I was going to work on my notes or other things, but instead was distracted all day. So, I set a series of shots up and rendered them out. Oddly, the shots looked better with GI and AO off. With them on, Irons and the other people looked ghoulish.
If you were wondering about the layout:
The design of the bridge is based on one of my all time favorite Trek ships, the Defiant. It of course has my own twists though.
I should have changed the color of the Helm and 1 engineer to a yellow trim suit, they are ratings. I borrowed the characters (Ensign Patter and Lieutenant Nobeki) for the people in the back of the shots.
If you were wondering, the screens are from the web and my texture files. :)
:D Loving it!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the design of the bridge :)
ReplyDeleteAm almost done now with my re-read of all your engineer and jethro books :) :) :)
Really am looking forward to how Irons will connect all the various places to each other and start to jump start the shipbuilding (since they have stockpiled everything apart from key components), the forts...
Awesome, really lookiing forward to Pirates Bane now, the bridge layout rocks, ETA?. Read the preview of Afraid of the Dark and really liked it, is there an ETA for that as well.
ReplyDeleteThomas finished his first read through of PB and is on to editing. I dunno when I will get it back, probably in a week.
DeleteAD... no idea. Mechmaster is thorough but slow. He has a lot of other projects, plus work. I know he's past the half way mark, but that's not saying much. I'm betting another 3-4 months easy... though he could surprise me. Hopefully he will.
Chris: Have you thought of adding pictures to the end of your books like you do here? For example, Pictures of Io11 at the end of New Dawn, Firefly at the end of Fool's Gold, and Pictures of Jethro's squad at the end of Jethro, Goes to War. I believe this will enhance your sales. Maybe you can put them in the middle of the book, when first introduce, but most likely as an apendix.
ReplyDeletePoon
A couple people have suggested that. Jacob wanted me to put each of those images I did for 13 degrees at the start of each of the stories.
DeleteThe problem is 1 Amazon doesn't like embedded images. Nor does B&N. They make you jump through hoops with them. And 2, they charge me for each download. It is 15-30 cents per meg depending on the country.
3 The other problem is, many people still use their phones or gray screen devices to read the books, which means the images wouldn't transfer well.
I'm in talks with Mechmaster about making a comic now... dunno how that would work.
Hey guys if anyone is trolling the page here and reads this i Need help. I want to create a facebook group for this universe as a way for us (the readers) to talk about what we love! only problem is that you need two people to make a group. so if anyone is interested in forming a group just post on here or look me up on FB and friend/message me. my name is the same just look for a minecraft skin as photo
ReplyDeleteSign me up. That sounds like fun.
DeleteSweet what is your name on the book of face?
Deletedarrel.kincade@facebook.com
DeleteI sent a message don't know if its you
DeleteNope, probably went to one of my alt accounts that i can no longer access, try dtothekjr@gmail.com
Deleteok that didnt bring anyone up look up me under Jory Gray look for the city name Warren
Deleteok sent you a message? I hope? on the book of the face.
Deletegot it sent ya a friend request
DeleteHello Chris,
ReplyDeleteI am German and therefore my english is far from perfect.
First of congratulations to the pictures on your page. They are really good and they show that you are really interested into the stories you write. It is more to you than only a way to make some bucks.
But there is also one other point I would like to let you know.
I like your 'world' but I think that you are in real need to redo some of your writting style.
You are repeating yourself over and over again and that - together with the misspelling (sometime I can see them and that says a lot) - is the main problem with your stories.
Whereupon it makes sence from the story plot that the Admiral is telling different people the same stuff - as they don't know that from the beginning - it doesn't make sence to repeat the same words again over and over again to be read by the book readers.
Would be better to look for something along the line.
Jenny is asking: *How is that ...* and the Admiral is smiling. 'So it begins again.'
That would show that people would not know the stuff without repeating the same over and over again for all that people.
Now it is possibly an easy way to get some pages written but these get boring as people re-read the stuff over and over again - looking similar to a TEXTBOX you call off when needed.
Whereupon the question in your Universe makes sence, it gets boring for a reader to reread the same stuff.
Worse is when it looks as if you don't remember what you had written only shortly before.
One example is when the Admiral got on the KIEV221 and the Chief is complaining about the re-starting of the reactor. He explains that they will sead it as been done on Pyrax and everything is fine and only three pages later the same story goes the same way. She is worried again, not still worried but as they never had spoken bout this before.
Looks much like a copy and paste. Something like that doesn't make sence and make the book looking bad.
That is not only boring but troublesome.
IMO you really should look for some proof readers who look into the logical flaw of the story.
Something like that is all over your stories and the books.
If you can get that smoothed out that would really make the story much better. If you want to get that been done you really should look into something that way. As it seems your proof readers aren't looking into that kind of stuff.
Darion X (Germany)
Thank you for the feedback Darion.
DeleteI do get repetitive, and yes, I do use copy/paste. My first 2 books, Bootstrap, and New Dawn were almost entirely written that way. I would come up with a scene idea, jot it out in a text file raw, then move on. Sometimes I did this while in a hurry, or I would copy notes I wrote in the middle of the night. (don't get me started there)
Sometimes I get my timing mixed up, or I get repetitive, or I forget a detail. Sorry about that. But, in my defense, sometimes the repeats are intentional. I want to illustrate that fixing a ship or station is one long run of repairs. And repetition dulls, but also drives home the learning process on something.
Sometimes I need a lead in to a discussion point or event and just pick something in a repair process. (there are more than just lights to fix I know, but there are a lot of lights)
Sometimes I want to yes, show a different person learning the process... or show it from a different point of view or process.
I also copy/paste when I write notes/scene snippets for future books. Instead of opening the manuscript, (if there is one at the time) I dump it into a text file. Many books have that, though lately I've been growing out of it since I've caught up to them. I've been trying to write a book from beginning to end, which is a pain sometimes.
An example of copy/paste repetition is or, 'was' in PB. A pinnacle scene, which I wont get into, got written twice by accident. I liked both versions, so I altered one version to a lead in discussion or follow up. (I'll let you figure it out when you get PB)
So, to recap, yup, still a work in progress... but there is a method to the madness. (I think I repeated the same points in this blog reply. ROFL)
Dude,, drop that coke bottle and get back to finishing 13 degrees so you can put out PB.
ReplyDeleteYou've kept your repetition to a minimum, so far, there are people who spend 20 pages putting out a synopsis of the "story" so far, now that's a drag.
Anyone who's worn the uniform of a properly run military knows, "hurry up and wait" and "do it again" are the facts of life. They claim it's to help muscle memory.
John, darion X does have a point. I've seen quite a bit of the unneeded repetition in many of the stories I've edited. Yes chris is improveing on it in each book but it does destroy the flow of the book at times. Yes in the military "do it again" is a fact of life, but that doesn't mean simple things should be repeated every 3 pages!
DeleteTrust me I know Chris has a lot to improve in but it isn't just him. I blame some off the proofers for not changing the simple mistakes or bringing it to Chris for him to work out. I have proofed afraid of the dark and I fixed the flow a few times for areas that were mangled but were easy to fix.
Sorry about my typing mistakes I'm typing on my phone
John,
DeleteI had my time in the army but than nobody would call ours properly run outside Germany.
But sorry, I am reading a book here and not standing on the parade ground and Chris wants to sell books and not play General looking over his troops.
That means the books have to be interesting to a group of people as big as possible so he makes some bucks on them.
Now if you read the comments on >Amazon< and other sides you will find that he has lots of good review and a stack of very bad ones and the bad ones are normally the more intersting stuff as they explain the short comings and sorry to say that are every time the same.
It falls under bad spelling and grammar (something not really be seen by myself as my own sucks) and repeating of stuff.
Now from my side there are also some holes in the story and some illogical grounds.
And before you explode I am here to help him out there if he wants that but before you go someone and say. *Hey, are you interested into further BETAREADERS you have to build some ground to grow on,*
So yes, if Chris is interested to get the old books overworked I would give him the hinds where there are short coming and why as also ways to handle that.
Needs about two weeks for a book and IMO it would make the books much better for people to read. Have done it before and could do it again.
Only stuff needed is the book in WORD to include pointers as also a star map with dimensions etc..
You see I am German and my english is far from perfect so I can't BETAREAD for spelling errors but I am a very clear minded guy so I find you all the logical flaws there are.
I read the book and work myself down from there but as said I am not doing that a the moment as before I would begin to do this I would need to know.
a.) Is Chris interested
and
b.) Would he take that advise to heart or at least explain why not.
The last time I did this mostly all was not included into the book and it was really shortening that one. I can't read it as I knew all the mistakes and short comings and where it would have been better.
I will not speak about which one that was but I had found a long list where I saw something but still people give the book 5 stars.
So such things would have made a book better not worse but for me it is a gone by. Will not do it again for the same writer.
But back to the point of repeating.
Look I don't have problems with similar sences - that is normal here as mostly nobody in that universe has the simplest understanding of what s/he is going.
But that doesn't mean that I need to read the same words again three times in the same book by copy/paste. The sence could be rewritten completely or shortened.
To make that better understandable I bought all the books at onces for my last holiday and in the middle of book 4 I stopped to read as I could not stand that repeating over and over again any longer.
The point is as a soldier *hurry up and wait* is the normal way of living your daily life but that doesn't make it less boring in the end.
And sorry I don't read the books to get bored, Of that I have enough in my real life.
Hope you understand, that should not be 'school teaching' or 'bad mouthing' but as a German I learned from youth to make clear wordings. No hassle around.
Darion X
I have a lot of beta readers now, some have gone back over the older books. A few are doing that again. But sure, I don't mind another set of eyes. The more the merrier. :)
DeleteHechtlnjekyll at aol dot you know the rest. Let me know who you are and that you are interested in being added to my list of insiders and Beta readers. :)
Sometimes I need a reminder to send someone something, but a lot of times others aren't done with a manuscript yet.
If you have an issue with the logic of something, mark the passage and let me know. I'll either shoot from the hip and explain it, or puzzle it out, or change it.
There is a method to the madness. (Yes, I keep repeating that too)
Hello Chris,
DeleteI send out a TEST mail as you were not writting down the ending. I used COM as theat is the most used one.
Now as a German we have dot de so as said I were not sure and made only a TEST. If that is correct please give a simple answer.
*OK*
or let me know the correct ending here.
Darion X
I agree that there's always room for improvement. There's less need for reminders of "Christmas" past in a longer series with dedicated readers, but authors do like to reminisce.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to repetitive descriptions in the flow of a story, yes, it's up to the proofers to say something. Some of the issues are due to a rush to publish, but that's due to the nature of online self publishing. It's still better to have a little sloppy every 3 to 4 months than perfectly executed every few years.
I agree John. I am not too picky about the editing. I enjoy getting stories sooner than a year too much for that. I am hoping PB is not too long for release! Maybe a good Thanksgiving release? He he he!
ReplyDeleteNope. Sorry, Thomas is almost finished with it, then I'm running PB past Jory, Poon, and anyone else on my list I'm forgetting right now. (Thomas just called me a few minutes ago to give me a progress report)
DeleteThe next book to come out will most likely be 13 Degrees of Separation. Jory has it now and said he'd get it back to me shortly. When he's done with it I'll add a few corrections and then I'm going to run it past Poon. When he's done with it, most likely publish it. :)
So, if you want it by T-day, keep your fingers crossed Poon is a quick reader/editor! >:D
Crap let me send it i forgot XD
DeleteFingers crossed here..........
ReplyDeleteJust an small addition. Totally agree with Jessie and John. I really prefer to get the next installments quicker and preferably regularly with some (in my eyes) minor proof reading issues, than longer delay to improve and improve them. As long as the issues are minor and I do believe they are. Yes, the books a bit long, and descriptive and some repetition, but then again, they last longer :) :)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work Chris... :)
Thank you. :)
DeleteHey Guys i got that Group up!! Look up Federation Military Network on facebook and Join us!
ReplyDeleteShould have posted a link sorry, https://www.facebook.com/groups/582559128466667/
ReplyDelete