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

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

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

The Ups and Down of Sales Watching

I still haven't gotten over the urge to look at he sales ranking for African Firestorm a few times a day. And I'm finding the experience humbling and a learning moment which can be summed up as: Do not obsessed over the sales ranking!

African Firestorm has been as high as #51,512 then drop to #153, 437, then back up at #55,450, all in a space of a few days. And as time has gone on, the lows dip and the high peaks has been exactly like a roller coaster. One can get really dizzy watching their book go up and down the chart.

Right now, it's on a down trend. I could be depressed, but after talking to Rick Chesler, I found out that the other two books in the series, Game of Drones and The Poseidon Initiative, have picked up some. We're thinking that people want to start with the first book in the series (Games of Drones), even though the books can be read in any order. It's natural people start with the first book and if they like it, read the second book and so on. I figure that later on, I will see an up-sweep in the rankings for African Firestorm.

So, what do I do now? Simple. Continue working on Red Ice, the next Outcast Ops novel I'm working on. Watching African Firestorm bounce up and down the ratings is wasting time. Will I ignore it? No, I'll check in on it a couple of times a day, and that will fade with one a day, then once every couple of days, until I check on it once in a while. Once Red Ice is written and up on Amazon, then I'll watch that for a while and so on. One novel does not win the war; while it would be great, I never expected African Firestorm to become a mega bestseller. But I did it once, I can do it again and again and again. That's the secret, going for a career of solid novels people want to read instead of trying for a one-hit wonder. That's a mindset that any author must have.

Now I need to get back to outline Red Ice.

Craig

The Kindle version of African Firestorm is here: African Firestorm for the Kindle
For the Nook version, go here: African Firestorm for the Nook.

Write What you Love to Read

One of the reason why I signed on to write an Outcast Ops novel is because it is the type of novel I love to read. Action thrillers are a large part of my personal library. Which leads me to the point of this blog post: Write the type of book you want to read.

Too many authors want to write the Great American Novel. Which is fine, but most people don't read great American novels. Instead, they read Tom Clancy because they love techno-thrillers, Clive Cussler because they love his roller-coaster rides of adventure, Jim Butcher for his urban paranormal and fantasy stories, and David Weber for his Space Opera. None of these successful authors are writing Great American Novels; instead, they write novels that are great.

I started writing via fanfiction. Fanfiction, done right, is a great proving ground for aspiring writers, because these authors write stories about series they love. It doesn't matter what sort of series --- I've written anime, Doctor Who, and Battletech fanfiction, and cut my teeth on writing Star Wars fanfiction (Never completed any of the early stories). Most writers are readers who read fanfiction and decided to see if they could either write something as good or better than the story they read.

Some fanfiction writers stick close to the canon style and aura, while others strip away most of the show's aura, change most of the details and take the characters off in a completely different direction. Personally, I always tried to wrote as close to the series as possible and always in series I like and knew well enough to write in. Authors learn and sharpen their skills as they write about characters they know and love (Yes love -- I don't know of anyone who writes fanfiction seriously who writes in series they hate.)

When a person takes the step beyond fanfiction, when they create their own 100%-theirs universe, it isn't hard for them to continue writing in a genre they love to read. I took the step from fanfiction to writing for Catalyst Games Labs through my Battlecorps stories. And from there, I decided to answer Rick Chesler's FB post when he was looking for co-authors for a new series he was developing, and that is where Outcast Ops: African Firestorm came from. I loved action thrillers, so the chance to co-write one was something I couldn't resist.

So, if you don't like the type of story you are writing, stop writing it and start writing the type of stories you want to read. It'll be easier on you in the long run.

Craig

Who am I?

On urging from Rick Chesler, I established both an Amazon and Smashword Author's page. But when it came to writing a bio for both sites, I stopped dead. A Bio? Of me?

That honestly threw me. Who am I?

That isn't an easy question to answer. I have had a quiet life where nothing big has happened to me. I was never in the military, never worked for any government, never been in a place where people were trying to kill me. In short, if you're looking for a life to emulate, look elsewhere.

A quick Bio: Born in Philadelphia, spent several years living in England, where I learned about Tea, Doctor Who, and soccer. Lived in Maryland, where I graduated from high school and community college. I've lived in Florida for the last fifteen years. I was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrow. I took matial arts when I was younger, but missed becoming a black belt. I don't drink, take drugs and my politics are my own, though I do hold strong views on political matters. Not much to write about is it?

I'm on safer footing with my writing. Like a lot of writers, I started with fanfiction, then went from there. I'm currently a freelancer writer for Catalyst Game Labs, where I've written for both the Battletech Gaming line (Both short stories and gaming projects) and the Valiant Comics RPG line. I've had twenty-three stories published on the Battlecorps site, and have acted as a fact-checker and proofreader on different Catalyst projects. I've  nearly written three other novels, but Outcast Ops: African Firestorm is my first complete novel.

I love reading, else I wouldn't want to be a writer. I have over a thousand books in my personal fiction library, ranging from science fiction, to mysteries, to action-adventures and thrillers. My favorite authors are Jim Butcher, Clive Cussler, David Weber, David Drake, and Rex Stout. I also have a collection of non-fiction, in subjects like Chess, Martial arts, military history and biographies, weapons, and science. I like anime and manga.

I like old radio and other audio plays. My music likes are soundtracks, with a few "best of" albums thrown in. My DVDs generally run the gambit through anime, Sci-Fi TV series, movies I like, and a few Kung-Fu movies.

I'm an introvert, which explains why I can say all this here, because I wouldn't say any of this to anyone in person. Large crowds make me uncomfortable. I can cook well enough to function in the kitchen. In short, I'm a normal person.

So, that's me. Not much to work with for a bio, huh?

Craig

5,000 Words is a Victory

I don't think there's anything worse than a relative who is unable to take care of themselves any more. This family member (I won't go into any more detail than that, for privacy reason), needs my--- no, their family's help now and it's hard on everyone involved. The family is not basically running two households until we can merge the two. It is hard physically, but also mentally and emotionally on all of us. With this happening so close on the heels of my friend's death, it's an emotional jolt to the system.

It also means that any time I managed to carve out for writing these last couple of weeks has been a victory. Last week, I managed to write a little over 5,000 words --- 60% in the three Battlecorps stories, the rest into the outline for Outcast Ops:African Firestorm. It hasn't been easy --- we've had to make several trips a week to the relative's home, and handle all the details that need to be handled. And while I'm not at the center of the storm, I am still very much involved.

The entire situation is a reminder of how things can change so quickly, without any input from you. Too many factors beyond our control can hit us and changes our lives without warning. It's a feeling of frustration that settles in like a bad cold and stays far too long. Incidents like this remind us that life is fleeting, and can change without warning. It wears away at you, like ocean wears away at rocks on the shoreline.

That's why I consider those 5,000 words I wrote last week a victory. Unlike the real world, I can control events in my stories, decide what does what to who, and how. Writing allows me to control something in my life, at a time when we, the family, are trying to regain control of a situation we never saw coming. We're regaining control, it it's still too much that has to be done.

Every word I wrote last week represents time away from the family situation and time in a bubble where only the words matter and the story flows as I say it should. Each sentence a brick in the temporary wall that I needed to build between me and the overwhelming responsibilities that the situation has given us. Each paragraph was an advance in the story, when in real life, the family makes baby steps, slowly trying to untangle the threads of my relative's life. Writing is the one area where I have control, and that has been my island in this trouble sea.

My goal this week is another 5,000 words, and 5,000 more words next week. No not great amounts, but doable and I intend on writing when and how much I can, as much as possible. It keeps my focus on things I can control and avoid, even for a few minutes at a time.

Now, bed....

Craig