My thoughts on the latest issue of Shrapnel

[FenderSaxbey]

So this thread lit a fire under me to finally start reading through my Shrapnel collection and I have to say this has been some of my absolute favorite BT fiction ever. I really hope a lot of these get more stories. I'd absolutely devour a detective/crime series launching from "Airs Above the Ground". If Shrapnel is any indication, the future of our little stompy mech universe is in very good hands.

[FaithBomb]

So this thread lit a fire under me to finally start reading through my Shrapnel collection and I have to say this has been some of my absolute favorite BT fiction ever. I really hope a lot of these get more stories. I'd absolutely devour a detective/crime series launching from "Airs Above the Ground". If Shrapnel is any indication, the future of our little stompy mech universe is in very good hands.

Have you made it all the way through all 4 issues? There are so many little nuggets that can take off it isn't even funny. And I even found the inspiration between those pages to buckle down and get my own story in there. Absolutely never would have if I'd not read through all the amazing stories in the preceding three volumes. I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.

[Daryk]

Glad to hear they're having that effect, even if my interests are far more narrow...  Thank you for the morale boost, Faith!  :thumbsup:

[joechummer]

I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.

This is a huge part of the magazine’s goal. Glad to see that this has come through so far!

[FaithBomb]

Glad to hear they're having that effect, even if my interests are far more narrow...  Thank you for the morale boost, Faith!  :thumbsup:

That's the whole point. If we all give somebody a boost, we all reap the reward of having more awesome content in the Battletech universe.

[Daryk]

Three and a half years until the Navy throws me out... maybe I'll have time to write then...  8)

[FenderSaxbey]

Have you made it all the way through all 4 issues? There are so many little nuggets that can take off it isn't even funny. And I even found the inspiration between those pages to buckle down and get my own story in there. Absolutely never would have if I'd not read through all the amazing stories in the preceding three volumes. I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.

Yep. Just finished issue 4 this morning and read every entry in every issue and totally agreed. I'd happily devour continuations of a lot of these stories. I'd forgotten how fun serialized stories could be. Even if you and the other authors don't write follow-ons, I have to thank each and every one of you for expanding the BT universe in such a deep and engaging way. I admit to having been skeptical before I cracked the first issue, but wound up just being floored at the quality of the content. I am now super hyped for the next issue and am so thankful we are getting another year of this.

[FaithBomb]

Yep. Just finished issue 4 this morning and read every entry in every issue and totally agreed. I'd happily devour continuations of a lot of these stories. I'd forgotten how fun serialized stories could be. Even if you and the other authors don't write follow-ons, I have to thank each and every one of you for expanding the BT universe in such a deep and engaging way. I admit to having been skeptical before I cracked the first issue, but wound up just being floored at the quality of the content. I am now super hyped for the next issue and am so thankful we are getting another year of this.

You are more than welcome. That's the goal, the thing that brings a smile to an author's face when they see a reader connect with a story or a blurb. That's what makes the universe and the community better. I'm glad you enjoyed each issue, and I'm grateful for your kind words, as I'm sure all of the other people who made it happen are.

[Dubble_g]

Great to see this thread gain a bit of traction, and wonderful to see all the positive comments about the issue. Feeling just ever so slightly squishy and proud to have contributed, in whatever small way. Though I'm totally telling everyone that CGL bumped Stackpole's story to make room for me. :P

And of course the key takeaway: The fans demand a sequel, Philip. Look at them. THEY DEMAND IT.

[five_corparty]

I'd absolutely devour a detective/crime series launching from "Airs Above the Ground".

Aww, thank you!!  That one is pretty much one and done for now, unless I come up with a great plot that would take me back, but thank you so much for your kind words!

[five_corparty]

Three and a half years until the Navy throws me out... maybe I'll have time to write then...  8)

My friend, I wrote Irreplaceable and a few others while in Korea, I wrote "those that stand high" in the ESC TOC at Joint Base Balad, and started "Airs above" at Bagram Air Base.

If I can do it, so can you!!

As my mentor Kevin Killiany (the Btech writer) taught me, as his mentor taught him, "write, submit, repeat."  it really does just come down to those three words. :-) :-)

[FenderSaxbey]

Aww, thank you!!  That one is pretty much one and done for now, unless I come up with a great plot that would take me back, but thank you so much for your kind words!

Any time. Just know that one got me like "The Secret Fox" got Faith. Loved those characters and that take on life after the Clans just rolled through.

[Daryk]

*snip*
If I can do it, so can you!!
*snip*

I think I actually had more time to write in Baghdad... proximity to the five-sided PowerPoint collider has cut it down dramatically, and it will be worse this summer when I actually roll back to it this summer.

[DarkISI]

I think it's an amazing platform to inspire people to write their own stories, run their own campaigns, have their own adventures.

Since we are on that topic, I thought I'd copy something over that I said on Facebook when Shrapnel came up.

From a writer's perspective, it is awesome, because I can shine a light on things that would be difficult to showcase otherwise. Where would I have put the two Assassination Protocol articles otherwise? Or the Christmas scenario from Shrapnel 3?
From a fan perspective, I get a glorious mix of different things.
I love it from both perspectives.

[Frabby]

I think I actually had more time to write in Baghdad... proximity to the five-sided PowerPoint collider has cut it down dramatically, and it will be worse this summer when I actually roll back to it this summer.

I have BattleCorps story projects on my HDD that are literally 10 years old and still unfinished. When Shrapnel was announced I though I'd be able to submit something for the first or second issue. Alas, nope. Job & family somehow conspire against my writing.
Well, that and the fact that I'm a slow writer, and tend to delete 90% of what I wrote again. I look at something I started earlier, re-read it with fresh eyes, and it stinks. I rewrite it from scratch, after two weeks I throw it away again. Rinse, repeat. By contrast, Proprietary was pretty much a one-take shot during an unexpected break - it took all of three hours while our then-baby was asleep for a change. The changes after fact-checking (swapping the original Commando DI computer module out for Double Heat Sinks as the McGuffin) took longer to implement than the writing, and the dialogue - the most critical and oftentimes hardest-to-write part, imho - remained unchanged.

I just hope I can get at least one submission in while Shrapnel lasts. Blink, and it's ten years later...

[Niopsian]

I like to think I'm a creative person. I'm certainly creative in my head. But I suffer from Winston Churchill syndrome when I try to put stuff to real media. That canvas/blank page is perfect in its potential, and the instant I put brush or pen to it I've depreciated it.

Or I'm just lazy. I'll cop to it.

[Mendrugo]

You can only have one submission in the queue at a time.  I’ve got one in now, another one ready to drop in once #1 exits, and an outline of #3 drafted.  I’ll keep writing and stacking things up on my personal slush pile as I get inspiration, feeding the best in as the eligibility cycle proceeds.

[Jmlee236]

Fantastic collection.

I always hated the Big Mac.

A Kell, a Pryde, and a powerful non-traditional Roadblock.

Thanks everyone!

I always disliked the Big Mac as well... grumble grumble Capellans... I had a blast writing that story, and the Lancers will always hold a special place with me as the focus of my first published story.

[FaithBomb]

I always disliked the Big Mac as well... grumble grumble Capellans... I had a blast writing that story, and the Lancers will always hold a special place with me as the focus of my first published story.

Oh come on, gotta have Faith in the MAC! ;)

[Daryk]

*snip*
I just hope I can get at least one submission in while Shrapnel lasts. Blink, and it's ten years later...

Blink indeed... Baghdad was my 2009, MORE than ten years ago at this point... I suppose it's no surprise it still looms so large in my memory.

[five_corparty]

Any time. Just know that one got me like "The Secret Fox" got Faith. Loved those characters and that take on life after the Clans just rolled through.

Thank you, seriously.  it's good to hear that people really dug this story, you put your heart into something, you blast it into the sky, and hope that people respond in the same way you felt writing it.

[five_corparty]

I think I actually had more time to write in Baghdad... proximity to the five-sided PowerPoint collider has cut it down dramatically, and it will be worse this summer when I actually roll back to it this summer.

oof.  Yeah, both the clown-college and the local traffic will suck both your energy and the hours away.  Still, I wish you the best at finding time where and when you can!  :thumbsup:

[FenderSaxbey]

There's a nice summary of the year in Shrapnel in the latest KS update if you haven't caught it (us late backers don't get emails). Nice to have further confirmation we're getting another year of this great magazine!

[FaithBomb]

There's a nice summary of the year in Shrapnel in the latest KS update if you haven't caught it (us late backers don't get emails). Nice to have further confirmation we're getting another year of this great magazine!

Yeah, I just saw that! It's always nice to get good news on the continuation of an awesome product!

[Sartris]

some day i'll finish my draft

[FenderSaxbey]

Writers AMA for tomorrow just showed up on my YouTube feed. Looking forward to seeing some of you there (virtually, ofc).

[FaithBomb]

Writers AMA for tomorrow just showed up on my YouTube feed. Looking forward to seeing some of you there (virtually, ofc).

I totally forgot about that!

[Dubble_g]

There's a nice summary of the year in Shrapnel in the latest KS update if you haven't caught it (us late backers don't get emails). Nice to have further confirmation we're getting another year of this great magazine!

Oooh, hadn't seen that. Great news!
Just a couple of ideas in terms of signal boosting on social media, as mentioned in that post.

Twitter:
Like/Retweet the official release announcement: https://twitter.com/catalystgamelab/status/1371554308060221442
Or better yet, my much quippier and more stylish version: https://twitter.com/dubble_g/status/1371422549687508992
(well, guess you COULD make your own post... if you wanted...)

Reddit:
Upvote and reply to this thread by an incredibly handsome and witty yet modest new writer: https://www.reddit.com/r/battletech/comments/m7n7og/hey_my_story_got_published/

Facebook:
Like and reply to posts on BattleTech International: https://m.facebook.com/groups/battletechinternational/permalink/5187009728039358/
Or Everything BattleTech: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EverythingBT/permalink/1117940925300503

Discord:
Obviously mention in any writers' Discord servers you are in.
If anyone wants to join a W40K-themed group: http://discord.gg/csWea3P9
(You can tell it's a good link because it has "gg" in it. Expires in one week so get it while it's hot) 

Hey, is there a Discord for BattleTech writers? Because if so: Let me in. LET ME IIIIIN!!!1one
I promise to be very quiet. I'll sit in the corner, CEO of smiling and nodding, that's me.

Blogs:
Another no-brainer, but here's mine and I'd be happy to include links to anyone else's posts on the subject: https://one-way-mirror.blogspot.com/2021/03/i-am-now-published-author.html

Let's get this bread.

[Marveryn]

Indeed yes, Roadblock is mine. I wanted to tell a story different from the normal stompy shooty robots that we all love, and the trick was finding a way to tell one of those stories in a way that was still exciting and emotional. So I just went to what I know, medicine, and tried to find a way to tell a story that fit within the framework of Battletech. We always see either the head-shot or the punch out, but seldom to we see the poor guy on the other end of it when it goes sideways, and the people who have to pick up the pieces. Once I had that, the rest of the story wrote itself.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it and found some meaning or truth in it. That's always the hope.

Roadblock is one that doesnt bring happy memories.  It was about a decade or more ago the roof collaspe where i work.  the beam had pin the receiver against his a bail and his desk.  So he didn't immediately die, but his hip was crush.  He died later in the hospital

[FaithBomb]

Roadblock is one that doesnt bring happy memories.  It was about a decade or more ago the roof collaspe where i work.  the beam had pin the receiver against his a bail and his desk.  So he didn't immediately die, but his hip was crush.  He died later in the hospital

In that case, sorry for digging up old wounds.