Got a couple of pages and several hundred words done. I'm tired and have a photo shoot tomorrow, so I'm calling it a night.
-----
Have a good evening!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Another Fine Night for Writing!
With Julie working nights from Sundays through Thursdays, Friday nights, Saturdays, and part of Sundays are our time together. Thus the reason I do so much writing late at night.
We have a nice weekend and enjoyed some company for dinner this evening before Julie left for work. I had some time this afternoon to work on a couple of segments of Crisis on Terra-Bravo I felt were not quite right and was able to tweak them into something much better. I figure that was about 1/2 a page. Tonight, I was able to write about 3 1/2 pages more. All told, about 4 pages and 1,600 words. Chapter 8 is done and Chapter 9 is started.
After a very quiet week, we had two sales of Foothold on Terra-Bravo. Hope to see sales pick up soon as I try some other advertising venues.
-----
Enough for tonight.
Be safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
We have a nice weekend and enjoyed some company for dinner this evening before Julie left for work. I had some time this afternoon to work on a couple of segments of Crisis on Terra-Bravo I felt were not quite right and was able to tweak them into something much better. I figure that was about 1/2 a page. Tonight, I was able to write about 3 1/2 pages more. All told, about 4 pages and 1,600 words. Chapter 8 is done and Chapter 9 is started.
After a very quiet week, we had two sales of Foothold on Terra-Bravo. Hope to see sales pick up soon as I try some other advertising venues.
-----
Enough for tonight.
Be safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Writing is Like a Lottery!
Yes! You read that correctly. Writing is like a lottery. You can't win if you don't play. In other words, you don't make any money unless you write.
I wasn't quite in the mood to write this evening but I want to get Chapter 8 done soon (and the book later). So I have to write. Got a couple of pages and just under a 1,000 words in tonight!
I'm going to do a FB blurb about Foothold on Terra-Bravo on my FB and the Terra-Bravo pages in hopes of drumming up more sales. Going to the Library Used Book Sale tomorrow and plan to chat with the lady about the Local Authors Fair next month.
-----
Stay safe, my friends!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
I wasn't quite in the mood to write this evening but I want to get Chapter 8 done soon (and the book later). So I have to write. Got a couple of pages and just under a 1,000 words in tonight!
I'm going to do a FB blurb about Foothold on Terra-Bravo on my FB and the Terra-Bravo pages in hopes of drumming up more sales. Going to the Library Used Book Sale tomorrow and plan to chat with the lady about the Local Authors Fair next month.
-----
Stay safe, my friends!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Another Great Night for Writing!
A good day and a great night!
Didn't realize that today was the day I got my new crown but it was. It went very smoothly and quite painlessly. (Thanks, Dr. Spaulding! Thanks, Cameron!)
Got home and took an Aleve for my aching back (from yesterday's photo shoot), laid down, and was out for about 3 hours. Woke up feeling a LOT better.
-----
Sat down at the computer, pulled up Crisis on Terra-Bravo on the screen, and the words just began to appear. Three pages and 1,326 words! Chapter 8 is almost in the bag!
-----
Tomorrow, I'm going to check on a Local Author Fair the Stillwater (OK) Public Library is holding in October. I think it'll be a nice venue to get the word out about Foothold on Terra-Bravo. There's also a Stillwater Authors' Group I going to see about joining.
Since the book is an e-book, I won't have copies to sell, so I'm thinking about printing some flash cards with the cover of Foothold, that it's on the Kindle Store, a QR code to that page, and the price on the front side; and "Coming in December 2013.", the cover of Crisis, and "Book 2 of the Terra-Bravo Saga!" on the back. I can give these out, put them in stores, etc... (Can't hurt to try, right?)
Here's the QR code:
If you scan it with a code reader app on your phone, it takes you straight to Amazon's Foothold on Terra-Bravo page complete with a link to a sample chapter AND a 1-click buy it button!
-----
Time to wrap it up for the night.
Have fun out there...but remember...be safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Didn't realize that today was the day I got my new crown but it was. It went very smoothly and quite painlessly. (Thanks, Dr. Spaulding! Thanks, Cameron!)
Got home and took an Aleve for my aching back (from yesterday's photo shoot), laid down, and was out for about 3 hours. Woke up feeling a LOT better.
-----
Sat down at the computer, pulled up Crisis on Terra-Bravo on the screen, and the words just began to appear. Three pages and 1,326 words! Chapter 8 is almost in the bag!
-----
Tomorrow, I'm going to check on a Local Author Fair the Stillwater (OK) Public Library is holding in October. I think it'll be a nice venue to get the word out about Foothold on Terra-Bravo. There's also a Stillwater Authors' Group I going to see about joining.
Since the book is an e-book, I won't have copies to sell, so I'm thinking about printing some flash cards with the cover of Foothold, that it's on the Kindle Store, a QR code to that page, and the price on the front side; and "Coming in December 2013.", the cover of Crisis, and "Book 2 of the Terra-Bravo Saga!" on the back. I can give these out, put them in stores, etc... (Can't hurt to try, right?)
Here's the QR code:
If you scan it with a code reader app on your phone, it takes you straight to Amazon's Foothold on Terra-Bravo page complete with a link to a sample chapter AND a 1-click buy it button!
-----
Time to wrap it up for the night.
Have fun out there...but remember...be safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tired and Frustrated!
What a long day! Temperatures were nice but a bit windy. The photo shoot went well but I'm really hurting tonight in my lower back and left shoulder. In the office the remainder of the week (except Thursday afternoon, when I go to the dentist to get my new, permanent crown. *yay*).
-----
Got a couple of more pages of Crisis on Terra-Bravo written. Guess I really need to get it finished and published! Just learned tonight that the organization I work for is requiring all of its employees to re-enroll in a new insurance program in October with fewer options and higher rates!
I am NOT a happy camper!!!
I have tried to keep politics out of this blog to focus on my writing but, folks, I've had enough. The harder I work, the more the government takes. This in NOT what the Founding Fathers intended!!!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
-----
Got a couple of more pages of Crisis on Terra-Bravo written. Guess I really need to get it finished and published! Just learned tonight that the organization I work for is requiring all of its employees to re-enroll in a new insurance program in October with fewer options and higher rates!
I am NOT a happy camper!!!
I have tried to keep politics out of this blog to focus on my writing but, folks, I've had enough. The harder I work, the more the government takes. This in NOT what the Founding Fathers intended!!!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Well...darn!
Sales of Foothold on Terra-Bravo and views of my blog are down. Way down. Stalled even! Kinda depressing.
But, on a high note, I did get some writing done at lunchtime today and at home on Chapter 8 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo. I didn't get a lot written but as I said last night, at least I got some more words down on "paper." I thought of a neat idea to use a previously introduced character in a new, startling way. It should definitely add some suspense to the storyline.
My friend, the Local Comic Shoppe Guy (Darin at Legendary Comics!), sent me a notice from the city library about a Local Authors opportunity there next month. I do need to look into it.
I also need to look into other methods to advertise Foothold both locally and globally...something that can be done without bankrupting me, preferably.
-----
I've got a photo shoot tomorrow in Edmond, so I'll be closing shop early tonight.
Have a great evening, everyone!
And, be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
But, on a high note, I did get some writing done at lunchtime today and at home on Chapter 8 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo. I didn't get a lot written but as I said last night, at least I got some more words down on "paper." I thought of a neat idea to use a previously introduced character in a new, startling way. It should definitely add some suspense to the storyline.
My friend, the Local Comic Shoppe Guy (Darin at Legendary Comics!), sent me a notice from the city library about a Local Authors opportunity there next month. I do need to look into it.
I also need to look into other methods to advertise Foothold both locally and globally...something that can be done without bankrupting me, preferably.
-----
I've got a photo shoot tomorrow in Edmond, so I'll be closing shop early tonight.
Have a great evening, everyone!
And, be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Moving On!
Well, I felt more like writing today! It felt great to be putting some more words on the page.
First, I tweaked the outline of Crisis on Terra-Bravo a little. I went back and combined Chapters 7 and 8 and then did some renumbering/renaming on some chapters
Seconds, I did some minor tweaking in some early chapters of Crisis. A few words added here, a few words changed there, and a few words cut somewhere else. I think it tightened up those spots nicely.
Third, I started a new Chapter 8 (formerly Chapter 9). Wrote about 3 1/2 pages and 981 words! And the night's still young and I might go back and add some more.
----
Tomorrow, I'll start taking my laptop to work and I'll spend my lunchtime at the office working on the story. It'll save some gas, let Julie sleep without interruption during the day, and help me get the book done sooner.
----
Enough for now. Have a great night.
And, remember, let's be safe out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
First, I tweaked the outline of Crisis on Terra-Bravo a little. I went back and combined Chapters 7 and 8 and then did some renumbering/renaming on some chapters
Seconds, I did some minor tweaking in some early chapters of Crisis. A few words added here, a few words changed there, and a few words cut somewhere else. I think it tightened up those spots nicely.
Third, I started a new Chapter 8 (formerly Chapter 9). Wrote about 3 1/2 pages and 981 words! And the night's still young and I might go back and add some more.
----
Tomorrow, I'll start taking my laptop to work and I'll spend my lunchtime at the office working on the story. It'll save some gas, let Julie sleep without interruption during the day, and help me get the book done sooner.
----
Enough for now. Have a great night.
And, remember, let's be safe out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
I'm Back!!! (Again!)
Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of days. I had a terrific night of writing Thursday night. But when I went to blog about it, I screwed up and deleted ALL of the posts on my blog. Very disconcerting that Blogger doesn't have a "Are you sure you want to delete EVERYTHING?" pop-up before you can push OK.
Anyhow, a blogger named Peter helped me recover almost all of the posts. Big THANK YOU, Peter!
In reloading the posts, they now share one posting date. You can access them through the archive to the right side of the page.
----
I did get the Terra-Bravo Facebook page published and have been inviting scores of folks to LIKE it. This should help get the word out about the Terra-Bravo Saga.
Otherwise, I haven't felt the urge to write the last two days. It just wasn't there. But I expect to be back at it tomorrow!
----
I do ask that all who have read the first book, please make a Customer Review on Foothold's Amazon Kindle Store page. Be honest, you won't hurt my feelings, after all, it's my first book. The more reviews I get, the closer I am to being able to do some free advertizing on some e-book websites! Some want a minimum of 5, others a minimum of 10, etc...
----
I plan to start writing on Crisis during my lunch hours to get a little further along a little bit faster. Will try it this week and let you know how it works out.
----
Thanks to my many family, friends, and fans for sharing this blog and news about the Terra-Bravo Saga.
----
Gonna sign off for now. Remember, let's be safe out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Anyhow, a blogger named Peter helped me recover almost all of the posts. Big THANK YOU, Peter!
In reloading the posts, they now share one posting date. You can access them through the archive to the right side of the page.
----
I did get the Terra-Bravo Facebook page published and have been inviting scores of folks to LIKE it. This should help get the word out about the Terra-Bravo Saga.
Otherwise, I haven't felt the urge to write the last two days. It just wasn't there. But I expect to be back at it tomorrow!
----
I do ask that all who have read the first book, please make a Customer Review on Foothold's Amazon Kindle Store page. Be honest, you won't hurt my feelings, after all, it's my first book. The more reviews I get, the closer I am to being able to do some free advertizing on some e-book websites! Some want a minimum of 5, others a minimum of 10, etc...
----
I plan to start writing on Crisis during my lunch hours to get a little further along a little bit faster. Will try it this week and let you know how it works out.
----
Thanks to my many family, friends, and fans for sharing this blog and news about the Terra-Bravo Saga.
----
Gonna sign off for now. Remember, let's be safe out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Okay, okay...
My 10 to 14 stalwart readers must be concerned about me since I haven't
posted in the last couple of days! Sorry about that. Between being a
little under the weather and then having a long photo shoot Tuesday,
I've been too wiped out to do much writing on Crisis on Terra-Bravo or this blog.
Well, today's shoot was shorter and I am feeling better so I spent a little time on Chapter 6. I've added 3 more pages and 1,272 more words. If all goes well, I should have Chapter 6 wrapped up on Friday. Then I can pass the Prologue and Chapters 1 through 6 to Kyle for his work on the first part of the new book. While he's doing that, I'll start Chapter 7.
----
It appears Amazon is sending out e-mails advertising Foothold on Terra-Bravo and several other new science fiction and fantasy books. I've received two such e-mails since Monday. Foothold was prominently displayed in both e-mails. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a big jump in sales. *sigh*
----
I've another long photo shoot scheduled for tomorrow so I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow night. Hope to knock out a few more pages then but, if not, I'll try again on Friday night.
Stay safe, my friends!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Well, today's shoot was shorter and I am feeling better so I spent a little time on Chapter 6. I've added 3 more pages and 1,272 more words. If all goes well, I should have Chapter 6 wrapped up on Friday. Then I can pass the Prologue and Chapters 1 through 6 to Kyle for his work on the first part of the new book. While he's doing that, I'll start Chapter 7.
----
It appears Amazon is sending out e-mails advertising Foothold on Terra-Bravo and several other new science fiction and fantasy books. I've received two such e-mails since Monday. Foothold was prominently displayed in both e-mails. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a big jump in sales. *sigh*
----
I've another long photo shoot scheduled for tomorrow so I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow night. Hope to knock out a few more pages then but, if not, I'll try again on Friday night.
Stay safe, my friends!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
An Off Day but a Good Evening!
Wow! What a quiet, lazy Sunday! Didn't do a whole lot today. Got up
late, went for a walk with Julie at Boomer Lake, did some reading,
watched a little TV, sent myself some "to do notes" for tomorrow, played
some Star Trek Online, and cooked dinner. But I just couldn't seem to
gather the energy to sit down and write.
Until about 6:00 p.m. that is! I sat down with the idea of just doing a little tweaking of the last bit I'd written. But once that was done, the words they started flowing! Got in 5 pages and 2,074 words in about 2 hours. Chapter 6 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo is coming together nicely.
I've a pretty heart-wrenching scene to write tomorrow night. It's sure to bring some tears to some folks eyes. (I hope!)
----
Nothing else to report tonight, so I'll close here.
Stay safe, my friends!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Until about 6:00 p.m. that is! I sat down with the idea of just doing a little tweaking of the last bit I'd written. But once that was done, the words they started flowing! Got in 5 pages and 2,074 words in about 2 hours. Chapter 6 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo is coming together nicely.
I've a pretty heart-wrenching scene to write tomorrow night. It's sure to bring some tears to some folks eyes. (I hope!)
----
Nothing else to report tonight, so I'll close here.
Stay safe, my friends!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
More Writing? More Writing!
One of my favorite Warner Bros. short cartoons stars Bug Bunny, Daffy
Duck, and Elmer Fudd. It is titled "Duck! Rabbit, Duck!" and Elmer is
out hunting Daffy. To protect his own hide, Daffy tries to convince
Elmer that it's really rabbit season. During the ensuing chaos, Elmer
becomes confused as Bugs keeps pulling out different signs for different
animal hunting seasons and and gets Daffy to identify himself with the
type of animal on each sign. Of course, Elmer shoots Daffy each time.
Daffy pulls Elmer aside for a little briefing. After the briefing, Bugs confuses Elmer over and over resulting in Daffy being shot repeatedly. Daffy starts to pull Elmer aside one more time and Elmer asks, "More briefing?" to which Daffy replies, "More briefing!"
----
So what better title for tonight's blog than what you read above. Did I accomplish "More writing?" Yes, I did accomplish "More Writing!" today!
Chapter 6 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo is off to a wild start with 4 pages and 1,558 words. The action is ramping up and so will the tech that folks find interesting. It should be interesting to see if this chapter ends up where I planned or if the characters take it another direction altogether.
----
I've uploaded the revised cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. Just some minor adjustments, a more sci-fi font (from the 70s/80s) and some modified Terras. The new cover should show up on Amazon's Kindle Store page tomorrow.
----
Logging off for tonight!
Remember, let's be safe out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Daffy pulls Elmer aside for a little briefing. After the briefing, Bugs confuses Elmer over and over resulting in Daffy being shot repeatedly. Daffy starts to pull Elmer aside one more time and Elmer asks, "More briefing?" to which Daffy replies, "More briefing!"
----
So what better title for tonight's blog than what you read above. Did I accomplish "More writing?" Yes, I did accomplish "More Writing!" today!
Chapter 6 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo is off to a wild start with 4 pages and 1,558 words. The action is ramping up and so will the tech that folks find interesting. It should be interesting to see if this chapter ends up where I planned or if the characters take it another direction altogether.
----
I've uploaded the revised cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. Just some minor adjustments, a more sci-fi font (from the 70s/80s) and some modified Terras. The new cover should show up on Amazon's Kindle Store page tomorrow.
----
Logging off for tonight!
Remember, let's be safe out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
When Characters Drive the Story...
When I met G. Harry Stine back in 1991, he asked me about my thoughts on the series he was writing at that time (Warbots).
I told him that I loved the concept and that it really seemed to have
taken off. I was definitely hooked, but...I was concerned about the
direction many of the lead characters were taking in the later books.
Mr. Stine smiled and told me that by the time he got the characters rounded out in his mind and within the first couple of books, they began writing themselves. I thought that was an interesting answer, if not exactly an the answer I expected to hear.
It's funny, 22 years later, my characters have begun writing themselves. As I sit at the keyboard and move a character into a scene, the character is really who drives what I write. I can see what Mr. Stine was trying to tell me years ago. We authors may create a character, imbue him or her with certain abilities and attributes, mold him or her with parts of people we know but then they DO take on a life of their own as we put their thoughts and actions on "paper" so to speak.
While writing Crisis on Terra-Bravo, I've actually added a prologue and two chapters to the mix before I hit what is now Chapter 5. This was not planned in the least but grew out of the thoughts and actions of my characters as I merely put a series of obstacles in their paths.
----
On a side note: If anyone of you have ever tried or still participate in model rocketry, Mr. Stine was one of the two co-inventors of the organized hobby here in the U.S. His Handbook of Model Rocketry (in its 7th edition with the help of his son, Bill Stine) is still the prime book on the topic.
For those involved in the Fire Service, Mr. Stine was heavily involved in our career field. At my count, shortly after our meeting, he served on at least 25 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committees ranging from explosives to model rocketry to large rockets.
----
Tonight has been my night off from working on Crisis. I've spent some wonderful time with the Missus (date night!) but expect to be back at the keyboard tomorrow starting Chapter 6.
Be safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Mr. Stine smiled and told me that by the time he got the characters rounded out in his mind and within the first couple of books, they began writing themselves. I thought that was an interesting answer, if not exactly an the answer I expected to hear.
It's funny, 22 years later, my characters have begun writing themselves. As I sit at the keyboard and move a character into a scene, the character is really who drives what I write. I can see what Mr. Stine was trying to tell me years ago. We authors may create a character, imbue him or her with certain abilities and attributes, mold him or her with parts of people we know but then they DO take on a life of their own as we put their thoughts and actions on "paper" so to speak.
While writing Crisis on Terra-Bravo, I've actually added a prologue and two chapters to the mix before I hit what is now Chapter 5. This was not planned in the least but grew out of the thoughts and actions of my characters as I merely put a series of obstacles in their paths.
----
On a side note: If anyone of you have ever tried or still participate in model rocketry, Mr. Stine was one of the two co-inventors of the organized hobby here in the U.S. His Handbook of Model Rocketry (in its 7th edition with the help of his son, Bill Stine) is still the prime book on the topic.
For those involved in the Fire Service, Mr. Stine was heavily involved in our career field. At my count, shortly after our meeting, he served on at least 25 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committees ranging from explosives to model rocketry to large rockets.
----
Tonight has been my night off from working on Crisis. I've spent some wonderful time with the Missus (date night!) but expect to be back at the keyboard tomorrow starting Chapter 6.
Be safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
I'm Back!
Sorry for missing a couple of nights, folks! Came home from work early
on Tuesday with a migraine starting up. Took some medication and zonked
out for about 4 hours. Which is good...and bad. Woke up feeling much
better. GOOD! Then was wide awake 'til the wee hours of the morning.
BAD!
I woke up Wednesday feeling worse than I did Tuesday, so I contacted the boss and went back for more rest. Around noon, I woke up feeling that something important was supposed to happen soon. Fortunately, I remembered that I had a dental appointment to prep for a crown around 1:00. Already medicated, I thought...Why not?!? And kept the appointment. Everything went well and last night I wrote 5 1/4 pages and 2,200 words!
Woke up this morning feeling good (not GREAT) but went in and worked on some image selection and illustration drafting for my primary project. Got parts of three chapters done! Then I learned a great friend and partner on numerous projects is leaving FPP for greener pastures. I'm both sad and happy.
Julie and I had a nice dinner and while she napped before work, I wrote 4 3/4 pages and 2,053 words tonight wrapping up Chapter 5. In total, from title page to the end of Chapter 5 is 76 pages! Wow!
----
Once I get the first six chapters written, Kyle is going to go over them and make corrections/suggestions while I get started on Chapter 7. I think we're on track for the mid-December release date.
----
Before I forget, the revised cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo:
Hope to put it up this weekend.
The proposed cover for Crisis on Terra-Bravo:
----
Remember, let's be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
I woke up Wednesday feeling worse than I did Tuesday, so I contacted the boss and went back for more rest. Around noon, I woke up feeling that something important was supposed to happen soon. Fortunately, I remembered that I had a dental appointment to prep for a crown around 1:00. Already medicated, I thought...Why not?!? And kept the appointment. Everything went well and last night I wrote 5 1/4 pages and 2,200 words!
Woke up this morning feeling good (not GREAT) but went in and worked on some image selection and illustration drafting for my primary project. Got parts of three chapters done! Then I learned a great friend and partner on numerous projects is leaving FPP for greener pastures. I'm both sad and happy.
Julie and I had a nice dinner and while she napped before work, I wrote 4 3/4 pages and 2,053 words tonight wrapping up Chapter 5. In total, from title page to the end of Chapter 5 is 76 pages! Wow!
----
Once I get the first six chapters written, Kyle is going to go over them and make corrections/suggestions while I get started on Chapter 7. I think we're on track for the mid-December release date.
----
Before I forget, the revised cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo:
Hope to put it up this weekend.
The proposed cover for Crisis on Terra-Bravo:
----
Remember, let's be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
More of This and That...
Accomplished quite a bit at work today laying the groundwork for my work
with a new committee on the latest revision of Principles of Aircraft
Rescue and Fire Fighting. Unfortunately, by late afternoon, I could feel
a migraine coming on so I came home, took some medication, and got some
rest.
----
Woke up later and did some work on the cover issue for Foothold on Terra-Bravo and Crisis on Terra-Bravo. After running an overnight cover contest on Facebook, everyone pretty much agreed that the existing cover was better than my attempts to recreate a scene from the book. I now plan to keep the existing Foothold cover with two minor modifications: a different font for the title and some modified Terras among those shown.
This will also become the common thread through the book covers with the Terras displayed in different manners to to reflect the different books.
----
I've been able to sit down and put together 3 1/2 pages and 1,444 words of Chapter 5. Not bad, not too bad at all.
----
Thus far, in 27 days, we've sold 40 copies of Foothold and had one returned. I was told by some of the fine folks at KBoards.com that August is historically a slow book sales month and that sales of Foothold are actually pretty good for the debut of a first e-book!
----
Not much else to report. Ready to go to sleep.
Stay safe, everyone!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
----
Woke up later and did some work on the cover issue for Foothold on Terra-Bravo and Crisis on Terra-Bravo. After running an overnight cover contest on Facebook, everyone pretty much agreed that the existing cover was better than my attempts to recreate a scene from the book. I now plan to keep the existing Foothold cover with two minor modifications: a different font for the title and some modified Terras among those shown.
This will also become the common thread through the book covers with the Terras displayed in different manners to to reflect the different books.
----
I've been able to sit down and put together 3 1/2 pages and 1,444 words of Chapter 5. Not bad, not too bad at all.
----
Thus far, in 27 days, we've sold 40 copies of Foothold and had one returned. I was told by some of the fine folks at KBoards.com that August is historically a slow book sales month and that sales of Foothold are actually pretty good for the debut of a first e-book!
----
Not much else to report. Ready to go to sleep.
Stay safe, everyone!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Technology and Writing
I've become spoiled by technology at my work. The computer systems that
are provided for editorial personnel include dual monitors to give us
more options to view a variety of data.
Naturally, I wanted at some point to do the same to my computer in my home office. I finally broke down and purchased the VGA y-splitter cord...only to discover my computer's video card would not support splitting my display. Argghhh!!!
Oh, well. Back to a single screen for now. Kyle says that he has sufficient components to build a PC that could support dual monitors. Maybe another father-son project in our future.
----
Had two more sales overnight and we received our first customer review. The gentleman enjoyed the story, gave us a solid 4, and some other feedback. Thank you, sir!
----
This past week I tried an experiment with revising the cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. I wasn't too happy with the colored-pencil version so I tried to do a water color version. What do you think?
----
I took last night off to go on a date with the Missus. We had a wonderful dinner, followed by a visit to our county fair. I expect to do some writing this evening, tomorrow evening, and the better part of Monday on Crisis on Terra-Bravo.
----
Yes! Chapter 4 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo is in the bag! Five pages and 2,389 words tonight. Ah, it's coming together.
Be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Naturally, I wanted at some point to do the same to my computer in my home office. I finally broke down and purchased the VGA y-splitter cord...only to discover my computer's video card would not support splitting my display. Argghhh!!!
Oh, well. Back to a single screen for now. Kyle says that he has sufficient components to build a PC that could support dual monitors. Maybe another father-son project in our future.
----
Had two more sales overnight and we received our first customer review. The gentleman enjoyed the story, gave us a solid 4, and some other feedback. Thank you, sir!
----
This past week I tried an experiment with revising the cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. I wasn't too happy with the colored-pencil version so I tried to do a water color version. What do you think?
I took last night off to go on a date with the Missus. We had a wonderful dinner, followed by a visit to our county fair. I expect to do some writing this evening, tomorrow evening, and the better part of Monday on Crisis on Terra-Bravo.
----
Yes! Chapter 4 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo is in the bag! Five pages and 2,389 words tonight. Ah, it's coming together.
Be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Back in the Saddle Again!
Okay, I didn't exactly set the screen on fire, but I got two pages and
just shy of 1,000 words written on Chapter 4 tonight! I did spend a
little time cleaning up and tweaking the revised cover design for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. I hope to color it with water colors this weekend.
Glad it's going to be a three-day weekend. I've got plenty to do on Crisis on Terra-Bravo!
Had another sale on Foothold on Terra-Bravo today. Hope sales pick up soon.
Be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Glad it's going to be a three-day weekend. I've got plenty to do on Crisis on Terra-Bravo!
Had another sale on Foothold on Terra-Bravo today. Hope sales pick up soon.
Be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Tweaking
Tweaking is a technical term that refers to "making minor changes to a project."
I haven't done any writing the last two nights as I've been tweaking the cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. The current cover was a stop-gap measure to get one made for the e-book and get the e-book e-published. I used some available images from a web page I built to describe the old DC Comics Multiverse and slapped it together in Power Point.
The original cover idea I had for Foothold was taken from a scene in the book. I pulled some photos for my artist to use as references to help design the cover, but due to computer problems, the cover wasn't ready when I was ready to publish the story. So the last two days, I've created some "artwork" more in line with what I wanted the cover to look like. Now understand, I'm a writer, not an artist so it's really, really rough. I've colored it with pencils which I'm not pleased with so I may try it with water colors this weekend. (I kept a b/w digital copy to use as a template. I plan to further tweak the volcanic ash cloud, the hills, and the grassy area.
Like I said, I write...I don't draw!
I do plan to resume writing Chapter 4 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo tomorrow night. I promise!!!
Sales have stalled on Foothold, temporarily, I hope. Kyle and I would really like to see it take off and sell, sell, sell... Still haven't received any Customer Reviews good or bad.
Until then...let's be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
I haven't done any writing the last two nights as I've been tweaking the cover for Foothold on Terra-Bravo. The current cover was a stop-gap measure to get one made for the e-book and get the e-book e-published. I used some available images from a web page I built to describe the old DC Comics Multiverse and slapped it together in Power Point.
The original cover idea I had for Foothold was taken from a scene in the book. I pulled some photos for my artist to use as references to help design the cover, but due to computer problems, the cover wasn't ready when I was ready to publish the story. So the last two days, I've created some "artwork" more in line with what I wanted the cover to look like. Now understand, I'm a writer, not an artist so it's really, really rough. I've colored it with pencils which I'm not pleased with so I may try it with water colors this weekend. (I kept a b/w digital copy to use as a template. I plan to further tweak the volcanic ash cloud, the hills, and the grassy area.
Like I said, I write...I don't draw!
I do plan to resume writing Chapter 4 of Crisis on Terra-Bravo tomorrow night. I promise!!!
Sales have stalled on Foothold, temporarily, I hope. Kyle and I would really like to see it take off and sell, sell, sell... Still haven't received any Customer Reviews good or bad.
Until then...let's be careful out there!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
General Update
What a day! Got quite a bit done on my projects at work! (Of course, there's still so much yet to accomplish.)
----
Internet and cable issues on the home scene this afternoon that had to be dealt with. Fortunately, I opted to have them contact me instead of just taking the afternoon off and waiting for the technician to show up. He missed the 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. appointment. Then he missed the revised 5:45 - 7:00 p.m. appointment. Finally, another tech was sent and arrived around 7:30 this evening and quickly figured out that the cable line through my backyard was damaged somewhere between the house and the box in the alley. Have Internet and cable once more thanks to a temporary cable! Unfortunately, I didn't get my walk in or have as much time writing as I'd hoped.
----
With the Internet back up, I discovered that one of my "young" troops from my USAF days is in the hospital. He had a heart episode today and is undergoing a cath-procedure in the morning. Mike, I'm praying all goes well!
----
I did get a couple of hours in on Crisis on Terra-Bravo tonight. About 2 pages and over 700 words. Not great, but not bad.
----
I've also made sufficient posts on KBoards to warrant a clickable cover link to Foothold on Terra-Bravo's Kindle Store page. I've also noticed an uptick in traffic here on my blog, which may be coming from KBoards' members.
----
Until next time, stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
----
Internet and cable issues on the home scene this afternoon that had to be dealt with. Fortunately, I opted to have them contact me instead of just taking the afternoon off and waiting for the technician to show up. He missed the 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. appointment. Then he missed the revised 5:45 - 7:00 p.m. appointment. Finally, another tech was sent and arrived around 7:30 this evening and quickly figured out that the cable line through my backyard was damaged somewhere between the house and the box in the alley. Have Internet and cable once more thanks to a temporary cable! Unfortunately, I didn't get my walk in or have as much time writing as I'd hoped.
----
With the Internet back up, I discovered that one of my "young" troops from my USAF days is in the hospital. He had a heart episode today and is undergoing a cath-procedure in the morning. Mike, I'm praying all goes well!
----
I did get a couple of hours in on Crisis on Terra-Bravo tonight. About 2 pages and over 700 words. Not great, but not bad.
----
I've also made sufficient posts on KBoards to warrant a clickable cover link to Foothold on Terra-Bravo's Kindle Store page. I've also noticed an uptick in traffic here on my blog, which may be coming from KBoards' members.
----
Until next time, stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
This, That, and More...
The day got off to a slow start with a stiff lower back and some sunburn
across the shoulders. Went online to discover that we'd sold three more
copies of Foothold on Terra-Bravo
overnight! Julie and I went for a short walk at the lake, did some
shopping, and donated some books to the local library for their
semi-annual book sale.
----
While Julie took a nap, I sat down with my laptop and my heated back massager and did some writing. Didn't accomplish much at that time, so I shut things down for a bit. And then zonked out for an hour in my chair. Usually a short nap leaves me grouchy but I woke up refreshed!
----
Wrote some more this evening and was pleasantly surprised to find that I'd:
1) finished Chapter 3
2) tweaked my outline
3) started Chapter 4
4) written 5 pages and 2,170 words
Not too shabby!
Not much else to report tonight, so I'm going to sign off for now.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
----
While Julie took a nap, I sat down with my laptop and my heated back massager and did some writing. Didn't accomplish much at that time, so I shut things down for a bit. And then zonked out for an hour in my chair. Usually a short nap leaves me grouchy but I woke up refreshed!
----
Wrote some more this evening and was pleasantly surprised to find that I'd:
1) finished Chapter 3
2) tweaked my outline
3) started Chapter 4
4) written 5 pages and 2,170 words
Not too shabby!
Not much else to report tonight, so I'm going to sign off for now.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Of Lawns, BBQs, and Continuity Errors
Made some headway last night, but spent the majority of the evening
helping the Missus with a quilt. We had an enjoyable evening and I did
get in some writing.
Saturdays have long been my day for mowing the yards (front, back, and behind the fence) and today was no different. You can tell classes have resumed at our local university, the students are literally driving people crazy and are making a mess in the "alley" south of my house. Used my phone video to record the mess they made, then returned the items to their side of the fence.
Today we had Sean and Kyle and their families over for a BBQ. It's been a while since our last one! I fired up the brick BBQ my sons, father-in-law, and I built in the backyard and cooked up some burgers and hotdogs. Much fun (and good food) was had by all!
----
Chatted with Kyle after dinner and discussed the modifications to the second book. He pointed out a couple of items from Foothold that I'd forgotten to address in this second book. (Oh, the title has changed. Book Two of the Terra-Bravo series will now be Crisis on Terra-Bravo.) Glad he caught it now instead of later (or...*gasp* on of YOU finding the problem later!!!).
So, I took the time to sit down at the ol' computer and peck at the keys a bit. First, I fixed my slip ups, then pressed on with the rest of Chapter 3. After a couple of hours, about 2 1/2 pages and 997 words.
Found out that KBoards has a book profile page for each book a Kindle author has. Here's the profile page with some sample text from Foothold on Terra-Bravo.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Saturdays have long been my day for mowing the yards (front, back, and behind the fence) and today was no different. You can tell classes have resumed at our local university, the students are literally driving people crazy and are making a mess in the "alley" south of my house. Used my phone video to record the mess they made, then returned the items to their side of the fence.
Today we had Sean and Kyle and their families over for a BBQ. It's been a while since our last one! I fired up the brick BBQ my sons, father-in-law, and I built in the backyard and cooked up some burgers and hotdogs. Much fun (and good food) was had by all!
----
Chatted with Kyle after dinner and discussed the modifications to the second book. He pointed out a couple of items from Foothold that I'd forgotten to address in this second book. (Oh, the title has changed. Book Two of the Terra-Bravo series will now be Crisis on Terra-Bravo.) Glad he caught it now instead of later (or...*gasp* on of YOU finding the problem later!!!).
So, I took the time to sit down at the ol' computer and peck at the keys a bit. First, I fixed my slip ups, then pressed on with the rest of Chapter 3. After a couple of hours, about 2 1/2 pages and 997 words.
Found out that KBoards has a book profile page for each book a Kindle author has. Here's the profile page with some sample text from Foothold on Terra-Bravo.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
A Really Good Night!
I had a really good day at the office and an equally good night at home!
Sat down this evening with the intent of getting at least 5 pages of Chapter 3 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo written. Realized I needed to insert a new Chapter 3 into the mix, so tweaked my rough outline, then devised a title for the new Chapter 3, and finally got to writing. About three hours later, I'm tapped out.
Page and word counts for tonight are...5 1/2 pages and 2,311 words! Woo hoo! Thus far, TCoT-B is 34 1/2 pages and 14,836 words in length. I'm shooting for roughing 200 pages and 19 chapters.
I'm also flirting with a title change. Instead of The Colony on Terra-Bravo, I'm considering Crisis on Terra-Bravo. If I do change it, TCoT-B would probably become the title of the third book.
----
On a related note, I woke up to a pleasant surprise this morning with three new purchases on Foothold on Terra-Bravo in my KDP Sales Report. That made a total of four sales yesterday. My next goals are to see a 5-unit day, then a 10-unit, and growing from there.
Some advertizing opportunities are just around the corner so I expect sales to pick up!
So, it's bedtime for this grey-haired feller.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Sat down this evening with the intent of getting at least 5 pages of Chapter 3 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo written. Realized I needed to insert a new Chapter 3 into the mix, so tweaked my rough outline, then devised a title for the new Chapter 3, and finally got to writing. About three hours later, I'm tapped out.
Page and word counts for tonight are...5 1/2 pages and 2,311 words! Woo hoo! Thus far, TCoT-B is 34 1/2 pages and 14,836 words in length. I'm shooting for roughing 200 pages and 19 chapters.
I'm also flirting with a title change. Instead of The Colony on Terra-Bravo, I'm considering Crisis on Terra-Bravo. If I do change it, TCoT-B would probably become the title of the third book.
----
On a related note, I woke up to a pleasant surprise this morning with three new purchases on Foothold on Terra-Bravo in my KDP Sales Report. That made a total of four sales yesterday. My next goals are to see a 5-unit day, then a 10-unit, and growing from there.
Some advertizing opportunities are just around the corner so I expect sales to pick up!
So, it's bedtime for this grey-haired feller.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
A Couple of Slow Nights
Well, the last two nights have been slow going.
Last night I wrote just over two pages and almost 900 words. Far less than I'd hoped for.
Well, tonight I was able to do a little more than two pages and close to 900 words! Not exactly setting the digital page on fire, but even Heinlein and Stine would say I made some headway. I could have written nothing after at all!
The good news is I've completed Chapter 2 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo! So tomorrow night, I'll begin work on Chapter 3.
----
I succeeded in getting an account on KBoards, a site for Kindle owners and authors. It'll give me a chance to chat with other authors, learn their secrets for advertizing their books and stories, network, and help me advertize the book there as well.
----
Foothold on Terra-Bravo continues to sell at the Kindle Store. Would like to remind folks to leave customer feedback once they've finished reading the story. After I get several feedback comments, it opens up options for advertizing on some other sites.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Last night I wrote just over two pages and almost 900 words. Far less than I'd hoped for.
Well, tonight I was able to do a little more than two pages and close to 900 words! Not exactly setting the digital page on fire, but even Heinlein and Stine would say I made some headway. I could have written nothing after at all!
The good news is I've completed Chapter 2 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo! So tomorrow night, I'll begin work on Chapter 3.
----
I succeeded in getting an account on KBoards, a site for Kindle owners and authors. It'll give me a chance to chat with other authors, learn their secrets for advertizing their books and stories, network, and help me advertize the book there as well.
----
Foothold on Terra-Bravo continues to sell at the Kindle Store. Would like to remind folks to leave customer feedback once they've finished reading the story. After I get several feedback comments, it opens up options for advertizing on some other sites.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
A Good Night to Write!
What a busy day and such a good night...to write! Got a lot accomplished
at the office today in the technical editing realm. Got home in time
for a very enjoyable walk with the Missus and then a haircut. Hey, I was
getting shaggy! (My USAF background, no doubt!)
Once the Boss Lady headed off to work, I was able to sit down and do a little tweaking on Chapter 1 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo. That, in turn, led me back to Chapter 2 with some slam bang action and some major events unfolding amongst our intrepid band of colonists.
Ah...the suspense is palpable, eh?
Well, you can't read it yet. As Sheldon Cooper would say, "Neener, neener, neener."
All in all, over 5 new pages and over 2,000 words tonight! Not bad at all!
----
So, what's it like to be a technical writer/editor by day and a prose writer by night (and weekends)?
Well, they are both forms of writing:
-- one bare bones and to the point; focused on transferring knowledge and skills
-- the other more free flowing, rambling, and descriptive.
They both entail use of language, vocabulary, rules of grammar, and so on.
To me, the biggest difference is a matter of volume. With technical writing, I strive for clear, concise, and precise statements. In prose writing, I can be as descriptive as I feel my audience will allow. I can't be as verbose as Edgar Rice Burroughs or Isaac Asimov (an older more formal approach) but I'm somewhat more so than G. Harry Stine or Robert A. Heinlein (a less formal approach).
But both technical and prose writing provide me with a means to express myself creatively to different audiences.
----
Not much else to report tonight so I bid you each a good night!
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Once the Boss Lady headed off to work, I was able to sit down and do a little tweaking on Chapter 1 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo. That, in turn, led me back to Chapter 2 with some slam bang action and some major events unfolding amongst our intrepid band of colonists.
Ah...the suspense is palpable, eh?
Well, you can't read it yet. As Sheldon Cooper would say, "Neener, neener, neener."
All in all, over 5 new pages and over 2,000 words tonight! Not bad at all!
----
So, what's it like to be a technical writer/editor by day and a prose writer by night (and weekends)?
Well, they are both forms of writing:
-- one bare bones and to the point; focused on transferring knowledge and skills
-- the other more free flowing, rambling, and descriptive.
They both entail use of language, vocabulary, rules of grammar, and so on.
To me, the biggest difference is a matter of volume. With technical writing, I strive for clear, concise, and precise statements. In prose writing, I can be as descriptive as I feel my audience will allow. I can't be as verbose as Edgar Rice Burroughs or Isaac Asimov (an older more formal approach) but I'm somewhat more so than G. Harry Stine or Robert A. Heinlein (a less formal approach).
But both technical and prose writing provide me with a means to express myself creatively to different audiences.
----
Not much else to report tonight so I bid you each a good night!
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Driving and the Creative Process
This weekend, Julie and I helped our youngest move back into the dorms
to start his second year of college (Huzzah! Empty-nesters, again!).
It's roughly 7 hours to his university from our house, so I did plenty
of driving on Saturday and Sunday.
Between conversations with Julie, my mind wandered back to The Colony on Terra-Bravo. I realized I'd goofed when dealing with a problem in the first chapter and with some minor tweaking (a highly technical term for "rewriting") in that chapter, I could create significant problems for our hero and his personnel over the course of the book.
By the time we reached our daughter's house on Saturday, I'd added some major tension to the storyline and tightened up some loose ends nicely. By the time we arrived home this evening, I'd mentally made significant changes to the outline for The Colony on Terra-Bravo that should only IMPROVE the book as a whole!
Once we got home, played with Remi (our Lab-Australian Shepard mix pup), and unloaded the vehicle, it was time for me to update the outline on my computer to prepare for this week's writing frenzy! Look out, Terra-Bravo...starting tomorrow night, I'm gonna rock your alternate reality!
----
Foothold on Terra-Bravo is moving along at the Kindle Storage. While I can't say it's flying off the shelves, we are getting sales. I'm looking forward to getting the word out on a variety of e-book websites and forums in the very near future.
----
Before closing tonight, I'd like to give a shout-out to a friend and co-worker who is hair follicles deep in a 48-hour film creation project / competition! He and some friends took 2nd place and some other awards with a previous entry and should do even better this time around! Brad, here's wishing you and your team all the best!!!
----
'Til next time...Stay Safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Between conversations with Julie, my mind wandered back to The Colony on Terra-Bravo. I realized I'd goofed when dealing with a problem in the first chapter and with some minor tweaking (a highly technical term for "rewriting") in that chapter, I could create significant problems for our hero and his personnel over the course of the book.
By the time we reached our daughter's house on Saturday, I'd added some major tension to the storyline and tightened up some loose ends nicely. By the time we arrived home this evening, I'd mentally made significant changes to the outline for The Colony on Terra-Bravo that should only IMPROVE the book as a whole!
Once we got home, played with Remi (our Lab-Australian Shepard mix pup), and unloaded the vehicle, it was time for me to update the outline on my computer to prepare for this week's writing frenzy! Look out, Terra-Bravo...starting tomorrow night, I'm gonna rock your alternate reality!
----
Foothold on Terra-Bravo is moving along at the Kindle Storage. While I can't say it's flying off the shelves, we are getting sales. I'm looking forward to getting the word out on a variety of e-book websites and forums in the very near future.
----
Before closing tonight, I'd like to give a shout-out to a friend and co-worker who is hair follicles deep in a 48-hour film creation project / competition! He and some friends took 2nd place and some other awards with a previous entry and should do even better this time around! Brad, here's wishing you and your team all the best!!!
----
'Til next time...Stay Safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
A Detour in the Writing Process
Two good nights of writing on Chapter 2 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo.
Made some serious headway on that chapter. Unfortunately, I'm going to
miss tomorrow night as the Missus and I shall be driving our youngest
back to college this weekend. I might get a little more writing in
tonight and maybe some on Sunday night.
I've received some positive comments from friends who have purchased and are reading Foothold on Terra-Bravo. They seem to be enjoying it thus far and I encourage everyone who reads the book to leave a customer review on Amazon and send me some feedback via Facebook Messaging or on the comments section of this blog.
A big shout out to Gary Tuttle for his feedback today. I've got some stuff up my sleeve for Book 2 that should make you very happy!
Once The Colony on Terra-Bravo is published, I want to write up the prequel to the Terra-Bravo Series. I've tentatively titled it: Terra-Prime: Civil War!
-----
Before I forget, thank you to everyone who wrote to express concern over the yellow jacket sting. Thanks to modern medicine, the hand is all healed up and doing well!
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
I've received some positive comments from friends who have purchased and are reading Foothold on Terra-Bravo. They seem to be enjoying it thus far and I encourage everyone who reads the book to leave a customer review on Amazon and send me some feedback via Facebook Messaging or on the comments section of this blog.
A big shout out to Gary Tuttle for his feedback today. I've got some stuff up my sleeve for Book 2 that should make you very happy!
Once The Colony on Terra-Bravo is published, I want to write up the prequel to the Terra-Bravo Series. I've tentatively titled it: Terra-Prime: Civil War!
-----
Before I forget, thank you to everyone who wrote to express concern over the yellow jacket sting. Thanks to modern medicine, the hand is all healed up and doing well!
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Storytelling
One of the earliest entertainment careers in human history was that of
the storyteller. These individuals would weave tales to enchant,
entertain, and delight their listeners. Today, those people are the
writers who create our literature, write our television shows and
movies, and such.
I've been a teller of stories for many years for my family, my friends, and many others. Some of my stories have been around for decades (such as Terra-Bravo) and others. Others are more recent.
One thing I've learned recently is that I must prioritize what I want to write about, to ensure I get as much written and out to my readers as I can. Story ideas have a tendency to compete for my attention and I've had to organize them to better use my writing time.
I've got a number of ideas on the "drawing board" so to speak, each waiting their turn for my attentions. These ideas include:
- The sequel to Foothold on Terra-Bravo (tentatively called The Colony on Terra-Bravo).
- At least one prequel novel for the Terra-Bravo series introducing the back story of many of the key characters of the series.
- A collection of 10 to 12 short science fiction and fantasy stories I've been working on for some time. One is complete with 2 or 3 in various stages of development.
- If all goes well with the Terra-Bravo series, a third book in the series.
- A star spanning science fiction / war novel.
- A collection of my Hubpages Hubs (articles).
As you can see, I've plenty to keep me busy and I've promised myself to complete as many of these projects as possible in the next couple of years.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
I've been a teller of stories for many years for my family, my friends, and many others. Some of my stories have been around for decades (such as Terra-Bravo) and others. Others are more recent.
One thing I've learned recently is that I must prioritize what I want to write about, to ensure I get as much written and out to my readers as I can. Story ideas have a tendency to compete for my attention and I've had to organize them to better use my writing time.
I've got a number of ideas on the "drawing board" so to speak, each waiting their turn for my attentions. These ideas include:
- The sequel to Foothold on Terra-Bravo (tentatively called The Colony on Terra-Bravo).
- At least one prequel novel for the Terra-Bravo series introducing the back story of many of the key characters of the series.
- A collection of 10 to 12 short science fiction and fantasy stories I've been working on for some time. One is complete with 2 or 3 in various stages of development.
- If all goes well with the Terra-Bravo series, a third book in the series.
- A star spanning science fiction / war novel.
- A collection of my Hubpages Hubs (articles).
As you can see, I've plenty to keep me busy and I've promised myself to complete as many of these projects as possible in the next couple of years.
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Onward!
Well, the meds are doing a great job clearing up the effects of the
yellow jacket sting. The swelling and pain are gone and I can move all
of the fingers on my right hand easily once more! Now if it would just
STOP itching!!!
Wrapped up the ending to Chapter 1. Wasn't happy with what I wrote last night so I tweaked it and am happier for doing so.
So...
Onward!
To Chapter 2 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo, that is.
It's off to a slow start. Lots of dialogue, never my favorite part of writing but I'm getting better at it. (At least, I'd like to think so!) Maybe it's because the characters are becoming more clearly defined in my mind.
Three pages tonight. Not a lot, but not bad.
I am content.
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wrapped up the ending to Chapter 1. Wasn't happy with what I wrote last night so I tweaked it and am happier for doing so.
So...
Onward!
To Chapter 2 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo, that is.
It's off to a slow start. Lots of dialogue, never my favorite part of writing but I'm getting better at it. (At least, I'd like to think so!) Maybe it's because the characters are becoming more clearly defined in my mind.
Three pages tonight. Not a lot, but not bad.
I am content.
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday Evening Update
Well, the steroids and antibiotics seem to be kicking in! The swelling
in my hand has gone down a bit, relieving the internal pressure, and
easing the pain a bit. I can even move my fingers much easier.
So, I sat my buttocks down at the computer and tried to do some writing on Chapter 1 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo. Thus far, I've written almost three pages! I plan to take a short break and do a little more before turning in. May even finish Chapter 1 tonight!
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
So, I sat my buttocks down at the computer and tried to do some writing on Chapter 1 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo. Thus far, I've written almost three pages! I plan to take a short break and do a little more before turning in. May even finish Chapter 1 tonight!
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Benedryl Dreaming
I had big plans for this past weekend. I was going to finish Chapter 1 of The Colony on Terra-Bravo and, with any luck, start on Chapter 2. Maybe write a Hub or two for Hubpages.
Of course, before I could do any of the fun stuff weekends provide, I had to mow the yards (front, back, and alley). Saturday morning dawned clear and cool. The lawn mower started on the first pull and away I went. I started in the alley between my back fence and the housing subdivision next door. The alley is about 5 feet across and 120 feet long so three quick passes with the mower and that would be done.
The college students who rent in the subdivision tend to throw their trash (beer bottles, cans, and such) in the alley, so I normally watch where the mower meets the grass as opposed to straight ahead. Ten feet into the first pass and *owtch!* (Insert favorite epithets here!) Something stung my on the outer edge of my right hand. As I backed up, I looked up to see a swarm of yellow jackets heading my way.
I broke all world land speed records for a man my age and weight while demonstrating the better part of valor. (He who turns and runs away, yada, yada, yada!) Reaching the house, I asked my wife to get me a couple of benedryl tablets, while I searched for the wasp spray. With benedryl washed down and wasp spray in hand, I made my way stealthily back to the alley. In true military fashion, I surrounded the "enemy" with wave after wave of wasp spray streaming outward under high pressure.
As the swarm writhed their final wriggling death roll, I retreated once more to my backyard and proceeded to put away the mower and weed eater. No more lawn care for me that day! I returned to the security of the house and washed up.
Well, to make a long story short (too LATE!), the benedryl kicked in. While doing their duty to prevent anaphylaxis, the benedryl also worked their usual wonder upon me...they knocked me out! Hour followed hour as I slept the day away. Awakening hours later, with hand throbbing painfully, I took some aspirin and another benedryl and thus we draw a close to Saturday.
Sunday was another beautiful day. After another successful commando raid on yellow jacket HQ, the lawns were successfully mowed and I was once more showered and shaved. Also, hot, tired, and exhausted...so back to bed and sleep.
So, Monday dawned with a more swollen hand, work on the horizon, and *sigh* nothing accomplished on Terra-Bravo Book 2. After a quick visit to the family doctor and the pharmacy, things are well (or at least better) in hand. (Hey, I'm a monster punster...get over it!)
So Tuesday, yes Tuesday, I shall return once more to the track for a thought provoking walk and then, finally, back to Chapter 1!
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
Of course, before I could do any of the fun stuff weekends provide, I had to mow the yards (front, back, and alley). Saturday morning dawned clear and cool. The lawn mower started on the first pull and away I went. I started in the alley between my back fence and the housing subdivision next door. The alley is about 5 feet across and 120 feet long so three quick passes with the mower and that would be done.
The college students who rent in the subdivision tend to throw their trash (beer bottles, cans, and such) in the alley, so I normally watch where the mower meets the grass as opposed to straight ahead. Ten feet into the first pass and *owtch!* (Insert favorite epithets here!) Something stung my on the outer edge of my right hand. As I backed up, I looked up to see a swarm of yellow jackets heading my way.
I broke all world land speed records for a man my age and weight while demonstrating the better part of valor. (He who turns and runs away, yada, yada, yada!) Reaching the house, I asked my wife to get me a couple of benedryl tablets, while I searched for the wasp spray. With benedryl washed down and wasp spray in hand, I made my way stealthily back to the alley. In true military fashion, I surrounded the "enemy" with wave after wave of wasp spray streaming outward under high pressure.
As the swarm writhed their final wriggling death roll, I retreated once more to my backyard and proceeded to put away the mower and weed eater. No more lawn care for me that day! I returned to the security of the house and washed up.
Well, to make a long story short (too LATE!), the benedryl kicked in. While doing their duty to prevent anaphylaxis, the benedryl also worked their usual wonder upon me...they knocked me out! Hour followed hour as I slept the day away. Awakening hours later, with hand throbbing painfully, I took some aspirin and another benedryl and thus we draw a close to Saturday.
Sunday was another beautiful day. After another successful commando raid on yellow jacket HQ, the lawns were successfully mowed and I was once more showered and shaved. Also, hot, tired, and exhausted...so back to bed and sleep.
So, Monday dawned with a more swollen hand, work on the horizon, and *sigh* nothing accomplished on Terra-Bravo Book 2. After a quick visit to the family doctor and the pharmacy, things are well (or at least better) in hand. (Hey, I'm a monster punster...get over it!)
So Tuesday, yes Tuesday, I shall return once more to the track for a thought provoking walk and then, finally, back to Chapter 1!
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Foothold on Terra-Bravo
Synopsis:
Foothold on Terra-Bravo is a set in the near future on a world very much like ours but in an alternate timeline. When the United States of that world is threatened with extinction, the recent discovery of other similar worlds in alternate timelines provides a lifeboat. The President orders U.S. Aerospace Force Brigadier General Kent Morgan to find a way keep the ideals of America alive.
The most habitable of the alternate worlds found has just come out of an ice age and still holds many dangers, some visible and some not. But the greatest danger is still growing on Terra-Prime and time is quickly running out.
Morgan must lead several teams of highly trained person to Terra-Bravo and, there, build a colony for the remaining colonists they hope will follow.
Foothold on Terra-Bravo is available as an e-book at the Kindle Store for $2.99.
----
I've started work on the second book in this series, tentatively named The Colony on Terra-Bravo. I'm well into Chapter 1 and hope to complete it in the next couple of days. More to come!
----
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
About Writing
In 1991, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite writers, G. Harry Stine. Mr. Stine was a man of many talents:
- Engineer
- Scientist
- Pilot
- Science writer
- Science fiction writer
- Columnist
- Inventer
- And so much more...
I was invited to sit down with him and chat about whatever I wanted. The first topic we discussed was his pseudonym (Lee Correy) and the fact that, in the pre-Internet age, it took almost three years to conclusively prove that G. Harry Stine (science writer) was also Lee Correy (science fiction writer). He told me that he'd never tried to hide the connection. In the 1950s, while working on rocket propulsion, his boss told him that he needed to use a pen name to separate his science work from his science fiction work. He also mentioned that a short time before our meeting, he'd been sitting on a panel with L. Sprague de Camp and mentioned that Lee Correy needed to write another book. De Camp, a friend for decades, was flabbergasted that Stine had never told him of his alter ego.
During the course of our meeting, I realized that Mr. Stine was interviewing me as much as I was chatting with him. When I asked him about this, he said that his mentor, Robert A. Heinlein, used to say that writers compete for people's beer money. If you like a writer's stories, you spend your beer money on that. When you stop liking a writer's stories, you go back to spending your money on beer!
I also asked him about his writing process. Mr. Stine said that Heinlein taught him to sit down at the keyboard (typewriter at first and, later, a word processor) with a blank sheet of paper in the machine starting at a given time each day and staying there for a certain amount of time. Sometimes you write and sometimes you don't, but you make the time and take the time to try to write.
Before we parted that day, I gave Mr. Stine a money clip attached to a miniature USAF Fire Protection badge. He smiled and showed it proudly to his wife, then said, "You know I'm involved in your career field, don't ya?" I later found out he served on 25 different National Fire Protection Association standards committees on everything from model rocketry to high explosives.
Mr. Stine and I maintained an occasional written correspondence for several years until his passing. I treasure my memories of our meeting and his willingness to share what he learned from his mentor, Robert A. Heinlein, with me.
----
As a kid, I used to bang out stories on an old Sears manual typewriter my parents purchased for me. Many of these stories were stuck into folders and have long since been lost to the ages (or the trash can...). Quite a few of the stories were written and sent to DC Comics (home of Superman and Batman among others) and to one editor in particular, Julius Schwartz.
Mr Schwartz had a nickname, B.O. which stood for...Be Original. I could wallpaper a room with the rejection letters I received from Mr. Schwartz over the years but I must say this about the man. In his letters, he ALWAYS took the time to explain why my story idea wouldn't work and he ALWAYS encouraged me to keep trying.
----
I became a technical writer at the USAF Fire School (Chanute AFB, IL) back in 1987 and went through an intensive 6-week course on technical writing and editing. This training ruined me for casual reading and writing for several years. I would obsess over even the most minor of errors. During that time, I devised and revised my assigned course documents time and time again.
It's only been in the last few years that I've returned to writing for personal reasons:
- My family and friends have encouraged me to put my stories into written form. (I suspect that they think my out-dated grey matter hard drive with limited storage space might crash!)
- I've watched a number of story ideas that I came up with be autonomously generated and published by other writers. (They didn't steal them. They came up with the ideas after I failed to publish mine!)
- I'd like to see my stories published and e-publishing has given me an avenue to do so.
----
As a technical editor for the premiere fire service training materials company, I spend a lot of time researching, writing, reviewing, editing...oh, and conducting photography, too! I have to admit, it's taken me many years to want to come home after work and sit down and write. But the words of Heinlein, as repeated by Stine, ring true. If a writer truly wants to write, they must make the time to sit down and take the time to write.
My introduction to Hubpages helped me break through the barriers and start writing for myself again. In fact, while it is late at night as I write this, I'll probably spend at least an hour working on Chapter One of The Colony on Terra-Bravo before turning in for the night.
Gotta run for now. The colonists of Terra-Bravo beckon...
Stay safe!
Jeff
- Engineer
- Scientist
- Pilot
- Science writer
- Science fiction writer
- Columnist
- Inventer
- And so much more...
I was invited to sit down with him and chat about whatever I wanted. The first topic we discussed was his pseudonym (Lee Correy) and the fact that, in the pre-Internet age, it took almost three years to conclusively prove that G. Harry Stine (science writer) was also Lee Correy (science fiction writer). He told me that he'd never tried to hide the connection. In the 1950s, while working on rocket propulsion, his boss told him that he needed to use a pen name to separate his science work from his science fiction work. He also mentioned that a short time before our meeting, he'd been sitting on a panel with L. Sprague de Camp and mentioned that Lee Correy needed to write another book. De Camp, a friend for decades, was flabbergasted that Stine had never told him of his alter ego.
During the course of our meeting, I realized that Mr. Stine was interviewing me as much as I was chatting with him. When I asked him about this, he said that his mentor, Robert A. Heinlein, used to say that writers compete for people's beer money. If you like a writer's stories, you spend your beer money on that. When you stop liking a writer's stories, you go back to spending your money on beer!
I also asked him about his writing process. Mr. Stine said that Heinlein taught him to sit down at the keyboard (typewriter at first and, later, a word processor) with a blank sheet of paper in the machine starting at a given time each day and staying there for a certain amount of time. Sometimes you write and sometimes you don't, but you make the time and take the time to try to write.
Before we parted that day, I gave Mr. Stine a money clip attached to a miniature USAF Fire Protection badge. He smiled and showed it proudly to his wife, then said, "You know I'm involved in your career field, don't ya?" I later found out he served on 25 different National Fire Protection Association standards committees on everything from model rocketry to high explosives.
Mr. Stine and I maintained an occasional written correspondence for several years until his passing. I treasure my memories of our meeting and his willingness to share what he learned from his mentor, Robert A. Heinlein, with me.
----
As a kid, I used to bang out stories on an old Sears manual typewriter my parents purchased for me. Many of these stories were stuck into folders and have long since been lost to the ages (or the trash can...). Quite a few of the stories were written and sent to DC Comics (home of Superman and Batman among others) and to one editor in particular, Julius Schwartz.
Mr Schwartz had a nickname, B.O. which stood for...Be Original. I could wallpaper a room with the rejection letters I received from Mr. Schwartz over the years but I must say this about the man. In his letters, he ALWAYS took the time to explain why my story idea wouldn't work and he ALWAYS encouraged me to keep trying.
----
I became a technical writer at the USAF Fire School (Chanute AFB, IL) back in 1987 and went through an intensive 6-week course on technical writing and editing. This training ruined me for casual reading and writing for several years. I would obsess over even the most minor of errors. During that time, I devised and revised my assigned course documents time and time again.
It's only been in the last few years that I've returned to writing for personal reasons:
- My family and friends have encouraged me to put my stories into written form. (I suspect that they think my out-dated grey matter hard drive with limited storage space might crash!)
- I've watched a number of story ideas that I came up with be autonomously generated and published by other writers. (They didn't steal them. They came up with the ideas after I failed to publish mine!)
- I'd like to see my stories published and e-publishing has given me an avenue to do so.
----
As a technical editor for the premiere fire service training materials company, I spend a lot of time researching, writing, reviewing, editing...oh, and conducting photography, too! I have to admit, it's taken me many years to want to come home after work and sit down and write. But the words of Heinlein, as repeated by Stine, ring true. If a writer truly wants to write, they must make the time to sit down and take the time to write.
My introduction to Hubpages helped me break through the barriers and start writing for myself again. In fact, while it is late at night as I write this, I'll probably spend at least an hour working on Chapter One of The Colony on Terra-Bravo before turning in for the night.
Gotta run for now. The colonists of Terra-Bravo beckon...
Stay safe!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Hubpages
Some folks have noticed from time to time that I've posted some links on
Facebook to articles I've written and published on Hubpages. I
discovered Hubpages in 2012 while searching for information on an old
Edgar Rice Burroughs character.
Hubpages is a website community where writers (called Hubbers) can post the content they generate (called Hubs) and earn money when Hubpages posts advertisements on their "Hubs." Many Hubbers can generate a Hub or two each day on a wide variety of topics from making apple pies to photography to zebra racing. (Okay, maybe not zebra racing...yet!) The more Hubs a writer has and the more views each Hub gets, the more money generated by the advertisements.
As of today, I've written 35 Hubs, mostly about old book series, comic books, movies/television, and other topics. I can usually research, write, and acquire images for a Hub in a couple of hours. While I'd like to say this has made me a ton of money, it hasn't...yet. I need to get my Hub count and viewership way up.
What writing Hubs has done is re-invigorate the creative writer in me! I call it "recharging my batteries" so that I feel more creative and more interested in writing.
If you'd like to check out some of my Hubs, my Hubpage profile can be found here!
Cheers, everybody!
Jeff
Hubpages is a website community where writers (called Hubbers) can post the content they generate (called Hubs) and earn money when Hubpages posts advertisements on their "Hubs." Many Hubbers can generate a Hub or two each day on a wide variety of topics from making apple pies to photography to zebra racing. (Okay, maybe not zebra racing...yet!) The more Hubs a writer has and the more views each Hub gets, the more money generated by the advertisements.
As of today, I've written 35 Hubs, mostly about old book series, comic books, movies/television, and other topics. I can usually research, write, and acquire images for a Hub in a couple of hours. While I'd like to say this has made me a ton of money, it hasn't...yet. I need to get my Hub count and viewership way up.
What writing Hubs has done is re-invigorate the creative writer in me! I call it "recharging my batteries" so that I feel more creative and more interested in writing.
If you'd like to check out some of my Hubs, my Hubpage profile can be found here!
Cheers, everybody!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Well, I've Finally Done It
Well, I've finally done it:
- Written a novel and got it e-published with the help of my son, Kyle!
and
- Started a blog!
The Novel:
Foothold on Terra-Bravo, the first book in a new science fiction/adventure series, is now available at the Kindle Store. The story has been pinging around in my mind for a couple of decades and the wife and kids have heard me describe it, rework it, and describe it again. They finally told me to get it written and so I did. In doing so, I realized I needed a little help with the dialog and Kyle jumped in to help. Thank you, son!
If you'd like to take a look, go here!
I've already begun work on the second book of the series, The Colony on Terra-Bravo. My game plan is to have it e-published by the end of 2013.
The Blog:
So, I've had an Internet presence for some time with the family website, Facebook, Hubpages, and other forums and such. Why a blog and why now? Well, truth to tell, to help promote the novel. While I've had numerous fire service training manuals published, this is my first novel and I want to promote it. See, there can be truth in advertising!
I've other books in mind at this time:
- The sequel to Foothold on Terra-Bravo (and, perhaps, a continuation of the series).
- A children's book series.
- A collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories I'm currently working on.
So, another place to brag about them is great!
I'll almost blog from time to time about the writing process, where I'm at on various project, and maybe just some miscellaneous meanderings of my middle-age mind.
So...welcome! Enjoy the experience! I sure plan to do so!
Jeff
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
and
- Started a blog!
The Novel:
Foothold on Terra-Bravo, the first book in a new science fiction/adventure series, is now available at the Kindle Store. The story has been pinging around in my mind for a couple of decades and the wife and kids have heard me describe it, rework it, and describe it again. They finally told me to get it written and so I did. In doing so, I realized I needed a little help with the dialog and Kyle jumped in to help. Thank you, son!
If you'd like to take a look, go here!
I've already begun work on the second book of the series, The Colony on Terra-Bravo. My game plan is to have it e-published by the end of 2013.
The Blog:
So, I've had an Internet presence for some time with the family website, Facebook, Hubpages, and other forums and such. Why a blog and why now? Well, truth to tell, to help promote the novel. While I've had numerous fire service training manuals published, this is my first novel and I want to promote it. See, there can be truth in advertising!
I've other books in mind at this time:
- The sequel to Foothold on Terra-Bravo (and, perhaps, a continuation of the series).
- A children's book series.
- A collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories I'm currently working on.
So, another place to brag about them is great!
I'll almost blog from time to time about the writing process, where I'm at on various project, and maybe just some miscellaneous meanderings of my middle-age mind.
So...welcome! Enjoy the experience! I sure plan to do so!
Jeff
© Jeffrey M. Fortney - 2013
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