Writing a book.......

[Curubethion]

Speaking of new books...I've started a new book, promises to be much better than my previous work. Began back in August, already on Chapter 5...so, making progress in spite of schoolwork. It's gonna be good.

[trolls' bane]

I'm back working on ZAQ-1. Ironically, in spite of my earlier philosophy of making up the story as I go along, I've taken to planning ahead. I now have an entire chapter, entitled "Quid Pro Quo", which deals with the Imperator's invasion of the Terran system.
I've already planned it out: They're going to split up, and attack Mars, Earth, and Venus. (which, at this stage in time, will be near each other in a triangular formation on the same side of the Sun). I have an outline below, adapted from an e-mail:

There's a couple of things you ought to know first:
-InterStar is the interstellar equivilent of the United Nations, though it goes far beyond that. It's almost like all the separate nations and colonies are just states, though they govern themselves. InterStar has one common army (and a very efficient and powerful space navy led by Admiral Cardfull Lowbatt, named for the warnings on my digital camera and roughly based on Captain Picard) while all of its members manage only small militias.
-A small fraction of the galaxy, as well as areas throughout the universe where stable wormholes can be reached by the artificial wormholes mentioned below, has been colonized. The human population now is in the trillions, though most of that is concentrated in our solar system.
-The story takes place in 4018-19. (Time is measured in Terran years.)

It's mainly a split story line about a man who woke up one day with a suicidal sense of adventure and decided to trot off to New Earth (a place shunned by humans, shrouded in mystery), where a supposedly malevolent supercomputer program controls everything.

Meanwhile, rising conflicts on a small planet in an nunnamed system (later revealed, as the storylines meet, to be the Alpha Centauri system, and ergo the planet is revealed to be "New Earth." This is hinted at, but never quite confirmed what "The Program" is, since it's referred to in the aforementioned storyline as "ZAQ-1") over a large tank of orange juice that hit the Imperator's palace (he is the supposed controller, though ZAQ-1 holds all the cards), which is revealed by Dr. Hector Geldhoff (whose personality is based on a cross between that of Dr. Pangloss and Saxifrage Russell) to have been a shipment to asteroid miners in the "Old Earth" system in the earliest days of space colonization (i.e. 2130 ish). For some reason I have yet to determine, the Imperator decides to invade the Old Earth system, and firing up its warpgate (a large particle accelerator complex that the rest of the galaxy also uses as its primary mode of transportation, making stable wormholes), and quickly invading the outer solar system. They quickly move in past the outer planets, which are relatively impossible to attack yet too uncoordinated to attack the invaders. But when they try to capture Mars and Earth, they are met with heavy fire. The invaders attempt to take Mars as a base, so they could complete the invasion of Earth, but the entrenched Martians (aka Terrans who settled Mars long ago) hold out, managing to keep the invaders in space.

While the invasion is taking place, Sigmund Russell (the main character from the other story line, subject to name change) arrives at New Earth in a major uproar (to his surprise because he expected no living things at all, much less humans), a situation quite reminiscent of revolutionary France. The Regent (monarch-in-absence) is holed up in the palace, while the rest of the city (there's only one habited area; though formerly an ecumenopolis, large fungal growths and lichen colonies have engulfed almost all but this one area) is being fought over by several factions of revolutionaries. Sigmund is informed of the invasion of Mars, his homeworld (he was living on the factual planet orbiting Ross 780 at the time the story began), and insists that the best way to end the monarchy and prevent the conquest of the New Earth system is to raise an army and attack the Royal Fleet using relatavistic projectiles (they travel at 90% the speed of light, and due to E=γmc^2, where factor gamma is defined by γ=√1/(1-v^2/c^2), which, in laymen terms, impacts with a force of 4.128x10^18 joules of energy; in other words, the force of a gigantic nuclear missile), as well as more conventional nuclear weapons. With the support of a small group who were secretly part of Dr. Geldhoff's plan to overthrow the Imperium (i.e. rather comical view of Totalitarianism), and the influence of his brother Percival in InterStar security on Admiral Lowbatt (who is surprisingly short yet more surprisingly fierce in combat, and tends to use very unconventional tricks in his highly manuverable Gamma-Class Star Cruiser), to destroy the fleet destined to Venus, the last defensive base that wasn't entrenched and posessed a railgun for launching relatavistic weaponry.
Sigmund sneaks into Martian orbit in a ship the revolutionaries brought along, and fakes an explosion as he falls into the atmosphere in an old multi-stage rocket capsule. He is surprised to see that the Martians are living their lives quite normally, albeit underground, and aside from large areas wiped out by orbital bombardments, haven't the slightest difficulty in holding off the invaders, though pushing them back is a different story. The typical Martian ingenuity shows forth when a "surrender vessel" is launched to the control cruiser. The Imperator, not accustomed to Martian cunning, gloats over his success. The Martians aboard negotiate a compromise, giving the invaders access to their space elevator as a gesture of good will. As the invaders take over the ballast at the end, and begin moving down the cable, the Martians below release the cable, which begins to move toward higher orbit. As soon as the ships in attendance realise this, the ballast explodes, sending debris to pummel them. As the cable burns up in the atmosphere, the "surrender vessel" detonates a nuclear device, causing a significant portion of the control cruiser to disintigrate (and the shockwave cripples a few frigates).

Immediately concerned with this catastrophe, the other cruisers are uncoordinated. Meanwhile, Admiral Lowbatt's fleet as well as the revolutionary fleet (composed mainly of modified mining vessels and such) takes up an outer orbit. InterStar operatives quietly take over Deimos, which was home to a large defense array under the temporary control of the invaders, and then Phobos, which is the location of a large laser system (the large crater, Stickney, is used in a way similar to the "dish" on the Death Star). In a surprise attack, they bombard the enemy invaders, destroying a few cruisers almost immediately. In response, the cruisers scramble their spaceboats (equivilent of starfighters), and attack the fleet with them, using their many remaining cruisers to fire laser blasts and relatavistic projectiles at Lowbatt's fleet. To avoid this, Lowbatt orders the fleet to take position inside the invading fleet, and a long, arduous battle ensues, while Sigmund rallies the Martians and coordinates their efforts. Just as Lowbatt begins to lose, the surface demands he retreat to higher orbit. He reluctantly consents. The Martians proceed to launch countless nuclear missiles via hidden missile silos buried under the surface, as well as any artillery they could fit on their railguns, while Lowbatt's fleet attacks from the outside. Scrambled, uncoordinated, and near to defeat, the invaders attempt to flee, as Lowbatt takes out a few more ships and pursues the rest, who join the fleet at Earth.

[Thain Peregrin Took I]

Originally Posted by trolls' bane

I'm back working on ZAQ-1. Ironically, in spite of my earlier philosophy of making up the story as I go along, I've taken to planning ahead.

I'm doing the same thing. I have quite a bit of a chapter planned out for further ahead in my story.

(they travel at 90% the speed of light, and due to E=γmc^2, where factor gamma is defined by γ=√1/(1-v^2/c^2)

*jaw drops* Wow. That's a lot of equations there. But it still sounds very cool.

[trolls' bane]

Originally Posted by Thain Peregrin Took I

I'm doing the same thing. I have quite a bit of a chapter planned out for further ahead in my story.

*jaw drops* Wow. That's a lot of equations there. But it still sounds very cool.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

[Tamuril Sirfalas]

Originally Posted by Curubethion

Speaking of new books...I've started a new book, promises to be much better than my previous work. Began back in August, already on Chapter 5...so, making progress in spite of schoolwork. It's gonna be good.

sweet..congrads..yeah this book i think is going to be much better...i just cant finish my other ones because i cant relate and i just dont like them anymore

[trolls' bane]

I don't like some of the supplemental stories I wrote for ZAQ-1, including but not limited to "The Coperniciuss Treaty", which in itself ought to be a book.

[Elfmaster XK]

Wow. So impressed with everyone. We are all hard workers!

Still trawling away at my novel. 16 chapters in and almost 80,000 worlds later...still 4 chapters to go. But it will end! Yay! I can see it!

The hardest thing I'm finding is not getting distracted by new ideas!

[Curubethion]

Wow...80,000 "worlds"? That's a lot!

[Elfmaster XK]

Originally Posted by Curubethion

Wow...80,000 "worlds"? That's a lot!

LOL! Ahh...typos. And there is proof that my first draft will probably be filled with rubbish!

[trolls' bane]

Rubbish is like a trilobite: garbage bins would be seventh of ivy to hold its face under a stone! *plays in rubbish heap*

[Acalewia]

I have decided to gather all my short stories, edit them, and publish them. There are nine stories in all, so I'll be working on it for a little while.

[Tamuril Sirfalas]

hey everyone..i havent been on in a while but i have been working on a new book...my other ideas are trash..i cant seem to finish them, but this one im sure to!

[Acalewia]

Originally Posted by Tamuril Sirfalas

hey everyone..i havent been on in a while but i have been working on a new book...my other ideas are trash..i cant seem to finish them, but this one im sure to!

You trashed all your ideas? Talk about drastic!

[Lief Erikson]

Originally Posted by Acalewia

I have decided to gather all my short stories, edit them, and publish them. There are nine stories in all, so I'll be working on it for a little while.

Best of luck with that objective! I wish you success .

Are they fantasy stories in a world of your own creating, or fanfiction, or other?

Originally Posted by Tamuril Sirfalas

hey everyone..i havent been on in a while but i have been working on a new book...my other ideas are trash..i cant seem to finish them, but this one im sure to!

So where are you in the writing process of your new book?

And by the way, even if your other ideas weren't so good as you want, I'd advise you to keep them. It can be really fun a few years later to look back and enjoy your earlier writing, and see how far you've come.

Curubethion, what's your new book about?

Originally Posted by Elfmaster XK

Wow. So impressed with everyone. We are all hard workers!

Still trawling away at my novel. 16 chapters in and almost 80,000 worlds later...still 4 chapters to go. But it will end! Yay! I can see it!

The hardest thing I'm finding is not getting distracted by new ideas!

Do you mean ideas for new novels, or ideas for changing the storyline you'd already invented to your current novel?

[Acalewia]

Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

Best of luck with that objective! I wish you success .

Thank you

Are they fantasy stories in a world of your own creating, or fanfiction, or other?

Two are fantasy, the rest are other. None of my fanfiction is going in that.

[Tamuril Sirfalas]

Originally Posted by Acalewia

You trashed all your ideas? Talk about drastic!

well, they werent any good...but the one im doing now is REALLY good...im not throwing that away

[Tamuril Sirfalas]

So where are you in the writing process of your new book?

And by the way, even if your other ideas weren't so good as you want, I'd advise you to keep them. It can be really fun a few years later to look back and enjoy your earlier writing, and see how far you've come.

Curubethion, what's your new book about?

on the fourth chapter and its very descriptive..i want it to be the descriptivest as possible.
okay...i'll find them...i guess your right.



its about this girl who gets kidnaped and there are tons of things that happen to her and stuff...i wont tell you the ending, cuze that will ruin it! but my friend who reads it for me loves it.

[Acalewia]

Originally Posted by Tamuril Sirfalas

its about this girl who gets kidnaped and there are tons of things that happen to her and stuff...i wont tell you the ending, cuze that will ruin it! but my friend who reads it for me loves it.

I let a friend read my latest short story. She loved it and recommended I include it in my book of short stories.

That sounds interesting, Tamuril.

[Curubethion]

Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

Curubethion, what's your new book about?

It's actually part one in a trilogy, all about a kingdom far in the North of my world...it's basically supposed to chronicle the backstory of a somewhat minor character who pops up later in one of my other books. Very interesting so far...there's going to be plotting, politics...(yes, Martin and Jordan have been seeping into me a little...)

A lot of snowy action, and plenty of characters. I'm really pumped about the characters in this one...there's a whole lot more dialogue in this one, and I made them more believeable. I even took the liberty of modeling one character's personality on that of my friend. Fun stuff.

[Lief Erikson]

Originally Posted by Curubethion

It's actually part one in a trilogy, all about a kingdom far in the North of my world...it's basically supposed to chronicle the backstory of a somewhat minor character who pops up later in one of my other books.

How many pages do you think you have written in all, in this book and all your books combined?

Originally Posted by Curubethion

Very interesting so far...there's going to be plotting, politics...(yes, Martin and Jordan have been seeping into me a little...)

I love a good political storyline . Politics are frequently very involved in my books. Except in my most recent one, in which there isn't much politics at all. But political science is one of my absolute favorite subjects in college, and I love it when books I read contain political plot threads .

Originally Posted by Curubethion

A lot of snowy action, and plenty of characters. I'm really pumped about the characters in this one...there's a whole lot more dialogue in this one, and I made them more believeable.

Good. That's another very important aspect of the storywriting.

Aren't snow territories cool? I love them as sets .

Originally Posted by Curubethion

I even took the liberty of modeling one character's personality on that of my friend. Fun stuff.

That's one of the ways that J.K. Rowling managed to create incredibly believable, realistic characters. She modeled Harry Potter in Book 5 on her sister's adolescence. I've never tried doing that, myself, but I bet it helps a lot.

Originally Posted by Tamuril Sirfalas

on the fourth chapter and its very descriptive..i want it to be the descriptivest as possible.

Just don't go overkill on it, you know . Description can make a scene beautiful and make the reader imagine it vividly, but sometimes it can get to be too much. I tend to skip it when it gets long in fantasy books I read . Description can be very lovely sometimes though, so I do somewhat understand where you're coming from.

By the way, are you a man or a woman?