Doug Farren's Blog, page 22
January 26, 2014
Thoughts and Peacekeeper progress report
Today is Sunday and I'm actually posting on time - well, sort of. I prefer to have my post written and ready to roll on Saturday night but I was actually so busy writing that I didn't get around to it. That's fine by me because while I'm working on a project, it has priority--especially when the creative juices are flowing and the words are hanging off the tips of my fingers waiting to be converted into electronic perfection. I did some more writing this morning (769 words) and Peacekeeper 2 now stands at 19,484 words. Progress.
I have a Twitter account and I'm very picky about who I follow. I simply don't have the time to stay current on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ as well as reading all the blogs I like to try to follow. I work a lot of hours in my day job and that leaves very little time for actual writing. Something has to take a back seat and that's usually the social networking stuff. Virtually all of the people I follow (33 at the moment) are people I've met from Launch Pad.
Recently, Jamie Todd Rubin wrote the following tweet: "The sound of snowplow blades on cement, prowling the night, feeding on freshly fallen snow, lumbering beasts, always hungry." I love this style of writing and I wish I had the mental alacrity to create passages like this. It requires a different way of looking at things. Who would think of describing a snowplow like it was some sort of animal? I mentioned this to my wife and she said that of all the books she's read recently, she thinks Nova Ren Suma is a master at this form of writing.
I've often wondered if there was some type of course I could take to help kick-start the mental process required to create such prose. If you know of one--please let me know. My mind tends to be stuck in the literal mode meaning I describe things as they are without the use of much metaphor. I work at a nuclear power plant in a very technical department and I am an avid fan of science. These activities reinforce the literal mode of thinking.
On a personal note: I've applied for a new job position at the power plant. This one will involve sitting at a desk writing the work packages that my current peers will be following to perform their work. I decided to do this because I'm finding that I am having a harder time climbing up 30 feet of ladder in 120 degree heat dressed in heavy protective clothing. I'm also not as limber as I used to be and that tends to make climbing around equipment out in the plant more of a challenge. I don't mind what I do, in fact I enjoy it, but age is making it less and less enjoyable. I have a good computer background and 25 years of experience so I think I have a good chance of landing this new job. It won't give me much more time to write because planners work as many hours as the technicians. I will keep you posted.
I have a Twitter account and I'm very picky about who I follow. I simply don't have the time to stay current on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ as well as reading all the blogs I like to try to follow. I work a lot of hours in my day job and that leaves very little time for actual writing. Something has to take a back seat and that's usually the social networking stuff. Virtually all of the people I follow (33 at the moment) are people I've met from Launch Pad.
Recently, Jamie Todd Rubin wrote the following tweet: "The sound of snowplow blades on cement, prowling the night, feeding on freshly fallen snow, lumbering beasts, always hungry." I love this style of writing and I wish I had the mental alacrity to create passages like this. It requires a different way of looking at things. Who would think of describing a snowplow like it was some sort of animal? I mentioned this to my wife and she said that of all the books she's read recently, she thinks Nova Ren Suma is a master at this form of writing.
I've often wondered if there was some type of course I could take to help kick-start the mental process required to create such prose. If you know of one--please let me know. My mind tends to be stuck in the literal mode meaning I describe things as they are without the use of much metaphor. I work at a nuclear power plant in a very technical department and I am an avid fan of science. These activities reinforce the literal mode of thinking.
On a personal note: I've applied for a new job position at the power plant. This one will involve sitting at a desk writing the work packages that my current peers will be following to perform their work. I decided to do this because I'm finding that I am having a harder time climbing up 30 feet of ladder in 120 degree heat dressed in heavy protective clothing. I'm also not as limber as I used to be and that tends to make climbing around equipment out in the plant more of a challenge. I don't mind what I do, in fact I enjoy it, but age is making it less and less enjoyable. I have a good computer background and 25 years of experience so I think I have a good chance of landing this new job. It won't give me much more time to write because planners work as many hours as the technicians. I will keep you posted.
January 20, 2014
Progress
Yesterday's blog was delayed due to having an overnight guest and then a houseful of additional guests for a birthday party. I normally prepare my blog post the day before but I was at work on Saturday and actually managed to get a serious amount of writing done - blog excluded.
So enough of the excuses. I don't have anything important to write about today so I'll just drop an update and leave it at that. Peacekeeper 2 now stands at 16,085 words. I am in training this week and I have my netbook sitting on the desk in front of me. During breaks (which last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes) I can flip open the sleeping machine and put more words into it. Today's schedule was pretty packed so I only managed to write 475 words. Other days I may be able to write more, maybe less. But, progress is being made.
The secret to being able to write when you're trying to hold down a demanding job working 12-hour days and sometimes 12-hour nights is to write when you can, wherever you can. I have an Aspire One netbook for this purpose. I am pretty much a Windows user (mostly because that is what powers my home entertainment system and it's what my wife is used to) so I'm using Scrivener for Windows to do the writing. It's a wonderful program and I highly recommend it--especially if you have an Apple machine.
One more item before I have to close - I received an interesting ad in my email that really made me sit up and say, "I told ya so!" HP, one of the largest manufacturers of PCs on the planet, is bringing back Windows 7 machines because people keep asking for them. Microsoft made a HUGE mistake when they created Windows 8. It is such a divergence from the normal way of doing things (something that has been working now for a long time) that most people absolutely hate it. I do and I won't use it. If I ever have to buy another machine it will either be an Apple or an Ubuntu powered device. As far as I'm concerned, unless they fix Windows 8, it's a dead OS for me. You can't even install the VLC media player without having to tweak the group policy settings! Now how stupid is that?
I would also like to publicly congratulate Geoffrey Landis on his winning of the 2014 Heinlein award.
Until next week...
So enough of the excuses. I don't have anything important to write about today so I'll just drop an update and leave it at that. Peacekeeper 2 now stands at 16,085 words. I am in training this week and I have my netbook sitting on the desk in front of me. During breaks (which last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes) I can flip open the sleeping machine and put more words into it. Today's schedule was pretty packed so I only managed to write 475 words. Other days I may be able to write more, maybe less. But, progress is being made.
The secret to being able to write when you're trying to hold down a demanding job working 12-hour days and sometimes 12-hour nights is to write when you can, wherever you can. I have an Aspire One netbook for this purpose. I am pretty much a Windows user (mostly because that is what powers my home entertainment system and it's what my wife is used to) so I'm using Scrivener for Windows to do the writing. It's a wonderful program and I highly recommend it--especially if you have an Apple machine.
One more item before I have to close - I received an interesting ad in my email that really made me sit up and say, "I told ya so!" HP, one of the largest manufacturers of PCs on the planet, is bringing back Windows 7 machines because people keep asking for them. Microsoft made a HUGE mistake when they created Windows 8. It is such a divergence from the normal way of doing things (something that has been working now for a long time) that most people absolutely hate it. I do and I won't use it. If I ever have to buy another machine it will either be an Apple or an Ubuntu powered device. As far as I'm concerned, unless they fix Windows 8, it's a dead OS for me. You can't even install the VLC media player without having to tweak the group policy settings! Now how stupid is that?
I would also like to publicly congratulate Geoffrey Landis on his winning of the 2014 Heinlein award.
Until next week...
January 12, 2014
Good progress being made on the next Peacekeeper
I have been working 12-hour nights for the past 3 days and along with that comes a mixture of good as well as bad. I am a morning writer, meaning I write best early in the morning right after I get up. There's a few reasons for this: I'm well rested; The house is very quiet; There are no distractions. In the days leading up to my having to actually go into work I stay up later and later at night making the transition easier. One would think that after my wife goes to bed that I would be able to sit down at the computer and get some writing done in the quiet of the night. Such is not the case though. My body wants to go to sleep and I find it nearly impossible to concentrate on writing. So, instead of making progress, I watch movies.
My long night shifts run from 6:30 pm until 6:30 am. I usually get to bed around 7:30 in the morning and sleep until 2:30 pm. It is not possible to get any writing done from the time I wake up until the time I have to go to work. Night shift however, can offer significant opportunities to write. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights are usually very quiet with hardly anything to do other than sit around. It is during these late hours when I can write. The last few nights have been quite productive and Peacekeeper 2 now stands at just over 13,000 words. If you're familiar with word counts, a good-sized novel runs around 80,000 words.
If you follow this blog, you will also recall that I do not outline before writing. When I begin a novel I do so with a general idea of what the story will be about. I may have a few scenes firmly in mind that I need to work toward but other than that the story pretty much writes itself. This has led to some interesting surprises for myself which, when you think about it, is pretty amazing. You would think that an author could not be surprised by the twists and turns the story he is writing can take - but it happens. Ideas pop out of nowhere; little things that appeared earlier in the story suddenly become very important; characters do the unexpected; and events don't turn out like I thought they would. I let my subconscious do what it does best - tell a story.
One of the most difficult parts of writing this latest novel has to do with creating an alien culture. This is not as easy as one might think because we have no reference to base things on other than our own culture. As a writer, especially as a writer of science fiction, one should have at least a little background knowledge concerning the wide range of cultures that exist on this planet. Some of them might seem as bizarre as something you would see in an alien culture. For example: Mixing the ashes of your new years resolutions with wine and drinking them; Cutting up the body of a deceased individual and leaving the pieces scattered around a mountaintop for the animals to consume; Belching loudly as a sign that the meal just consumed was of good quality. If one looks closely enough, one can find alien cultures here on Earth.
The point I'm making with this is a writer must learn how to broaden his knowledge of culture. If you write mystery, don't focus on reading it. If you write science fiction, you will need a very broad range of knowledge in many sciences as well as many cultures. If you write romance, read about the dark side of falling in love as well. Continue to expand your horizons beyond the narrow field of your own specialty.
Never stop learning.
My long night shifts run from 6:30 pm until 6:30 am. I usually get to bed around 7:30 in the morning and sleep until 2:30 pm. It is not possible to get any writing done from the time I wake up until the time I have to go to work. Night shift however, can offer significant opportunities to write. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights are usually very quiet with hardly anything to do other than sit around. It is during these late hours when I can write. The last few nights have been quite productive and Peacekeeper 2 now stands at just over 13,000 words. If you're familiar with word counts, a good-sized novel runs around 80,000 words.
If you follow this blog, you will also recall that I do not outline before writing. When I begin a novel I do so with a general idea of what the story will be about. I may have a few scenes firmly in mind that I need to work toward but other than that the story pretty much writes itself. This has led to some interesting surprises for myself which, when you think about it, is pretty amazing. You would think that an author could not be surprised by the twists and turns the story he is writing can take - but it happens. Ideas pop out of nowhere; little things that appeared earlier in the story suddenly become very important; characters do the unexpected; and events don't turn out like I thought they would. I let my subconscious do what it does best - tell a story.
One of the most difficult parts of writing this latest novel has to do with creating an alien culture. This is not as easy as one might think because we have no reference to base things on other than our own culture. As a writer, especially as a writer of science fiction, one should have at least a little background knowledge concerning the wide range of cultures that exist on this planet. Some of them might seem as bizarre as something you would see in an alien culture. For example: Mixing the ashes of your new years resolutions with wine and drinking them; Cutting up the body of a deceased individual and leaving the pieces scattered around a mountaintop for the animals to consume; Belching loudly as a sign that the meal just consumed was of good quality. If one looks closely enough, one can find alien cultures here on Earth.
The point I'm making with this is a writer must learn how to broaden his knowledge of culture. If you write mystery, don't focus on reading it. If you write science fiction, you will need a very broad range of knowledge in many sciences as well as many cultures. If you write romance, read about the dark side of falling in love as well. Continue to expand your horizons beyond the narrow field of your own specialty.
Never stop learning.
January 6, 2014
Copyrights and taxes
I'm a day late with this post - sorry. The copyright issue with Scribd and Dragonverse has been resolved. Apparently, their text scanning algorithm mis-identified my book as having been nearly the same as another. Not sure of the details because Scribd did not share them with me. The whole incident did serve a purpose though in that it got me thinking and researching about copyright issues. For a very informative discussion of why every author should pay the $35.00 fee to register their novel with the U.S. Copyright office, please take a look at this blog post by Sarah Bird. I registered all 8 of my novels yesterday using the Copyright office's electronic submission process which you can find here. As government websites go, this one is pretty easy to use especially if you create a template and use it to register each of your novels.
It's coming up on tax season and I thought I would share some interesting information you should watch out for. If you sell books on Amazon and some of your sales are overseas, you will need to keep very accurate records. Here's why: Last year, I had a rather large discrepancy between the 1099s I received from Amazon and total of the actual payments received. It took some back-and-forth with Amazon before I discovered that the difference is the fee Amazon charges for currency conversion. This is about 3.33% of the total foreign sales. What's surprising is that the amount of this fee is never disclosed! Here is how the Amazon agreement reads:
5.4.3 Payment Currencies. ...If we pay you in a currency other than the Sale Currency, we will convert the Royalties due from the Sale Currency to the payment currency at an exchange rate we determine, which will be inclusive of all fees and charges for the conversion.
The full text of the agreement can be found here.
Because Amazon does not tell you how much you're being charged for this conversion, the only way to find out is to compare your 1099 numbers with what Amazon actually deposited into your account. I have a problem with this because there is no proof from Amazon that this is indeed why there is a difference. If you're audited by the IRS then you might have a problem. I urge every author to write Amazon and ask them to begin disclosing this fee when they inform you of a pending payment.
In other news, I've started work on Peacekeeper 2. That's the title for now until I come up with a better one. Peacekeeper had some pretty mixed reviews and I'm hoping to address them in the new novel. I'm thinking a lot of people preferred the big battles and space warfare stories instead of a more character-driven story. I'm hoping to combine the two in the next book to satisfy every reader. If you would like to share your thoughts on this topic please feel free to write me. I am very open to feedback.
Until next Sunday (or there-abouts).
It's coming up on tax season and I thought I would share some interesting information you should watch out for. If you sell books on Amazon and some of your sales are overseas, you will need to keep very accurate records. Here's why: Last year, I had a rather large discrepancy between the 1099s I received from Amazon and total of the actual payments received. It took some back-and-forth with Amazon before I discovered that the difference is the fee Amazon charges for currency conversion. This is about 3.33% of the total foreign sales. What's surprising is that the amount of this fee is never disclosed! Here is how the Amazon agreement reads:
5.4.3 Payment Currencies. ...If we pay you in a currency other than the Sale Currency, we will convert the Royalties due from the Sale Currency to the payment currency at an exchange rate we determine, which will be inclusive of all fees and charges for the conversion.
The full text of the agreement can be found here.
Because Amazon does not tell you how much you're being charged for this conversion, the only way to find out is to compare your 1099 numbers with what Amazon actually deposited into your account. I have a problem with this because there is no proof from Amazon that this is indeed why there is a difference. If you're audited by the IRS then you might have a problem. I urge every author to write Amazon and ask them to begin disclosing this fee when they inform you of a pending payment.
In other news, I've started work on Peacekeeper 2. That's the title for now until I come up with a better one. Peacekeeper had some pretty mixed reviews and I'm hoping to address them in the new novel. I'm thinking a lot of people preferred the big battles and space warfare stories instead of a more character-driven story. I'm hoping to combine the two in the next book to satisfy every reader. If you would like to share your thoughts on this topic please feel free to write me. I am very open to feedback.
Until next Sunday (or there-abouts).
December 22, 2013
Copyrighting your work
I would like to share an email I received the other day:
======================================
Hello, doug_farren --
We have removed your document "Dragonverse" (id: 38242235) because our text matching system determined that it was very similar to a work that has been marked as copyrighted and not permitted on Scribd.
Like all automated matching systems, our system is not perfect and occasionally makes mistakes. If you believe that your document is not infringing, please contact us at copyright@scribd.com and we will investigate the matter.
As stated in our terms of use, repeated incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your Scribd.com account and prohibit you from uploading material to Scribd.com in the future. To prevent us from having to take these steps, please delete from scribd.com any material you have uploaded to which you do not own the necessary rights and refrain from uploading any material you are not entitled to upload. For more information about Scribd.com's copyright policy, please read the Terms of Use located at http://www.scribd.com/terms.
Best regards,
Scribd Support Team
Questions? http://scribd.com/faq
=======================================
Although I'm not positive, here is what I think happened: Some time ago, someone copied the text of Dragonverse and uploaded it under a new title to Scribd. Recently, Smashwords reached an agreement with Scribd and uploaded my books. Their text matching program noted that the new arrival matched an existing book and flagged mine (since it was the most recent) as being in violation of copyright. Thus the email. I have responded to this issue and hope to have it resolved quickly.
The email also got me thinking about Copyright law. The law states that a written work is protected under copyright law the moment it is created, all one must do is to affix the copyright symbol, the year, and the name of the author. Proof of authorship is usually accomplished by publication. The author is not required to file for a copyright with the Copyright Office. After I received the above email, I did some research and discovered there is a very good reason for an author to fork over the $35.00.
The biggest reason is creating solid proof that you are the author of a given work. Once you file a copyright, you are fully protected and proof is easy. You are still protected if you don't file but proving you are the author is a bit more difficult and pursuing legal action against someone who is illegally using your work becomes more difficult. But there is another, even scarier reason for every author to file for an official copyright.
Here's the scenario: An author publishes a new work by uploading it to Amazon. The day it becomes available, some crook buys the book then sends the file in to the copyright office claiming they are the author and giving a false date that precedes the date the book was first published. He gets a copyright that, according to the government, is earlier than the publication date and then the crook can try to sue the author for copyright infringement. Proving authorship is now much more difficult and getting the copyright transferred to the proper owner becomes a painful legal problem.
My advice to all writers - file for a copyright before you actually publish your book. The process is simple: go to the U.S. Copyright Office and click on the "Electronic Copyright Office" icon. Setting up an account is quick and simple and uploading your manuscript is easy. If your books are available in print format you may be asked to submit two copies to the Library of Congress. This requirement can be waived if you have a good enough reason. The cost of obtaining a copyright is $35.00 per manuscript. It becomes official as soon as you submit.
If you're already published but have not yet registered - stop reading and go do this right now.
In other news: I will be starting work on a Peacekeeper sequel within the next couple of days. Tom Wilks will be learning what it means to be gragrakch. I'm also giving him another challenge to overcome. And, although my co-workers have been urging me to write a book entirely about the "Porn Planet", I will not do so. I prefer to keep all my books clean enough for young adults to read.
Have a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
======================================
Hello, doug_farren --
We have removed your document "Dragonverse" (id: 38242235) because our text matching system determined that it was very similar to a work that has been marked as copyrighted and not permitted on Scribd.
Like all automated matching systems, our system is not perfect and occasionally makes mistakes. If you believe that your document is not infringing, please contact us at copyright@scribd.com and we will investigate the matter.
As stated in our terms of use, repeated incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your Scribd.com account and prohibit you from uploading material to Scribd.com in the future. To prevent us from having to take these steps, please delete from scribd.com any material you have uploaded to which you do not own the necessary rights and refrain from uploading any material you are not entitled to upload. For more information about Scribd.com's copyright policy, please read the Terms of Use located at http://www.scribd.com/terms.
Best regards,
Scribd Support Team
Questions? http://scribd.com/faq
=======================================
Although I'm not positive, here is what I think happened: Some time ago, someone copied the text of Dragonverse and uploaded it under a new title to Scribd. Recently, Smashwords reached an agreement with Scribd and uploaded my books. Their text matching program noted that the new arrival matched an existing book and flagged mine (since it was the most recent) as being in violation of copyright. Thus the email. I have responded to this issue and hope to have it resolved quickly.
The email also got me thinking about Copyright law. The law states that a written work is protected under copyright law the moment it is created, all one must do is to affix the copyright symbol, the year, and the name of the author. Proof of authorship is usually accomplished by publication. The author is not required to file for a copyright with the Copyright Office. After I received the above email, I did some research and discovered there is a very good reason for an author to fork over the $35.00.
The biggest reason is creating solid proof that you are the author of a given work. Once you file a copyright, you are fully protected and proof is easy. You are still protected if you don't file but proving you are the author is a bit more difficult and pursuing legal action against someone who is illegally using your work becomes more difficult. But there is another, even scarier reason for every author to file for an official copyright.
Here's the scenario: An author publishes a new work by uploading it to Amazon. The day it becomes available, some crook buys the book then sends the file in to the copyright office claiming they are the author and giving a false date that precedes the date the book was first published. He gets a copyright that, according to the government, is earlier than the publication date and then the crook can try to sue the author for copyright infringement. Proving authorship is now much more difficult and getting the copyright transferred to the proper owner becomes a painful legal problem.
My advice to all writers - file for a copyright before you actually publish your book. The process is simple: go to the U.S. Copyright Office and click on the "Electronic Copyright Office" icon. Setting up an account is quick and simple and uploading your manuscript is easy. If your books are available in print format you may be asked to submit two copies to the Library of Congress. This requirement can be waived if you have a good enough reason. The cost of obtaining a copyright is $35.00 per manuscript. It becomes official as soon as you submit.
If you're already published but have not yet registered - stop reading and go do this right now.
In other news: I will be starting work on a Peacekeeper sequel within the next couple of days. Tom Wilks will be learning what it means to be gragrakch. I'm also giving him another challenge to overcome. And, although my co-workers have been urging me to write a book entirely about the "Porn Planet", I will not do so. I prefer to keep all my books clean enough for young adults to read.
Have a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!
December 15, 2013
Writing as a business
If you're a writer and you plan on making money from it you should treat your writing as a business. Even if you are just starting or have made very little so far, you still need to seriously consider your writing as a business--here's why.
If you travel to do research, the mileage is deductible (only applies if you have a home office).If you can establish a home office, you can deduct the portion of your utilities, home insurance, rent, home loan interest, and several other items off your business income.Meals, trips to to conventions (i.e. DragonCon), and purchases of educational and writing-related publications are deductible.The only downside to forming a business is the extra taxes you must pay on your earnings. If you're receiving good royalty payments and you have very little deductible expenses then perhaps just claiming the extra income is your best option. The only way to know for sure is to run the numbers. In my situation, having a business is the way to go.
So now that you've decided to form a business, now what? First, go get yourself a copy of Home Business Tax Deductions then study it. Don't just read it, study it. Tax law is a complex subject and it's easy to miss an important detail. Next, take the following steps:
Establish a LEGAL home office. Record the dimensions of this office area and take a picture of it.Start a business journal. State the date the business was started and then continue with entries documenting important business activities. It's sort of like a diary for your business. You can use anything from a paper notebook to a cross-platform, cloud-based solution. I use EverNote because I can make an entry from any device.Open up a separate checking account for the business. This is not required but is highly recommended.Get or designate an existing credit card for business use only.Get into the habit of documenting everything you do that is business related. Record the reason for and the mileage of every trip. Record when, where, and who you had business meals with. Record the time you spend in your office and the time spent using shared resources (like a computer that is used for business and pleasure). The IRS loves to see documentation--meticulous documentation. I like to use Google calendar so I can record every business activity in half-hour increments and I can access it from any device I own.Get yourself some business cards.Set up a website.Create an e-mail for business use only.Above all else, document your business activities and become familiar with how to treat your writing activities as a business. I would also recommend doing business as if you expect to be audited. Home businesses are audited more often than normal tax payers. If you keep your deductions legal and maintain accurate and timely documentation you will sail through any audit. The IRS realizes that many people try to claim more than they are allowed. Don't do this! Honesty and faithful adherence to the law will keep you out of trouble.
I am not a tax expert but if you have any questions as to how I do things myself, please feel free to drop me an e-mail. I can be reached at: author@dougfarren.com
If you travel to do research, the mileage is deductible (only applies if you have a home office).If you can establish a home office, you can deduct the portion of your utilities, home insurance, rent, home loan interest, and several other items off your business income.Meals, trips to to conventions (i.e. DragonCon), and purchases of educational and writing-related publications are deductible.The only downside to forming a business is the extra taxes you must pay on your earnings. If you're receiving good royalty payments and you have very little deductible expenses then perhaps just claiming the extra income is your best option. The only way to know for sure is to run the numbers. In my situation, having a business is the way to go.
So now that you've decided to form a business, now what? First, go get yourself a copy of Home Business Tax Deductions then study it. Don't just read it, study it. Tax law is a complex subject and it's easy to miss an important detail. Next, take the following steps:
Establish a LEGAL home office. Record the dimensions of this office area and take a picture of it.Start a business journal. State the date the business was started and then continue with entries documenting important business activities. It's sort of like a diary for your business. You can use anything from a paper notebook to a cross-platform, cloud-based solution. I use EverNote because I can make an entry from any device.Open up a separate checking account for the business. This is not required but is highly recommended.Get or designate an existing credit card for business use only.Get into the habit of documenting everything you do that is business related. Record the reason for and the mileage of every trip. Record when, where, and who you had business meals with. Record the time you spend in your office and the time spent using shared resources (like a computer that is used for business and pleasure). The IRS loves to see documentation--meticulous documentation. I like to use Google calendar so I can record every business activity in half-hour increments and I can access it from any device I own.Get yourself some business cards.Set up a website.Create an e-mail for business use only.Above all else, document your business activities and become familiar with how to treat your writing activities as a business. I would also recommend doing business as if you expect to be audited. Home businesses are audited more often than normal tax payers. If you keep your deductions legal and maintain accurate and timely documentation you will sail through any audit. The IRS realizes that many people try to claim more than they are allowed. Don't do this! Honesty and faithful adherence to the law will keep you out of trouble.
I am not a tax expert but if you have any questions as to how I do things myself, please feel free to drop me an e-mail. I can be reached at: author@dougfarren.com
December 8, 2013
The Price of Technology
The other day my wife’s nephew took over my TV and started showing pictures on it using an old cell phone I had given him. Being a techno-nerd, I just had to figure out how. It didn't take long but then I wanted to try out a video. That failed. While researching why I ran across a way-cool app called Skifta. After loading a helper program on my media center computer I now have the ability to send any picture or video on my home network to any DLNA compliant TV within range of my cell phone no matter where I am. I had no idea my phone could do something like this! And that got me to thinking about this month’s post – how much does today’s technology cost us and is it worth it?
Let’s set the wayback machine (remember that?) to 1978. The internet did not exist. The median family income was $15,060 (U.S. Dept of Commerce ‘Current Population Report’, 02/1980). Consumers could buy a TRS-80, PET, or an Apple II computer for around $400.00. Although I can’t find an official reference, I believe the average consumer paid about $12.00 a month for a phone line. Television was free but limited to what you could pull out of the air.
In today’s world a normal person will pay over $100.00 a month for 200+ TV channels. Land lines are quickly becoming a thing of the past and most people will part with another $100.00 a month for the privilege of owning a cell phone. The internet has also become a service that most people cannot do without and a medium-speed internet connection is going to run you about $40.00 per month. These are all low-end estimates but they add up to a monthly drain on our financial resources of $240.00. As a reference, the median family income as of 2011 is $50,054.
Over the past 35 years the price of having access to the technology we use every day has increased by 2083% while the median income has increased 332%. Looking at it another way, technology amounted to less than 1% of a family’s income in 1978 while today it consumes 5.75%. Is it worth it?
The vast majority of the population will say that technology is well-worth the cost. We have nearly instant communications with each other no matter where we are. We have a mind-boggling variety of interference-free entertainment options and we are connected like we've never been before. I am a heavy user of technology. Because of it, I have become a successful indie author. But, as a writer, I also know there is a flip-side to every coin.
Technology has served to widen the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. Because of its cost, those living on the edge a few decades ago have been left behind. And the gap is widening. As the cost continues to grow, the income necessary to access technology will go up creating a further divide between us. But there is hope.
There are now government programs to provide cell phones to the poor. Most libraries now have public computers allowing anyone to gain access to the internet. My hope is that, one day, cable companies will offer free basic TV and internet service to anyone unable to afford to pay for a monthly subscription. The people in the ‘haves’ category can also do their part by donating used computers and cell phones to organizations that will put them into the hands of the less fortunate.
Is technology worth the cost? Yes it is. If you can afford to own the latest wiz-bang gadget your purchases will help fund the development of even more advanced technology. But you should also realize that not everyone is as fortunate and you should do your part in helping others enjoy the benefits of our modern society. Help stomp out greed. Give when you can. Don’t look down on the less fortunate but reach out a helping hand to them. We are all human and everyone deserves to share the experience of living in the modern world.
Let’s set the wayback machine (remember that?) to 1978. The internet did not exist. The median family income was $15,060 (U.S. Dept of Commerce ‘Current Population Report’, 02/1980). Consumers could buy a TRS-80, PET, or an Apple II computer for around $400.00. Although I can’t find an official reference, I believe the average consumer paid about $12.00 a month for a phone line. Television was free but limited to what you could pull out of the air.
In today’s world a normal person will pay over $100.00 a month for 200+ TV channels. Land lines are quickly becoming a thing of the past and most people will part with another $100.00 a month for the privilege of owning a cell phone. The internet has also become a service that most people cannot do without and a medium-speed internet connection is going to run you about $40.00 per month. These are all low-end estimates but they add up to a monthly drain on our financial resources of $240.00. As a reference, the median family income as of 2011 is $50,054.
Over the past 35 years the price of having access to the technology we use every day has increased by 2083% while the median income has increased 332%. Looking at it another way, technology amounted to less than 1% of a family’s income in 1978 while today it consumes 5.75%. Is it worth it?
The vast majority of the population will say that technology is well-worth the cost. We have nearly instant communications with each other no matter where we are. We have a mind-boggling variety of interference-free entertainment options and we are connected like we've never been before. I am a heavy user of technology. Because of it, I have become a successful indie author. But, as a writer, I also know there is a flip-side to every coin.
Technology has served to widen the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. Because of its cost, those living on the edge a few decades ago have been left behind. And the gap is widening. As the cost continues to grow, the income necessary to access technology will go up creating a further divide between us. But there is hope.
There are now government programs to provide cell phones to the poor. Most libraries now have public computers allowing anyone to gain access to the internet. My hope is that, one day, cable companies will offer free basic TV and internet service to anyone unable to afford to pay for a monthly subscription. The people in the ‘haves’ category can also do their part by donating used computers and cell phones to organizations that will put them into the hands of the less fortunate.
Is technology worth the cost? Yes it is. If you can afford to own the latest wiz-bang gadget your purchases will help fund the development of even more advanced technology. But you should also realize that not everyone is as fortunate and you should do your part in helping others enjoy the benefits of our modern society. Help stomp out greed. Give when you can. Don’t look down on the less fortunate but reach out a helping hand to them. We are all human and everyone deserves to share the experience of living in the modern world.
December 1, 2013
Guest Post: Linda Nagata -- Writing the Near Future
I met Linda Nagata in the summer of 2012 at the Launchpad Astronomy Workshop in Laramie, Wyoming. Linda is an award-winning indie writer of hard science fiction. She has a particular knack for character development as well as portraying an incredibly clear picture of what the future may be like. Her most recent novel 'The Red: First Light' is an incredibly gripping, enjoyable read.
Certain activities strike me as unwise risks—big wave surfing for example, or scaling a sheer cliff without ropes, or writing near-future fiction.
All stories age. Even those set in the author’s present, that accurately reflect the time and place in which they were written, can come to seem quaint, offensive, or just plain wrong as societal values change. Setting a story in the far future or the undocumented past can’t save an author either, as the plot, the attitudes of the characters, and the theme, will still reflect the author’s values, or the values of a society the author is raging against.
(On the other hand, if a story is set in a very distant period, than much can be forgiven: xkcd.com/771/)
Near-future science fiction is especially vulnerable to aging out. Back in the ’70s, the standard catchphrase “It’s 1984” was used all the time when there was any hint of government surveillance impinging on civil liberties, but we’re long past the date of Orwell’s novel and the phrase is rarely heard anymore -- and these days, with the abundance of social media, many of us are signing up to be surveilled. Technology evolves in unexpected ways, values change, history happens -- and story worlds become obsolete.
This fear of early obsolescence or “aging out” makes the near future a scary place to set a novel. What’s the lifespan of a book going to be when the associated history is changing even as the novel is written? My newest novel, The Red: First Light , is set in the very near future. I needed to have “a war going on somewhere.” For various reasons I decided to set the opening conflict in the African Sahel, only to have the region become a big item in the news just before publication. I crossed my fingers and hoped that unfolding political events would not make the story irrelevant. Other elements used in the story have also been making the news, but I won’t mention those for fear of spoilers.
Selecting which technological aspects of the story world will stay the same as in the present, and which will change, is the next near-future booby trap. When trying to set a story in what is almost-but-not-quite the real world, it’s good to keep in mind that change isn’t constant and that well-adapted technologies can stick around for a long time, even as other aspects of the world evolve. It’s also true that individuals adopt new devices at different rates. I got my first smart phone only about a year ago (and good luck trying to pry it out of my hands!) while my husband is content with a phone that just does text messages and calls. So it’s fair to include familiar elements and old-fashioned people.
And then there’s the issue of keeping up with, of being aware of, what is actually possible now. Earlier this year, a team at Stanford discussed their work creating biological computers to function inside of cells, in 2012 a quadriplegic was controlling a robotic arm via brain implants, and at least within the United States the legality and limits of drone surveillance and technology has become a subject of hot debate. As many have already said, we’re living in a science fiction world. With so much going on, is there any need to make things up?
Well...yes. Yes, there is. But still...
Technology is evolving so quickly, in so many places, in so many forms, that it’s all too possible to discover that a made up “future” tech already exists, with its potential repercussions researched and discussed. It’s almost certain that an author will miss some technological development, likely well known to those working in a particular field, that might have affected the story.
One further little twist: There’s also the question of what is “real.” Remember the mosquito spy drone? Not real, of course, but maybe next year? All these are good, sensible reasons for a writer to stay away from near-future fiction, but despite all that, some of us keep wading in. I like the subgenre, particularly for its relevance to this world we actually live in. Besides, it’s a great excuse to spend time delving into subjects I might not have been aware of, or had the time to look into, otherwise.
Research can be addictive though, and it’s easy to get derailed by details, stymied by the question of whether or not you’ve got it “right enough.” And then there’s the temptation to include all sorts of extrapolation in a story, to explain everything. Robert Jackson Bennett has used the phrase “Hot Mess Novels of Excess” to describe big, sprawling efforts, including his own. Plenty of great books fall into this category, and extrapolative science fiction is full of them.
Taking the opposite approach, an author can deliberately narrow the focus of the story. Less to go wrong that way, right? Maybe. Still, it’s a legitimate choice to aim for a fast-paced, focused tale. This can be techno-thriller territory, cross-genre stuff that can appeal outside the bounds of the science fiction genre – and in full-disclosure mode, this was my goal with The Red: First Light .
So how important is it to stay accurate to the world? Is an extrapolative SF novel spoiled if history or technology overruns it? Yes, sometimes. But a well-written novel can survive long past the obsolescence of the history it contains or the technology it projects. Though I call this sort of near-future science fiction “extrapolative,” we all know science fiction isn’t predictive. It’s a thought experiment. A test bed of what could happen, and where we might be going. A reflection of the human condition.
In the end, it’s the strength of the story that matters.
I think it’s best to regard near-future fiction as impending alternate histories—stories set in parallel universes, still familiar to us, but where events are sure to follow a divergent path.
Linda Nagata is the author of multiple novels and short stories including The Bohr Maker, winner of the Locus Award for best first novel, and the novella “Goddesses,” the first online publication to receive a Nebula award. Her story “Nahiku West” was a finalist for the 2013 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. Her newest science fiction novel is the near-future military thriller The Red: First Light. Linda has spent most of her life in Hawaii, where she’s been a writer, a mom, a programmer of database-driven websites, and lately an independent publisher. She lives with her husband in their long-time home on the island of Maui. Find her online at: MythicIsland.com.
Certain activities strike me as unwise risks—big wave surfing for example, or scaling a sheer cliff without ropes, or writing near-future fiction.
All stories age. Even those set in the author’s present, that accurately reflect the time and place in which they were written, can come to seem quaint, offensive, or just plain wrong as societal values change. Setting a story in the far future or the undocumented past can’t save an author either, as the plot, the attitudes of the characters, and the theme, will still reflect the author’s values, or the values of a society the author is raging against.
(On the other hand, if a story is set in a very distant period, than much can be forgiven: xkcd.com/771/)
Near-future science fiction is especially vulnerable to aging out. Back in the ’70s, the standard catchphrase “It’s 1984” was used all the time when there was any hint of government surveillance impinging on civil liberties, but we’re long past the date of Orwell’s novel and the phrase is rarely heard anymore -- and these days, with the abundance of social media, many of us are signing up to be surveilled. Technology evolves in unexpected ways, values change, history happens -- and story worlds become obsolete.
This fear of early obsolescence or “aging out” makes the near future a scary place to set a novel. What’s the lifespan of a book going to be when the associated history is changing even as the novel is written? My newest novel, The Red: First Light , is set in the very near future. I needed to have “a war going on somewhere.” For various reasons I decided to set the opening conflict in the African Sahel, only to have the region become a big item in the news just before publication. I crossed my fingers and hoped that unfolding political events would not make the story irrelevant. Other elements used in the story have also been making the news, but I won’t mention those for fear of spoilers.
Selecting which technological aspects of the story world will stay the same as in the present, and which will change, is the next near-future booby trap. When trying to set a story in what is almost-but-not-quite the real world, it’s good to keep in mind that change isn’t constant and that well-adapted technologies can stick around for a long time, even as other aspects of the world evolve. It’s also true that individuals adopt new devices at different rates. I got my first smart phone only about a year ago (and good luck trying to pry it out of my hands!) while my husband is content with a phone that just does text messages and calls. So it’s fair to include familiar elements and old-fashioned people.
And then there’s the issue of keeping up with, of being aware of, what is actually possible now. Earlier this year, a team at Stanford discussed their work creating biological computers to function inside of cells, in 2012 a quadriplegic was controlling a robotic arm via brain implants, and at least within the United States the legality and limits of drone surveillance and technology has become a subject of hot debate. As many have already said, we’re living in a science fiction world. With so much going on, is there any need to make things up?
Well...yes. Yes, there is. But still...
Technology is evolving so quickly, in so many places, in so many forms, that it’s all too possible to discover that a made up “future” tech already exists, with its potential repercussions researched and discussed. It’s almost certain that an author will miss some technological development, likely well known to those working in a particular field, that might have affected the story.
One further little twist: There’s also the question of what is “real.” Remember the mosquito spy drone? Not real, of course, but maybe next year? All these are good, sensible reasons for a writer to stay away from near-future fiction, but despite all that, some of us keep wading in. I like the subgenre, particularly for its relevance to this world we actually live in. Besides, it’s a great excuse to spend time delving into subjects I might not have been aware of, or had the time to look into, otherwise.
Research can be addictive though, and it’s easy to get derailed by details, stymied by the question of whether or not you’ve got it “right enough.” And then there’s the temptation to include all sorts of extrapolation in a story, to explain everything. Robert Jackson Bennett has used the phrase “Hot Mess Novels of Excess” to describe big, sprawling efforts, including his own. Plenty of great books fall into this category, and extrapolative science fiction is full of them.
Taking the opposite approach, an author can deliberately narrow the focus of the story. Less to go wrong that way, right? Maybe. Still, it’s a legitimate choice to aim for a fast-paced, focused tale. This can be techno-thriller territory, cross-genre stuff that can appeal outside the bounds of the science fiction genre – and in full-disclosure mode, this was my goal with The Red: First Light .
So how important is it to stay accurate to the world? Is an extrapolative SF novel spoiled if history or technology overruns it? Yes, sometimes. But a well-written novel can survive long past the obsolescence of the history it contains or the technology it projects. Though I call this sort of near-future science fiction “extrapolative,” we all know science fiction isn’t predictive. It’s a thought experiment. A test bed of what could happen, and where we might be going. A reflection of the human condition.
In the end, it’s the strength of the story that matters.
I think it’s best to regard near-future fiction as impending alternate histories—stories set in parallel universes, still familiar to us, but where events are sure to follow a divergent path.
Linda Nagata is the author of multiple novels and short stories including The Bohr Maker, winner of the Locus Award for best first novel, and the novella “Goddesses,” the first online publication to receive a Nebula award. Her story “Nahiku West” was a finalist for the 2013 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. Her newest science fiction novel is the near-future military thriller The Red: First Light. Linda has spent most of her life in Hawaii, where she’s been a writer, a mom, a programmer of database-driven websites, and lately an independent publisher. She lives with her husband in their long-time home on the island of Maui. Find her online at: MythicIsland.com.
November 24, 2013
Should an author read or even respond to reviews?
As a nuclear power plant worker I am used to following rules. Some are absolute--never to be violated even under the most extreme situations. Others can be broken, but only if the rules for breaking them are followed. And then, there are 'rules' that should really be classified as suggestions. Some writers believe in the absolute rule of "Never, ever, read the comments". Some, believe it's okay to read them but apply the second rule: "Never reply to a comment". My personal rules regarding comments are not quite so absolute.
What most writers fear are the internet trolls who, for one reason or another, seem to enjoy online bullying. Why people do this is beyond me, but have no doubt, these people are real. Check out this article by author Dougie Brimson - it will open your eyes. The best tactic against the trolls is to simply ignore them.
I have gotten negative reviews on my books. Before I uploaded my first book to Amazon back in 2009, I knew there would be people out there who would not like my writing. That's fine. I also realize there are people who love to cut other people down. If I pick up a book and after 4 chapters I quit reading it because I'm not into the author's style, I don't immediately drop a negative comment. I'm smart enough to realize that not everyone has the same tastes. I don't like lobster but that doesn't mean that if I see you eating it I'm going to think less of you. Our differences are what makes us human--it's what differentiates us from robots.
I also realize that my fans can be a goldmine of information to help make my books better. That's why I read every comment, every review, and every email. I'm looking for constructive feedback--stuff I can use and act upon to provide my fans with material they will continue to enjoy. Nobody is perfect and even the best can become better.
I follow a similar rule regarding replying to comments and reviews. If someone writes a particularly good review, I thank them. If they provide a helpful comment or ask a pertinent question, I will also reply. I never try to start an argument with anyone when I reply. Bear in mind that anyone on the planet can read what you've written. Be professional.
Two stories I would like to share. There was an individual from Australia who wrote a rather bad review of one of my books. I could sense his frustration and I felt I could gain some useful feedback but the post did not provide any details as to what the reader was upset about. I replied. I kept the reply professional and I asked for particulars. He replied and that started a private email conversation that ended up with him retracting his original post and writing a better review. We corresponded for a few months after that. It was a good experience all around. There was one individual, however, who seemed offended by what had happened. This brings me to the other story.
There was an individual who wrote a very negative review of Translight specifically because I mentioned global warming and the government was not presented as a champion of advancement. The review said nothing about the quality of the book itself. I wrote a reply which caused her to fire off an argumentative response. I nipped it in the bud by not taking the bait and simply ignored it. But, realizing that there are some out there who take offense at some things, I revised Translight slightly to tone down the discussion on climate change. I prefer to remain neutral on some matters.
My suggestion to new writers: read the reviews because without them you have no way of knowing what your fans think of your work. Read them with the intent of learning how to become a better writer. Never reply to a negative review! Doing so is what the troll that wrote it wants--you will regret it. If you to find a comment worthy of a reply, do so in a professional manner. Expect to be baited and never fall into that trap.
Writers are public figures. Be professional at all times and listen to your readers.
What most writers fear are the internet trolls who, for one reason or another, seem to enjoy online bullying. Why people do this is beyond me, but have no doubt, these people are real. Check out this article by author Dougie Brimson - it will open your eyes. The best tactic against the trolls is to simply ignore them.
I have gotten negative reviews on my books. Before I uploaded my first book to Amazon back in 2009, I knew there would be people out there who would not like my writing. That's fine. I also realize there are people who love to cut other people down. If I pick up a book and after 4 chapters I quit reading it because I'm not into the author's style, I don't immediately drop a negative comment. I'm smart enough to realize that not everyone has the same tastes. I don't like lobster but that doesn't mean that if I see you eating it I'm going to think less of you. Our differences are what makes us human--it's what differentiates us from robots.
I also realize that my fans can be a goldmine of information to help make my books better. That's why I read every comment, every review, and every email. I'm looking for constructive feedback--stuff I can use and act upon to provide my fans with material they will continue to enjoy. Nobody is perfect and even the best can become better.
I follow a similar rule regarding replying to comments and reviews. If someone writes a particularly good review, I thank them. If they provide a helpful comment or ask a pertinent question, I will also reply. I never try to start an argument with anyone when I reply. Bear in mind that anyone on the planet can read what you've written. Be professional.
Two stories I would like to share. There was an individual from Australia who wrote a rather bad review of one of my books. I could sense his frustration and I felt I could gain some useful feedback but the post did not provide any details as to what the reader was upset about. I replied. I kept the reply professional and I asked for particulars. He replied and that started a private email conversation that ended up with him retracting his original post and writing a better review. We corresponded for a few months after that. It was a good experience all around. There was one individual, however, who seemed offended by what had happened. This brings me to the other story.
There was an individual who wrote a very negative review of Translight specifically because I mentioned global warming and the government was not presented as a champion of advancement. The review said nothing about the quality of the book itself. I wrote a reply which caused her to fire off an argumentative response. I nipped it in the bud by not taking the bait and simply ignored it. But, realizing that there are some out there who take offense at some things, I revised Translight slightly to tone down the discussion on climate change. I prefer to remain neutral on some matters.
My suggestion to new writers: read the reviews because without them you have no way of knowing what your fans think of your work. Read them with the intent of learning how to become a better writer. Never reply to a negative review! Doing so is what the troll that wrote it wants--you will regret it. If you to find a comment worthy of a reply, do so in a professional manner. Expect to be baited and never fall into that trap.
Writers are public figures. Be professional at all times and listen to your readers.
November 17, 2013
BSinSF: Space Weapons
In my past Bad Science in Science Fiction posts I’ve covered the obvious problems faced by scifi writers. Unless someone comes up with a suggestion, this will be the last in this tiny series.
What is the best possible weapon for an advanced culture to use? It depends. Believe it or not, if you’re interested in colonizing a planet that happens to already have an indigenous species living on it, your best tactic is to throw a few rocks at them—big ones. Change the course of a few asteroids and have them impact the target world and you have yourself a nonradioactive equivalent of an ecosphere destroying nuclear attack. Wait a decade or so and then just mop up the few survivors and move in. This is an example of a kinetic energy weapon.
What about fighting in space? Kinetic energy weapons would be useless for long-ranges because the target can maneuver out of the way. High acceleration missiles can also be used for close-in combat. But for long-range battles with the combatants at a distance of hundreds of thousands of kilometers then the only choice is a directed energy weapon—beam weapons.
Near light-speed particle beam weapons can deliver a lot of energy but require an enormous amount of power to operate. Is it worth the power needed to generate the particle beam? Perhaps. You must have a way of accelerating the particles and that usually requires a very long, difficult to aim, exceptionally power-hungry machine. Lasers are a much better choice.
In space, the choice of laser frequency would depend on what type of target you’re aiming for and how easily you can focus the beam. If your target is a very reflective surface you probably want to stay away from visible-spectrum lasers. If you’re trying to destroy something on the surface of a planet from space you need to consider how fast your beam will be absorbed in the atmosphere. The type of atmosphere will make a difference as well. If you want to keep the science real, look up the absorption spectrum of the major gas of the atmosphere. This means your beam weapon must be tunable.
I am a very big fan of science fiction movies. I love the high-tech weaponry and awesome special effects. Even though I am well-aware that every scifi film I’ve ever seen violates the known laws of physics when it comes to weapons I still agree with Hollywood when it comes to showing visible beams in space. Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica would be less interesting if the weapons in use were invisible. Making them visible definitely adds to the visual effects.
Why are lasers invisible in space? Think about it for a minute. How do your eyes work? In order to see something a few photons of light from the source must enter your eye. A laser is a coherent beam of energy with all the photons moving in synchronization from the source to the target. If you can see the beam, then some of those photons are not moving in the right direction which represents a loss of power. The only way for those photons to leave the beam and enter your eye is if they are forced to change direction by hitting something. There’s not much of anything in space to hit.
The other factor involved is the frequency of the laser. If there was something causing the beam to leak photons then those photons would have to be in the visible spectrum to be seen. That’s a pretty narrow band of frequencies. If the beam is not composed of energy but is, instead, a beam of particles, then there is no way anyone could see the beam. The bottom line here is if you want your novel to follow pure science, then all beam weapons should be invisible.
I work at a nuclear power plant and I’m quite familiar with the units of measurement for power and energy—the two are NOT the same but they are closely related. It took me a long time to completely understand the difference. Even today, I sometimes get confused. I don’t know how many times I’ve read that a beam was delivering xx megawatts of power to the target. A megawatt is a measurement of the amount of energy consumed over a period of time. It is not what the experts use to denote the amount of energy delivered to a target. For this, they use Joules. Depositing energy is what causes damage. The more energy you can deliver to the target the more damage you can do. For a very good discussion of this topic take a look here.
While I’m on the subject of energy, the science-minded writer must consider how much energy it takes to actually damage a target. Unless your weapon is backed by a titanic energy source you won’t see the type of damage depicted in the movies. (Huge power sources have their own issues as I pointed out in a past post: Thermodynamics, the bane of science fiction.) A hit from a laser will not cause a ship to instantly explode unless it happens to cause a secondary explosion. I recommend reading up on how lasers work and how they affect their targets. You should also be familiar with how much energy it takes to melt a given thickness of material.
A final note—in order for a beam weapon to penetrate the skin of a ship, it must maintain its focus on a very narrow spot for a period of time long enough to deposit enough energy to burn its way through. Doing that at a distance of a few hundred or thousand kilometers when both target and weapon platform are moving is quite a task. If you want to damage your target, then you had better give your weapons mind-boggling power levels (or is it energy levels?).
By the way—I just finished season one of Falling Skies. I love it!
What is the best possible weapon for an advanced culture to use? It depends. Believe it or not, if you’re interested in colonizing a planet that happens to already have an indigenous species living on it, your best tactic is to throw a few rocks at them—big ones. Change the course of a few asteroids and have them impact the target world and you have yourself a nonradioactive equivalent of an ecosphere destroying nuclear attack. Wait a decade or so and then just mop up the few survivors and move in. This is an example of a kinetic energy weapon.
What about fighting in space? Kinetic energy weapons would be useless for long-ranges because the target can maneuver out of the way. High acceleration missiles can also be used for close-in combat. But for long-range battles with the combatants at a distance of hundreds of thousands of kilometers then the only choice is a directed energy weapon—beam weapons.
Near light-speed particle beam weapons can deliver a lot of energy but require an enormous amount of power to operate. Is it worth the power needed to generate the particle beam? Perhaps. You must have a way of accelerating the particles and that usually requires a very long, difficult to aim, exceptionally power-hungry machine. Lasers are a much better choice.
In space, the choice of laser frequency would depend on what type of target you’re aiming for and how easily you can focus the beam. If your target is a very reflective surface you probably want to stay away from visible-spectrum lasers. If you’re trying to destroy something on the surface of a planet from space you need to consider how fast your beam will be absorbed in the atmosphere. The type of atmosphere will make a difference as well. If you want to keep the science real, look up the absorption spectrum of the major gas of the atmosphere. This means your beam weapon must be tunable.
I am a very big fan of science fiction movies. I love the high-tech weaponry and awesome special effects. Even though I am well-aware that every scifi film I’ve ever seen violates the known laws of physics when it comes to weapons I still agree with Hollywood when it comes to showing visible beams in space. Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica would be less interesting if the weapons in use were invisible. Making them visible definitely adds to the visual effects.
Why are lasers invisible in space? Think about it for a minute. How do your eyes work? In order to see something a few photons of light from the source must enter your eye. A laser is a coherent beam of energy with all the photons moving in synchronization from the source to the target. If you can see the beam, then some of those photons are not moving in the right direction which represents a loss of power. The only way for those photons to leave the beam and enter your eye is if they are forced to change direction by hitting something. There’s not much of anything in space to hit.
The other factor involved is the frequency of the laser. If there was something causing the beam to leak photons then those photons would have to be in the visible spectrum to be seen. That’s a pretty narrow band of frequencies. If the beam is not composed of energy but is, instead, a beam of particles, then there is no way anyone could see the beam. The bottom line here is if you want your novel to follow pure science, then all beam weapons should be invisible.
I work at a nuclear power plant and I’m quite familiar with the units of measurement for power and energy—the two are NOT the same but they are closely related. It took me a long time to completely understand the difference. Even today, I sometimes get confused. I don’t know how many times I’ve read that a beam was delivering xx megawatts of power to the target. A megawatt is a measurement of the amount of energy consumed over a period of time. It is not what the experts use to denote the amount of energy delivered to a target. For this, they use Joules. Depositing energy is what causes damage. The more energy you can deliver to the target the more damage you can do. For a very good discussion of this topic take a look here.
While I’m on the subject of energy, the science-minded writer must consider how much energy it takes to actually damage a target. Unless your weapon is backed by a titanic energy source you won’t see the type of damage depicted in the movies. (Huge power sources have their own issues as I pointed out in a past post: Thermodynamics, the bane of science fiction.) A hit from a laser will not cause a ship to instantly explode unless it happens to cause a secondary explosion. I recommend reading up on how lasers work and how they affect their targets. You should also be familiar with how much energy it takes to melt a given thickness of material.
A final note—in order for a beam weapon to penetrate the skin of a ship, it must maintain its focus on a very narrow spot for a period of time long enough to deposit enough energy to burn its way through. Doing that at a distance of a few hundred or thousand kilometers when both target and weapon platform are moving is quite a task. If you want to damage your target, then you had better give your weapons mind-boggling power levels (or is it energy levels?).
By the way—I just finished season one of Falling Skies. I love it!
