, consider the soil on other worlds would probably have differences to Earth. To be fair, I have read stories where they address soil concerns on planets and testing water on planets, particularly in colonization scenes/stories.

The whole issue of water could be the most important element to consider. Writers create agricultural sections of ships and space stations like a space age greenhouse, hydroponics, or farm in space. You can travel with soil and provide artificial light, but you'll always need water.  How do you get more water on long space voyages? In 2009, there were news reports about astronauts drinking recycled urine, but that wouldn't be sufficient for growing crops.

I've probably said this before, but I'll say it again. I think science fiction readers are too advanced today to just accept that people living in space can lead happy lives on just protein bars, space rations, pastes and other fabricated items.  And that still wouldn't address the need for water.

So where can you get water?  We already know that planets like Mars have water. Neptune and Uranus are classified as "ice giants." Although some of the ice is ammonia and methane ice, there is water. Another source to consider - comets. Most comets are described as frozen bodies traveling in an orbit or through space. On November 4, a NASA Deep Impact craft flew within 435 miles of comet Hartley 2 braving, essentially, an outer space ice storm and sending back pictures of chunks of ice on the comet surface. I'm sure there are smarter people than I who have already thought of these, but I really don't see a lack of water discussed in literature.

In my draft novel, LEGACY SOLDIER: HYBRIDS DEPLOYED, I did touch on some of these. Humans populate Earth, Moon colonies, Mars colonies, and Orbital habitats. As a result, the other human species refer to residents of our system as EMMOs. Good thing I didn't say Lunar colonies or we'd be ELMOs. Anyway, I hint that the primary industry on Earth at that time is agriculture. Despite all the advances in ag tech, Earth is still the best place for growing crops. Maybe a legal argument about rights to the water on Earth (protagonist's adoptive father is a lawyer, so I could sneak that in without slowing the rest of the story).

And, just for fun, here's another link to the 10 Ten Space Foods. I almost laughed out loud when I saw Antimatteron the list.

Finally, another possible topic for deep space is protein. Would living in space require everybody to turn vegan? Colonies have livestock, but what about orbital habitats? I would think that, even in the future, pre-packaged meats, dehydrated meats and the like could still have an expiration date or issues with packaging. Consider exploring these and

Write On

Holiday Shopping

2010-11-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

In a blog there's really no such this as "off-topic" but since this blog is focused on writing this is a bit off of THAT topic.

I just got a piece of financial good news this weekend. Although it was no surprise, the envelope from Toyota containing the title to our minivan was a great reminder of a 4-year debt that is now gone. It is such a great feeling to go forward with the ability to put a few hundred dollars each month into something else - like savings.

The title couldn't have come at a better time. This is Thanksgiving weekend, possibly the biggest shopping weekends of the year. Financial experts like Clark Howard and Dave Ramsey strongly recommend using cash whenever possible. But if you must use a credit card, make sure you save the receipts, not just for returns, but to keep track of what you're spending.

Remember, when you get those credit card statements next month. You don't want to replace the traditional 3-word phrases meant for the season like "I love you," and "Merry Christmas all" with "WHAT THE F***!"

And when you get a little break from shopping,

Write On.

Shopping for E-Book Readers

2010-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

I picked up the paper today. I usually don't but I was curious about the Black Friday ads in the Thanksgiving Day paper. If you really want my opinion, I'd call it Gray Friday since more stores aren't waiting for Friday. Some already began some sales. Wal-Mart started doorbuster sales Thanksgiving night at 10 pm. But that's not the point.

If I was going to hazard a guess, I'd have to say that retailers are looking at E-book readers as one of the big sellers this year since e-book readers were probably the most common thing on the front of the ads. Examples? Kohls selling Literati for $99, Best Buy selling Nooks for $99, CVS Pharmacy had an e-book reader for $98.88. Radio Shack had a PanDigital e-book reader for $149.99. There were more, but these were just some examples on the first pages of some of the ads.

One of the other things that surprised me is the number of different e-book readers on the market. While the Amazon Kindle is the best known, followed by the Barnes & Noble Nook, and Apple iPad. There are quite a few others. Just for a little perspective, I conducted a quick Internet search on e-book readers and found an article on C/Net rating 75 different models. Of course there were many variations of the same brand. It basically came down to the following list of 19.

Astak EZ Reader

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble Nook

Sony Reader

Entourage Edge

Apple iPad

Alex eReader

Kobo eReader

Pandigital Novel

Cool-er e-book

Sony PRS-500 Portable Reader System

Franklin eBookman

RCA REB1100 eBook

Augen

Aluratek LIBRE

The Sharper Image Literati Digital Reader

ViewSonic VEB620

Ectaco jetBook

entourage eDGe

For additional research, I also found some information on Wikipedia comparing, but not rating e-book readers. It does provide information based on features.

Enjoy your leftovers and

Write On

Thanksgiving Drabble

2010-11-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

Just another drabble for fun. Hope everybody has a Happy Thanksgiving

Mike: It’s not fair.

Steve: What?

Mike: Why do I have to be eaten?

Steve: You’re a turkey and it’s Thanksgiving. It sucks but what can you do?

Mike: That’s all you have to say?

Steve: Turkeys are symbolic for Thanksgiving dinner.

Mike: So? Rabbits are symbolic for Easter and people don’t kill them to celebrate!

Steve: That’s different. The Easter bunny brings colorful eggs to children.

Mike: You want eggs? Turkeys are birds! We can do eggs.

Steve: Filled with chocolate and candies?

Mike: Bite me, dog.

Steve [smiling]: I will, after you’re stuffed and cooked, preferably deep fried.

Lessons From Hint Fiction

2010-11-24T04:29:00.000-08:00

In a recent thread on the Absolute Write Watercooler, one of the posters mentioned using hint fiction for a December blog chain. I'd never heard of hint fiction, so I tried the link provided in the thread. The first thing I noticed is a six-word story attributed to Ernest Hemingway, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

First, ask yourself what comes to mind? Beyond what the story is supposed to imply, what does this mean for writers? To me, this seems like a good example of showing vs. telling. It doesn't give all the details, but it provides a visual and direction with which a reader can draw a conclusion. Now place something like that in a larger story and a more specific explanation becomes more clear.

Recently, I've seen some debate over the "show vs. tell" debate, and I have to agree that sometimes it's just more practical to tell. I don't think I've read anything that shows everything, but if you get a lot of feedback recommending you're telling and not showing enough, try using some hint fiction as an exercise.

Second, word count. Setting a target early in the novel isn't bad, but that has to be flexible. In the example from the article, those six words say so much. It's a good example that writers should focus just writing the story. Make it as long or as short as it needs to be to tell the entire story - no longer or shorter.

I've talked to other writers who discuss and post about how they've only got 70,000 words but they "need" 80,000 or 90,000 to get published. Let's put this in perspective. What is most likely to happen when you add 10,000 - 20,000 words just for word count. That's a 15% - 30% increase. Adding that much just to meet a word count is likely to result in a watered down story.

Most writers I've spoken with say their early drafts are longer than the finished product, and they end up actually reducing in the edits. If a story starts with a low word count, that just might be the way it's meant to be. Remember what Michelangelo said about creating David. "It is easy. I just chiseled away what was not needed--and there was the statue!"

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest the author has a better chance of getting published with 70,000 quality words than forcing his/her way up to a specific level to meet a word target and risk sacrificing quality.

Publishing E-book Advantage and an Interesting Twist

2010-11-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

As a writer-in-progress, I find it helpful to network, in person and online, with other writers (published and unpublished). We've shared critiques, celebrated new sales, and given each other (well, they've given me) valuable information about the publishing industry.

One thing I've leared is that a big obstacle for new writers isn't getting published, it's getting sales numbers. Don't get me wrong, getting published is no easy task, but the more I see and hear, if you don't get in with one of the big publishers, you will find sales more difficult. Why? Price. Books published through smaller presses have a higher cost per unit than large publishers who can print and distribute in greater volume for a much lower per-unit cost. And that, of course, translates into lower prices to the consumer.

Let's face facts. All things being equal, would you pay $10 or more for one paperback when you can get another for about $8? How about $25+ for a hard cover when you can find another book in the same genre for about $20 or less?

Enter the great equalizer - E-books. Here is the one place where it seems like the little guy can beat the big presses on price. For example. I did a quick look at ebooks on Amazon and found books like John Scalzi's Zoe's Tale (a book definitely on my favorites list) for $7.99 Kindle and paperback. Another favorite, Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series - Book 6 is $7.99 paperback and $6.99 Kindle. However, I've talked to writers who went through small presses and are selling E-books for $4 or 5. Some even less, just to get their sales numbers up. They probably don't make much money at those prices, but it's a good strategy to start developing a fan base.

Some will probably say that just using Kindle comparisons is not giving the whole story. That's probably true, but from what I've seen most big presses aren't giving much discount, so it opens more doors for the little guys.

Interestingly today, I learned that Harper Collins has discontinued their e-book store. There seems to be no explanation why, but it definitely brings up questions about why. Personally, I don't take this as a negative sign on E-books. They're still growing in popularity and as more e-readers come out, more E-books will be sold.

Good luck and
Write On

Editing and Deleting 3

2010-11-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

As I've already mentioned, sometimes a writer has to delete a section either because of a need to reduce word count or because it slowed the story/plot. In some ways, the sections I'm going to post did a little of both. My novel takes place several centuries in the future. The main character is human, but one if his parents is from another world - a descendant of human colonists who left Earth centuries earlier, but ended up lost. They eventually found a habitable world to colonize and called it Ganesha after the Hindu God of Success/Overcoming Obstacles.

I thought some readers might like a little on how their journey went, so I tested some early chapters with log entries from the colony ship. The first entries were from the commanding officer, but I planned to add more from other colonists. While my beta readers liked the idea, they said that it was a little distracting, so I removed the log entries. Here are a couple of examples.

Chapter 1 Log Entry:

“Prometheus log, September 19, 2104. As of 0717 hours ship time, we crossed the event horizon and into the FTL conduit, becoming the first Earth colony ship to travel faster than light. The transition was rougher than expected. For a few seconds, it felt like every inch of my body was being pulled apart. I spent the last hour listening to several colonists’ theories of how and why. That’s what happens with a ship full of geniuses.”

“There were some injuries reported by colonists, mostly bloody noses, headaches, and nausea. Nothing the medical team couldn’t handle. Despite that, everyone seems upbeat. Initial projections show we should pass Pluto’s orbit and officially leave our solar system within two hours. Captain Matthew Morris, commanding officer.”

Chapter 2 Log Entry:

“Prometheus log, December 24, 2104. After almost fourteen consecutive weeks in the FTL corridor, we finally emerged, but not where we expected. Our navigator confirmed that somehow we ended up several thousand light years off course. One of the physicists on board believes there may be an serious flaw in the design of the navigation system. I have asked him to keep his theories to himself until we can run some diagnostics. We are going to run a series of diagnostics on the system before we re-enter FTL.

“This system has no planets capable of sustaining life, so we can’t even try to replenish any supplies. We discussed stricter rationing of food and water as a precaution, but tomorrow is Christmas and I still plan to allow holiday parties for those who wish to participate. Captain Matthew Morris, commanding officer.”

Chapter 3 Log Entry:

“Prometheus log, December 31, 2104. We re-entered the FTL corridor at 0900 hours, ship time. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that transition. With all the bickering going on between the crew and colony scientists about what went wrong, it’s a miracle I didn’t have to call security to separate them. As much as I respect and appreciate the colonists’ input, their expertise is still theoretical. This ship is a working machine even if it is a prototype. Hopefully the worst is behind us though. Best estimates place our new arrival time at three months from now. Hopefully it will be springtime at our new home.”

“Captain Matthew Morris, Commanding Officer.”

Feel free to express your opinions and

Write On

Faster Than Light Travel

2010-11-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

Editing, editing, and more editing. It's more than just reading what you write down. Sometimes it's double-checking facts and theories for plausibility. I don't think this is the first time I've said this (and it won't be the last), but IMHO, modern science fiction readers are becoming more advanced in that they won't just "accept" space-age and futuristic tech that isn't at least grounded in current theories.

One of the key technologies I had to research for my work-in-progress novel is faster-than-light travel, or FTL. There are several theories, but it seems they all have a common theme - that you really don't "move" faster than light. Physicists refer back to Einstein's theories that to physicially move an object faster than light would require unlimited energy. So the most accepted theories FTL have to change the playing field for propulsion, but what I don't hear as much about is theories behind navigation. I don't think we're ready to explain that.

One of the most widely recognized FTL terms comes from my favorite - Star Trek. I'm talking of course about warp drive. But how does it work? Warp drive does just what it sounds like. It contracts space in front of the ship, effectivley reducing the relative distance the ship must travel, while expanding space behind the ship. The ship, sitting inside of a warp bubble basically rides the warp like surfing a wave. I find it interesting that many articles use the surfing analogy. While the aforementioned Star Trek is all but given credit for creating the idea of warp drive, credit for a currently scientific theory related to that technology goes to Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre. His 1994 theories about warping space is best known as the Alcubierre metric. The Alcubierre drive has been gaining popularity as scientifically plausible methods of FTL in science fiction.

Physicists like Gerald Cleaver and Richard Obousy have been researching string theory, which considers 10 spacial dimensions and that a warp field could exist by manipulating one of the six unidentifiable dimensions. However, this way around Einstein's theory has the same pitfall. The energy needed. However, Cleaver and Obousy have theorized the possibility of manipulating.dark matter in the warping process.

That brings up the next theory - worm holes or artificial black holes. Black holes have been used in literature and science fiction for decades, and

When I first read an article that CERN officials admitted that the Large Hadron Collider was shut down when a microscopic black hole was created during an experiment, I looked at the date and wondered if it was an April Fool's joke. Guess not. While some in the scientific community probably found this frightening, theoretical physicists and science fiction fans probably looked at this as excellent new in that it could be considered one step closer to FTL technology. That's great, as long as we don't get sucked into oblivion as a result of these experiments.

While all of these theories focus on the potential for "propulsion" very little is really discussed about navigation. If we were to create FTL technology, the obvious first step would be to use unmanned vessels. Send them out, say a couple of hours or days and then wait for hours or days to receive telemetry. But with the nearest stars light years away, this would be the equivalent of using a sailboat across the Mississippi river to guage a person's ability to navigate that ship design across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and back (many, many times).

In my draft novel, I do touch on this idea that testing the navigation could be as big a problem as creating FTL technology. I use an idea that humans try colonizing outside of the solar system with a prototype FTL, but the navigational theories for long journeys are flawed. As a result, the colony ships aren't heard from until centuries later when descendants of one colony ship return to Earth discretely looking for help. And, for what it's worth, I use the particle collision/artificial black hole theory in my FTL tech.

For anyone researching that prefers more visual stimuli than reading article after article, I'd recommend looking for DVDs or replays of the fourth season of History Channel's series: The Universe. Episodes in that season included very insightful and entertaining discussions on Space Wars and Light Speed.

If you catch reruns. You know what to do during the commercials.

Write On.

Antimatter Captured.

2010-11-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

This was a cool article. Scientists have created and captured antimatter. It's not necessarily the creation, but the capture and manipulation that's so revolutionary. According to the article, the first antimatter was actually created in 1955 by University of California, Berkeley physicists Emilio Segre and Owen Chamberlain. They created antiprotons in an atom smasher.

In this study, physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva not only created antiprotons, but used them to form antihydrogen for about 1/6th of a second.

This type of research brings up questions about how antimatter could be used. In Star Trek, starships used antimatter as an energy source, primarily for the warp drive and for weapons (photon torpedoes). Although with current technology scientists probably couldn't create enough antimatter to launch anything much bigger than a bottle rocket (if that big), as research progresses they might find more efficient/effective ways to create antimatter.

In the meantime, it gives more scientific credibility to the use of anitmatter in science fiction writing and fuel dreams that we might see some type of practical application in our lifetime.

Until that happens,

Write On.

AW Blog Chain Drabble: Into the Light

2010-11-16T01:59:00.000-08:00

For NaNoWriMo month, members of the Absolute Write Watercooler decided to put together drabbles as part of the monthly blog chain. My drabble is below and all links in the chain will follow it.

Into the Light

A light pierced the darkness that had held him. It was too bright, but he couldn’t turn away as it called to him. Then came the voices, muffled at first, but slowly becoming clearer and louder. He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but knew they were calling him. That it was his time.

Despite the comfort he’d felt in his life, he knew that was over. It was time to surrender himself to those guiding him into the next life.

“Congratulations Mrs. Sanders. It’s a boy,” the doctor said as he placed the newborn baby in his mother’s arms.

For other blog chain submissions, see the following:

Bettedra direct link to post.
FreshHell direct link to post
CScottMorris direct link to post
AuburnAssassin direct link to post
Aheila direct link to post
Bibbo direct link to post Hilaryjacques direct link to post.
Orion_mk3 direct link to post
Proach direct link to post
jonbon.benjamin direct link to post
You Are Here
Madelein.Erwein http://madeleineirwen.blogspot.com/
PASeasholtz http://paseasholtz.com/

Star Trek Drabble

2010-11-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

I was in a Trekkie mood, so I tossed together this drabble - exactly 100 words.

“Are you two still arguing about that damned test?” McCoy asked entering the conference room while Kirk and Spock spoke.

“I would hardly call it arguing, Doctor,” Spock replied in almost monotone. “I was reminding the captain that the purpose of the Kobyashi Maru scenario to test a commander’s character in dealing with the fear involved in a no-win scenario.”

“Spock, you aren’t qualified for that.” McCoy countered. “How can somebody with the emotional capacity of a tricorder be qualified to design a test to evaluate a person’s fear?”

“Why thank you, Doctor.”

McCoy shook his head. “I give up.”

Preparing for the Shopping Season

2010-11-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

By now almost everybody's seen/heard how some stores started their Black Friday shopping early. Walmart and Sears will even be open Thanksgiving Day. Well, ladies and gentlemen, in preparation for shopping season, I thought I'd just share this picture sent by a friend. Here's someone who know how to market to target customers.

TrekTrax Writing and Klingon Weapons

2010-11-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

The first annual TrekTrax, Star Trek Convention in Atlanta is over President's Day weekend. For details, you can go to the web site at http://www.trektrax.org/. I registered over a month ago.

Aside from the main TV/movie guests, including Tim Russ (Tuvok), Barbara March (Lursa), and Gwynyth Walsh (Be'tor), there are several Star Trek authors attending. Even better is that one of them, Ms. Diana Botsford, will be running a writing workshop where she will provide a critique of a one-page summary submitted. Well, I'm not waiting. I put together a one-page synopsis of LEGACY SOLDIER: HYBRIDS DEPLOYED and emailed it today.

Aside from that, I'm talking to some local Klingons to see if I can borrow some Klingon weapons - Bat'leth and Mek'leth. If I have enough time, I plan to try to adapt my Tae Kwon Do school's bo and sword forms to the Bat'leth and Mek'leth respectively. Maybe I'll even try to put on a weapons demo.

If I do that, I've got about 3 months to borrow the weapons, practice, get a Klingon costume, and

Write On.

Training With Martial Arts Weapons

2010-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

I just got back from my Tae Kwon Do class and it was the most fun I've had in some time. I can sum it up in two words. WEAPONS CLASS!

In my Tae Kwon Do class, we use two main weapons up to Black Belt. First is the escrima stick. It's basically just that, a stick. Easy to hold and strike with. The other is the bo or staff (depending on what you want to call it. The bo is typically about as tall as the user. I'm about 6' and I have a 5'6" bo and a 6' bo. I like the slightly shorter one.

Many of the teen/adult students are also part of the school's demo team. They had a demo scheduled, so the class was a little smaller than usual. But that was a good thing because we got in MORE practice with weapons, including an opportunity to spar with weapons.

Like practicing in any other aspect of martial arts, sparring with weapons is very different than practicing the fundamental techniques. The three people I sparred with escrima and bo focussed too much on "textbook" techniques and didn't consider a comprehensive strategy. Their strikes became pretty predictable as a result. For example, rather than trying to strike with my weapon, I simply used it to push my opponent's weapon hand aside and then hit with a regular punch or kick. I did a little of the same with the bo, trying to shove the other bo aside to create an opening so I could strike.

What does all of this have to do with writing though? More than you might think. For one thing, if you have your character go through weapon training, particular close-in combat, don't make the transition too easy. Have them acknowledge the difference between form and fighting. For other weapons, make sure they notice the difference between training in a controlled environment and actual combat.

I'd also say that modern science fiction readers are much pickier about details with technology and combat. Readers aren't as willing to simply accept techonologies that blatantly ignore the laws of physics. Same with weapons and combat. Writers need to include some credibility in their tech and fighting. Researching some technical theories is much easier today thanks to the Internet, but fighting tactics aren't quite as easy. I suggest that if you don't have training that you should let somebody more knowledgable read your fight scenes for credibility. I've critiqued some scenes in critique groups that bent body parts on completly unbelievable angles before moving to the next move.

Another idea is to just try to act out the combat scene. Anything to visualize what you do and then write it down.

Time for me to hit the showers and...

Write On.

Iron Man Mark 1/2 Armor

2010-11-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

That's right, defense contractor Raytheon Sarcos in Salt Lake City has demonstrated, what could best be described as a prototype exo-skeleton. In the video, the "pilot" performs a few feats of strength. Punching through 3 inches of pine and doing pushups with heavy weight on the pilot's back (not including the weight of the skeleton.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/11/11/iron.man.suit/index.html

A hightlight in the article, which probably explains the suit's more practical use, is that it gives its pilot 17 times more strength and could be used to lift heavy supplies. I'd say that puts it more in line with Ripley's power loader from Aliens

Now, here's the real surprise. The estimated cost will be only $150K. I think Tony Stark paid a bit more for his.

Flying Car

2010-11-12T03:28:00.000-08:00

My first thought when I noticed this article about a missionary building a flying car was, I know people conduct missionary work to get closer to God, but not like this.

Apparently this it the real thing. As a car, it looks a bit more like an off-road vehicle with a 200+ horsepower engine. I'm no expert, but it looks like it has a parasail on it. Once deployed this vehicle can cruise as 40mph in the air.

Check the video

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2010/10/27/am.bolduan.flying.car.cnn?iref=allsearch

Politics as Usual

2010-11-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

I don't think I should have to post a link for this given it's being discussed by every major (and probably most minor) news sources that President Obama's considering a compromise to extend tax cuts President Bush gave to those making more than $250K/year.

Let me make one thing clear. I'm not going to speak for or against the decision. If I'm going to post something political, I'm going to try and focus on key facts. Here are some.

No surprise, Democratic activists aren't happy. But the gains sent by the Republicans sent a clear message to President Obama that the people (at least those who voted) aren't satisfied.

One thing to consider is that regardless of which party the President comes from, while in office, he/she is the president that both (or all) parties must answer to. On the other side of that coin, the President must listen to the wants and wills of all parties. If that means compromising, that's just what he's got to do. Even if he and his core followers want.

Only time (and the next election) will tell if it's the right decision.

What do you think?

Optical Illusion?

2010-11-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry believers, but the a defense expert is insisting that the mysterious plume in CA was just an airplane contrail and that it was actually heading towards the camera. The appearance of it going up was just an optical illusion.

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-09/us/california.contrails_1_contrail-rocket-california-coast?_s=PM:US

That wouldn't be a big surprise, but there are probably still people who believe that's not the whole story.

What do you think?

Share and Write On.

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

If you get a chance today, stop for a moment and give thanks to those who have served or are serving at home and abroad.

For those serving abroad, hoping for their safe return.

Thank You and Write On

Choose Your Weapon

2010-11-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

One of the fun things about science fiction and fantasy is the action and battle scenes. So I wanted to take some time to talk about weapons. Not big "weapon systems" like you'd find on starships or vehicles. Let's get down in the trenches with hand-held weaponry. What do you like to see/read about?

Lasers have probably been in science fiction about as long as we've had science fiction. Yes, as a child, I sometimes played with a flashlight like it was a laser, so there.

For those who don't like the sometimes unlimited "ammunition" of lasers, you have a variety of projectile weapons modeled from handguns, rifles, machine guns. All requiring convenient and realistic needs to be reloaded (unless the character firing is Rambo).

Then there are the weapons used in various ways both in fantasy and science fiction.
Let's start with the sword. This is possibly the most popular weapon - even moreso than the laser. And to be honest, I'm over swords. If they've got any killing power, they're big, bulky, and heavy. Definitely not discrete, so there's little surprise if/when somebody draws one.

Even a perfectly balanced sword isn't balanced at the handle, so the weilder's going to get tired swinging that thing around. I know because in my Tae Kwon Do class, I practice with a demostration version of a Chinese broad sword. Going through a sword form/kata a few times always leave my arm/wrist tired and sore.

I will say that the coolest examples/demos I've seen with swords was done on Spike TV's show The Deadliest Warrior. Watching the carnage on gel torsos, pig carcasses, and the guy using a claymore sword (like William Wallace used) to slice 3 heads off neckbones with one swing was pretty cool. However, my favorite sword was the twin hooks sword used by Shaolin Monks. Hook-shaped swords with crescent bladed handles and even a short blade/spike at the opposite end. They could not only disarm an opponent, but hooked together could create a 12 foot (4 meter) diameter killing zone. Very cool.

While Star Wars made light sabers/laser swords more popular than ever in movies, I don't think that really helps literature. It seems that most sci-fi readers like more plausibility in their tech and there isn't even a theoretical way to make light stop at a pre-determined distance, much less clash with another like a solid object.

One of my favorite science fiction swords would have to go to the Klingons for the Bat'leth. Crescent shaped, two handled sword give better balance and better defensibility than straight handled swords.

Enough about swords. Let's move on to other weapons. We can definitely be thankful to the different forms of martial arts that helped to give us a variety of killing and battling instruments. One popular weapon, also in science fiction/fantasy, is the bo/staff. Darth Maul's light saber was really a light staff (until Obi Wan cut it in two). Two edges of fighting power that may not be as obviously deadly as a sword in the real world, but should never be underestimated. In the sci-fi universe though a bo can be just as deadly as a sword as Qui Gong Gin learned in Star Wars Episode I.

Whips. Anybody see Iron Man 2? Read the comic? Enough said I guess. If Whiplash wins the prize for coolest science fiction whip, I'd give an honorable mention to the Ferengi when they were introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Weapon of choice? Energy-firing whips, but I'll bet they would also pack a mean slap close-in also. Unfortunately, the Ferengi whips were seldom shown, preferring instead to go to the typical hand phasers. Oh well, innovations don't always last.

It seems like size does matter in weapons. I'd say the most common shorter weapon is a dagger. They're used ceremonially and as easily concealed sidearms. But what about other weapons? Kamas are short-handled weapons with a half-crescent shaped blade at one end. Like other martial arts weapons, the kamas weren't originally made as weapons (as I understand at least). They were farm instruments. But, there portability and killing potential made them excellent weapons. Since in science fiction, most farming would probably be done mechanically (except in some post-apocalyptic stories), kamas may not have much use/visibility, but I'm surprised I don't read more about them in fantasy.

Since this post is getting longer than I really intended, let me skip to my personal favorite for weapons. The tonfa. Police nightsticks were based on the tonfa. The best explanation I've gotten for the origination of the tonfa was that it was a removeable handle for millstones. I was introduced to the tonfa in an early martial arts class. What I like about tonfas is their felxibility in combat. The long part of the shaft should extend just longer than the wielder's elbow, protecting the entire forearm. The other end extends several inches past the hand. This makes the tonfa excellent for blocking and striking. The short end extends the weilder's punch and the perpendicular handle allows the long shaft to be swung around for more striking. Even the handle can be a weapon. It's wider than the hand and can injure or kill with a ridge hand to an opponent's temple.

The style was Shorin-Ryu and the first weapon we used was the tonfa. In some ways, once you learn basic blocks and punches/strikes, you're ready to try basic tonfa tactics. It strengthens basic blocks and adds range/power to a variety of strikes. A couple of cool tonfa weapons I've seen in sci-fi/fantasy? One of the coolest was the zombie guy from the first Hellboy movie. He actually used a tonfa-sword, but I give points for getting away from the conventional sword shaped. Honorable mention goes to one Star Wars book. Sorry I didn't read it and don't know the title, but on the cover were two Jedi. One had a tonfa-style light sabre. How the Jedi used that without burning her own arm off with the blade is beyond me, but kudos for the innovation.

In my draft novel, LEGACY SOLDIER: HYBRIDS RELEASED, I created a sidearm for the heros based on the tonfa. I call it the Tonfa Blaster, or TB for short. The long end is charged for close-in combat. The shaft is also pressure sensitive. The harder the wielder hits, the more energy is discharged. While the handle "grounds" the user, an adversary had better avoid contact. Soft contact will stun, but a hard blow will remove body parts. I'd say this weapon has plausibility and it gives me an answer for readers who'd like something that could approximate a light-sabre type duel.

Swing around and the short end is the firing side. With a trigger on the handle, the weapon could fire energy or plasma blasts at an enemy. There may be some plausibility issues here, but there are some "givens" in science fiction that are still pretty well acceptable.

Got a favorite weapon in literature? Share it.

Until then. Write On.

Good tool for self-editing

2010-11-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Write, re-write. Read and re-write it again. How often to writers hear that advice? But here's one problem. Since the writer knows what the entire novel's supposed to say, he/she can't always see some of the shortcomings. One way to get around this is don't look at the book, listen to it. There are a number of text-to-speech programs a writer can use.

I've used a free downloadable version of Ultra Hal (from Zabaware). Yes, it sounds like a B or C rated superhero, but it's actually been helpful in finding things that just didn't sound right when I'm not looking at the screen. It's definitely a useful tool for self-editing.

Good luck and Write On.

Weird Drabble

2010-11-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of Nano month, I'm participating in a blogging chain with others in the Absolute Write Watercooler. Each of us will include a short-short (drabble). I developed one for when my turn comes, but also came up with the following. Think of it as making fun of all those chosen one quest stories. You can turn almost anything into one of those.

He prepared me to near perfection. Brought resources and devoted his time. Some would say I should have been grateful, but that wasn’t my way. I waited for my time. When it came, he sent me on my journey.

It was difficult. I felt torn apart as I descended into darkness. The sounds of the world disappeared and I began my mission. My strength flowed from me and into the darkness, re-energizing the life around me. Then I felt myself transforming for the final part of my journey.

And when it was over and I left the darkness. He flushed.

"*ly" Like A Rug

2010-11-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago, I attended a writer training at work to improve our formal report writing processes. Lucky for me the instructor was a former science fiction writer. Of all the things he said, one stuck out more than anything. It was a comment about unnecessary/vague modifiers. In particular, the word "very." How often do you say something's "very fast?" How about someone you know is "very smart?" It seems all right in casual conversation, but in literature it's just taking up page space without adding "very" much. In fact, the instructor recommended that we should just replace every "very" with "damn." So now, something's "damn fast" and that person you know is "damn smart."

It seems the same can be said for lots of adverbs. "

Not long ago, thanks to the critters.org RFDR process, I received a finalized critique of my draft novel, Legacy Soldier: Hybrids Deployed (working title). One thing stuck with me. Or should I say one word - "slightly."

I wanted to include some descriptor/modifying to add something not realizing I wound up grossly overusing the adverb. Thank goodness for Word's Find/Replace feature. It only took a few minutes to go through and locate every "slightly" to eiter delete as unecessary or revise the sentence to better convey what I wanted it to say. In most cases, the delete button came in very handy.

Monday, I started looking at feedback from another volunteer critiquer and I couldn't believe it, but he found another pesky adverb in Chapter 1 - "quickly." How often do we do things quickly? In my draft, quite a bit actually. Needless to say, I pulled up my faithful friend Find/Replace and began to wear down my Delete key even more.

What's the result? No loss of real content and, hopefully, something that flows a little smoother. But that's for an agent and publisher to decide. In the meantime, I'm going to hunt for some more unnecessary adverbs.

Editing and Deleting Part 2

2010-11-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

Below, I'm including the rest of the deleted prologue. A key point in the prologue was to highlight the fact that the baby was conscious and able to communicate with his mother telepathically while still in the womb.

Keep in mind that I refer to the main character as "the baby" because he hasn't been named yet. I had originally started with a name his birth mother intended for him, but deleted that reference because some thought it was too confusing.

How much longer do I have to stay here? The baby thought lying in his clear, plastic hospital bed, which was more like a box with no lid. The bright lights, noises, and cold air no longer bothered him, but he deeply missed his mother’s presence. Her voice and thoughts comforted him. Now he felt disconnected from everything – completely alone.

He recalled memories his mother had unknowingly shared over the past months. After she decided to keep him, she looked at different formulas promising herself, nobody’s ever going to bite down on my tits again. As their ability to communicate progressed and their bond formed, she began to reconsider nursing him. He had wondered what it would be like to taste. Unfortunately, some of the women caring for him did not really feed him. They simply hooked the bottle to a small machine that forced the formula through a tube running into his nose and down his throat - a very uncomfortable experience. Fortunately, some of the hospital employees showed him more compassion. They sat with him, fed him, and one or two even sang to him. He listened to their songs of sorrow over his recent loss.

“Poor thing,” one said picking him up for an evening feeding. “All of the others have parents come to see them while they’re here. Someone to say they’re loved, but not you. Well, as long as you’re here, I’ll be your friend.” Her voice was soft and soothing and she had a tone that reminded him of his mother. Despite the affection she showed, the baby refused to cooperate. He did not trust this woman. The only person he trusted was his mother, but he had lost her.

He needed desperately to communicate with someone, but he had not learned how to use his body for anything more than sucking from a bottle and other bodily functions. The latter were still automatic, unfortunately. Listening to the words of others without their thoughts was no way to build trust in Trevor’s opinion. He missed his mother and the comfort of her womb where such foreign and uncomfortable actions were not necessary.

Why can’t I hear others? Why can’t they hear me? He thought, referring to the mental communication he shared with his mother, and then he remembered what his mother said before they were separated. She did not know if their telepathic bond would remain. The child believed that they would, not only because of their bond, but because he heard one of her attackers, so he knew he could hear thoughts other than his mother’s. For a moment, he touched another mind. Now he needed to know how he did it.

If I can control that, People can’t hurt me like they hurt Mommy. He remembered things his mother said and thought. She was always afraid others would come for her. He did not know which scared her more, fear for her own life, or fear for the baby – fear for him.

Those fears came from memories of his birth father. Through his mother’s eyes, he had seen the man point a weapon at her. He felt her fear and he relived it in her nightmares. He hated the man for the pain and fear his mother went through. He promised himself never to consider that man his father.

He did not know how long he had been in the NICU when he received a new visitor. An older woman approached and picked him up. The brown-haired woman holding him had grey lines in her hair and wore a medium-length skirt and blouse that told the child she was not a doctor or nurse. So who was she? He continued struggling.

“Well, aren’t you just beautiful,” she said to him before turning to another woman wearing medical scrubs and a long white coat. “When do you expect to discharge the baby, doctor?”

“Hopefully in a couple of days,” the doctor replied. “He was born slightly premature under traumatic conditions. At first, he seemed to have difficulties eating. We have to make certain he can take in enough nourishment on his own before discharging him.”

“Are there any long-term problems I should know about?” the woman asked. “I have a couple ready to adopt him already lined up, but they will need to know about any health risks.”

“All things considered, he’s in good health,” the doctor said. “He seems very aware of his surroundings and curious. Some of the nurses have said he watches them and tries to make eye contact more than other infants.”

Well at least they notice I’m paying attention, he thought. However, “curious” would not have been the term he used. He was suspicious of anybody who interacted with him. Why not? I’ve got no reason to trust them.

“The couple at the top of the list wanted to know if the baby has a name,” the woman said returning him to his bed.

“No,” the doctor said. “The mother passed away just after he was born, so she did not have a chance to name him.”

Mommy called me Trevor…Trevor Masters!

“Could I bring them to see him tomorrow?”

“I suppose. We’ll have to arrange for the visitation, but I think you can work that our with the hospital administration. If they come at 4 or 6, the nurses might let them feed him.”

“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled,” the woman looked down smiling and lightly touched his cheek one more time leaving. “You are just beautiful. I’m sure they’ll love you.”

Who? What couple?

The baby had no sense of time since losing his mother. The closest reference he had were feedings and changings, but it was easy to lose track, so he did not know how much time had passed when the old woman returned with two more people – a man with thinning hair dressed in a business suit and a woman with long, red hair wearing a light blue blouse and navy skirt. As the woman leaned over, a tear fell from her cheek onto the baby’s.

“I’m sorry,” she said, slightly choked up. She looked to the man and other woman. “He’s beautiful.”

“And observant, Mrs. Taylor,” the other woman said.

“Ms. Stevens, I’ve told you to please call me Angie,” the red haired woman said. “Can I hold him?”

An attending nurse nodded and he watched Angie Taylor reached in and lift him.

“Hello precious,” Angie said cradling him in her arms. “Would you like to come home with me?

Who are you? he wondered, staring at her nervously. You aren’t a nurse or doctor.

Swaying gently, she turned to her husband, “Ted, he looks like my grandfather.”

Ted’s eyes moved from his wife to the child she held, tilting his head with a wrinkled brow.

“Take my word for it sweetheart,” she said. Then she looked down to the baby and whispered, “Don’t worry sweetie, Daddy’s only seen pictures of Grandpa Mark.”

Daddy? the baby thought. His mother had warned him about someone called that.

“Can I ask what name you were thinking of?” Ms. Stevens asked.

Angie leaned over to her husband and whispered something in his ear. Ted looked surprised as he pulled back. “That’s not what we talked about,” he said. “Are you sure?”

Angie’s lips turned pouty as she raised the baby up to gently press his cheek against hers, “Twust me Daddy,” she said in a baby-voice. “He’s the spitting image.”

“All right then.”

Angie lowered the baby, cradling him against her ample bosom. Her eyes fixed on his. “Marcus,” she said. “Marcus Ulysses Taylor.”

But Mommy called me Trevor, he thought and started screaming.

Angie bounced him lightly making a shushing sound. Ted approached and said, “Let me try.”

“Are you sure, he seems a little grumpy,” Angie replied.

“Trial by fire,” Ted said smiling. “It’s not going to get easier.”

She passed him over to Ted, who held the newborn a little clumsy at first, but after a slight hand adjustment looked more comfortable.

“Go ahead, kiddo,” he said. “Believe it or not, I know how you feel.” I was adopted as an infant, too, so I really do understand what you’ll go through. You’ll never be anything less than my son.

The cries stopped as this voice echoed in the baby’s mind, the first voice he had sensed since his mother’s death. Despite her fear of a man called Daddy, the baby found the strange man’s voice soothing, trustworthy.

“It seems like you’re a natural,” a nurse said.

“I guess so,” Ted replied.

Trevor thought about his promise to his mother. Daddy scared you, but this man isn’t the same. I won’t forget you.

“Angie, when the baby is discharged from care, we can arrange for you and Ted to care for him as foster parents,” Mrs. Stevens explained.

“How long will that take?” Angie asked.

“I don’t know for certain. The authorities are searching for any other family. If none are found, we can move forward with adoption proceedings.”

“What do you think, buddy?” Ted asked looking at the baby. “Would you like to come home with us?”

“Look,” Angie said sweetly. “He’s smiling.”

“That’s not really a smile,” the nurse said. “I’ve seen that look before. He’s straining.”

“Straining to what?” Ted asked. Sniffing the air, he did not need a response.

Editing and Deleting

2010-10-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

One of the toughest parts of editing is deleting. Why? Because, as a writer, you feel connected to every part of the story that you've created. Deleting full sections can be painful, but sometimes necessary. But rather than completely removing them, I thought I'd share.

The following section is the first of 3-parts that would have made up my story's prologue. It takes place about 18 years before the main story. It introduces the main character before his birth and shows some of his extra terrestrial characteristics. Enjoy. There's more to come.

For the first time since awakening in his mother’s womb, fear gripped him as he continued calling for her, but she didn’t reply. The normally soothing sound of her heartbeat was erratic and terrifying. Her womb, once warm and comforting, now dark and empty. Then he heard something, not his mother. Other sounds, followed by voices – all foreign sounds. He had heard several muffled voices from within his mother’s womb for months, but since her water broke, everything sounded different.

What is that sound? he wondered. Are those other people back? Is somebody here to help? Mommy?

Sudden movement then joined the voices, leading to more intense fears. Ever since establishing mental communication with his mother, she had explained sounds and feelings that disturbed him.

Sweetheart, he finally heard. They’re here now. They’ll take care of you.

Who? he replied.

Paramedics are taking us to the hospital nearby. The doctors there will take care of you. she explained.

Para..? He tried to look into his mother’s memories to show who these people were, but his fears overwhelmed him. What about you?

She did not reply. Louder voices and more jostling came while he waited for an answer. He heard too many people speaking to quickly to understand. Finally, most of them died down and an unfamiliar male voice dominated.

He tried to reach out and use her senses as he had learned to do when she slept. He remembered a night when she had asleep with the television on. He hungered for stimulation, wondering what the outside sound was, but her womb distorted the sound. He found himself unknowingly connecting with the part of his mother’s that processed real-time sensory input. In effect, he used his mother’s ears to listen to the television. Unfortunately, his new skill did not include an ability to use the remote control and all he could listen to was what his mother called “infomercials” and “crap TV.”

Since then he not only heard sounds through her ears, but he also saw some things through her eyes, and learned different smells through her nose. He decided to use the same technique to listen to the other voices.

“…emergency C-section,” the man said. “We have to get the baby out now or we’ll lose them both.”

What does that mean? Mommy, are you there? Why don’t you answer me? Did I do something to make you quiet? The only response he received was her slowing heartbeat. He wiggled and squirmed, punched and kicked hoping to elicit a response from her.

“Baby’s heartbeat is becoming erratic, doctor,” said another voice.

Mommy, wake up! Panic began to overwhelm the baby. Focusing on the voices became more difficult. He knew something was wrong, and not just with his mother. Listening to the doctor and other voices became increasingly difficult, even listening through his mother’s ears.

What’s…what’s happening?

“…in distress…” he finally heard.

Distress? Are we…dying?

A sudden rush of cold air swept over him, followed by bright light. It was different from visions and lights he had seen through his mother’s eyes. For the first time, he saw light through his eyes. He began to hear sounds more clearly through his own ears. The sensations, though an intense change, seemed overrated. The anticipation and excitement about the impending birth that he had shared with his mother was overshadowed by his concern for her well-being. He felt something grab and pull him; no, steal him from the embrace of his mother’s womb.

Mommy, you promised we’d share this! He kept trying to reach out to her, but heard nothing from her. In some ways, he felt like it was less than nothing. Even after the attack on his mother, he felt something – her presence, her existence. He heard her heartbeat, felt her warmth. Now, he felt nothing. He was isolated, alone. He hated it.

Anger and fear dominated his mind as the medical team continued to invade and abuse him. They stuck things in his nose and into his mouth. Although brief, the experience was not pleasant. He coughed and screamed for the first time.

I screamed. That was my voice. Startled by this development, his focus on his mother’s condition briefly faded. He had never thought about what his voice would sound like. The mental bond he had shared with his mother had been enough. He wanted to know what else he could do. Shivering in the cold air, he tried to move but he was quickly subdued. Someone had wrapped him so tightly that he could not move his arms or legs. The blanket swaddling him made him feel warmer, but he still struggled and screamed as concerns over his mother resurfaced.

No! Don’t…! Mommy! She did not respond. That alone did not frighten him as much as the lack of her presence. More than anything else, he wanted to hear her voice, feel her warmth, and know she was there. He wanted to hear her words clearly through his own ears for the first time. His eyes adjusted to room’s light and he saw the figures more clearly. Most important, he could see his mother. She had sometimes sat in front of a mirror and talked to him. He saw the reflection through her eyes. Now he saw her with his own, and he did not like it.

His mother lay on a bed surrounded by people and machines that beeped, hummed, and flashed. Wires from the machines led to blood-stained sheets covering most of her body. A mask and hose covered most of her face. Only her eyes remained uncovered. He wanted to look into her eyes, but they remained closed.

“Nurse, take the baby to the NICU,” the doctor ordered, not bothering to look in her direction.

“Yes, doctor,” she replied.

The baby screamed his objection, straining against his swaddled restraint. I want Mommy! His struggles continued as a nurse placed him in a portable incubator and wheeled him out of the room. As he lost sight of his mother, one of the machines tone changed from a series of beeps to a constant tone.

“We’re losing her,” he heard the doctor say. “Get the cardio-stim unit over here now!”

“Ready, Doctor,” a female voice replied.

The baby did not hear anything else from the ER.

Mommy! Where are you? He continued to scream, hoping his displays of fear and frustration would elicit some response, but the people continued as if going through a routine. A strange woman, the one apparently called “nurse,” took him to another room. She closed the door and placed him in some type of shallow, elongated bowl. He felt fear and exhaustion as he listened to his screams wondering why nobody would respond.

“Six pounds, eleven ounces,” the nurse said just before removing him from the bowl and placing him on a table under strange lights.

His screams grew quieter as he tried to focus on his new environment. He wanted to speak, but he could not create words. He reached out with his mind, but all was quiet. He did not like this type of quiet. The constant companionship of his mother’s thoughts and dreams ripped away. Stolen from him not by those she feared, but by a coward who needed two friends to attack a defenseless pregnant woman hoping for an easy mark. The baby understood the irony that his mother’s precautions contributed to her death. He did not know why he understood, he just did.

Work, trips, writing, and critiquing

2010-10-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Going through lots of changes at work and, for the first time in about a year, I'm going out on a business trip. Personally, I'd rather stay at home. However, as I tell people, first priority is to pay the bills and the paycheck writers say off to Lexington for the week.

The one advantage is that I should have almost every evening free to work on my writing and editing. I was also recently contacted by someone else writing a story of a similar length and genre, so we are discussing an exchange of manuscripts for critiquing. It never hurts to get another person to review your story.

Most critiquing groups send one chapter at a time, so it can take over a year to complete a novel. But, is we can agree to send entire manuscripts we could not only complete them quicker, but better. Why better? When you read one chapter every 2 weeks or every month, you tend to forget what happened earlier. Exchanges of this nature could lead to more consistent critiques and better critiques of the story as a whole.

Check back soon. I'll be posting some "deleted" sections of the story. Comments and questions will be welcome.

Thank you Critters.org

2010-10-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

In just a few weeks, the last draft chapter of my first novel will go up for review on Critters.org. I can't help but be thankful for all the great feedback I've received throughout the process. Most importantly, for those who offered to critique the entire novel under Critters' RFDR process.

If you aren't familiar with it Critters.org, like other online critiquing groups, puts up your submissions based on a queue. You have to critique to be critiqued, which is only fair. Under the RFDR process, someone can contact the author to request reading and critiquing the entire novel. In return the author (once the critiquing process is complete) informs Critters of the satisfactory completion of the RFDR.

When I first started submitting to critters, I didn't expect anybody to reply to the RFDR, but I was wrong. By the time Chapter 18 came up (21 chapters in total), I'd received my fourth RFDR reply. I estimate that I averaged about 2 crits per chapter which means 11 percent of the people who looked at one chapter wanted to read the entire thing.

I realized that the novel needed (and still needs work), but I don't see anybody volunteering to read 92,000 or more words just for credit on a critiquing board if they didn't like what they saw. But with the RFDRs I'd received, I figure that I must have something usable.

So even though I've got the last chapter to go through the process, I still want to thank all the Critters critters for the great feedback I've received.