Life, the Universe and NaNoWriMo.....

Been a while, hasn't it?

Not much of an excuse, been plotting and working on some things. A short story I wrote for the Battletech: Legend anthology was in print at Gencon back in August, but right now, that line of storytelling is on hold until a few thing above my level get worked out.

So, what have I been doing with myself? Well, I and Rick have been working on the next Outcast Ops novel. We started putting it to outline a couple of months back and we started on it ---- only to have a small problem.....

Called Hurricane Irma.

Having been through Hurricane Charlie back in '04, and not wanting to repeat that experience,  and realizing we were in the cone, we got out of Dodge and headed up to my sister's place in Virginia. A trip that normally takes us 17-18 hours took us 26 hours (Mostly getting out of the state --- it took us twice as long as it usually does.) So, we spent a week imposing on my dear sweet sister, watching the coverage and wondering if we had a home to go back to.

The good news is we did. By the time Irma blew though Marco Island, Naples and Ft Myers, Irma was maybe a Cat 1 storm by the time it reach out area, and after Charlie, most of the area laughed at what Irma brought in the way of rain and wind. We didn't even lose power this time (We lost it for 13 days after Charlie because they had to rebuild the power grid before restoring power.)

And Rick? Well he lives in the Keys...... On the plus side, his still has an intact home, but there was some damage to his property.

But the hurricane disrupted both our writing schedules and it took us a while to get back to work, The New Outcast Ops novel, called Shadow Government has been meandering along to about 25K to this point. it's taken a while to get back into the groove.

Then we decided that the best way to get this puppy really rolling was to use NaNoWriMo to push the story onto a fast track 50K in 30 days? Why not? I have an account and away we go!

As of this moment, 2,115 words have been written since NaNoWriMo started --- that's only 47,885 words to go! so buckle up and get ready for a speed run!

******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 34) *ON HOLD*
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16) *ON HOLD*
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20) *ON HOLD!*

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

All the Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! Red Ice is here: Outcast ops: Red Ice on Amazon! Watchlist is here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon. In addition, there is a physical version of Watchlist here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist Paperback

For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! And the new novel is here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon UK!

For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one).

Also, check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones by Rick Jones and Rick Chesler and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative by Rick Chesler.

In addition, Watchlist, Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible) Watchlist is the newest and is here: Watchlist (Audible)

The audios for Game of Drones Games of Drones (Audible) and The Poseidon Initiative The Poseidon Initiative are also up on Audible, or though Amazon!

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

OUTCAST Ops: Watchlist is out!

In Kindle format, at any rate....... It went live today, so you can buy it in Kindle format right now!

But we're doing more than that. Sometime soon (with the next could of weeks, I think), you will be able to buy Watchlist in an physical book form! What you see above is the cover for the paperback book version of the cover. Yes!

I've leaned something from each one of these novels I've co-authored, and Watchlist is no different. There's a lot more action and cutting-edge technology in this novel. It's also the longest of the three I've co-authored, a tale that spans two continents and several countries.

Here is the black cover blurb:

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY...BLEEDING EDGE TERROR

A biotechnology conference in Prague is the target of a terrorist attack, and in its aftermath a renowned geneticist lay dying. His last act is to inject a man he has never before met with an experimental substance--artificial DNA that has been encoded with the details of a plot to unleash mass terror on the United States.

Enter OUTCAST (Operational Undertaking To Counteract Active Stateside Threats)--six ex-operatives from six of America’s most powerful organizations. Each has been unceremoniously released by their respective former employer for alleged misdoings that leave their pride wounded but their essential skill-sets untouched. After uniting over their shared bond of dismissal from the nation’s most elite outfits, the disgruntled spooks realize they can work together like never before to take down threats to their beloved country, a country that branded them as outcasts but needs them now more than ever.

As international authorities hunt for the fugitive whose blood carries some of the most sensitive intelligence data on the planet, they get close enough to learn his identity, but the truth rocks the White House to its core. The most wanted individual in the world is none other than OUTCAST leader, Tanner Wilson. One of the only people capable of stopping the looming threat to millions of innocent Americans, Wilson is placed on the terror watchlist, and once again, OUTCAST is hell-bent on showing America that their way isn't the best way--it's the only way.

Watchlist is Book 5 in the OUTCAST Ops series. They can be read in any order. Game of Drones is Book 1. The Poseidon Initiative is Book 2. African Firestorm is Book 3. Red Ice is book 4.

It's $3.99 for the Kindle version, and as soon as we have more news on the paperback, we'll let you know all the details!

As for my other writing, I'm working on another project for the Battletech universe, which has slowed up my work on my novels. I just have to find the right balance, and it helps that Watchlist is now out in the world, so that's one less thing I need to worry about. Managed to get a couple of more chapters outlined on The Assassin Prince before the Battletech project came up.

******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 34)
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16) *ON HOLD*
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20) *ON HOLD!*

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

All the Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! Red Ice is here: Outcast ops: Red Ice on Amazon! And for the new novel you can find it here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon

For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! And the new novel is here: Outcast Ops: Watchlist on Amazon UK!

For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one).

Also, check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative.

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible)  Watchlist is not yet available in an audiobook format, but we hope to start moving in that direction soon.

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

Back to Work!

Yep....

I know two post within a few days isn't normal for me, but it's back to working on my own novels while waiting for Outcast Ops: Watchlist to get through the editing pass. I spent the weekend preparing and pitching for a project related to a gaming company. (My other blog covers that side of my writing). So, I'm back to working on outlining my stories....

... If I can find where I stored them.....

I found the outline for The Assassin Prince, but the other two are eluding me at the moment. I'll find them, but for the time being, I'm back to outlining The Assassin Prince.

Its odd, rereading your outline and seeing what threads you need to pick back up and get back into the flow of the story you were telling. I find it gratifying that after not looking at the outline in a few months, how well the story still holds together. In rereading it, I've only had to make a few spelling corrections so far and starting a new chapter to outline. We'll see how it goes....

As I sit here, I'm going to propose a question: what do you want to know about my writing? Comment below and let me know someone is reading this blog! 

******

The writing update

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 32)
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16) *ON HOLD*
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20) *ON HOLD!*

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one). Also check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative. Watchlist should be up soon!

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here:Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible)

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Unwilful Neglect

That's the best way to describe it --- It's not that I have been ignoring this on purpose, it's that I really haven't nothing to really say in the last four months.....

What I can say now is the first draft of Outcast Ops: Watchlist has been completed and we (Rick Chesler and myself) are into the editing stage, taking the first draft and making it better. This is the most ambitious one that I've co-written to day --- the action take place across a large section of Europe and the US, as our heroes have to dodge not only the Bad Guys, but the Authorities of several nations.

I finished my part over the past weekend, and have spent the week doing one last polish of that novella and pitching for a couple of gaming projects while I ease my back into outlining those novels.. I haven't looked at them in a while, so, I need to let myself flow back into the swing of things.

Still, it's great that the newest Outcast Ops novel is moving along and should be up on Amazon soon. In fact, here's the cover:

So, what do you think? It's a little different than the others, to see if it's more appealing. Why don't you let us know either way?

Well, back to the grindstone.....

******

The writing update (Unchanged from the last time, but I'd thought I'd post them so everyone [including me] will be reminded of where I am). In addition, starting with this update, I'm included the genre of each novel:

The Assassin Prince (Fantasy) --- Outline (through Chapter 32)
The Darkness of Shadows (Science Fiction) --- Outline (through Chapter 16)
Operation: Broken Chains (Thriller) --- Outline (through Chapter 20)

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored with Rick Chesler are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one). Also check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative. Watchlist should be up soon!

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are audiobooks! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here:Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible)

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

No Excuses

As the title said, I have no excuses for the complete lack of blogging posts in the last four months. (I was even more neglectful of my other blog -- six months there....)

So what have I been doing instead of blogging up a storm? Well, the new Outcasts Ops novel. Over the last four months, Rick Chesler and I discussed the concept, through together an outline, tossed most of that story line out and revised it and came to a general agreement on the second outline. As of this moment, Outcast ops: Watchlist stand at about 20,000 words and nine and a third chapters completed. It's a neat concept, and draws on an idea sparked by a news item we both saw. What is it and how it's woven into the story will remain a secret for now.

What that means is that my outlining on my novels has been sidetracked for the time being as I work on this Outcast Ops novel. A bit disappointing, but I plan to change that with some changes in my writing routine. We'll see how it goes.....

******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince --- Outline (through Chapter 32)
The Darkness of Shadows --- Outline (through Chapter 16)
Operation: Broken Chains --- Outline (through Chapter 20)

Everything's at a standstill at the moment.....

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one). Also check out the other Outcast ops novels. Outcast Ops: Game of Drones and Outcast Ops: The Poseidon Initiative.

In addition, Both Red Ice and African Firestorm are now audios! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to them free! The audio versions can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) and African Firestorm (Audible) 

Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

A Change in Plans....

As a freelance writer, I am open to taking on other writing projects as I work on my own projects. Two such projects have come up and they will be the ones that get the lion's share of my attention for the near future. MY work on my own novels has not been stopped, but these new projects take the first two slots. It happens sometime, and I will try to work on my novels whenever I can.

The first project is a new Outcast Ops novel! The sales of the four other novels in the series have been strong over the last couple of months, and Rick and I have agreed to start creating a new Outcast Ops novel. The title at this time is Outcast Ops: Watchlist, and while there is no target date, we hope to have it out by the fall.

The second project is a story in a new Battletech Anthology. As I've said before, I've written for several Battletech anthologies, but this one has a new twist on the concept. I won't say more than that for now, but those of you who read these stories will like them.

But that will take most of my attention away from my novels. It can't be helped, but now is the time to get down to work. The OO novel is more plotting then writing, while the anthology story is pure writing, limited in time and word count. So, the best of both worlds.....

*******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince --- Outline (through Chapter 32)
The Darkness of Shadows --- Outline (through Chapter 16)
Operation: Broken Chains --- Outline (through Chapter 20)

It still progress.....

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one)

In addition, Red Ice is now an audio book! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to it free! The audio version can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) African Firestorm is being recorded and hopefully will be released sometime soon. Please read or listen and leave a review!

Later!

Craig

Why Three Novels at the Same Time?

Because I'm a sucker for punishment?

I don't know. I've worked on multiple Batteletech stories at the same time, writing in several in a single session. I guess it might because being able to switch between projects allows me to stay fresh. I'm not sure it's going to work for novels, but I want to have all three outlined, researched and ready to go to should I need to.

For me, outlining is the hard part --- it's giving the story a rough form --- who did what, and what happened next. The finished outline is a slab of rock -- the writing is the forming of the story details, so it goes from rock slab to completed sculpture. Hard because I am so use to hammering the keys and having only a vague idea of how the story is going to go.

I was told by a fellow writer I should concentrate on one novel at a time. Maybe I will, But I like having that option to have something else I can work on should I become bogged down on the current one.

Am I finding any surprises in the outlining stage? Yes. Darkness of Shadows was only a vague idea when I started outlining, yet that one is forming faster than the other two, background-wise. I may have that one as the go-to should my writing of  The Assassin Prince bog down for some reason. (Which is why I'm outlining all three, to keep the writing on-track.)

My plan to have a couple of three novels in the outline stage at any one, ready to be slotted in should I finish a novel or get bogged down on it. Different genres should help separate them, forcing me to think about it as I write.

That's all for tonight. I see you in another week or so.

*******

The writing update:

The Assassin Prince --- Outline (through Chapter 29)
The Darkness of Shadows --- Outline (through Chapter 14)
Operation: Broken Chains --- Outline (through Chapter 18)

Not as much as I hope, but I was invited to pitch for an anthology, so I was working on that. Still, I did make progress on all three.

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one)

In addition, Red Ice is now an audio book! If you're member of Audible, you can listen to it free! The audio version can be found here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice (Audible) African Firestorm is being recorded and hopefully will be released sometime soon. Please read or listen and leave a review!

Craig

Outlining, My Way.......

Here I am again. It's been a good week, and I hope those of you who celebrated Easter had a good, safe Holiday. For everyone else, I hope you had a good weekend.

*******

I have been for years a guy who writes stories on the fly. I haven't been a plotter, at least not until the Outcast Ops novels that had to be outlined so both Rick and myself knew where the story was going.

I have tried a few ways in the past to outline novels,but when it comes down to it, the way I think is working for me best is what I call "Chapter Summery" Method.

That means sitting down and start with Chapter 1. I summarize what happens in that chapter. Depending on how much thought I put into it, the summery may be a single sentence, a paragraph, or several paragraphs. But now I know what happens in Chapter 1. I move onto Chapter 2 and repeat and continuing, summarizing what happens in that chapter. If I suddenly have an idea for a subplot, it's just a matter of going back to earlier chapters and adding the foreshadowing or the subplot threads. Once I'm through the whole  story, I go back and look at each chapter. I expand the summery, adding plot points, characters, and changing things to improve the story's flow.

I'm not bothering with a lot of detail at this point. I'll generally describe the action (A shoots B and C, C goes out the window), but don't go into detail about what B and C are wearing or what they look like. Locations are the same way -- I give it a name, and don't bother describing it beyond that unless there's a reason to. Also, I use a mix of character names and placeholder names when writing these summaries. Once I have chosen a name that fits the character better than the placeholder name, I use the WP's Search and Replace function. But that usually happens after the first outline draft.

In addition, each outline file has notes at the bottom --- bit and pieces of background, things I need to research, questions I need to find the answers to, ect. Things that don't fit directly into the story, but are part of the story. For Darkness of Shadows, I already have about a page worth of notes about this planet, it's technology, and the society on it. The other two have a half-page of notes. If I have a thought or question white outlining --- it goes under notes.

So, that's how I'm doing it --- summarizing chapters and using them to build the story. It's bringing free writing and putting into a usable structure. It may not work for you, but it works for me.....

*******

And the writing update:

The Assassin Prince --- Outline (through Chapter 26)
The Darkness of Shadows --- Outline (through Chapter 11)
Operation: Broken Chains --- Outline (through Chapter 16)

When I say "Through Chapter X," That means completed chapters. Each of the novels has partially outlined chapters which are not included in the totals above. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one) Both novels have been on the upswing on the sale charts this week, so they are still being read. Please read and please leave a review!

Craig

Letting Go of A Story

Here we go again......

Progress is continuing on The Assassin Prince, but more about that later in the post.....

The tile of this post comes from what I have been doing lately. I was asked to submit a story to show I could write a longer story. So I did --- A Novella.

A novella is a story between 17,500 --- 40,000 words, and this particular novella is on the upper end of the word count. Now, I have no promise this story will be accepted, or published. I stepped out of my comfort zone somewhere, but I feel the story is solid.

And in that lies a danger that is an insidious one for a writer --- seeking perfection in a story. "Perfection is the enemy of Good" is the quote that fits my mindset at the time. Writers work and work on a story, looking for those imperfections that scream "Change me!" A writer wants every word to be perfect, every sentence to grip the reader, every minor character to be vivid and clear as the main characters, and the story to be spell-binding to any reader who reads it. A perfect story.

There is no such thing as a perfect story.

All story has flaws --- minor ones, hidden ones, the wrong word here, a sentence too long there. Most are either too small or camouflaged by what's around it to be noticed. Other flaws that reader accepts as part of the suspension of belief all readers bring to reading fiction. As long as the flaw doesn't overwhelm the story, they are invisible, spotted only by those who look for them.

In my case, I found myself going through the story several times, tweaking and trimming lines, adding a scene here, a chapter there, and pushing the limits of a novella word count. I had a friend read through it, make his notes and I made changes here and there, moved chapters around like a magician doing a card trick, and did a few other things. After the fourth pass through the story, I said to myself, "I have to let go of this or I will never do so," So, I sent it and I now wait.

There are parts of the story I'm not certain about, and if it accepted, there may be changes needed. I hope the changes, should they be required, are minor ones. We shall see, and I will let you know if and when I hear back.

There comes a time in every completed story that all a writer is doing to it is cosmetic polishing. It comes down to confidence --- is the story, for all it's perceived flaws, a good one? If it is, it's time to send it and get to work on the next one.

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.” ― Salvador Dalí

“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

*******

The Assassin Prince is now outlined through Chapter 23 and into Chapter 24. But my Muse, being the perverse type (and lazy -- she lays on the couch with a bag of potato chips , yelling every so often, "Keep writing!") has decided that one novel is not enough, so I'm now outlying three novels.

In addition to The Assassin Prince (Fantasy), I am outlining The Darkness of Shadows (Science-fiction), and Operation: Broken Chains (Action/thriller). Three different genres, all designed to keep me working with whichever one is speaking to me at the moment. As a way to force myself to keep on track with this, I'll give you an update on the process of all three. So, starting tonight, a progress report on all three to keep you updated.

The Assassin Prince --- Outline (through Chapter 23)
The Darkness of Shadows --- Outline (through Chapter 7)
Operation: Broken Chains --- Outline (through Chapter 12)

Lets see how this goes. Any feedback will be welcomed.

*******

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! For anoyone else, please check your country's Amazon Website (if there is one) Read and please leave a review!

Craig

Murphy was a Writer

I really have to stop saying things.......

I've been sick most of the week. First, a 24-hour stomach virus, follow right on its heels by a cold, which I am still suffering through, sucking on a cough drop right this minute so I can write this entry up without hacking up all over the place.

It wasn't a completely  forgotten week. I did manage to outline two move chapters in The Assassin Prince. That puts me at Chapter 17, and it's an action chapter, which mean blocking out the action. I have the traces of the plot-lines for the next several chapters after that, so that will get done once I can stop coughing long enough to write them out.

I've also have the basics of the setting --- the type of society the heroes running around in, and one of its neighbor empires. Bits and pieces of the political situation are beginning to fall into place, as is the type of magic used in each society. Characters are falling into place, and new one are beginning to form. I don't have the technology level quite nailed down --- I am flirting with the idea of having weapons like matchlocks/flintlocks, but the idea isn't in stone yet. I have to see how the story flows first before I can decide one way or the other.

So, not much on the page, but much more in the mind. Other ideas for different series are popping up, but they're on index cards for a later time. The Assassin Prince is what I need to work on before looking at the other ideas.

That's all for tonight. I'm off to bed!

*****

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK! Read and if you like them, leave a review!

Craig

A Maelstrom of DIY courses

Since my budget for taking courses to learn the new world of self-publishing is exactly $0, I have leapt at all sorts of free offers (Free e-books) in return for my email and filling up my mailbox with tips and offers for courses I can't afford.

It amazes me that everyone and their fellow authors seem to have courses, videos, books, seminars, and methods that they offer for those starting out in this new field. Now, I have no idea if what they are offering is actually worth the money, and I can't point to anyone and say that their program is good or their's is a rip-off. After all, I can't pay for any of them. But there is a maelstrom of offers on courses for all aspects of the new world of self-publishing that is mind-boggling.

(I am not including companies in this group --- they are a different beast. This is about individual authors who are offering these lessons.)

Some of these authors are well-known and have a track record that goes backs years; others are newcomers themselves but have some success. Others I have never heard of; that doesn't mean they aren't good people with quality stuff. It all comes down to who is trustworthy in your view. Because when it boils down to it, Author A might be a great writer, but their course might be a clear as Mississippi mud, while author B's course is more relatable, even if their writing isn't as strong.

But here's the thing; if you don't sit down and write the story, all the courses in the universe will not make you a writer. Unless you produce something, taking courses will not help. Some courses will teach useful things, but unless you put them into practice, they are useless. In my view, don't waste your money unless there's something already done on the page.

Now, if you're like me, with no money, you have to get a bit creative with learning the new field of self publishing. I have a mess of self-published authors, writing groups, and company blogs I read on a regular basis. If I read something I thing I can use, I save off the webpage, then later on, copy/paste the information into a text file and save it off for my own use. (I always make sure to keep the author's name on the article, if I ever need to quote from it in a public forum, like this blog. Otherwise, everything I write here are my own words.)

I am in the middle of organize these text files into useful folders. Now, while I'm not getting in-depth detail that I would by taking a course, I am getting an understanding of subjects, and from more than one source. It may not be as deep, but it should be wider. And from all these different sources, I shall form my own method.

And that's what it all boils down to: DIY --- Do It Yourself. You have to do what works for you. What these course do is show you how these authors did it. It doesn't mean that their method will work for you 100% of the time, or even 50%  of the time. You can learn to avoid pitfalls, and be given a method where you may not have had one before. But it doesn't mean it's the only way. No course will replace the act of sitting there, pecking away at the keyboard, or writing it in longhand. Writing is an art, a craft, and no teacher can infuse you the willingness to write. Like any craft, it must be worked at constantly and regularly. Teachers will show the way, but unless to take the steps, the path will never be started upon, let alone completed.

And if you do decide to plunk down the money for a author/teacher's course, make sure of who the teacher is. Google them, read their blog, read their books, research them and make sure you will get something from them you can use.

Am I going to become one of those people I spent most of the blog discussing? Hawking courses and how-to books? I don't know. At the moment, I wouldn't have a clue where to start. And if I decided to go that route, there are so many questions I would have to answer, as well as trying to figure out how to distinguish myself from everyone else. Do I really want to do that? I have limited teaching experience, and and an undertaking like that would involve sitting down and breaking my experiences, thoughts, and methods down to a level that most people could understand. Hell, I'm not sure I understand what I do well enough to teach someone else to do it.

And I would have to have one hell of a track record as an author to even consider that. If I'm not a best-selling author, why bother? Who is going to buy a how-to from someone who can't sell to enough people to be considered popular? So, the short answer is no, the long answer is. . . .maybe, but not anytime soon.

So that's it....until next week (Hopefully)

*****

Both Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm is here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! Red Ice is here: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK!

Craig

2016 Writing Resolutions

I have been less of a writer than I should be.

I went looking on this blog for my 2015 Resolutions....

And found out I hadn't written one.

In fact, between July of 2014 and April of 2015, I didn't write a single blog post. Not a single one!

Now, my blogging has gotten better over the last two years -- average better that 40 posts a year, but still, that's less than once a week. Which leads to the first of a 2016 writing resolutions:

Write more blog posts!

That means, starting today, I will write at least one blog post a week. I aim to post on Mondays for sure, but once a week is firm. If something comes up I want to comment on, or I have a glut of posts waiting to go, I'll post more than once a week. I also intend on expanding the sphere of comments to objects like Book reviews and comments on the industry from my (very limited) viewpoint. The problem is there's a lot of stuff out there, a storm of "how-to" books, blogs, podcasts and websites, and navigating that is going to be tough. But I will try.

So, I start today with this blog (If you've been following me, I have a second blog devoted solely to the Battletech universe and my writing in it.) in really sitting down and writing.

Two Novels!

I unexpectedly found myself as the co-author of two novels in 2015.

The opportunity came out of the blue when Rick Chesler posted on Facebook that he was looking for co-authors for a new series of his. I responded and from that came the two novels in 2015, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm and Outcast Ops: Red Ice. While this was a joint effort, I did learn a lot about writing outside of the box I was in. I learned to research locations, using Google maps to get a feel for places I'd never been to. I learned a few things about my writing I needed to improve on, things I hadn't realized were problems. I also learned to structure my story, and how to insert a few scenes (or a full chapter in Red Ice) that weren't in the original outline. In the end, I have two novels under my belt, and they've been pretty well-liked by readers.

Which means I'm ready to strike out on my own. The Outcast Ops series is on hold for the time being, as Rick has to devote his time to other writing projects. So, It's time for me to go solo.

The two novels I'm targeting for writing this year are The Assassin Prince, a fantasy novel and the first of a series of Techno-thrillers with sci-fi elements, called (Tentatively) Operation Shattered Chains. The Assassin Prince is up first, as the second is right now just a couple of ideas that need to be worked out a bit more before going forward with that.

More Short Stories

Most of my work has been in the area of short stories. With only two Battlecorps stories published in 2015, I need to up my output there. That means finishing Battletech stories and submitting them. I have a number of first-draft or partially written Battlecorps stories, along with a rack of ideas that have yet to make it from my mind to paper. The goal is to see six Battlecops stories for 2016.

I also want to write a few non-Battletech stories and maybe self-publish them up as part of an anthology series. I have several universes fighting for attention in my head, so maybe the best way is to release them in short stories and see if any of them catch fire with readers. Maybe two volumes in 2016? We'll see.....

Write!

All the above is pie in the sky unless I actually sit my butt down and write. I'm aiming for 1,000 original words a day, five days a week, so 260,000 words for 2016. The updated word count will be part of this blog starting Monday. That means 1,000 original written words a day -- that won't include rewrites, blog posts, or outline notes --- but a thousand words of a story, short story, novel, whatever.

I will use this blog to keep me motivated and force me to keep at it.

*****

Those co-authored novels I mentioned are on Amazon and are both part of the Kindle Direct program.For African Firestorm go here: Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the United Kingdom, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm on Amazon UK!! For Red Ice: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon UK!
So, that's the start of 2016, welcome to a new year!

Craig

A Writer's Observations: What to write?

First, if you don't read  Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Business Musings blog post she does every Thursdays, do so, Go here: http://kriswrites.com/ click on the "Business Resources" tab, and the Business Musing link is right at the top. She back to writing about the business of writing, and like her previous series, under the "Business Rusch" banner, I believe they are important topics from someone who knows the publishing business like few do. (Don't forget her husband, Dean Wesley Smith, who's website can be found here: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/ He's just posted the first two chapters of his work in progress, HEINLEIN’S RULES: Five Simple Business Rules for Writing.)

Anyhow, the last couple of weeks, Kris has been discussing what a writer should write; Do you try and chase public opinion and write what is hot, or do you maintain your cool and write what you want to write?

My own view on the question is simple: Write what you want to write.

The problem with chasing what is hot is that trends will cool off, and what was big last month isn't this month. You can't chase after that's hot --- it's like a dog trying to track a rabbit, but being distracted by other smells, and running from one scent to another, only to be distracted by a stronger scent. All that's going to happen is the dog is going to get tired running to and fro and won't find the rabbit.

To chase after what is hot simply because it's hot is a fool's errand. Unless you like the sub-genre in question (Say, for example Vampire Romance), writing is going to be a pain. You have to waste time reading novels from the genre, to get a feel for it, work out the plot so it fits the genre, write in a style that fits the genre, then publish it, all the while hoping the fan-base hasn't moved onto Werewolf Romance in the meantime. Of course, if Vampire Romance is a genre you like, it because easier to write that sort of story, just don't expect to beat Twilight novels in sales.

Which leads me to the following statement --- "The best-selling writers don't follow trends: they set them."

Simply put, those writers set the trends, while others follow along, trying to grab onto the coat-tails of those trend-setters. For every unique novel setting a trend, you have half a dozen, a dozen, a score of authors putting out their own version of that original novel. The Harry Potter novels are a prime example, as are the Twlight novels. Look into each genre, and you'll see others trying to capture the same magic (and money) as those big-name novels. Some succeed, most fail.

But unless you like writing that genre, it's more chore than craft. Writing something you don't like to read is a chore. A woodworker who doesn't like working with wood will produce crappy wood items -- the parts will be uneven, the legs won't be the same length, and the pieces put together poorly. Same thing with any other craft work -- unless you like it, the product produce will always be inferior to someone who loves what they do.

The same thing applies to writing -- unless you love reading the genre, writing in that genre will be a waste of time. The product will be inferior, and time, money and energy spent working on it will be wasted. It also starts to burn out the creative juices as you try to force yourself to write without enthusiasm. Do it enough times and you become an ex-writer or a failed writer.

If I can't generate any enthusiasm for a story, I won't write it, simple as that. The two Outcast Ops novels I co-wrote were a task, but if I had not enjoyed the genre, I wouldn't have been able to hold up my end of the partnership. That's why anything I write and publish is something I loved to do, be it genre or universe. No sparkling vampires, no bodice-rippers, and no profound slice of life novels for me. That isn't me.

Well enough trying to sound profound --- Kris does it much better, so go read what she has to say.....

Short update on The Assassin Prince; Nothing new on the outline, but some thoughts about the background has been percolating. The fun thing about fantasy novels is that you can take bits and pieces from different times and places, mix them together and produce a unique civilization for your story. I'm already considering parts of the Roman Empire, 15th-17th Century Europe, and 15th Century China, with sprinkling from other eras. Nothing firm yet, needs to brew a bit more. In the meantime, I'm working on Battlecorps stories to sooth my writing urges.

If you want to read the novels I co-authored, African Firestorm is on Amazon and is part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm on Amazon! For those over the pond in the UK, click here! If you want to read Red Ice, it's also part of Kindle Direct program: Outcast Ops: Red Ice on Amazon!. and for those in the UK, Go here!

Later,

Craig

Red Ice Final Check is done and future plans

Well, Red Ice's final check (from me) is done......

It was like crawling over broken glass. I went over the novel, word by word, making spelling and grammar corrections, cutting words here, adding words there. And I noted every change in another file (I don't have a full-function Word program to use --- I've used WordPerfect 8.0 for years, and I like it. Besides, I don't have the money to buy Word and even if I did, I wouldn't). Below is an example of the changes I made....

Prologue

Page 3, 3rd Paragraph, 3rd line --- Changed "he'd hadn't" to "he hadn't"

Page 3, 6th Paragraph, 1st line --- Changed "begin" to "begun"

Page 5, 5th Paragraph, 2nd line --- Changed "sub as the" to "sub was the"

I had to note the changes because Rick needed to know what I changed when he makes his final check. So, the manuscript has changes in red, and the second file has entries like the ones above, telling Rick what changes I made, and in a few cases, why I made the changes.

Going over the manuscript word by word is tedious and slow. More than once I was asking myself, "Who the *#&@^ wrote this?" There were many, many changes that had to be made, all types , each one changed and documented like the example above. Sometimes, changes in one place cause a cascading effect down the page, leading to several more corrections that had to be made.

But it's done.

Now, what am I going to do? Well, three things:

• Work on several Battletech short stories.
• Continue plotting The Assassin Prince
• Start plotting my own thriller for NaWriNoMo

So, Red Ice is done, onto the next project(s). I'll be expanding on two of these projects in future posts. (The Battletech stories will be handled in my other blog, The Battletech State)

If you want to read African Firestorm, it's on Amazon and is part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the UK, click here! Red Ice should be be for sale early in November.


Take care,


Craig

Outlining The Assassin Prince

For most of the time I've been writing, I've been winging it. Most of my short stories and my attempts at novels have involved me sitting down and banging away at the keyboard with only a few scenes and a vague idea of where the story is going. Fine for short stories (Though I have outlined a few when I pitch for an anthology), no so fine for novels.

One thing that writing both Outcast ops novels is that I need an outline of some sort for a novel. Now these outlines aren't hard and fast -- both African Firestorm and Red Ice have changes from the outline to the first draft, but for the most part, they follow the outline that Rick Chesler and I created.

So, I'm taking that same concept to The Assassin Prince. I am writing a chapter by chapter breakdown of the action in the chapter. I have a few names, some idea of the world-building I need to do, and how the action is going to happen. At this stage, if I come up with a subplot several chapters in, like I did the The Assassin Prince, I can go back in the outline, add a sentence or two in a previous chapter and continue on, adding the subplot when I need to.

I have the first eight-plus chapters plotted and it's going along pretty good. I haven't determined a lot of the background or the details, but right now, it's getting the plot down on paper. Once the plot is down, I can start looking at the details and decide on what to go with for the universe's flavor. I have no idea how long it's going to be -- it will depend on how the story unfolds.

If you want to read African Firestorm, it's on Amazon and is part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the UK, click here!

Take care,

Craig

Future Plans

Rich Chesler is still working his way through Red Ice, but he's busy juggling several other writing projects and it looks like he won't be able to commit to another Outcast Ops novel in the near future. I may go ahead and outline another OO novel, but it won't be a priority.

So, what does this mean? It means that I am free to work on my own projects and I've already started outlining a fantasy novel, The Assassin Prince, which I hope will be the start of a series I plan to call The Night Blades.

Why the change in genre? A change of pace. I love technothrillers, both reading and writing them, but I also love fantasy and decided was the time to try. It more worldbuilding then with technothrillers, because, it's literally a whole other world that has to be built from scratch. While I wait for Red Ice to be sent back for my look-over, I want to use this blog as a guild to how I build this world.

I won't bother with the African Firestorm updates anymore, but if you want to read it, it's on Amazon and is part of the Kindle Direct program. African Firestorm on Amazon! For those in the UK, click here!

Later!

Craig

Red Ice -- The Rewrite Begins.....

I started the rewrite of Red Ice on Wednesday, and I've finished the Prologue, Chapters 1&2, and most of Chapter 3.

I read somewhere the following: "You can't edit a blank sheet of paper." I translate that into "Finish what you start. It doesn't have to be perfect, polished or ready to be published, just done." The first draft is a piece of stone, and I have to sculpt my final draft out of that stone.

I have said before I do not write perfectly. The writing is rough, extra words pop up in the paragraphs, plot lines are dangled but are not followed up on, exposition need to be made, and scenes trimmed. Bits and pieces came to me deep into the writing. Sometime, I go back and something into the story before, other times, I move on and make note of where to go back. Things like foreshadowing events, introduction of characters and locations earlier in the storyline.

For example, in Red Ice, the Main Bad Guy (MBG) attends a meeting with his allies in crime in Chapter 7. I wrote the MBG being accompanied by two of his own men. After that, I found myself using these two characters more and more and near the end I realized these two were the MBG's chief lieutenants. In the rewrite, I being my introduction of them early in Chapter 2 and flesh them out more in a new scene in Chapter 3. I also plan to expand of one of the main plot lines in the novel, and alter a few other things to bring them into line with the new flow.

What it all means is that I have only done half of what I need to do; I have my Stone; now I need to create the story as a smoothly-running novel.

And for this weeks' snapshot of AF's current standings:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:  

#240,765 Paid in Kindle Store
#593 in Kindle Store > eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Military
#1441 in Kindle Store > eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > War & Military
#1494 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Military

The sales are still strong (Believe it or not) but the borrow amounts are still way off. Hopefully, the Borrows will pick up in the last week.

As for overseas.....Amazon.uk

#118,973 Paid in Kindle Store

#319 in Kindle Store > Books > Crime, Thriller & Mystery > Thrillers > Military
#1725 in Kindle Store > Books > Crime, Thriller & Mystery > Thrillers > Action & Adventure
#1988 in Kindle Store > Books > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > War & Military

A corresponding drop in the sales rankings over here too, but I think sales will leap again, as they have in the past.

If you are a member of Amazon Prime, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm is on Kindle Direct! Use this link! African Firestorm on Amazon! For Amazon UK, click here! And  please check out the other two (soon to be three) novels in the series!

Back to (re)writing!

Craig

Red Ice is finished!

At least the first draft is done. . . .

I finished the first draft this afternoon. It's a little longer than I expected, and a couple of decisions will have to be made after I go through and rewrite it. I'm going to lay this off to the side for a couple of days, then dive back in and rewrite it and see what happens.

Red Ice took me 108 days to write -- a little more than three months. A bit longer than I expected or planned. But I pushed through (one of the reason why I haven't posted in three weeks) and it's done.

Right now, I want to rewrite this and get it into Rick Chesler's hands before the end of the month. If everything goes right (Murphy, he whose law rules supreme, is a writer), I hope to see Red Ice up on Amazon by mid-September.

And the snapshot of AF's current standings:


Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,430 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#479 in Kindle Store > eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Military
#1104 in Kindle Store > eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > War & Military
#1217 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Military

Again, watching the sales raking going up and down is like watching an insane roller coaster. The funny things is while sales are ahead of last month, the borrow rate is way off from July -- off by over 3,000 pages. There was a glitch on Amazon earlier in the week which did screw up the page count. We'll have to see if that comes back, or if it's a lingering problem in Amazon's system.

As for overseas.....Amazon.uk

#61,928 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#224 in Kindle Store > Books > Crime, Thriller & Mystery > Thrillers > Military
#1141 in Kindle Store > Books > Crime, Thriller & Mystery > Thrillers > Action & Adventure
#1216 in Kindle Store > Books > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > War & Military

Remember, if you are a member of Amazon Prime, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm is on Kindle Direct! Use this link! African Firestorm on Amazon! For Amazon UK, click here! And check out the other two (soon to be three) novels in the series!

Red Ice Final Stats (First Draft):

Done: Prologue, Chapter 1-41, Epilogue
Words Written the last twenty-two days: 18,985
Total Word Count: 72,400 (111.38% of 65,000 words)
Average Words Written per day: 670/day (+49)

Later!

Craig

Writing Red Ice: Days Seventy-Two Through Seventy-Nine

I took Sunday off, as it was my Birthday, but I still managed to add a nice chunk of words to Red Ice. I have noticed that there's a twist in the plot I hadn't considered, so when I'm done the first draft and go through it again, I need to add bits and pieces to strengthen this subplot.

Chapters 27 and 28 have needed some reworking, for several POVs, make sure plot threads stay current with each other, and to make the action scenes flow better. I have them just about worked out and they should be done before the next update.


And because I'm a sucker for punishment, Here are the latest sale rankings for Amazon :

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:  #37,208 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#189 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Military

#309 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > War & Military

#376 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Military

It bounced up father than I expected. Under the new system, there is a surprisingly large number of pages being read. How that will translate to actually money at the end of the month is not known. We'll see. I have a target page count in mind by the end of the month, and we'll see how close it comes.

I welcome reviews, so if you have read it, please post a review!

Amazon UK Bestsellers Rank: #65,205 Paid in Kindle Store

If you are a member of Amazon Prime, Outcast Ops: African Firestorm is on Kindle Direct! Use this link! African Firestorm on Amazon! And check out the other novels in the series!

Red Ice Progress:

Done: Prologue, Chapter 1-26, 85% of Chapter 27, 65% of Chapter 28
Words Written the last seven days: 6,025
Total Word Count: 49,345 (75.92% of 65,000 words)
Average Words Written per day: 625/day (+15)

Later!

Craig

Writing Red Ice: Days Fifty-One through Fifty-Six

And Red Ice is past the halfway point!

It's going well, bouncing between this and a short story submission for an Anthology and both are proceeding smoothly. But as I said in my other blog, I'm expecting something to go wrong --- it's the way of Murphy!

So, what have I been looking up for Red Ice lately? More street level looks at San Francisco (Google Maps are a writer's best friend when they need to describe a place they have never been!), how to breech a door, 12-Gage breaching rounds, and several shotguns to find the right one. Make of that what you will.....

And African Firestorm has been bouncing up an down on the sale ranks. Starting today, Amazon  has changed the way authors get paid for Kindle select titles. Before, an author got paid if a reader read 10% of the book -- in African Firestorm's case, 24 pages. But if an author write a 20-page story, they would get paid the same rate as I would after a reader read 2 pages. Now, someone read African Firestorm entirely, Rick Chesler and myself will get paid more than some author who wrote a 20-page story. It's only fair.....

Now, the latest sale rankings for Amazon:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,229 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#252 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Military

#439 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > War & Military

#537 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Military

As you can see, it's popped up again. A few sales will do that, and if you brought it after visiting this blog, I thank you. Looking at where the sales are coming from, over 70% are in the US, over a quarter from the UK and 2% combined from Canada and Australia. Interesting......

As for Amazon UK, the ranking is below:

Amazon UK Bestsellers Rank: #45,253 Paid in Kindle Store

Apparently, Amazon UK hasn't gotten around to breaking down the rankings below 100 in individual categories like Amazon US has. Hopefully that will change in the future.

If you haven't gotten Outcast Ops: African Firestorm yet, and are a member of Amazon Prime, you can borrow it though Kindle Direct! Use this link! African Firestorm on Amazon! And check out the other novels in the series!

Red Ice Progress:

Done: Prologue, Chapter 1-20, 5% of Chapter 21
Words Written the last six days: 5,000
Total Word Count: 36,040 (55.44% of 65,000 words)
Average Words Written per day: 644/day

Later!

Craig