Fernando Crôtte · Author · edited over 9 years ago · 1 like

Okay, the major geek-out chapter, "5D for Dummies," is now up.

Writing "5D for Dummies" was a special challenge for several reasons:

I had to find a way to "soften" the hard science of one planet to make it understandable to the average mind on a different one.

Math and physics being what they are, it was important to compare and contrast the similarities and differences in scientific concepts as interpreted on two different planets.

Finally, I wanted to work-in two of the sub-themes of the story, namely, loss and change.

Later, I plan to add a separate geek-out on gravitational waves, which will let me play with other sub-themes, namely, peace and harmony.

I hope it is not too boring.

Love to all,

Ferd.

Fernando Crôtte · Author · edited over 9 years ago · 2 likes

Ha! I got a real kick out of making a little video today. I’ve uploaded it to the Mission 51 project page. You will have to wait for the chapter called "Mat and Deltare" to completely understand my choice of music.

FYI, "Come Fly With Me" was released on Jan 6, 1958 while Mat was in captivity, and Frank Sinatra was nominated for the Grammy: Best Male Vocalist for it, losing to Perry Como. No question, Mat would have voted for Frank.

(The song belongs to the Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. I’m hoping their police allow me to run it for a while. If so, many thanks UMG and SME!)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago · 1 like

First of all, fist-bumps and high-fives to the new Mission 51 followers! (XO’s later when we get to know each other better.)

This is a ***MAJOR GEEK-OUT ALERT***

By sometime this weekend, you can expect the upload of a chapter called "5D for Dummies." Certainly no offense intended to this savvy Inkshares Sci-Fi crowd, well-versed in the science of alternate dimensions. But the same can’t be said for the average reader, hence the need for this chapter!

Joking aside, besides the 5D geek-out, this chapter reinforces significant sub-themes that are present throughout Mission 51, namely: the reality of loss and the importance of change.

Stay tuned!

Peace!

Ferd :-)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · edited over 9 years ago · 9 likes

I recently caught someone skulking about the Inkshares site, as if she could go unnoticed. Well no you didn’t, Felicia Day! So I’ve been "following" her now, to see what the heck she is up to. And now I find out!

wow, Wow, WOW!!! Felicia’s Geek and Sundry is sponsoring the new Inkshares contest, to start April 4 and end on my birthday May 16! Details about the contest will be available on the contest page tomorrow.

Well, just to prove I am an old fanboy of this awesomely awesome goddess, I want to share two pictures from last summer’s San Diego ComicCon. I can hear y’all already, "Awww, luckeeee!"

Ferd and Felicia:

Felicia’s book:

Thank you, Jeremy Thomas and the Inkshares team for gracing us with such an amazing lady! Felicia and her Geek and Sundry will help us all rock!

Peace!

Ferd.

:-)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago · 2 likes

Alright!

Mat made landfall in "The Crash." Now a reasonable first draft of "Containment" is done. It’s too late in the day now, but I’ll upload it tomorrow for a light Easter read.

Good night!

Ferd. :-)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago · 4 likes

What great day!

Today I was graced with a beautiful review by Mike Donald. Wow! What an amazing, humbling surprise! I thank you very much, Mike, from the bottom of my heart, for your kind words!

Because of that, I’m sure, I have several new followers today.

And my new family, courtesy of my recently-married son Kevin, purchased enough pre-orders to get me to the 50 pre-order mark! I know I have a ways yet to go, but somehow 50 feels great!

I feel renewed and reenergized! Time to put my crazy ideas down into crazy words on virtual paper!

I would like to thank Mike, and Kevin, the Cubbon family, and my protagonist Mat, for all you have done for me! I will do my best to measure up!

Peace!

Ferd.

:-)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago · 2 likes

Here is a brief excerpt from the chapter called "Containment." I will upload the full chapter when it is complete. I hope you like!

~~~~~

“Yes, Mr. President, you heard me right, another invasion, this time in Nevada.” Admiral Arthur W. Radford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, kept it brief and to the point. No time for unnecessary words. This was a matter requiring immediate action.

President Dwight D.Eisenhower rubbed the sleep from his eyes and squinted at the bedside clock. It said three o’clock in the morning. “This better be important,” he thought. Speaking into the Pentagon hotline telephone, he demanded, “What do we know so far?”

Radford gave a quick report. “Two days ago, apparently a single pilot, his ship crashed and burned just north of Las Vegas. Body recovered. The damn thing’s alive.”

“What!? Who’s alive? What kind of invasion? Las Vegas? How did they get so far inland? Quick, man, I need answers!” The President was suddenly wide awake.

“We have already begun containment procedures, Mr. President. We would like to meet with you as soon as possible… today… to go over details. Best not speak over the phone, even this phone, with Hoover and all.”

“Understood. That nosy bastard is everywhere.” Presidents tolerated J. Edgar Hoover, but there was no love for the man. He was irritatingly intrusive, and he liked to preen for the press. It was important to keep the FBI out of this for as long as possible.

“I have a full schedule today, which I can cancel,” the President continued.

“I would suggest you keep to your schedule and routines as usual, Mr. President, to not attract curiosity. Can we meet this evening, say at 2200 hours?” Radford was a man of action, a military man, pratical and clear-thinking. Eisenhower liked that.

“Roger that, Admiral. 2200.” Eisenhower hung up the phone and immediately went into action. He donned his robe and slippers, and headed downstairs to the Presidential library, to Truman’s files.

In the library, Eisenhower walked past the rows of bookcases and opened the door to the back room. The walls of the room were lined with file cabinets labeled with the names of some of the most powerful men the world had ever seen. These were the personal notes of the Presidents of the United States. He walked directly to the last file cabinet. The top drawer had FDR’s notes, just before he died, during the final year of World War II. He let his fingers linger for a moment over that label, allowing a brief wash of thoughts and feelings about the second great war.

Eisenhower then opened the next drawer, labeled Harry S. Truman. The drawer was organized into sections by year. He went directly to the section marked “1947.” He walked his fingers through the alphabetically ordered files until he got the the R’s. “Here it is,” he said to himself. “Roswell.”

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago · 3 likes

Our wonderful Inkshares community of writers and readers has gotten me all excited about writing again. Too bad I have a day job that takes up a lot of my writing time! LOL. I’m sure a lot of you have the same problem. Work gets in the way!

But I still manage to write, in my head. I like to take a walk in the morning before work, and I walk over the lunch hour. During the walks, it’s easy to relax and get into that creative zone, I come up with ideas and then email them to myself from my phone so I don’t forget. I do the same thing in the shower (except I wait until after the shower to use my phone!) And even at work, at unexpected moments, something will pop into my head. I take a moment to email it.

On my work days, I simply don’t have time for prolonged writing sessions. But I do have time for a little research here and there. I am also getting better at stream-of-consciousness writing. The last two chapters I wrote started that way. In less than an hour, I wrote a series of one word or one phrase paragraphs, key words and clues for me, and later came back to it to develop the ideas when I had the time.

Finding only brief writing moments can be frustrating, but I have to remember that this is part of the fun. I look forward to those moments. I try to make those moments happen. If I was a full-time writer, I wouldn’t feel that way. I would feel the pressure of writing as a job. So all in all, I guess I’m okay with it.

Right now, for my book Mission 51, I’m working on the chapter immediately following my protagonist Mat’s crash-landing on his destination planet. It is the most research-intensive chapter in the book. I’m chipping away at the details, so when I do have time to sit and write, it will hopefully just flow. Considering my work schedule, I figure I will be finished with the chapter in 2 weeks. My problem is, I don’t want to wait that long to upload stuff while the project is in funding. I really need pre-orders, and I think the uploads generate interest. So I think I better upload excerpts, and later update them to the full chapters.

I’m learning, too, from other authors, several great promotional ideas. I’m so grateful that this community of writers helps and supports each other.

So that’s it for now. Just checking in with what’s on my mind.

Peace to all! :-)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago · 3 likes

This has been a memorable month! My son was married last week. I couldn’t be happier or prouder!

It is moments like these that remind me of how fortunate I have been in my life. They remind me to be grateful, and that love is an action word. With that in mind, I have made the following addition to the "about" section of the Mission 51 project page:

"To encourage your pre-order, and to help those who help others, I pledge a donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities in a dollar amount equal to that generated by all pre-orders if they reach 250 by May 12,2016. (That would be at the very least $2,500.00) This is in honor of one of my grandchildren. Please help me make that donation happen, too! Get your pre-order today!"

If you have yet to purchase your pre-order, there is no better time than now!

Thank you all for your awesome support!

Peace!

Ferd. :-)

Fernando Crôtte · Author · added over 9 years ago

Just a general FYI:

I have updated the chapter "Final Approach" to blend seamlessly into the following chapter "The Crash." Both of them are up for your reading and critique.

I am very happy with those drafts. Now to work on the next part, which will require a bit of research. I will follow "The Crash" with a chapter called "Containment."

Please get your pre-order! And thank you! :-)