Hey Space Cadets, I hope everyone is surviving the snow which has blanketed most of the United States.For those of you not in the States, well we hope you survived too!The Sleeping Legion Series books are doing well, and I’m continually amazed by that fact.I’m halfway through writing book three and hope to have it to the editor by the end of the month.I’m still excited about this project, and the next two afterwards so never fear I’ll disappear and leave you hanging!
So for today’s World Building Wednesday I’ve decided to talk about something that acts as a companion to your writing plan. Today I want to talk about our health, there is a proven medical correlation between physical health and mental agility.I’m not going to lie, the Army over prescribed me cortisone shots while I was deployed to keep me the field.They continued this as I transitioned into the VA (Veterans Administration) for my medical care.The excess cortisone combined with decreased physical activity due to my injuries resulted in my gaining weight.Lots of it.While my body was wounded and no longer as active as I wanted it to be, my lifestyle choices didn’t keep up.I kept drinking and eating like I was still running 5 miles a day, though given the delicious microbrews available these days, can you blame me?
A quick side tangent; unlike my misinformed Boss Man, I drink my beer in a cold frosty mug as God intended it to be drunk.Those wacky Brits seem to think we should drink beer warm!I mean, didn’t anyone go over to the island and tell them we had refrigeration?Next, they’re going to tell me they still cook with fire, instead of on the stove.Sigh, it’s a shame but I shall continue to persevere with my 5-Step Plan to educate him on the ways of the beer world.Wish me luck!
Okay, rant over… and now we resume your regularly scheduled programing!Since I started tracking my daily word counts, I noticed a trend.On the mornings where I got an early start with a walk, my writing improved.My neurologist tells me this is because blood flow, oxygen levels, as well as other medical sounding stuff that I didn’t even bother remembering.Due to this insight, and the knowledge that I can’t keep writing if I let myself spiral into an early grave, I’ve decided that 2017 is the year of the healthier me.I might never fit back into my Class A’s, but I can get down to a place where my doctors and wife aren’t worried.I’m 5’9” and weigh in at 341 pounds, this can’t continue.I promised I’d still be writing when my youngest son is older.He has it in his head that he’ll write a book with me someday.To do that, I have to turn this ship around.
And I shall, because my kids are worth it.As writers, we tend to spend a lot of solitary time in front of our monitor clacking away on our keyboards.This lifestyle of professional daydreaming can lend itself to inactivity and general unhealth.Let us all endeavor to turn that around so that we might live longer and write more.
We can do it.We HAVE to.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section, or are owned by JR Handley.
Hey Space Cadets, today I get the privilege of bringing you a topic I’m interested in, co-writing. One of my blogosphere friends, Steve Beaulieu, is a part of a dynamic writing team, and he’s going to share with you his process. But today isn’t about my ramblings so let’s get right to it!
So you’ve got this killer idea for a story. You’ve outlined it…twice. Now you are sitting down to write it. The first several chapters flow like milk and honey from the promised land. It’s as if God himself was pouring words through your pen (fingers on keyboard) onto paper (hopefully something more like pages or word). Then the unthinkable happens. You get stuck. Nothing will come to you. Every thought you have, if you have any at all, are among the stupidest ideas a writer could have. They are clichés and predictable – you don’t know what to do next. Now what?
If you’re anything like me, this means that you stop writing and your genius book—your outlined masterpiece—sits untouched for weeks, months or even years. For shame!
My name is Steve Beaulieu. I am half of Hall & Beaulieu Author Team. I am guilty of everything you just read about (except maybe outlining…I hate outlining).
That’s the end of my infomercial-style introduction…let me tell you what has helped me tremendously.
When I met Aaron Hall he was just another cool guy at the church I’m a pastor at. He played guitar and bass, and I play guitar and lead the music at the church, so we were a natural fit. After a period of time his roommate bought an Oculus Rift—another natural fit for me. I love gaming, although it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find time to play. After we were done checking out the nauseating wonder that was the OR we talked a bit about something else that we were both passionate about—writing.
Aaron has been a writer his whole life, literally. If you find yourself interested in his story, which is crazy cool, you can read about it here. I have too, but I never experienced the success he had. He may not have sold thousands of copies of his books, but he finished and printed nine novels. I had started and not completed twice that amount. As a matter of fact, I had/have a high fantasy novel that I started writing when I was 18 that is about 80 pages from completion that will likely never get finished all because I didn’t properly outline it and I had no idea where it needed to go next.
Truth is, it probably sucked anyway.
After he threw a couple of his books at me (his shortcoming is that he never tried to sell anything, he just gave it all away. He’s too giving for his own good) I offhandedly stated that we should co-write a book together. That quick remark led to a tremendous friendship and partnership that I never could have imagined.
I am an idea guy. I believe I’m a decent writer as well, but in my opinion, nowhere near his caliber. I have ideas for days that in order for them to see the light of day, I needed someone next to me to help see it through. Aaron has been that guy, and I’m pretty confident he would say something similar.
I know him well enough at this point that I could speak for him. Whereas his primary benefit to me was helping me stay focused and finish projects, I helped him to break down his stories and deepen the character and environmental development of them.
I believe anyone could benefit from some kind of writing partner. Maybe it won’t be someone who actually shares in the writing with you, as we do. But, instead, someone who brainstorms with you. We get together often to brainstorm our projects. It usually sounds like this…
“Maybe the main character (MC) would not respond well to the formula? Maybe they would freak out because their time in the laboratory reminds them too much of when they were in captivity at a young age. Maybe we just need to skip this section altogether and focus on the fact that he is currently standing in the middle of a garbage dump and there might be a little boy living there who is scared to death that there’s someone else in the dump.”
We bounce ideas back and forth. When typically we would have individually gone with that first idea, instead the brainstorming session led to the discovery of this little boy in the garbage dump. Just like in real life, our stories come alive…who knows what immense value this little boy will add to this story?
Everyone will experience partnerships in a(n) unique way. We do things a certain way, but it might not be what works best for you.
One of us will typically take the lead on a project. Strangely, our main project we are working on right now Brother Dust: The Resurgence, was my brainchild. It started out as a comic book I was writing and subsequently coloring. When things came to a standstill, this was the first thought I had when approaching Aaron to co-write a book with me. Main reason? I had a script with a full story in it that just needed to be fleshed out into novelization. He read the script and loved it. He immediately started working on it and I was in love with the work he did. He took a comic script and singled out a section of 6 panels and wrote an entire chapter on it. It was amazing.
Without a question, he became lead writer on the project. What happened from there was that he would write a chapter and send it my way. I would then “write into” the chapter. We have a cool benefit of both writing with very similar voices to the point where we forget which sections we wrote and which were written by the other. Not everyone will have that same style similarity. We did this, chapter by chapter for 25 chapters. The book is currently in editing stage.
Other projects, like our most recent release Sparkle Ship Shine, are done the opposite way. I lead and he “writes into”. This was a bit unique in that I decided to write a comedy, written in first person that turned into a witty horror story. 8,000 words altogether, about half of them are mine and half of them are his.
It’s been a fantastic journey so far. I don’t think I can name a single negative working with Aaron. Finding the right writing partner is like finding the right wife! Maybe not the same benefits though ;P
Hello Space Cadet, today I wanted to muse about some parts of my time in the Big Green Weenie.It inspired this Marine Monday post, as I tackle the role that cadences and martial music in the development of military culture and mores.I hope you enjoy my ramblings, feel free to join the conversation afterwards!Without further ado, let the ramblings begin.
Everyone who has ever served in the military knows a universal truth: the value of music. You’re taught to march through music. Yes, I know they stopped using marching bands to train with years ago. Yes, I also know that they don’t even have lone buglers or drummers leading the charge. However, we were all taught to march via the musical stylings of our sergeants or petty officers. Shh, I won’t let on that I know your age (spies be spying) if you let me pretend everyone was smart enough to go Army! Hey, it keeps it simple because I can say sergeant instead of remembering petty officers and whatever the heck the Coasties and the Air Force had.
Think back, dust off that fuzzy sounding eight track and start running through your memories.Do you remember them? The marching cadences used to keep you in step? The sing-songy sound of your sergeant’s bellow? Something about yellow ribbons, Chuck Norris and ladies in multi-colored dresses. I had the rare privilege of having seen these cadences at all levels, the ones used for boot recruits, sergeants at the NCO Academy and officers in training. Yes, I know they’ve changed the name of the NCO school many times…. But hey, if I tried to keep current with that fiasco I wouldn’t have time to write this wee post or book three in The Sleeping Legion Series so go with it.
Yesterday I was using music to soothe the soul of several wild animals, most notably my two children, and the music they requested from Dad’s YouTube DJ Services took me places. My eldest asked for the soothing sounds of 1990s heavy metal, though you might call it light rock today, so much has the market changed. Guns-N-Roses, Metallica, Motley Crew…. The usual for kids these days, and if it isn’t it dang well should be. I was instantly taken back to my youth, rebellious thoughts of parental mutinies and my daring but unfulfilled plans to woo that special girl. To protect the innocent, I will call her Kimberly, but since I’m the writer here you’ll have to trust me when I say it isn’t important.
Anyway, after walking down the primrose path of my pubescent mental mausoleum, my eldest son’s turn was over and number two got his shot. What did he request? Ugh, he chose Army marching cadences. I know you’re asking yourself why my son might request the cool marching cadences of HAIL OH HAIL OH INFANTRY, but that’s probably not important. Had nothing to do with daddy’s gross lacking of musical depth, namely knowing zero lullabies, which led to some hypothetical person singing Army cadences to his colicky son. Hey, it was the ots! I mean, the double zeros excuse everything, that crazy post-Y2K time in our history.
So I kept my word, much to my wife’s chagrin, and I hit play to a few Army cadences. My seven-year-old joyfully marched in place to the sounds of unseen sergeants extolling the joys of war. “Off to battle we will go, to live or die, hell I don’t know” seemed perfectly rational when an 18-year-old Private Handley sang it on his way to the nastiest DFAC this side of Hades… but out of the mouth of my grinning cherub? I shuddered, I cringed, my wife bopped my head! I watched Kentuck drink out of the Euphrates fricken River, and then shared a bottle of Gatorade and cigars with him. (Note to self: brush teeth a few extra hundred times.)I did a multitude of other gross stuff, just to fit in with my fellow grunts.Somewhere, my doppelganger is still screaming to his buddies “Hey yall, watch this!” But all that paled when listening to my sweet boy, my little buddy, sing of death and war. It shook me to the core.
I’m not one of those apologists who throw medals over political fences. I won’t say I’m sorry for fighting my country’s wars, my job was to fight.I was good at it, and many of us came home because of the skilled riflemen I had the privilege to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with.While it was my job to fight, it was my fellow citizens and the politicians they elect, whose job it was to determined when and where they unleashed the beast. Not a perfect system, but it beats the alternatives. But, unlike my Handley predecessors, I will gladly surrender the mantel of ‘military family.’ We’ve done enough, let the Jones have the ball for a few generations. My sons, I want them to be patriotic, but maybe with a slight contrarian hippy bent? A few peace signs and tie dyed shirts to add to the effect?Maybe even a dreaded pair of Birkenstocks? For you Brits reading this, think along the line of Guy Fawkes…. And if I mangle that geopolitical reference, I can blame Tim! Hey, blaming your predecessors is practically cannon over here!
Right, back on track… sorry, the wife had to beat me about the head and shoulders so the hamsters knew I meant business. Rest easy, they are back on that spinning wheel and we’re back on course. After I got over the shock of seeing a babe singing a violent military cadence, I realized something. We modern soldiers, those raised in a more genteel time, we NEED those cadences. Why? They prepare us for the idea of death; ours and theirs. They teach us to dehumanize our enemies and make us more comfortable with the idea of killing them first.It reminds me of the quote from Karate Kid, the motto of the Cobra Kai Dojo. “Strike fast, strike hard, no mercy sir!”
One author, a Mr. Dave Grossman, wrote a book ON KILLING about how the military used systematic approaches to accomplish the goal of preparing soldiers to kill and possibly die in war. Some have argued that this was a seminal book on the subject, and while I’ve not read it since my head injury, I instinctively realized how those cadences from long ago shaped my world view. I learned to hate the dreaded commie as I humped the hills of Fort Benning, GA. I learned of vaunted Airborne Rangers left dying in the mud, though I always thought Patton had it right, better let them die for their country instead. I remember fondly a cadence where the mythical soldier is asked how he earns his living, to which he replies: “with a cold kind of nod, I earn my living killing commies for my God.” We later learn that an acceptable way to do this is with your K-bar (combat knife). To save you from hearing me give you all the examples, I’ve posted links to a few at the bottom of the article.
So, I’ll assume you’re still with me because otherwise you’d have left the thread already. Now that we have shown how a largely peaceful civilian culture prepares warriors to fight and die, let us consider the world created by author Tim C. Taylor. Okay, I really do love his work but I’ll end my fanboy stuff here, I swear. So, in the universe of Tim’s Human Legion Saga there are no civilians, everyone’s a combatant. At least, the Marines in the Human Marine Corps are only exposed to militarism from birth, it’s possible that the culture of the White Knights is different… Maybe we’ll learn more in Book 6, The Battle for Earth?
Now that we’ve established the universe, how would their teachings differ from ours? Would these crèchelings/novices/cadets even need cadences to accustom them to their new reality? And what does one sing about when you have no non-martial references from which to draw upon? Who would be their mythical Jody, the bogyman who steals your girl or guy, while you’re gone when it’s likely your lover would deploy with you? And on a broader subject, how would their purely military society differ from ours? I’d bet their food would be worse, military cooks are the pits! I remember a DFAC at Fort Hunter-Ligget that even screwed up a burger! How do you mess up a burger? Ugh, but I digress. Seriously though, in what ways would daily life be different in world free of civilians? Do they trade in their humanity in the name of efficiency?And what would such a world produce for the lullabies which we take for granted when we’re singing them to our young? What kind of fairy tales exist in this militaristic society? I won’t pretend to have any answers, but the questions are intriguing. Let’s be honest, it is what makes science fiction so great in the first place!
Anyway, this was all just food for thought but let’s talk about it in the comment section!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are owned by JR Handley.
Hey Space Cadets, just a quick note to tell you that the gracious people over at Tickety Boo Press Ltd. have given me some space in their forums. It’s designed to be a place for readers and writers and everyone in-between to chat about books and their love of the written word. Pop over and say hi, leave a comment and join us in the usual shenanigans!! Now, if you haven’t finished your gift shopping or wrapping… what are you doing in front of your computer? GO!!! Otherwise, click here to join us in the forums to talk books!
Also, check out the SciFi Explorations if you’re looking for science fiction deals. It’s a mailing list that sends deals and recommendations to your inbox of the stories you know you’ll love. If what I write is up your alley, then they’ll have many more recommendations. Most of them, at least while they’re in the mailing, are on sale at a steal of a price.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are owned by JR Handley.
Hey Space Cadets, I hope everyone is having a spectacular day!!I’m doing great, I had a moment on release day where The Legion Awakes was #27 in the Hot New Releases for Military Science Fiction (Space Marine) and #44 in the broader Hot New Releases for Military Science Fiction.Thank you, sincerely, for being a part of my team and joining me in the trenches!To be honest, we don’t plan to be a flash in the pan.The plan for The Sleeping Legion Series is one of a slow burn, as we build an awesome series.We hope the readers agree, and join us on this adventure.
Moving right along to the topic at hand, today Boss Man posted an interview he conducted with me and I thought I would share the link.If you want to learn more about the craziness behind my shenanigans, click here.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section.
Hello Space Cadets, how are you today? I’m doing outstanding, getting ready for the launch of my debut novel The Legion Awakes and hoping everyone loves it. Paying back my mom for what we spent in the pre-publication stage wouldn’t hurt either! To do that, people have to find me, so that lets me justify my time playing on my blog. Shh, if anyone asks it’s for work (nods vigorously).
Today I wanted to talk to you about a feature of Tim’s website that has a metric frakk ton of information about his world building. He labels these Infopedia’s, and they read like an encyclopedia entry. They’re written in from the perspective of future historians studying the past, the eras we both write in. It was a lot of fun to read when I was first introduced to his world as a reader. I often refer to it as I write as well, and since I started this World Building Series Tim has been inspired to update this section on his own blog.
In addition, these posts serve as additional cannon support for the Universal Codex that my editor posted about over on his blog. Sometimes they’re called other things as well; Universe Bible, World Building Style Guide or their brain dumps. If you don’t follow him, and you love reading and writing, you should check him out.
I’m sorry this wasn’t a more exciting post, but I felt that I needed to point everyone in the right direction to see the building blocks of my works. From here on out, I’ll be focusing on the things I added to the universe and will let Tim embellish his own idea babies. Hopefully this helps, and wasn’t too disappointing. As you know, I’ve been handling the pre-publication details of my first two novels.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are owned by JR Handley.
Hello Space Cadets, how are you today?I’m doing outstanding, biting my nails as we launch my debut novel The Legion Awakes.I’m anxiously waiting, hoping everyone loves it, because I’ve poured my soul into it.Paying back my mom for what we spent in the pre-publication stage wouldn’t hurt either!It’s officially out in the world, so mosey on over to the Amazon link and take a look!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are owned by JR Handley.
Hello Space Cadets, today I’m the bearer of bad news.Today we mourn the loss of one of my closest friends and a staple of the first two Sleeping Legion novels.Additionally, I had the unpleasant duty of killing off several Red Shirts and my heart breaks. My spouse might call them imaginary, but I know they’re real. She also likes to point out that it was I who killed them. Yes, cold hearted bastard that I am, I killed them all. Almost an entire regiment had to die today, so that Serendine might be free of the New Order heathens. I know the truth, they were cold heartedly murdered by those Hardit scum. In memoriam, I would like a moment of silence as we celebrate those poor young lives cut drastically short by the ravages of war.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section, are owned by JR Handley or are being used under the Fair Use Doctrine.The image of the statue can be purchased at the Mainely Urns and Memorials website.It’s called the Battle Field Cross Memorial Sculpture and no copyright infringement is intended.We at Team Handley fully credit this company for their masterful artistry and value the intellectual property rights of our fellow artists. Seriously, check out their stuff if you are ever unfortunate enough to need to commemorate fallen loved ones.
Hello Space Cadets, how is everyone today? Just a quick update, I have finished my short story for the Roswell Anthology from Tickety Boo and will be sending it to my editor today! Once I submit it, I’ll keep posting updates on the process. If you like science fiction, why don’t you write something and submit it! It was a lot of fun and sparked about two dozen or so novel ideas that I fully plan on exploring. We would all love to hear about your process, your final project and whether or not it got picked up.
For today’s blog, I decided to share a fun little writing prompt I found. This challenge came from high school, somehow, I never started it. Shh, don’t tell my teachers. I decided to give it a shot and set some ground rules for myself. I needed it to be flash fiction, to practice my abilities at writing the shorter stuff as well. I wanted to keep it around 125 words and I only had one extra word I couldn’t cut. And I had to do it in under 5 minutes. Here is the results of my efforts, feel free to point and laugh! And if you’re feeling especially froggy, jump on in and write your own reply to this prompt! Can’t wait to read it if you do!
Writing Prompt: What started a centuries-old blood feud?
The Banpiro Clan and the Lupo Clan attended their neighborhoods weekly shad planking, and were enjoying a hearty meal. The beer was flowing, wine was in every glass and the kids were joyfully playing in the adjacent meadow. When Lordette-Chief Banpiro and Lord-Chief Lupo got to the buffet line there was only one slice of pecan pie left. Deciding to strike a blow for equality, Lord-Chief Lupo ate the last slice of pie.
Undone by the lack of civility, Lordette-Chief Banpiro slapped the Lupo Clan Chief and challenged him to a dual. History never knew exactly who fought whom, but the feud that followed has lasted eons and stood the test of time, while the battle that followed has been lost among the ravages of time.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section.
Hello Space Cadets, how is everyone doing today? What’s that? I can’t hear you, sound off like you got a pair! And if you don’t, fake it till you make it! So, now that I have your attention, let’s have a little chat over coffee! Today I decided to give you get a sneak peek into how I wrote my battle scenes. Let’s dive into the world of sand tables, sometimes called Recess for Soldiers!
So where to start, first let me start by discussing what a sand table is. In a nutshell, a sand table is a surface bearing a three-dimensional map of a given piece of land. According the Merriam-Webster, it’s “a table bearing a relief model of a terrain built to scale for study or demonstration especially of military tactics.” Basically, I a super special map! The military has used them since forever, long before Christ was even a Corporal.
Now that I’ve explained what a sand table is, I’ve decided to show you the one I made for my first novel. Yes, The Legion Awakes, which will be published on December 19th, 2016. It’s an improvised sand table for a combat scene in the novel involving a battle that my main character is involved in. Wanna know more, read the book! You’ve probably already read this, but please let me be prideful for just a few words! I’m currently writing The Sleeping Legion Series set in the military science fiction world of Tim C. Taylor. That book will be out soon, so I wanted to share some of how I got here. Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, let us return to our regularly scheduled programing.
Anyway, the key to a successful sand table is that they provide you with the opportunity to visualize the battle space in three-dimensions. This allows you to better describe the field as you’ve envisioned it. It allows you to envision all of the obstacles which might get in the way of the armies you are describing, though this could work for any type of writing, combat or otherwise. I supposed I would be remiss if I didn’t also tell you that these can be used to model towns, and other generic settings for your works in progress. Not as exciting, but certainly necessary. They are used by the military for strategic visualizations, are extremely helpful with strategic planning, but can be used by everyone!!
Without further adieu, my masterpiece!
My Sand Table
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LEGEND:
Cups: Akoni Mountains
Green Sponges: Dense forests
Brown Building Blocks: Old Government Tower and Akoni City
Blue Paper: Water Features; Dynia River and Lake Charon
Now that we’ve covered this in depth, feel free to sound off in the comments below! And if this tickled your fancy, click the follow button and never miss out on the insanity or shenanigans from the Handley Trenches!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are owned by JR Handley.
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