Battletech and Reader Criticism

 

So, Elements of Treason: Honor has been out for almost two weeks and it's doing well and getting good reviews -- for the most part....

But someone posted a tweet that said the following about the novel:

"This novel's broken me. Not in terms of my like of the era, but in terms of my ability to write a review. I'm too contemptuous of it. It is a terribad novel, but I hate putting out so much negativity in a video.There will be no review, sorry. Its just too cancerous."

        That caught my attention, so I tweeted at him the following: 

I'll bite! What's wrong with it?

        He replied with:

I think I'd rather have a lobotomy before I read anything about Peter Cobb again, to be frank. The plot in and of itself isn't the issue, with the Horses being divided or anything. Twitter's a terrible format for this due to its character limit too XD-

I was surprised, but not angry at the original statement or their reply. It's his opinion and he's entitled to it. It's frankly the worst review I've ever had, and it kind of makes me smile. I decided to write this post about writing BattleTech and reader's reviews and criticism. 

A few authors see criticism of their stories as an attack upon themselves. That's why you have to develop a thick skin as an author. And sometimes the criticism is valid, while other times it isn't, and still other times, it's subjective. A rule that authors have to learn early is that you're not going to please everyone all the time. You will have readers who love every word you put down, while others will find what they see are chinks in the armor and try to jam a blade through. And some people will love some stories your write and hate other stories.

That is true for Battletech stories. I've had four Battletech Novels published and looking at the Amazon ratings, I can see that, for the most part, the reviews are good. So, I did a little cutting and pasting and took images of the customer review chart that ranks the product, in this case, my novels on a scale from one to five. I also included reviews from each novel, two good and one bad. this is what I see when I look at the reviews. Note that each review is exactly how it was written on Amazon. All I did was cut and paste the reviews.

First up us Icons of War, my first novel.  As you can see, most people gave it 4 or 5 stars, but a few gave it 2 or 3 stars. And here's a couple of excerpts from the Amazon reviews:

This book was a great adventure with knew characters, so you never knew what was going to happen. Once you start reading it, you're not going to want to put it down.

I really enjoyed this story, it covers a lot of lore previously little explored. I am super excited to read more of this author and this IP.

 

The story does a good job of helping move the Battletech timeline forward and does tie up some loose ends. The story is action packed and does keep one wanting to keep reading. The writing was more of a young adult style with unnecessary, out of place and not needed sex scenes. I expected more from the author since he takes every opportunity to let everyone know he is a writer with his posts on how to write. The editing is in line with all Catalyst Game Labs publications. It leaves a lot to be desired. Missing words seemed to dominate the mistakes with some general sentence structure issues. Three stars because of editing and less than average writing. The story being interesting saved it from a two star rating.

The first two were from 5-stars reviews, while the last one was a 3-star review. Same novel, different reactions. That doesn't make the 3-star's opinion any less valid, they just saw it differently than the other two. And no matter how well you write, every reader sees the story differently. 

The ratings chart fro Elements of Treason: Duty.

A slightly lower rating. Most are still 4 or 5-Stars ratings, but a small percent gave it only 1 or 2-Stars.

Now for a look at the reviews:

One of the better BattleTech novels. Highly recommended!

Great novel that tells the origin story of the Tamar Pact. Fast paced and fun. A must read for the IlClan era.

Political through an through. Don't even think there was a mech battle in this one.

The first two were 5-stars while the third was a 2-star. Now, the third one puzzles me, because there are definitely 'Mech battles in the novel, two of them at least, besides some other military action. To me, it's a head scratcher.

We now move onto the second Elements novel, Elements of Treason: Opportunity. Of the three, this was the most challenging, because I had to write about an established main character, who was a bad guy -- ruthless, ambitious, and wanting to regain power. So, I deepened his background and character. The rating table:

Most are still giving it a 4 or 5-star rating, but there's a few more 1 through 3 stars. As for the reviews:

The story was good, fun to read, well paced. Not a lengthy tome, but it tells the story and reinvigorates a character I didn’t care for at all.

really enjoyed the Duke’s turnaround after losing the throne and how things worked out. very excited about the last chapter and the surprise. well worth the read

The worst one I ever read was also buy this author.

The last one was a 2-star review, while the first two were from 5-star reviews. Again, some book, different opinions.

Now, the last one, Elements of Treason: Honor, had its own challenges. A clan with little fiction time, a character that was somewhat described in Sourcebooks, and a few events that had to be in the novel. After two weeks, the rating are this:

A smaller sample, but still most ratings are 4 or 5-star. The number of reviews is much smaller this time, but they will come in time.

I would recommend this book to any BattleTech fan. The characters are well defined and well able to identify with. I enjoyed reading the Battle of Sudetan from the Hell's Horses' POV, too. Peter Cobb became my favorite character as swiftly as an Epona moves, and I really hope to see more of him - and more of the Horses - in the future.

Craig is a great author and does an outstanding job of bringing characters to life. I'm glad to see the Horses finally getting a book of their own. My only critique is that there were some minor typos.

It's a Battletech book. You get schlock action, schlock politics, likeable heroes and some solid tough guys. Giant robots fight it out in the far future. People talk.

The hero's a bit Mary Sue, but the background and setting are well done and enjoyable.

Again, two 5-star and one 3-star (The only ones up at the moment). It's clear that not everyone enjoys my writing. Most do, a few don't. That's all right. The fact most people like what I write is good enough for me. I do learn from every story I write, and I'm proud of everything that gets published (Well, almost everything. . .  There is a Battlecorps Unit Digest I wrote that has enough spelling errors in it  that still makes me cringe when I read it...)

And to be honest, Battletech stories are never going to be considered classic literature in the vein of Sherlock Holmes or Shakespeare. But they are a part of a unique universe that was been growing and changing for the last forty years. I am apart of that living, breathing universe. No other universe -- Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who -- has a consistent background (Doctor Who can be excused, because... time travel and the Doctor!!)

My best advice for any writer is to treasure the good reviews and brush off the bad reviews. You can't take offense to any bad review, but you can't let the good reviews go to your head -- reviews, both bad and good are a fact of life. The best you can do is write well enough that you have many more good reviews than bad. I've been lucky so far in that more people like my writing than dislike it, but I can't coast on that. There's always more room for improvement, always trying to not only get more reviews, but also more 4 and 5-star reviews. Reviews tell me how well (or how badly) I'm doing. So far, so good.

Now that all three of the Elements of Treason novels I was asked to write are now published, I can move onto the next project, and I have several  at various stages of production. I hope most will be out this year or next.

Have a good day!

Craig

Elements of Treason: Honor is out!

I started writing this post yesterday, and it had been titled "Now, the Waiting Begins..." But overnight, the novel went out... so it has a new title and I have some new material to write about.

The cover is about and the back cover blurb is this:

A HERD DIVIDED…

For the entirety of its existence, Clan Hell’s Horses has been underestimated by its fellow Clans. The inclusion of tanks and infantry alongside their BattleMech forces has often unfairly forced the Horses into lopsided alliances with other Clans. As competing Clans race headlong to conquer Terra, the birthplace of humanity, the Horses must focus on survival rather than the glory of conquest. But many Horses want more, and they refuse to be shouldered aside as Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf reap the rewards of their campaign toward Terra.

Star Captain Peter Cobb, a controversial rising star and military scholar, sees a new trail for the Hell’s Horses to blaze. This path would put the Clan on a fiery trajectory to earn the victories and respect they rightfully deserve, and push the Clan toward a prosperous future. But few embrace his controversial ideas and, divided by distrust and ambition, the leadership of his Clan lacks the will to ensure that the Hell’s Horses will be strong enough to survive the tumultuous conflicts ahead.

Caught between the bloody agendas of two rival Khans—a political maneuverer and a bellicose warmonger—Peter must find a way to restore the soul of the Hell’s Horses without sullying his honor, or risk dooming his entire Clan to extinction in the face of a rising power unlike any the Inner Sphere has ever seen…

For me, Honor is a milestone. It's the longest piece of fiction that I've ever written solo that's been published. It comes in at a little over 76,000 words, much longer than either Elements of Treason: Duty or Elements of Treason: Opportunity (Both are 40-45,000 words). Of the three novels in this series, it's also the one I have to really dig into because it involved a faction with very little exposure in story fiction, and I had to string together a narrative that wasn't as clear-cut as both Duty and Opportunity.

The story focuses on Star Captain Peter Cobb, a warrior who challenges the status quo of the Hell's Horses. A deep thinker and someone who isn't afraid to push the envelope. I won't give away the plot, but Peter is a developing character with a bright future ahead of him -- assuming he survives. 

Peter Cobb was a blank page, with little to go on. In Tamar Rising, it says this about Peter: 

"Another critic of the new Khan is Star Captain Peter Cobb of the Fire Horse Galaxy’s First Horde Cluster. Unusually cerebral and introspective for a Trueborn Clan officer, he couples this with exceptional martial skill, in and out of his ’Mech. In Clan Council meetings, Cobb has openly questioned what the Clan’s purpose should be in the wake of Terra’s fall, and whether the Khan possesses a coherent vision for their future. He has gained a prominent ally in the form of Loremaster Sachiko Ravenwater, who has urged him to stand for saKhan, while also taking the unusual step of circulating transcripts of Cobb’s concise and articulate speeches among the Clan’s freeborn and non-Bloodnamed Trueborn warriors, earning the Star Captain a surprisingly large cadre of supporters in the lower echelons of the touman."

I made Peter a warrior/scholar, a warrior who isn't afraid of learning from history. He isn't afraid to stake out a position, name names, and is willing to defend his position with words or with actions. That is where we first meet Peter, engaged in a Trial of Grievance. He wants to push the Horses out of the rut they're in because the Clan have done little since they came back to the Inner Sphere. They've taken a few planets, mostly ones from the retreating Wolf Empire, but they had been coasting along for the last seventy years. They developed the Mongol Doctrine, but lose it to the Jade Falcons Malvina Hazen, who then twists it to suit her own needs. It is Peter's research and exploration of the Golden Orbun Alliance that brings him to the forefront.

In addition to Peter's story, we get a look at the inner workings of a Clan that we haven't seen much of. I tried to make the Hell's Horse their own unique faction, with their own traditions and ways of doing things. We also get a look at a clan that is drifting toward crisis and maybe civil war, as the Horses Khans are divided, each pursuing their own agenda with their own methods. This split is forcing the castes, from warriors down to laborers to choose a side.

One of my favorite characters in this novel is Sachiko Ravenwater, the Hell's Horses Loremaster and Commander of The First Horde Cluster. An example of the saying, "Beware of an old person in a profession where the young die regularly," Sachiko is nearing ninety and has been Loremaster for over fifty years, outlasted several khans and sakhans, has seen everything a Clan Warrior can see and has a closet of T-shirts to prove it. Despite her age, she is still an active warrior and does not take guff off of anyone. While most people her age are knitting and baking cookies, Sachiko is balancing her duties of Loremaster and Cluster command, both demanding positions. She is still a dangerous warrior who sees what the Khan Gottfried Amirault and saKhan Fulk Lassenerra are doing to the clan. and has decided to take action by guiding a warrior who can lead the clan -- Peter Cobb.

The novel covers the period between May 3150 -- September 3152, putting it into the beginning to the iIlClan era. As far as I know, this is the last of the Element of Treason novels, though if John wants more, I'm willing to write them. I've enjoyed writing these novels, to give two new factions some exposure and to give the least-known of the Inner Sphere clan some time in the sunshine.

The novel can be found here: Elements of Treason: Honor Right now, it's only in an Ebook form a tthe moment, but should be available as a POD book within a few days. So enjoy, and let me know what you think of it!

Later!

Craig

 

A Quick Update

 

This won't be a long post, just a note to let you know that I'm starting on writing Poisoned Honor, the first of the War Of Reaving Trilogy today.

As an aside, the three of us have been bouncing around a few things that the Sourcebook didn't cover, so be on the lookout for that.

That's it!

Craig

What I'm working on now...

 

I know it's been a whole, but I had a very good reason why I haven't blogged in the last month: I suffered a very personal loss in late March and I've been throwing myself into my writing to take my  mind off my loss. It hasn't been easy, but I'm hanging in there.

But enough about that. Elements of Treason: Honor is still being edited, so it's out of my hands until I get it back for some last-minute rewrites. After that, it shouldn't be too long to be published. I was also commissioned and completed a novella in what I think will be another of the merc novellas. I won't say anything more than that for now. But once it's out, I'll talk about it more.

But the Kickstarter was the big news this past month. Over $7.5 million for the Battletech Mercenaries boxed set. That's three times the Clan box Kickstarter earned, with twice as many backers. (Clan Box: 11,277 backers, pledged $2,586,421 Mercenary Box: 23,654 backers pledged $7,549,241). It's great to see such a reaction -- the Kickstarter made the top twenty list of largest Kickstarter ever AND the top ten Kickstarter Tabletop games list. So, it was very successful for Catalyst.

At the not realized $8 million stretch goal had a perk not many people talked about: The War of Reaving trilogy. And like the Blood Asp and the Sommerset Strikers, this too will be realized as a future product.

Three well-know Battletech Authors -- Myself, Jason Hansa, and Phil Lee -- are going to tackle the massive and densely-packed War of Reaving. And make no mistake: these will not be short novels, but fully packed novels telling the story about the worse war in the Clans history. This is a daunting task, but I think we can do this event some justice. The three of us, along with John Helfers, are in constant communication with each other, looking at how we divide this event up into manageable chunks. We each will be writing a book, but there will be characters that will appear in all three books, to carry the main plot through. I won't go into much more detail on it -- we are plotting our own books and banding about which characters to use where, and what events we tell from the War and where. It's going to take a while, as we're still in the plotting stage, but the project is underway.

I have written a novella that should be out soon. It has to do with Hansen's Roughriders, and one of the least described fronts in the Jihad, but one of the bloodiest. Also, I don't think I mentioned that Icons of War is out on audio! Read by Trent Sparks, Icons has been nicely received by the Battletech for it's plot and the look at Clan society, something we haven't seen much of. It's a great book to listen to and I love some of the tones he takes with the characters, especially Kyne. You can find it here: Icons of War (Audiobook). There's a sample on the page so you can see of you like it.

That's all for now. Need to get back to plotting (the book)!

Later!

Craig

Day One of the Mercenaries Kickstarter -- Wow!

Day one of the Battletech Mercenary Kickstarter is in the books, and I am blown away.

I monitored the Kickstarter from the start and watch as it was funded within the first thirty seconds. In less than two hours, It hit a million and two Million by the afternoon. After about twelve hours, it now sits at $3.4 Million, with twenty-seven days to go. It has blown past the First Battletech Kickstarter in numbers if backer and money. I am looking forward to see how far this goes.

I've noticed that the number of levels and stretch goals are not as numerous nor as varied as the first Kickstarter. Catalyst has learned from their mistakes, trying to make sure they can meet the goals this time around.

There are a few changes. Fewer Mechs, and a good selection of vehicles. No Dice and no Character canonization this time around. No swag packages (I want to be able to order a faction pin/patch/challenge coin combo instead of choosing one of them.) 

I

There seems to be less fiction offered this time around, as well as salvage boxes. But its designed to be more streamlined, as the last Kickstarter broke the fulfillment company's system -- twice!

The stretch goals were blown through quickly, and now they are only set at the million/half-million levels. From the reaction on the Adeptacon livestream, they were surprised as the speed in which the stretch goals were broken after only a few hours. Maybe there will be more surprises for future stretch goals. I don't know. We'll see.

So after only one day, the Battletech Mercenary Kickstarter is a massive success. How much will be pledged at the end? We'll see....

Later! 

Craig

Shrapnel #12 -- "Three White Roses" Story Background

After a couple of issues off, writing Elements of Treason: Honor, I have a new story in Shrapnel #12. It's a bit of an odd story, because I go back in time, further than I have ever gone before in Battletech History, to the time of the Davion Civil War, the Five Regents, and Alexander Davion.

Alexander Davion is an important Leader in Federated Suns History. He is the one who decides to join the newly forming Star League, reforms the Federated Suns military into the AFFS, and rules the Federated Suns for most of the 26th Century. A pawn in the game between Regents, Alexander escapes the clutches of Regent David Varney, who daughter Alexander marries, in 2525, setting the stage for the Davion Civil War.

What drew me to this story was there's little detail on how Alexander escaped Varney's clutches. Alexander's seventeen, not old enough to be First Prince, so not experienced enough to escape on his own. And where is the his bodyguard? He's not sneaking out on them, if they're any good.

So,it has to be his personal protection team, Federation Protection Forces (the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns does not exist yet) soldiers who has to be the lead in getting him out. And this is where Captain Cadmon Mallory comes in. (If you're wondering, Vengeance Games's Baron Riordan Mallory is from the same family, just a different branch.). Cadmon is a professional, loyal to the soon-to-be First Prince, and knows he's in a tough situation. The rest of his command is equally skilled and loyal to Alexander.

When it becomes clear Alexander is in danger, it becomes Cadmon's job to get his charge out of it and away from the danger and David Varney, who is "escorting" the First Prince around the Capellan March. He needs help and he finds it from an unlikely source.

I had only a couple of facts to work with: where Alexander was when he made his escape, and when. From there, it's deciding how the escape happened and the background of the escape. And it wasn't that hard -- as soldiers and bodyguards, Cadmon and his soldiers are use to planning on the fly and having plans in place to handle most situations. It doesn't go smoothly -- few plans do -- but Cadmon and his soldiers win through.

As I said before, this is the earliest story I've written on Battletech History, some 500 years before the the Gray Death Legion story starts. There are a few stories from before the 31st Century, and the only novels I can think of that are set before the first Battletech novels is the Founding of the Clans trilogy. Which is a pity, because there are great tales yet to be told -- the Amaris Civil war is worth a novel series similar to the Twilight of the Clan series in breath and scope, nine novels that detail the most important event in Battletech history. The first and Second Successor Wars also deserve stories to explore the events. And the Jihad is also another event that needs multiple novels to bring away from the sourcebooks and making it personal.

But I also realize that Battletech is a large universe, and Catalyst has limited resources. The IlClan is the focus of the novels, bringing a new era alive and showing the fans this new universe and this era. I hope one day we can go back and explore those stories of the past. But we have a new era waiting for us writers and others to create, so that is where we will be. But if I have my way, this will not be the last time Cadmon Mallory appears in the pages of Shrapnel. There are still stories to tell about Alexander Davion, and Cadmon will be the start of a Mallory family saying -- "Where there's a Davion making history, there'll be a Mallory guarding their back." And Cadmon has plenty of reason to guard Alexander's back.....

Later!

Craig

(PS: I hope Elements of Treason: Honor will be out in April, but no guarantees -- the KS prep is sucking all the air our of the room ATM. Hopefully after Adeptacon, things will calm down and things get back to normal.....)

No Greater Honor: The Erindani Light Horse Chronicles Audiobook

 

I was getting ready for bed, when I got an email from John Helfers, announcing the release of the audio version of No Greater Honor: The Complete Eridani Light Horse Chronicles.

From the back cover copy:

Traditions run deep….

Most mercenary units fly flags on two flagpoles at their headquarters: one with their unit’s flag, and other bearing the flag of their current employer. However, the Third Regimental Combat Team—a.k.a. the Eridani Light Horse—leaves one flagpole bare, as a reminder of the death of the Star League, and the other pole flies the Light Horse’s unit and regimental flags at half-mast.

What triumphs and tragedies shaped the Eridani Light Horse and its traditions? What drove them to become a force to be reckoned with, an elite mercenary unit with one of the longest histories and the deepest traditions in the Inner Sphere? Now, collected for the first time, nine of BattleTech’s finest authors bring the legacy of this storied unit to life like never before.

Witness the Eridani Light Horse’s origins in the Star League, and follow their evolution all the way through the Succession Wars and the Clan Invasion to their downfall during the Dark Age and their resurrection in the uncertain future of the ilClan era.

Featuring stories from:

Joel Steverson

Craig A. Reed, Jr.

Chris Hussey

Randall N. Bills

Jason Hansa

Daniel Isberner

Alan Brundage

Jason Schmetzer

Michael J. Ciaravella

Narrated by Gabriella DeLuca, Jack Douglas, Sierra Taft, Robert Dale Brown Jr., and Stephen-Paul Dieter.

This ten-story anthology covers one of the oldest and most respected Mercenary units in Battletech -- the Eridani Light Horse. Now, it's available as an audiobook on Audiable, this anthology has multiple narrators, a first for any Battletech Audiobook. My own story in this collection is No Tears, and tells the story of one of the worse events in Light Horse History -- the massacre of dependents by a desperate Combine planetary government, and the resulting vengeance carried out by the Light Horse.

So, a quick post to let you know it has been released for your listening pleasure. It can be found here: BattleTech: No Greater Honor The Complete Eridani Light Horse Chronicles. SO, if you have a long trip and you want some new Battletech to listen to, the Light House awaits!

Later!

Craig

Kickstarter Characters' Names in the Elements of Treason: Duty

As part of the Kickstarter from a couple of years ago, Backers had the option of  having a canon character in the Battletech Universe. I did use a number of the characters for both Elements of Treason novels that have been published. Unfortunately, the list didn't make it into the either book, and I am here to rectify that and I hope to have a full list in the third Elements of Treason novel.

Now, I tried to match the character with as close a role as I could get. I tried to take advantage of the backer's wishes as much as possible, and I hope those of the backers who I chose the name for are satisfied with my efforts. I tried to make each character more than just a name check -- every characters I used from the list has at least one speaking part and a couple have supporting roles.

Today, it's characters from Elements of Treason: Duty. I went heavy with this one, clearing as many names as I could. I also wanted to spend a few words talking about each one, and what decisions I made.

First one is Karen "Kampfhund" Zimmerli. The original role the backer wanted was as Lyran Intelligence Corps, Espionage-Loki. I couldn't find a role for her as a Loki agent, but I did have a spot of the commander of an Arcturan Guards Special Forces team leader. She fit almost perfectly and has a decent run as a supporting character. I do have to apologize for spelling "Kampfhund" as "Kampfhound" That one is completely my fault.

Next up is Blue Ryne. The backer wanted the character to be a sniper, and I found a place for him exactly as that. To whoever submitted the name, I hope your son was surprised.

Ingrid Jilani was supposed to be a noble in military intelligence. Instead, I made her Chief of Staff for the Twenty-Sixth Arcturan Guards. She also deals with intelligence, and she has a few scenes.

Killien Dunard has a role as part of the Battle of Pandora. He's only in one chapter, but he has a few lines.

Torrian Dann and Sven Wichert had a larger role in early drafts of the novel, but word count forced me to cut the chapter. Though I do have enough to construct a story around the chapter for a future Shrapnel issue.

I hope those of you who have a character in Elements of Treason: Duty enjoy their appearance in the novel. I tried to get them as much screen time as possible, and some were in position to become major supporting characters.

Enjoy!

Craig

Update on my Writing for March

As the Mercenary Kickstarter is on the horizon, I thought I'd write about what I'm up to.

We are very busy on the fiction side of things. John Helfers is nothing but ambitious in getting Battletech Fiction out to everyone. I will be talking in general terms, as there are things happening behind the scene that I can't talk about yet.

The logo at the top of this column is tied to the novel I wrote: Elements of Treason: Honor. And it's about a faction that rarely gets any time on-screen, so to speak: Clan Hell's Horses. Like the other two Elements of Treason novels, this one has ties to the Tamar Rising sourcebook, covering the events that happened in that book. But unlike the other two novels, the Horses refused to be corralled to a 45K word count, so this novel will be the longest of the three. How much longer, I'm keeping to myself for the moment.

The Hell's Horses have always been a blank space of sorts. We know they are more open to combined-arms warfare than any of the other clans, they and the Ghost Bears don't get along and what was left of them back in the Clan Homeworlds became Clan Stone Lion. Other than that, they are a bit of a mystery, one I had to crack and bring them into line. I had mostly some established characters, recent history, the Mongol Doctrine, and the Tamar Rising sourcebook. So, I went to work. I turned in the second draft of the novel last week, so unless there's a need for a major rewrite, it's out of my hands.

The result is a good look inside the Clan itself, one I will talk about more when the novel is published. I've seen the cover image and it's a great image.

Shrapnel #12 is due out March 15, and Another short story of mine is in it. It's a look at an event from Battletech history, one that hasn't been filled in before. I think its the earliest story set in Battletech's history that I've fully written.

I have another novel submitted I'm waiting for feedback on. I won't say much more until it's in the chute for publication.

In addition, I have a couple of pitches in for approval and waiting on them. There are also a couple of other projects that are on the back burner at the moment, but soon will move to the front burner.

I can't want for the Kickstarter and what comes out of that.....

That's all for now,

Craig

The Life of a Battletech Writer

I write Battletech, but what does that mean?

To be a a writer in an IP with such a rich and deep background, it can't be a casual relationship. While other IPs, such as Star Trek and Star Wars have a much more open universe, Battletech has a single unifying history and well-defined factions. While Star Trek's canon is malleable, and  Star Wars is only now beginning to unify their canon (after removing a large chunk of the previous 'canon'), Battletech's has been consistent (in general terms, some details were altered by following authors to better fit in with what is now canon.) for almost 40 years. 

I remember when The Sword and the Dagger came out -- that novel, if it was written today, because today's canon would have not allowed a number of places and events to be in it. It isn't a bad novel, but the author was writing that novel with only a few notes and no background to base the story on. So reading it today, it doesn't have the same ring of later novels.

Any Battletech story or novel today has to past through a battery of fact checks, ranging from correct military ranks in a faction's military, the correct 'Mech variant, history check, and even language. Yes, things will slip through, but most are caught and the writer notified about what needs to be changed.

So, what does this mean to me, as a writer? What follows is a rough outline about how I go about writing a story. This is about story fiction, not sourcebook fiction.

Stories come in two ways: me writing a story, and John saying, "Hey, I need you to write this!" (like the Elements of Treason series). 

For my own stories, it sometimes starts with a story idea -- A "What if?" question. For example, "What if a soldier gains an undeserved reputation?" (The Lance Killer) or "What if a priest found his faith being tested?" (State of Grace). Other times, it could be an image that inspires a story. Hikagemono was inspired by the first TechManual cover.

After the idea is born, I research. When would be a good time and place to set this story? Sometimes,  it can be lines from a sourcebook that set the time and place -- The Lance Killer was set in time and place by two lines in the FedCom War sourcebook. Heroes' Bridge was inspired from a description of the fighting on Mandate described in the Fourth Successor War sourcebook. Kurodenkou has it basis in a scenario from the The Dragon Roars scenario book. Every so often, I will read through a Battletech book, seeing if anything sparks a story idea.

After I have a story's basic idea, along with a time and place, I research details. 'Mechs need to be the right ones for the time and place the story occurs, and things like ranks (Important to have the right ranks), anything from a planet's description I can use, such as locations, and where a unit should be.

While I'm researching, I'm writing. Depending on the level of detail, I may skip a section, or use things like "XXXXX" for words or locations I don't know at the moment and come back later and fill it in. I don't usually outline a story, but let it flow naturally.

Once the story is done, I send it in and continue onto the next story. Sometimes, I have more than one story I'm working on at any time. When I get feedback on a story, I make the corrections, or make an argument to leave certain details as they are.

Now, novels are John Helfers IMing me and saying, "I have something for you. You interested?" Icons of War was passed onto me because the original author didn't have the time to write it. The Elements of Treason series have their roots in the Tamar Rising sourcebook. In this case, I take the events from the sourcebook, and construct a plot around them. 

I also am not afraid to go back and revisit characters to use them in other stories. I feel that their usefulness is far from over and they have more to say. I've done that with several characters, and I find they are still as fresh as they were when they first appeared.

With novels, it allows me to broaden the number of characters and subplots. While I have the events I must include, I can put my own spin on them, staying with the spirit of the sourcebook's words while adding depth to the events.

In Icons of War, I had to come up with a reason why the McKenna's Pride was in the Inner Sphere with General Kerensky's body onboard. The largest problem was the Wolves left the Clan Homeworlds in 3071, but the McKenna's Pride is still there in 3076. It is this problem that led to the main plot of Icons, and the characters and events that branch off of this plot. The blank slate of non-warrior Homeworld Clan society and a mention of Free Guilds in the Jade Falcon, combined with the presence of the Dark Caste led to Satinka and her people being created. To show the Clan government wasn't completely clueless led to the creation of Bhu Telinov and Warrior Kyne. Stas and the Wraiths came about because I needed a 'Mech battle and only a couple of my other characters were Mechwarriors. The running space battle at the climax was  necessary to maintain tension. As the pieces came together, they answered questions that I had, like "Why did it take Garman's team five years to steal the battleship?" and "Why did Garman take the McKenna's Pride instead of just the General's body?"

Once I've completed the first draft, I send it in and wait for the editor to read though it, make notes and changes. Once I have the list of changes, I read through them and change what I agree with and argue those changes I don't agree with.. I know that I do not write perfect first drafts; few people do. And most changes are made without complaint, a few with muttered curses, but not worth arguing about, and a few changes I strongly oppose. I will sometimes take a note and incorporate into the story in a way they don't expect. The second draft gets sent back and the process is repeated until everyone is satisfied. 

Sometimes, the Word Count is the limiting factor. I am given a word count and I have to try to stick to that. Sometimes I can hit the WC, other times, I have to ask for another 5K words to complete the story. The word count is why some events are not covered, but are glossed over. I have told John that "It's stuffing a 60K story into a 45K bag." I'm looking at writing short stories to cover some of those events I glossed over in the novels.

I am never not writing; if it isn't Battletech, it's for my other projects. For Battletech, I have several short stories started, as well as novellas in various states of written. Some may see the light of day, others won't -- for those I don't, I may strip out characters and put them into other stories that need them.

I think I've rambled on enough for this post. Enjoy yourselves and be safe.

Craig
 

The rise of the SuburbanMech

Things are moving along as well as can be expected on the writing side of the Battletech Universe. I am waiting on feedback on a couple of projects and working on others. but I thought I would take a blog post on a 'Mech design I am very proud of -- the UM-R90 SurburbanMech.

As I described it in the article in Shrapnel #4, The SurburbanMech is an overcaffinated UrbanMech. It's faster than the original, can jump farther, and switches to an all-energy readout. By replacing the autocannon with a PPC, enough weight was freed up to install a larger engine and an extra jump jet. There are not enough heat sinks for an Alpha Strike, but with a some effort, it can do the job.

The SurburbanMech is an old design, one that has been around for over two decades. One day, I was looking at the design and something clicked. So, I did the redesign and used it in a couple of battles. At the time, Battletechnology was being published, so my friend Rob Madson and I decided to start submitting things to the magazine. The SurbarbanMech was the first thing we submitted and the first thing we had published in Battlechnology #16 -- my first Battletech writing credit.

For a couple of decades, the design was nothing more than a side note in the Battletech Universe. When the magazine decanonized, the SurburbanMech was in limbo. It wasn't until other Battletechnology designs started showing up in canon products, I brushed off the design, wrote a new entry for the 'Mech and submitted it. The rest is history.

Both the industries mentioned in both the TRO articles -- Hammerstorm Electronics Corporation (HEC) was my company, while Phoenix Heavy Industries (PHI) was Rob's company. The two appeared in the entry for the Rattlesnake in Battletechology #21. And while Rob is no longer with us, I had to keep his touch on the design as a tribute to his memory. 

I'm proud of the SurburbanMech being canon again. When I heard that the 'Mech was now part of the Battletech computer game, I couldn't help but smile. It's a nice upgrade to the UrbanMech. Death From Above Wargaming recently did an Battlytics of the SurburbanMech on their YouTube channel (Located here: UrbanMech Shootout PART 3 - UM-R90: Battlytics | Classic BattleTech Mech Review | Clan Invasion), along with the original UM-R60 and the UM-R60L UrbanMechs in other videos. Watch all three and see how the SurburbanMech stacks up with the others.

Oh, and if anyone wants to run the UM-R100, go ahead. I have never run it before in battle and I'm curious to see how it stacks up on the battlefield.

That's it for today. See you later!

Craig

 

Icons of War Audiobook

In early September, Icons of War as released as an audiobook. Read by the Battletech's novel voice actor, Tren Sparks, this full-length audiobook is unabridged and bring Garman, Satinka, and the other characters to life. It's only five hours, seventeen minutes long, and can be burned to four or five CDs.

This isn't the first novel I've had involvement in that's an audiobook: the Outcast Ops novels I co-authored are also audiobooks. But Icon is my first solo novel on Audio, and it's strange to listen to the words I wrote. As an author, you can hear he character speak those lines -- you imagine they way they speak, their accents, their micro expressions. Now, I had no interaction with Tren -- I didn't give him any notes about how a character should sound, how to pronounce any of the words, or any other advice.

Yet, he did a great job. The voices he use, especially for Kyne, are good. Tren brings the characters to life -- maybe not exactly the way I envisioned them, but I have no complaints. In fact, I think Tren's Kyne is better than the voice I imagined for him. I love the audio version of Icons.

Now, it's only available on Audible, and can be found here: BattleTech: Icons of War Audible Audiobook – Unabridged. If you are a Audible subscriber, you can use your free monthly audiobook to chose Icons. Tren is a great narrator and he brings my words to life.

That's all for now.

Craig

 

BattleTech is Officially One of the Biggest Names in Tabletop Gaming Now

At least according to both Catalyst and Polygon....

I hadn't intended on making a blog post this quickly after the last one, but I thought I would say something about the article. The Catalyst article can be found here:A Look Back–And Ahead–at BattleTech’s Success. The Polygon article can be found here: BattleTech is officially one of the biggest names in tabletop gaming now. What I want to do is take a look a the numbers Catalyst has put out.

At the end of 2022, the seventh printing of A Game of Armor Combat and the eighth printing of the Beginner's Box had been shipped out. In the last four years, 160,000 copies of both those boxed set have been printed up and sent to the market place.

160,000 copies.

Not bad for a game that was declared dead and buried the on the late 90's, or on life support in the 00's. A game that has been around close to 40 years, with an initial high learning curve, and whose rules had remained mostly the same in that time. In this day of short attention spans and computer games, Battletech has held its own and has brought in new players and those returning to the game after years of inactivity.

The key is no doubt the plastic miniatures that come with each box. The minis, well-detailed and relatively cheap (Compared to the metal minis, which have their own place in the play of things), have been overhauled and resized to make clear the differences between each 'Mech class from light 'Mechs up to the assault 'Mechs.

On that foundation, Catalyst launched a highly successful Kickstarter to  bring in Clan 'Mechs into the mix. A Boxed set was backed with multiple Lance, Star, and Level IIs packs, (AKA, Force Packs) along with a wave of swag. The Clan boxed set is currently on it's fourth printing and brings another 55,000 copies to the marketplace, bringing the number of copies of the three boxed sets to 215,000.

And the New Alpha Strike boxed set, that adds another 25,000 to the initial print run, and a second printing run of 20,000 already in progress, will boost the number of boxed sets to over a quarter of a million for all boxed sets.

As for force packs? 600,000 force packs printed up, of which most have already been sold. According to the Polygon article, over 9,000,000 plastic minis have been manufactured. NINE MILLION. (It can be argued that's more 'Mechs than the 'Mech combat strength of the combined militaries of every faction in the game) and the four new merc-themed lances coming out in January and four more in March will add another 160,000 force packs, bringing the total number of force packs up to three quarters of a million.

But I have to include the other part of the Battletech line -- sourcebooks, rulebooks, and supplements. The Total Warfare rulebook is on its tenth printing, and comparing a first printing with a tenth printing will show that the two printings rules set are 97-98% the same. Catalyst has gone heavily into digital products, allowing series that would otherwise never be seen a chance to find an audience that is more tech-savvy than ten years ago. 

And Fiction.... What can I say? Only a few IPs can boast over a hundred novels, covering several hundred years of war, political intrigue, and skulduggery and have a base consistency few other IPs can match. Shrapnel has been a success, and the next issue will be #12 -- three years of consistence work to get the magazine out on time. I have had some success in  both fiction and sourcebook writing and hope to do more of it in 2023.

I can't wait to see the Merc Kickstarter!

Craig

What's on the Horizon for me in Battletech in 2023?

 

2023 is a new year and I hope will see more growth in both Battletech and my writing for it.

A note about upcoming projects: I have little insider knowledge of what's in the works unless I am directly involved in it. And even if I did know anything, I have an NDA preventing me from revealing it. So, when things are announced, I am as surprised and delighted as you are.

Right now, things are looking up. If things go right, I will have three Battletech novels out this year. I won't go into great detail, but want to say something about them.

The first one up should be Elements of Treason: Honor. This is a Hell's Horses-center novel, the first one about the combined-arms Clan. Like the other two Elements of Treason novels, the background for the novel can be found in the Tarmar Rising sourcebook. But unlike the other two, I couldn't fit the story into the word count of the other two. So, with John Helfer's (Catalyst's fiction director) permission, I expanded the novel to 75,000 words to broaden the story. The second draft was turned in just before the holidays, and hopefully, I will get the needed feedback before the end of the month.

The second novel has been written, but there are changes that will have to be made to bring it into line with the current timeline. The novel dives deeper into one of Major Houses' culture in an area that hasn't really been explored before. I won't say anything more than that, as I still need feedback from the powers that be on what needs to be changed.

The third novel is in the planning stages, and is part of a trilogy along with two other well-known BT authors. The three novels will cover events that have been talked about in sourcebooks, but have never been really explored before in fiction. More when the process is father along -- as I said, it's in the planning stages right now.

As for other projects, I'm still writing short stories and hope to have two more published in Shrapnel this year. I also have a few ideas for gaming content for Shrapnel I need to pitch to Phil. And if other lines ask for something from me, I will do my best to accommodate them.

That's the plan at any rate......

That's it for now, I'll try and be more proactive in the blogging part of the occupation. Until next time!

Craig