I should be posting this over at Patreon, but it’s not the sort rubbish I want cluttering up people’s email, so I’m writing my thoughts here instead. The nice thing about Substack is that even though it’s designed as an email first platform, they’ve generously built in this nice blogging option too.
So. A thing I like to I do occasionally is viciously troll writerly Twitter with my daily word counts, especially when I’m on a deadline roll. Three thousand words here. Four thousand there.
Yeah, nah, not so much today, champ. Think I topped out at a bit over 300 words.
I blame Havoc.
I wanted to write him a spolsion-filled splodey action festival of fkn splosions because he was falling asleep on the Patreon banana lounge during all of the dialogue driven character moments as the narrative sorted itself out.
I figured I’d do this impressionistic broad brush sketch of violence suddenly erupting all over the planet and structure the chapter as a sort of land, air and sea combat montage.
Had some pretty good notes from Dirk for a German Border Guard scene. Thought I’d hop across to the Pacific and pay a visit to the first generation of Havoc Class hunter-killer submarines. (See what I did there?) And as a tip o’ the propeller beanie to Dirk for his research work, I’d give him a fighter wing to fly into combat against the whole Red Army Air Force.
That’s where I fell down the rabbit hole. Realising I know nothing about air combat, I decided to do some research. And here I am, a day later and three thousand words short of where I wanted to be.
Coincidentally, the last major aerial combat campaign was fought in the 1950s, when WW3.1 is set. Over Korea. And I do recall reading an excellent literary novel about the air war in Korea. It’s somewhere on one of my two dozen e-readers. Wasted an hour trying to find it. Spent another hour diving into the wikipedia page for the old F-5 fighter.
Generally faffed about and did not write anything worth a damn.
I’ve let myself down. I’ve let Tom Clancy down. I’ve ruined alternate history techno thriller mashups for everyone.
Gee man, seems a bit harsh. Kinda sounds like a usual Monday for most of us. Tool about for a bit, find something distracting, but could be justified as actual work.....I've always got research to do. Often on a Monday.....
I am supposed to be writing a briefing about after hours support models but instead I am faffing about looking at the whiny-assed blogs of my fave author.....
And now the 4th industrial revolution - who knew - no doubt followed by some interesting reading on recent air combat scenarios.
Research rabbit holes are a major trap. I fell down one on the 4th industrial revolution this week. Article due tomorrow, only half written *but* I know all about the topic now. I try not to think of it as lost time - rather an investment in quality output and future scribblings. Occasional faffing is a human condition.
Good sir, the only thing you could have done to ruin alternate history techno thriller mashups for everyone is to write an air combat scene that was technically and factually incorrect, because every professional and amateur flying expert would have ripped you apart in the comments pointing out that the F-5 didn't work like that, or aerodynamics doesn't work like that WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BIRMINGHAM and so falling down a research rabbit hole to get everything correct is the only logical and reasonable approach to have taken. Do not be so harsh on yourself.
FKN BANZAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bring pressure with no fkn effort and from this perfection!- You had most fkn certainly better get ya splodie god dam pants fkn on!
FFS! Running down a rabbit hole chasing after Havsy? Better take a shottie and a knife. What’s next, fixing his driveway? Just remember that when he sledges you it’s his nature. He is an old wicketkeeper after all.
Better than me, everything I know about air combat I learned watching Top Gun.
Saaaaame!
I now have Archer screaming LANA DANGER ZONE screaming in my head.
Negative Ghostrider, the pattern is full.
Gee man, seems a bit harsh. Kinda sounds like a usual Monday for most of us. Tool about for a bit, find something distracting, but could be justified as actual work.....I've always got research to do. Often on a Monday.....
I am supposed to be writing a briefing about after hours support models but instead I am faffing about looking at the whiny-assed blogs of my fave author.....
And now the 4th industrial revolution - who knew - no doubt followed by some interesting reading on recent air combat scenarios.
Research rabbit holes are a major trap. I fell down one on the 4th industrial revolution this week. Article due tomorrow, only half written *but* I know all about the topic now. I try not to think of it as lost time - rather an investment in quality output and future scribblings. Occasional faffing is a human condition.
To familiarise yourself with air combat,
https://www.google.com/search?q=air+combat+games&rlz=1C1GCEB_enAU919AU919&oq=air+combat+games&aqs=chrome..69i57.2551j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
for research
Tax deductible even
300 words sounds a lot to someone who wrote stuff all today.
Well you could have had me singing "You've lost that loving feeling" in the pilot's mess, so that is a plus :-D
Good sir, the only thing you could have done to ruin alternate history techno thriller mashups for everyone is to write an air combat scene that was technically and factually incorrect, because every professional and amateur flying expert would have ripped you apart in the comments pointing out that the F-5 didn't work like that, or aerodynamics doesn't work like that WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BIRMINGHAM and so falling down a research rabbit hole to get everything correct is the only logical and reasonable approach to have taken. Do not be so harsh on yourself.
James Salter, Burning the Days
FKN BANZAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bring pressure with no fkn effort and from this perfection!- You had most fkn certainly better get ya splodie god dam pants fkn on!
"I’ve let myself down. I’ve let Tom Clancy down. I’ve ruined alternate history techno thriller mashups for everyone."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfI6vSflA5Y
FFS! Running down a rabbit hole chasing after Havsy? Better take a shottie and a knife. What’s next, fixing his driveway? Just remember that when he sledges you it’s his nature. He is an old wicketkeeper after all.