Trevor Schmidt's Blog, page 5
January 16, 2015
Reno, NV: Startup City
With all of the talk about the Tesla Gigafactory coming to Reno, NV some of the smaller players have gotten a little overshadowed. However, Popular Mechanics recently recognized Reno as the #8 Best Startup City in the Country! Between the Reno Collective and Startup Row, Reno has a lot going for it these days, which is great given its slow economic improvement since the 2008 Financial Crisis.
Here's a few of the companies sprouting up in the area and a little of what they're about.
inqiri:
inqiri operates the premier online collaborative decision-making platform. Our patent-pending technology combines the power of collective intelligence with a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology. The inqiri solution provides organizations with a structured, objective, rational technique for improving decisions. Founded in 2012, inqiri develops advanced business intelligence solutions designed to enhance business outcomes.
Dunce, LLC:
Dunce, LLC is college planning that’s clever! Founded in 2013, we help high school students determine their paths after graduation, and provide resources and guidance to help them achieve their goals. Dunce prides itself in challenging our clients to think outside the box when it comes to their goals after high school, as well as develop an entrepreneurial mindset when it comes to life and learning.
TrainerRoad:
TrainerRoad provides indoor-cycling software to cyclists and triathletes with the goal of making them faster on the bike. TrainerRoad records athletes’ workouts and displays live data such as power output, cadence, and heart rate.
In addition to these great startups, there's a lot more in the works for Reno. Apple is expanding their Data Center presence in town, Petco is opening a new distribution center, and Amazon is moving their distribution center from Fernley, NV to Reno. This is just the tip of the iceberg for great companies popping up in town and it looks like the next few years will greatly expand the presence of tech companies and the ever-present warehouse/distribution business.
I know there are a lot more startups out there in Reno but for the sake of time I limited my post to only a few. If you have a startup in Reno and would like to talk about it on my blog I would be happy to let you do a guest post or conduct an interview.
Here's a few of the companies sprouting up in the area and a little of what they're about.
inqiri:
inqiri operates the premier online collaborative decision-making platform. Our patent-pending technology combines the power of collective intelligence with a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology. The inqiri solution provides organizations with a structured, objective, rational technique for improving decisions. Founded in 2012, inqiri develops advanced business intelligence solutions designed to enhance business outcomes.
Dunce, LLC:
Dunce, LLC is college planning that’s clever! Founded in 2013, we help high school students determine their paths after graduation, and provide resources and guidance to help them achieve their goals. Dunce prides itself in challenging our clients to think outside the box when it comes to their goals after high school, as well as develop an entrepreneurial mindset when it comes to life and learning.
TrainerRoad:
TrainerRoad provides indoor-cycling software to cyclists and triathletes with the goal of making them faster on the bike. TrainerRoad records athletes’ workouts and displays live data such as power output, cadence, and heart rate.
In addition to these great startups, there's a lot more in the works for Reno. Apple is expanding their Data Center presence in town, Petco is opening a new distribution center, and Amazon is moving their distribution center from Fernley, NV to Reno. This is just the tip of the iceberg for great companies popping up in town and it looks like the next few years will greatly expand the presence of tech companies and the ever-present warehouse/distribution business.
I know there are a lot more startups out there in Reno but for the sake of time I limited my post to only a few. If you have a startup in Reno and would like to talk about it on my blog I would be happy to let you do a guest post or conduct an interview.
January 14, 2015
Are You A Renaissance Man? Writing Is Perfect For You.
Some of my friends have asked me what attributes make a successful writer. I answer that writing is perfect for those who are a jack-of-all-trades. We all know that person out there who can play guitar, complete a marathon, and has enough energy at the end of the day to beat you at Call of Duty. Maybe they aren't the best at everything, but they've learned enough of a lot of different skills to be more than well-rounded. I think any good writer experiences as much as possible in life and those experiences, good or bad, influence their storytelling.
Hemingway drunkenly made his way around Europe and then wrote about characters who often did the same. I'm not saying every story has to be cut from your life. Heck, I'm a science fiction writer. If I went around parading my stories as truths most people would think I'm crazy, or worse, some people might start a church and start worshiping my writing...
Let me put it this way. I get a lot of inspiration from my dreams. Dreams are often very much influenced by our real life, only warped and changed within our minds to reach us at a symbolic level. Maybe that cigar is not really a cigar at all. In science fiction, the guts, the core of it all is just like any other story apart from the setting and the technological advances or regressions. Novels are about people, whether real or fictional. Tangentially, did you know the human brain is incapable of creating a human face from scratch? If you were to think of a face right now, it might have the eyes of the man you saw on the subway, the mouth of the homeless man outside your building, and the facial hair of Brad Pitt on the tabloid at the supermarket. Our brains are wondrous things, but they can only rearrange what we have already seen.
How does this relate to writing? I believe we are a collection of our experiences. Everything we see and everything we do can influence how we put pen to paper. When I look out my window and I see someone walking down the street, I like to think up an imaginary back story for that person. I never know when I'll need another character.
When writing, sometimes I'll come up with an idea involving a subject I know little about. This is when things get interesting. I'll spend days or weeks heavily researching that subject, sometimes even reading a college textbook on the subject (in the case of Immunology and my novel Symbiote). Over time, I feel I've educated myself on far more than my two, going on three, college degrees would suggest. The way I motivate myself is that I want to know enough about a subject that I could go in right away and test out of that college class if I wanted to without any further study. When I first became interested in writing science fiction novels, I read textbooks about Physics, Astronomy, the space program, cloning, and several biographies of scientists and leaders in technological fields. In this sense, I think being a good reader is absolutely necessary to being a good writer. Who knows, if you become interested in knowing the basics of many different subjects, you too could become a Renaissance Man or Woman.
What's on your reading list? Have you become something of an expert in a field you recently knew little about? Sound off in the comments or tweet me @TrevorSSchmidt
Hemingway drunkenly made his way around Europe and then wrote about characters who often did the same. I'm not saying every story has to be cut from your life. Heck, I'm a science fiction writer. If I went around parading my stories as truths most people would think I'm crazy, or worse, some people might start a church and start worshiping my writing...
Let me put it this way. I get a lot of inspiration from my dreams. Dreams are often very much influenced by our real life, only warped and changed within our minds to reach us at a symbolic level. Maybe that cigar is not really a cigar at all. In science fiction, the guts, the core of it all is just like any other story apart from the setting and the technological advances or regressions. Novels are about people, whether real or fictional. Tangentially, did you know the human brain is incapable of creating a human face from scratch? If you were to think of a face right now, it might have the eyes of the man you saw on the subway, the mouth of the homeless man outside your building, and the facial hair of Brad Pitt on the tabloid at the supermarket. Our brains are wondrous things, but they can only rearrange what we have already seen.
How does this relate to writing? I believe we are a collection of our experiences. Everything we see and everything we do can influence how we put pen to paper. When I look out my window and I see someone walking down the street, I like to think up an imaginary back story for that person. I never know when I'll need another character.
When writing, sometimes I'll come up with an idea involving a subject I know little about. This is when things get interesting. I'll spend days or weeks heavily researching that subject, sometimes even reading a college textbook on the subject (in the case of Immunology and my novel Symbiote). Over time, I feel I've educated myself on far more than my two, going on three, college degrees would suggest. The way I motivate myself is that I want to know enough about a subject that I could go in right away and test out of that college class if I wanted to without any further study. When I first became interested in writing science fiction novels, I read textbooks about Physics, Astronomy, the space program, cloning, and several biographies of scientists and leaders in technological fields. In this sense, I think being a good reader is absolutely necessary to being a good writer. Who knows, if you become interested in knowing the basics of many different subjects, you too could become a Renaissance Man or Woman.
What's on your reading list? Have you become something of an expert in a field you recently knew little about? Sound off in the comments or tweet me @TrevorSSchmidt
January 3, 2015
New Year's Resolution
It's that time of year again, give or take a couple of days. It's the time when everyone makes the resolution to lose weight...and I'm sure a smattering of other things. I don't believe in resolutions so much as setting goals. The problem a lot of people have seems to be with the name. You see, they're the same thing. However, a goal to some may equally be labeled a 'pipe dream.' So let's talk about goals.
Goals are nothing without a plan of attack. For me, I make time to write 1,000 words every day, even if it's a blog post rather than a few pages in my latest novel. I'm an avid user of to-do lists and if I miss a day of writing I don't get that satisfying check. On the rare occasion that happens, I let it carry over to the next day, where I'll double my normal productivity out of guilt. I've been following this pattern for about 6 months now and have written and published 2 novels to show for it.
The problem with a lot of people's goals is that they take a long time to achieve for a person completely dedicated to the task. Someone might go in and give it a half-baked effort for a month or two and then stop. Maybe it's too hard or you're not getting the results you want. Any task, if repeated enough times, can get boring. The people who succeed find the bright spots and continue on even if they don't feel like it, if they aren't getting the results they want, or if their goal seems unreachable. It can take decades to gain any real following as an author, musician, or other type of artist. During that time, just about everyone will hit a wall at some point. What matters is how you deal with those setbacks.
I have goals for 2015, goals for the next three years, five years, ten years, and so on. I realize that forecasting that far out might seem pointless to some people, but I stand by it. Every year I reevaluate where I am and where I want to be. I don't make some arbitrary resolution per se, but I do adjust my goals to be somewhere between realistic and optimistic. And so here it is: in 2015 I will publish four novels and the quality of each will meet or exceed the previous novel. I'm already on track to hit that goal, and it's a good feeling that I know all I need to do is continue on the way I've been going.
I want to hear about your resolutions! Post a comment in the space below with your 2015 resolution.
Goals are nothing without a plan of attack. For me, I make time to write 1,000 words every day, even if it's a blog post rather than a few pages in my latest novel. I'm an avid user of to-do lists and if I miss a day of writing I don't get that satisfying check. On the rare occasion that happens, I let it carry over to the next day, where I'll double my normal productivity out of guilt. I've been following this pattern for about 6 months now and have written and published 2 novels to show for it.
The problem with a lot of people's goals is that they take a long time to achieve for a person completely dedicated to the task. Someone might go in and give it a half-baked effort for a month or two and then stop. Maybe it's too hard or you're not getting the results you want. Any task, if repeated enough times, can get boring. The people who succeed find the bright spots and continue on even if they don't feel like it, if they aren't getting the results they want, or if their goal seems unreachable. It can take decades to gain any real following as an author, musician, or other type of artist. During that time, just about everyone will hit a wall at some point. What matters is how you deal with those setbacks.
I have goals for 2015, goals for the next three years, five years, ten years, and so on. I realize that forecasting that far out might seem pointless to some people, but I stand by it. Every year I reevaluate where I am and where I want to be. I don't make some arbitrary resolution per se, but I do adjust my goals to be somewhere between realistic and optimistic. And so here it is: in 2015 I will publish four novels and the quality of each will meet or exceed the previous novel. I'm already on track to hit that goal, and it's a good feeling that I know all I need to do is continue on the way I've been going.
I want to hear about your resolutions! Post a comment in the space below with your 2015 resolution.
January 2, 2015
Scientists Trying to Mine Metal From Plants
At first this might sound a bit strange, but bear with me. Scientists in Australia are using plants to harvest metals like Nickel, Zinc, and Cobalt from the soil. These plants are called 'hyperaccumulators' because they suck up relatively huge amounts of metal. A single one of these plants can take 11 pounds of Nickel from the soil. Imagine planting a ton of these plants at a spent Nickel mine and accumulating hundreds of extra tons of Nickel. Each ton is currently worth around $20,000. This kind of news story gives me a lot of hope for the future because scientists are finding new ways to do more with less. Similarly, Elon Musk is about to try to land a rocket on a floating platform in the ocean. If that works out, it will prove the viability of a truly reusable rocket, which will in turn drive down the cost of sending rockets to space and space exploration in general. It is estimated that reusable rockets would cut the cost of space travel by 100 times. It's a really exciting time to be alive.
December 25, 2014
Get Symbiote Free for Five Days on Kindle
Merry Christmas everyone! On Christmas day I'm running a special on my short story Replica as well as my science fiction novel Symbiote. The promotion on Replica ends at midnight and the Symbiote promotion will run through the 29th of December.Symbiote Synopsis: When a normally meek Bay Area insurance agent suddenly turns into a voracious, homicidal maniac with an uncontrollable appetite, doctors quickly determine that the cause must be a brain parasite that can only be extra-terrestrial. Now, San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to end this wave of violence before more citizens become infected. But at every turn their investigation seems to be hindered by shadowy federal agents with a hidden agenda. Can they stop this reign of terror before one of them becomes the next Symbiote?
Replica Synopsis: In the year 2054, Army Sergeant Logan Martel hunts for an insurgent plotting a horrific attack on the West. It is in this world of high-tech equipment and prolific robotics that Logan finds himself set adrift, searching for what's left of his own humanity. Will he find what he's looking for? Or will he become merely a replica of his former self?If you pick up a free copy of one of my eBooks, please leave an honest review or rating on Amazon or Goodreads! Additionally, my new book The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key came out on 12/14/14 and can be found here.
December 23, 2014
Fitness Trackers: Diet Boon or Fiat Shackle?
This Christmas wearable technology is a hit. Soon, millions of people will be monitoring how many steps they take each day, their heart rate, and numerous other metrics. It is an exciting time for health enthusiasts everywhere. But what if this enthusiasm is misplaced?
With the role of government expanding into healthcare more and more each day, it seems only a matter of time before those metrics are no longer just for the user, but used by insurance companies to determine rates, healthcare providers to monitor health, and the IRS who is charged with oversight of Obamacare.
For full disclosure, I wear a Fitbit Flex myself and I love its functionality. I find it makes me walk more and I'm probably healthier as a result. With growing rates of obesity in America one could argue this wearable tech is a godsend for the sedentary. Let's go one step further. Wearable tech could also extend to body cameras on police officers. Already in the United States there are millions of security cameras and their rate of growth is exploding. We are obsessed with this sense of security, even though being surrounded by cameras doesn't make us safer. We could still get mugged or killed in the street, and all that those millions of cameras will do is help the police catch the killer. It seems we forget that we'll be dead. This issue of police officers wearing cameras is a hot-button topic right now, and my opinion aside, I wonder what you, the reader, thinks about how it would affect our safety.
In relation to fitness trackers, is it good that Americans are beginning to take a deeper interest in their health? Absolutely. Is it possible that there will be unintended consequences to this trend? I think so. In ten or twenty years I believe insurance rates will be based on permanent health trackers and will fluctuate monthly based on your workout and diet trends. Corporations and Government entities will have far more access to our lives than we ever thought possible and the worst part is, we'll welcome it with open arms because of the facade of safety.
Personally, I'll still wear my fitness tracker as long as its statistics remain my own. I'm in great health already and work out because I love to. This era of big data and constantly monitoring metrics isn't going anywhere, and I bring up this topic because I think everyone should think about the implications of how we're changing society. Will the world we live in ten or twenty years from now be more or less free than today? How many freedoms are we willing to give up to live longer and be safer, even if those goals end up being fiat in nature?
With the role of government expanding into healthcare more and more each day, it seems only a matter of time before those metrics are no longer just for the user, but used by insurance companies to determine rates, healthcare providers to monitor health, and the IRS who is charged with oversight of Obamacare.
For full disclosure, I wear a Fitbit Flex myself and I love its functionality. I find it makes me walk more and I'm probably healthier as a result. With growing rates of obesity in America one could argue this wearable tech is a godsend for the sedentary. Let's go one step further. Wearable tech could also extend to body cameras on police officers. Already in the United States there are millions of security cameras and their rate of growth is exploding. We are obsessed with this sense of security, even though being surrounded by cameras doesn't make us safer. We could still get mugged or killed in the street, and all that those millions of cameras will do is help the police catch the killer. It seems we forget that we'll be dead. This issue of police officers wearing cameras is a hot-button topic right now, and my opinion aside, I wonder what you, the reader, thinks about how it would affect our safety.
In relation to fitness trackers, is it good that Americans are beginning to take a deeper interest in their health? Absolutely. Is it possible that there will be unintended consequences to this trend? I think so. In ten or twenty years I believe insurance rates will be based on permanent health trackers and will fluctuate monthly based on your workout and diet trends. Corporations and Government entities will have far more access to our lives than we ever thought possible and the worst part is, we'll welcome it with open arms because of the facade of safety.
Personally, I'll still wear my fitness tracker as long as its statistics remain my own. I'm in great health already and work out because I love to. This era of big data and constantly monitoring metrics isn't going anywhere, and I bring up this topic because I think everyone should think about the implications of how we're changing society. Will the world we live in ten or twenty years from now be more or less free than today? How many freedoms are we willing to give up to live longer and be safer, even if those goals end up being fiat in nature?
December 21, 2014
Promotion: Replica Free Through Christmas!
Whether you're just looking for something to read or you're looking to try out that new e-reader you received for Christmas, I have a great story for you to read. The best part, it's free in the kindle store through Dec 25th! Here's a synopsis of the ebook to whet your appetite:"In the year 2054, Army Sergeant Logan Martel hunts for an insurgent plotting a horrific attack on the West. It is in this world of high-tech equipment and prolific robotics that Logan finds himself set adrift, searching for what's left of his own humanity. Will he find what he's looking for? Or will he become merely a replica of his former self?"
Here's what one blogger had to say about Replica:
"Trevor Schmidt, author of the cool sci-fi thriller Memory Leak, returns to the genre with this short story which follows a team of futuristic soldiers in their pursuit of a notorious terrorist.
This quick easy read is a cautionary tale regarding the development of future technology and is ideal lunch-break or commute reading that will appeal to fans of the Terminator movies."
-Ric's Reviews
After you pick up your copy, it would be great if you left a simple review on Amazon or Goodreads!
December 19, 2014
Let's Connect on Goodreads!
Calling all readers and fellow authors: let's connect on Goodreads! I'd love to get book recommendations to fill my queue and would be honored if you would recommend mine as well. If you'd like me to check out your Goodreads profile, please leave a comment below and I'll add you as a friend. Let's start something great; a community of readers and writers working together to make sure their voices are heard.
Please, visit me on my profile and let's be friends. Feel free to ask me a question either on this blog or Goodreads and I'll be sure to respond.
As always, a shameless plug for my new book, The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key. Coming soon in Paperback on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.
Please, visit me on my profile and let's be friends. Feel free to ask me a question either on this blog or Goodreads and I'll be sure to respond.As always, a shameless plug for my new book, The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key. Coming soon in Paperback on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.
December 18, 2014
The Corsair Uprising: The Azure Key is Out Now!
I'm happy to announce that the first installment of my new science fiction series is out today! It is entitled The Corsair Uprising: The Azure Key. The Corsair Uprising series falls under the Space Opera heading but has a lot of Steampunk elements as well. Please check it out and if you pick it up, be sure to give an honest review on Amazon.Synopsis:
"Liam Kidd was a freelancer for Vesta Corporation, Earth’s largest and most corrupt asteroid mining company. Through a series of events he finds himself working the mines, a fate worse than death. When an opportunity presents itself, he and two other miners escape through a nearby wormhole. They find themselves across the galaxy in the middle of a conflict between three alien species. Liam’s only chance of getting home lies in finding a device rumored to be capable of opening a singularity. Now, he and his crew must face the horrors of war to return to their own system, a challenge that might prove deadly."
December 17, 2014
How to Overcome Writer's Block
Staring at a blank page can put a real damper on completing your Great American Novel, but it doesn't have to be that way. All you need is a little planning and forethought and you can fly through those pages. Let me explain.
When I wrote my first novel I too stared at a screen for countless hours waiting for inspiration to strike. Too often, it didn't. Because of this, I developed a method that helped me know exactly what I was going to write when I sat down each day.
First, I write a one page synopsis of the book. It doesn't have to be perfect because no one but you will ever see it. Above all else, this one page should answer the "so what" question; or, why the reader should care about your characters and your book. It should have a fairly clear beginning, middle, and end.
Second, I decide how long the book is going to be. Generally, I'm not one of those authors that let stories get away from me. I know what I'm going to say, I know what the story will accomplish, and I deliver it to the reader with a neat bow on top. That said, tangents do happen and I give every novel about a 5,000 word cushion. I keep all of my novels around a 50,000 to 55,000 word count for several reasons, none of them monetary related. First and foremost, a work of that length would translate perfectly to a feature film, which is often how I envision the story as I'm writing.
Third, I make a word file and plot out thirty chapters worth of action. Thirty is the perfect number for me based on my expected word count and ten pages per chapter (in Courier New). I use Courier New because the pages add up faster and it provides me with a sense that the book is growing faster than it is. It makes it just a little bit more fun for me. It's also easily changed back to Times New Roman when I'm finished. Now, while I write out all thirty chapters, I know somewhere along the line I'll have a stroke of brilliance and the plot will vector. It's important for me to go back and alter my outline when that happens to reflect the changes. That way, I open up my outline each day and I can say, "Oh right, I'm writing this scene today," and I already have the vision in my head.
Because of these three steps, I've been able to cut down the time it takes me to write a novel from about 5-6 months to 2-3. Also, it gives me more time to go back and edit, and edit, and edit again without taking forever to do it. Please bear in mind your results may vary as I'm slightly hyperactive and my mind refuses to rest. Everyone is going to have their own method of writing, but this is mine. If you're struggling with finding your own method or want to try something new and different, I suggest you give mine a whirl.
Do any other authors out there have advice for those just starting out? I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any similar quirks and how it works out for them. Sound off in the comments below!
Also, if you have a moment, please check out my newest release: The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key. The Azure Key is the first in a series I hope to be producing for quite some time. The second installment, Nightstalkers, is coming in March 2015. Stay tuned for updates!
When I wrote my first novel I too stared at a screen for countless hours waiting for inspiration to strike. Too often, it didn't. Because of this, I developed a method that helped me know exactly what I was going to write when I sat down each day.
First, I write a one page synopsis of the book. It doesn't have to be perfect because no one but you will ever see it. Above all else, this one page should answer the "so what" question; or, why the reader should care about your characters and your book. It should have a fairly clear beginning, middle, and end.
Second, I decide how long the book is going to be. Generally, I'm not one of those authors that let stories get away from me. I know what I'm going to say, I know what the story will accomplish, and I deliver it to the reader with a neat bow on top. That said, tangents do happen and I give every novel about a 5,000 word cushion. I keep all of my novels around a 50,000 to 55,000 word count for several reasons, none of them monetary related. First and foremost, a work of that length would translate perfectly to a feature film, which is often how I envision the story as I'm writing.
Third, I make a word file and plot out thirty chapters worth of action. Thirty is the perfect number for me based on my expected word count and ten pages per chapter (in Courier New). I use Courier New because the pages add up faster and it provides me with a sense that the book is growing faster than it is. It makes it just a little bit more fun for me. It's also easily changed back to Times New Roman when I'm finished. Now, while I write out all thirty chapters, I know somewhere along the line I'll have a stroke of brilliance and the plot will vector. It's important for me to go back and alter my outline when that happens to reflect the changes. That way, I open up my outline each day and I can say, "Oh right, I'm writing this scene today," and I already have the vision in my head.
Because of these three steps, I've been able to cut down the time it takes me to write a novel from about 5-6 months to 2-3. Also, it gives me more time to go back and edit, and edit, and edit again without taking forever to do it. Please bear in mind your results may vary as I'm slightly hyperactive and my mind refuses to rest. Everyone is going to have their own method of writing, but this is mine. If you're struggling with finding your own method or want to try something new and different, I suggest you give mine a whirl.
Do any other authors out there have advice for those just starting out? I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any similar quirks and how it works out for them. Sound off in the comments below!
Also, if you have a moment, please check out my newest release: The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key. The Azure Key is the first in a series I hope to be producing for quite some time. The second installment, Nightstalkers, is coming in March 2015. Stay tuned for updates!
