Quiet time....

It's been quiet here at Casa Reed the last week or so. The non-BT novel I was writing has been turned over to my co-author, and I'm waiting for him to finish up his part of the writing. I'm looking at an original novel, and a few other non-BT irons in the fire.

A few may have notice that my contribution to the HONOR BOUND anthology was published. A Warrior's Fear was actually easier to write than most of my stories. It happens sometimes that the plot, characters and action falls into place without the use of a hammer. Other times, I've resorted to a hammer. sledgehammer and more than once, high explosives, in order to get the story and characters into line. But A Warrior's Fear, once I had the time and place, fell into place with no problems.

I did get some good news though -- but until Jason announces it, I'm going to stay quiet. But it's about part of an ambition I've had for several years.

I'll add another question from the thread here: "Ask a Battletech Writer --- Round 2"   I'm always open to new questions!




The Question is in light blue, the answers are in orange;

Avarice wrote:
As a print reader, I'm wondering if you guys will keep publishing anthologies and hopefully larger arcs. Something about flipping pages never gets old; that analog feel is just... right? I feel detached reading from a screen, even on a TV, and I don't need a tablet in my life (smartphone suits me just fine).

As a teen, I dove into the novels and enjoyed the pulp feel that the setting had -and saw the writing mature along the way as more authors became involved and a changing of the guard transpired. Things became a little grim for me during Dark Age, and it felt like the Jihad arc was a puzzle I had to piece through but a novel in its own way -treating half the entries of the news/snippets as unreliable narrators in perspective.

Are there going to be novels that flesh out the Jihad and the Republic Period, especially the bit where Fortress Republic cracks open and Devlin Stone emerges on a Death Ride?

So much potential out there, from the ELH/Goliath Scorpion Exodus, how the Taurians reconciled, or the sundered FWL.

Loved how Reunification War, LoT, and Klondike were fleshed out and I guess the Succession Wars are on the table next, but a Historical on the Fall of the Republic would be awesome too if you guys had the rights to the Dark Age stuff(?) The NAIS Atlas volumes and Historical: Brush Wars were my favorite books till Total Chaos came about to give things a tactical feel and sum up the Jihad period.

P.S. Thanks for the memories. I was angry at a lot of the developments as I first read long (reader attachment), but accept that heroism cannot exist without equivalent or greater evil/challenges and that empires, good or bad, rise and fall. Can't be a good story without tragedy and setbacks.

My Answer:

Thank you for your words...

Most of what you mention above is above my level of involvement. I want novels and long-form fiction, but that has to be decided at the company level, where I have no knowledge or input. While I don't know any details, I think there are roadblocks to novels happening, but as to what those roadblocks are and how long to overcome them, I have no clue.

If it was up to me (and it isn't), I would publish a series of Jihad novels, a novel series covering the Amaris Civil War, and a few set during the the Successor wars. What happens after 3145 I have no idea, nor do I know how the fiction for that is going to run. As of right now, we can write up to 3145, but no farther.

Novellas are a possibility, but Jason Schmitzer will only chose the best. And as hard as he is with short stories, novellas have to be flawless for him to buy it. Still if a story is good enough, he will buy it, regardless of what era it is in.

Hope that helps,

(To update this, there are novels in the pipeline, but I have no idea when they will show up)

I have a couple more ideas for blog posts, and I'll see about getting the ideas down in paper, so to speak. Until there, later!)

Craig