The Gun Counter

You know, because Moose is a bad influence. I noticed he set it up on a blog, but since I don't know yet if I'll have audience I'd rather wait to do that.

So, should I? Should I not?

Just to give you an idea of the tone, here's the first chapter header: “For though I am beset by evil on all sides, I shall not fear for Colt makes a helluva shootin’ iron.”

Do you remember the horrible poetry I used to post? Don't worry about it - the worst that will happen is we'll humiliate you the rest of your life...

Post it. Yeah, definitely post it.

Aaron wrote:You know, because Moose is a bad influence...

Who me?

Here's the intro/prologue.

Jason Abernathy’s day was not going the way he had expected it to. Not only had it started twenty-six hours ago, he now found himself going into combat against an unknown species of aliens. This alone would have been a sufficient catalyst for a bit of cognitive dissonance, having not known aliens even existed until about two hours ago, but he was apparently going to be doing his fighting aboard a United States Space Force starship.
“Wait, what?” had been his keenly analytical response to that little bit of information. “Since when does the U.S. have a Space Force, and where did we get starships?”
He had, unsurprisingly, been told that those questions would only be answered on a need to know basis and then only after proper clearance had been obtained, a process which certainly could not be started during the current crisis.
That crisis being the aforementioned unknown aliens who happened to be aboard the recently returned USS Dyson. It was also the reason one very bewildered, semi-retired contractor had been whisked across the globe and then shoved through a glowing portal which was, allegedly, a bridge in space-time to the Space Force’s headquarters out in the asteroid belt.

Post it!

Durham68 wrote:Post it!

Will do

Good for you. I admire writers. All my efforts seem to start: "It was a dark and stormy night ..."

Aaron here's some unsolicited advice from someone totally unqualified to give it... me.

[spoiler]Show don't tell, you're telling a lot here.

Those opening paragraphs are info dumpy. It's okay to throttle back on the details a bit, and work in that info in some dialogue.

Your main character can ask people "in the know" questions about the space force, aliens etc.

Those internal questions would be perfect to ask Bob the space station janitor. [/spoiler]

My advice may be worth what you paid for it.

I like the idea it sounds interesting.

All good advice Moose. That was not really intended as an opening paragraph, more a teaser or synopsis. Something akin to what I would expect on the back cover if it were a book.

[spoiler]The first chapter, hopefully posted later tonight, start with our protagonist (not hero) making dinner and ends with him riding in a Croatia bound Aurora that he insists can't possibly exist. The highlight will be the oh so frustrating question and answer session.[/spoiler]