The Great HBT Aspiring Author Thread!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Titan88

Titan88

Creator of MashLab Brewing Software
Joined
Dec 18, 2012
Messages
231
Reaction score
60
Location
Alexandria
So, I started a thread about a sci-fi book I published, giving HBT members a heads up on when it will be available for free. SubSailor suggested how cool it would be to start up a thread to find out about fellow authors without being genre specific. So, I'll start!

"Messenger Deorum" It is Volume I in the Humanity Series.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F8PRVA4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1492776556/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The Kindle version will be FREE on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Description:

"Messenger Deorum" (Latin for "Messenger of the Gods") is the first installment in the Humanity Series, an eight-part space saga chronicling acts of selflessness, perseverance and sacrifice.


Eli Witt has a mundane, miserable life serving out his prison sentence at the World Penitentiary in Australia. The world is a much different place than it used to be in the early 21st century. There are no more countries, only provinces. All military forces have been dissolved and capitalism is dead. With the world's resources dwindling, the World Parliament has to consider new ways to acquire much-needed resources. There's only one solution: space exploration. Having no value to the public, the prisoners are offered the chance for a pardon...but they must take a risk. They must conduct a seven month mission to Mercury to drill for new sources of fuel. In a twist of fate, Eli is selected for the mission, and he is transported to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to begin his training. He is led by a noted historian, Harvey Belmont, who spearheads the effort. The journey leads Eli through moments that are adrenaline-pumping, heart-stopping and heartbreaking. When Eli finally makes it to Mercury, mankind's fate rests in his hands. Will he redeem himself?

Cover.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Cool story.Reminds me most of Galad Sarian,now old enough to become one of The Dream Lords. The use their powerful minds through Telikenesis To keep their world looking like new & in good repair,as it is quite old. I'm borrowing from that triligy myself,but as I'm writing it,it's clearly very Orwellian. (remember George Orwell's 1984?) Even David Bowie did a song about it. So the title I changed it to this morning reflects the fact that Orwell's predictive story finally comes to fruition...50 years later in 2034.
But things aren't what they seem,& Pete Kroeger wants to find out why without being shot as a hacker.
 
Cool! Good for you both. Of my high school friends, one has published a non-fiction book and many articles. One has completed a sci-fi novel, as yet unpublished. I have a project in the works, about 1/4 done the first draft.
BYW, high school was 35 years ago!
 
JohnSand said:
Cool! Good for you both. Of my high school friends, one has published a non-fiction book and many articles. One has completed a sci-fi novel, as yet unpublished. I have a project in the works, about 1/4 done the first draft.
BYW, high school was 35 years ago!
Click to expand...

Let us know when you get it done! BTW, what type of book are you working on?
 
Your book sounds interesting. Sci-fi is a genre that has been kind of hit and miss for me, but I will give your book a read and let you know what I think.

I've been off and on with writing a novel of my own, but every time I get started I keep finding something about that I don't like and just scrap it. Usually it just feels like I am being cliché. Fantasy is a very saturated (but also my favorite) genre, so it's hard to feel like what I am writing is original. I don't know. I'll keep starting and one of these days I'll actually write something I think is worth a damn. Best of luck to you and your writing career. Cheers!
 
In the mid-90's I did an article for Scale Auto Racing News,called the Soap Box Racer. Getting up on a soap box,as it were in the old days. It had world wide publication as well. It was fun,but this is what I really wanted to do.
And the main characters' home brewing is all that saves him from the FEMA camps. But there's more...no one remembers how exactly this upside down world started. That's the kicker that Pete has to figure out. Just started the other evening,but eventually I'll have to figure out the publishing part & how to porperly take care of the money part. Since I can't use my back for pay anymore,this is it. But def a lot more fun & creative.
 
Titan, it's a novel. I spent 28 years in uniform, USCG and two police departments. So, I'm combining some stories from my experience with some fictional characters to live through it (or not!).
Nuke & Union: Study a bit. When I first had this idea, I went right to the book store and bought a couple of books on writing and publishing a novel. Then I bought a variety of used paperbacks ($1@) to study other writing. Some of those novels are now full of highlighting and margin notes. I've read a few that I know I can never equal the quality of the writing, and started a couple that I'm sure I can out-do (yuck). I also bought a program called Scrivener, it's a writing template that is very helpful. You can use it free for 45 days, I think it cost only $45. For me, it makes the process much easier.
 
I started writing a novel once. It was fun but I do not know how people finish that sort of project. It is a lot harder than anyone can imagine until they actually make an attempt for themselves.
 
Well,for me I have to enjoy the subject matter,besides any familiarity with it. Coming from a military family with our share of dealings with the law the last couple hundred years my family has been here helps. A bit cynical perhaps. I've done a great deal of reading various styles in my time. Sci-fi to old classics. Old classic sci-fi authors,called pulp fiction in their times. Getting "A"'s in science & being facinated with the latest tech breakthroughs I see on the net. Not to mention,the internet itself weaving into the very fabric of our lives. So much so that even "Big Brother" has seen the value of it's use. Or rather abuse for their own ends. "oh,we're just looking for terrorists". No,you're being nosey trying to control us more & more. Orwell's story may yet come true.
I'm writing the outline,then writing pages of the story. Proof read it twice already. Well,the pages I have so far. When it comes time to publish,I'll have figured out what to do. I know they want double spacing & all. I think I'll send discs whenever possible. Quicker & easier seems to me...
 
It does take time, and commitment. I freely admit being behind in it, I need to schedule writing time and stick to it. And I agree with Union: write what you know. All fiction is about people anyway, put them in a setting you know. I'm thinking of making one of my characters a homebrewer!
 
Yeah,it's something of The Dream Lords,but Orwellian in a modern context. In my story,people know movies,history,books,places,etc. Familiar,but different. Basically,orwell's world comes to fruition...50 years later. So it's def dystopian fiction. not quite fiction,as we're heading head long into it now. Read & watch the news. i'm right in there with great authors that are what HG Wells character in The Time Machine began to learn towards the end,& starts trying to change himself. So even Wells goes from utopian to dystoipian in one book. By the dust of them all,I've learned. My book will reflect this.
And yes,FEMA camps are to be feared. There are hours of video about it on youtube. Watch,learn & remember folks. They care not what they do. My book shows a "splinter of the mind's eye" of what the future could bring. You gotta listen it,& 'memba...
In the dessert sun,every step that you take could be the final one. In the burning heat,hanging on the edge of destruction. Oh,ya can't stop the pain of your children crying out in your head. Oh,they always said that the living would envy the dead...that's the long & short of it.
 
I E-Mailed NASA Glen this morning. I need some theoretical answers to some tech questions that drive the story. I'm at the point where the main character & his couple of friends are trying to find out how the World President & his cronies pulled it off. Too bad I have to wait 10-15 days for a response. Sort of an impass between writing on & getting it right.:confused:
 
unionrdr said:
I E-Mailed NASA Glen this morning. I need some theoretical answers to some tech questions that drive the story. I'm at the point where the main character & his couple of friends are trying to find out how the World President & his cronies pulled it off. Too bad I have to wait 10-15 days for a response. Sort of an impass between writing on & getting it right.:confused:
Click to expand...

You can PM me for spitballing if you need to. I did a lot of research for my book to make sure it was scientifically accurate.
 
I have the Kindle Fire HD and love it. I read with it nearly everyday. I did put an anti-glare film on it for reading outside in sunlight but it still sometimes hard to see. It's pretty easy to use. I even have Euchre, Cribbage, Spades, Hearts and Mah Jongg on it.
To be totally honest, I haven't used it for music or videos yet.
 
I'm having a bit of trouble with open office. Even after upgrading from 3.2 to 4.0.1,the merge command won't work. I saved page 1 as a seperate file before I learned how to keep all the pages in one file. Now I can't move the page 1 file to the main story file. I found a wrter on youtube that had used open office,but she hasn't msseged back yet. Any ideas?...:drunk:
 
Well,I'm about 2/3's done writing the first draft. got the front & back covers done as well as title page with the short description on the back cover. I just have to ask,though-why is the "about the author" part that the author himself writes always get written in the third person perspective? Seems a tad strange when you think about it?
 
I'll write it for you:
"Union is a recluse who lives alone in the mountains with a three legged goat. He has an unrivaled collection of bobble head figures, and felt compelled to write his book after being kidnapped by aliens. If you buy this book he will send you a bottle of homebrew."
:D
 
unionrdr said:
Well,I'm about 2/3's done writing the first draft. got the front & back covers done as well as title page with the short description on the back cover. I just have to ask,though-why is the "about the author" part that the author himself writes always get written in the third person perspective? Seems a tad strange when you think about it?
Click to expand...

You can do either one. I read that it comes off more professional to write it in the third person; also, readers tend to shy away from self-published books and having your biography written in third person presents the illusion of a publishing house. It's sad but true.
 
Good point,thanks. That clears that up. What popped into my head as a good story the day you inspired me turns out to be some next level stuff. The more I research the science behind the story,well...the more I almost wish I didn't know. Almost part fringe science. cutting edge at any rate. I'm gunna soldier on & get it finished,then onto the next stage of figuring out how to format,etc. It would've really helped if I was better at setting up open office 4 to get the right page format for books,etc. I'm not much of an office type,but imagineering & the like are more my thing.
 
unionrdr said:
Good point,thanks. That clears that up. What popped into my head as a good story the day you inspired me turns out to be some next level stuff. The more I research the science behind the story,well...the more I almost wish I didn't know. Almost part fringe science. cutting edge at any rate. I'm gunna soldier on & get it finished,then onto the next stage of figuring out how to format,etc. It would've really helped if I was better at setting up open office 4 to get the right page format for books,etc. I'm not much of an office type,but imagineering & the like are more my thing.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean about getting into the details. I felt the same way writing mine. It's a good thing though. It makes for great literature.
 
Yeah,the science behind the story always makes it more believable. But it was just a thought in my head,then I see it's all basically true,just being discovered,proven mathmatically,etc.
Also,I'm writing it as an extrapolation of real life events up to this point. some not well known or understood. Watch Jessie Ventura's Conspricy Theory for some discusions on time travel,FEMA,etc. I thought reality,what a concept! I hope I'm right & people find it enjoyable that think about what's going on today if it skews to far into the twilight zone...
 
If you ever heard of the term "futurist", I'm sure you've seen how fantasy and sci-fi influence real research. Watch every video you can about Michio Kaku. He's a professor in NYC and is on the Sci-fi channel a lot. He built a reactor in his garage when he was like 16. He's a futurist and has a lot of interesting ideas about the world.
 
Yeah,that's one of the videos I've seen in my nightly youtube wanderings. The same way Star Trek influenced scientists to research warp drive,matter/anti-matter drive & the like. Star Trek communicators became the flip phones I used to use. I hade to laugh at the Ritalin used on Star Trek for mental patients to rebuild mutated brain cells. A drug of the same name,but pronounced differently,was given to my oldest son years ago who is multi-handicapped. I just tried to extrapolate current events into a possible future...if we aren't careful that is. People are fighting it,the government is denying it,you get the picture. It's interesting how the characters almost tell you how the story will go as you get further into it. At this point,the science,as the characters figure it out,slows progress insomuch as the number of pages I write each day. But it's building toward the climax a bit more at this point.
 
Boy,are my eyes burnin'! Just finished the climax of the story a lil bit ago. Now to let the characters see what they've wrought & it'll be done! Gotta go get my son from work,get cigs & beer for when I get home... It's a good kinda tired.:rockin:
 
I'm working on the epilogue now. Gotta figure out the lead in to part two. Wanna do the very end reminiscent of The War of the Worlds. Something to make the reader think a little...:mug:
 
Finished the first book a while ago. Started on book two of this trilogy. but I got smart this time & set up the pages in the size & format the actual book will be. The first one will have to be edited,sized,etc. Learned from my mistakes the first time. Thinking of going with Amazon so far. Only got Bud left,but hey...some beer to celebrate such a milestone is better than none! :ban::mug::ban:
 
Whew! It seems harder on the eyes to edit than to write. Up to page 101 out of 237 or so. Now I see why editing the story you just finished writing is so important. Mistakes of characters being present that come into the scene a bit later,missing letters. Or changing words or passages to something more succinct. Or less...blue shall we say. Don't want a book rated "X" or anything. That kinda stuff's easy to write. Doing it right is harder.
 
The tough part for me is figuring out page size versus book size. I could use a little help there this first time going through the process...
 

Similar threads

Titan88
Any Sci-Fi Fans?
Replies
29
Views
1K
Titan88
Titan88
A
  • Article
Brew & A: Leonard "Unionrdr" Cogar
Replies
33
Views
1K
unionrdr
unionrdr
Evan!
"The Wire's War on the Drug War" - Time Op-Ed
Replies
6
Views
707
Evan!
Evan!
CornyKegs 300

Latest posts

Back
Top