Timing is everything apparently

[@Jamesmaxwell]

Well they FINALLY got the paperwork back, and now I have to go to the recruiting office tomorrow to get checked, then talk to the Commander and Battalion Commander, and from there they will let me know when I can go to MEPS, get my standard physical done…and if everything checks out (which they should) I’ll go back to MEPS, get sworn in and find out when I get shipped out for training. How about THAT for timing :/

Yup, I made this 😛

[CodeWarrior316]

What branch?

[@Jamesmaxwell]

US Army, going back in for Full Active Duty

EDIT:

Got to turn in some more references, will finally be going to MEPS (still not sure when exactly but it is coming up.)

BUT. As soon as I am phys qualified and get done speaking to the Commander and Battalion Commander… my waiver will be sent up to the Company General…which will take 20 days… Ugh…… More WAITING.

Yup, I made this 😛

[@Jamesmaxwell]

I am super ecstatic right now. I scored higher on my ASVAB test than I did back when I was 17yo and my GT score basically went up…

I thought I had to get a certain score on the ASVAB to qualify for TANK CREW, especially on the Abrams Tanks that we have currently, but no. It’s actually the GT score you need to qualify. Recruiter checked it up for me after I finally got done with MEPS today… I totally qualify!

And my Recruiter was like, ‘Oh yeah, I drove one of those Abrams, they are awesome.’

I say, ‘I don’t want to just DRIVE one, I want to operate and fire the main gun!!!’ xD

So yeah, when the last couple things get done, waiver goes to Company General, interview with Battalion Commander, then I’ll go back to MEPS, pick my job, swear back in and boom, I’m off.
All I can say is…

IT IS ABOUT TIME, WOOT!! I want to be a TANKER!

Yup, I made this 😛

[Marcase]

Oh brother, another turtle-head, there goes the neighbourhood 😀

Congrats !

"Boldly bashing Borg to bits since 2012..."

[CodeWarrior316]

Big Congrats!

[@Jamesmaxwell]

Havent been on for awhile, not because of training, not yet anyways, but cuz the decision is coming up real soon, hopefully a few days or tomorrow, and when I do leave for training, family also plans on moving out of this place in June-July, so I wont be around for the move but I did get practically everything packed, including my computer. So I cant hop on STO for a while, just posting this from my phone. And I can already tell there is going to be quite a bit of changes when I get back, ha go figure.

Yup, I made this 😛

[Marcase]

No worries, take your time. STO has been mapped out beyond 2018 so we’ll be around for quite some time 😀

"Boldly bashing Borg to bits since 2012..."

[@Jamesmaxwell]

Yeah well still no word on the waiver still and it’s been about more than twenty days. Even the Colonel asked my recruiters about me if I’m ready to go or not and that was last Thursday, the 19th, and they said no so i figured, or hoped, the Colonel may have sped it up a little but nope.

So I’m still waiting. Really hope to get 19K, and be a M1 Armor Crewman, hopefully. And plan to serve twenty years or so, hopefully, if not forced to retire after 15 or among other things lol.

Been doing research too, getting very familiar with the M1s and if I’m lucky, I could get to serve on board a M1A3, once manufactured four years from now. If not, well, most likely within my service time.

All there is on the M1A3 is obvious equipment upgrades, but the only big change known at the moment is the turbine engine for a diesel engine.

Yup, I made this 😛

[horridperson]

Best of luck James. Most of military life is a waiting game so don’t let a slow process get you down. Watch that melon of yours on them hatches; People like you don’t get called zipperheads because you were born ugly 😛 .

[@Jamesmaxwell]

Lol funny! And i know, lot of times its hurry up and wait.

I did much more research on the Abrams. I will likely end up being a Driver first, since the Loader is a more trusted, experienced tanker to the Commander and Gunner is more like second in command, plus lot of responsibilities the gunner has too, especially with all the technology advancements they been slapping on the A2 lately, not to mention what will be on the A3 in 2020.

Yup, I made this 😛

[@Jamesmaxwell]

Good news everyone – Professor Fonzworth 😛

Got in, didn’t get 19 Kilo (M1 Abrams Crewmember) but I got 94 Mike which is Radar Repairer, I ship out for Basic on July 12th at Fort Jackson, then go to Fort Sill for AIT…total of 51 weeks of training. Loooooots of training. 10 Weeks basic, 41 AIT. Woot.

So, how has the mission I made been going?

Yup, I made this 😛

[Marcase]

Congrats, just be mindfull those Sentinels/Firefinders won’t cause you to produce three-headed kids – they’re much like warp cores in that respect. 😀

Funny thing, I can’t find your foundry mission anymore. Not sure if it’s down or I’m not looking close enough.
Will check it out (again) when it’s up (again).

Be safe troop.

"Boldly bashing Borg to bits since 2012..."

[@Jamesmaxwell]

Hey guys, back…ish. Depending how my laptop/net feels like working while playing STO…

Unfortunately, I’ve been back for a while, Army decided to kick me out with a medical discharge (or just a general discharge for some reason) for Anemia. Funny thing is, MEPS didn’t detect it, Ft Jackson Reception clinic didn’t detect it but one visit to the Troop Clinic while half way through basic, and they say “Oh…13.1 iron count? Looks like you’re Anemic!” And slapped it on me.

Eh, I’m not overly thrilled by it but they sure knew how to end someone’s hope for career. I could just get a waiver and all that shit and hop back in but seriously? Forcing me to go through the whole dam process all over again to GET in?

So I’ve decided to just say screw it and write a Star Trek book. I got everything all laid out, a whole Project proposal style document, with a summary, goals, milestones, etc. Research, the beginning, middle and end. I got it all laid out, how much time a day I should spend on it.

But I got one question at the moment… I was laying out the key points for the Beginning, Middle and End, points for chapters and such. Well after doing so, I’ve noticed that it may have been possible, while laying these out…I may have ended up making it more reasonable to separate the three, Beginning Middle and End, concepts into three different books…the way I have it all laid out that is.

Idea is that I wanted to portray a new crew, the USS Endurance in the year 2220. Like, brand new ship (sorta, Endurance was built in 2215 as a Bonaventure Class designed and produced started on 2163: http://pre05.deviantart.net/3f35/th/pre/f/2015/053/4/9/bonaventure_class_ortho__new__by_unusualsuspex-d8j375r.jpg That one I’m talking about) with someone who was just made Commander and Endurance will be his first Command. Unfortunately, there is no one on board that he knows or is familiar with, so it’ll start out with introductions, some uneasy feelings and what not. Especially the year it’s starting in, considering 2220 is 3 years before the Klingons give the Federation an Ultimatum over a number of disputed systems (Sharman’s Planet, Organia, etc) and the Federation responds in blockading the Klingon Territory with almost two dozen outposts, thus plunging the two powers in an almost seventy year long cold war, until 2268-2269.

The idea was, the Beginning, Middle and End will also be set up as separate sections. I’ve read some books having done that before, fast forwarding through time or whatever, and continuing on with the book. Or like, you’ve read a little over 100 pages and then next page says ‘Part 2’ or ‘Part 3’ etc. That’s what I was thinking, Beginning of the book starts out in 2220, the middle be late 2221 – beginning 2222 and the end be 2223, when the Cold War begins. But after laying out all the key factors, which may be revised here and there, I began to wonder…wouldn’t they be better off as Three separate books?

Which is why I’m going to share that portion here of the ‘Project proposal’ of mine.

 

BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END

I think that with those three sections, should separate the years. I’ve decided that I am going to write this book of major events of One ship for the three/four years. Right to the point the Cold War begins.

Basically putting it as this: Beginning is Year 2220. Middle 2221-2222 and End 2223.

Beginning: 2220

Introduce James Maxwell and his Background.

Introduce the Ship and Crew, and the Mission.

Introduce the Villain, his ship and his crew, and their objective.

On the Road to Deep Space K-7.

Villain’s rise to power from First Officer to Captain of his ship.

Introduction of Task Force 11, Ships and Commanding Officer of the Task Force, then ship dispatches.

Villain’s plans their first strike.

Endurance arrives at second objective, Epsilon Outpost 4 near Omega Leonis to oversee construction. Some Crew Development.

Villain Strikes development of Epsilon Outpost 6!

Endurance receives the call and hurries to aid. Some dispute between the Commander and First Officer on orders to stay and guard the construction of Outpost 4 between answering the call for help of the construction of Outpost 6.

Villain changes his target….

Endurance is forced to choose, but manages to drive the villain away.

Villain deals with his First Officer’s insults over the loss and studies the Endurance.

Commander and First Officer have a long chat, and Commander hands in report of the attack to the Task Force Command Ship.

Middle: 2221-2222

Starfleet protests to the Klingon High Command of the incident, and the Klingons fight back with the construction of outposts.

All ship captain’s in Task Force 11 have a meeting via subspace on secure channel of the next plan of action. Endurance ordered to Starbase 24 for resupply, then to Epsilon Outpost 2 to assist in sensor repairs and tests.

Villain returns with a new plan of action.

Endurance arrives and some away team mission with repair and assistance.

Villain chooses a new target and attacks.

Endurance finishes the repairs of the Outpost’s sensors and then is notified by Task Force Commander that they lost a scout ship in the Task Force. Endurance is then ordered to search for the scout ship, which was previously patrolling between Outpost 4 and 7, lost contact between Omega Leonis and Korvat. Endurance is then led to believe that their Klingon friend may be back since the area is quite close to when Outpost 6 was attacked.

Villain capture’s the scout’s commanding officer and destroys the scout ship. Then notices the Endurance is on it’s way.

Endurance begins search for the Scout ship, only to find a debri field, and finds the Scout ship’s black box, which will then inform them that the Commanding Officer was taken.

Villain heads back to Klingon Space while torturing the Scout Commander for information.

Endurance informs Task Force Command ship of the situation and despite orders, intercepts the Klingon Ship to rescue the captive, despite being outclassed.

Villain keeps the captive alive but turns his attention to the Endurance.

Endurance pulls a bold move, rescuing the captive and insulting the Klingon Commander before forcing the villain to retreat. Then heads to Starbase 24’s medical facilities for the Captive to recover and report.

End: 2223

Starfleet condemns the Klingons for their actions to one of their officer’s, but the Klingons retaliates with an ultimatum. The ultimatum then leads to the finalization of the blockade of the Klingon Territory, thus hurrying and finishing the construction of the Epsilon and Delta Outposts.

 

I haven’t added any more to the End section just yet, but while I was at work, I was going over it in my head and I know what to put down, but I just wanted some opinions first and then I can just separate it in accordance and go from there. And the Villain is obviously a Klingon Commander, just haven’t chosen a name yet and his ship will definitely be a D-7 Class Battlecruiser, they have been in service for quite some time and that ship alone is a nasty thing to go up against with the Endurance.

I also figured, after doing numerous tests on a few different websites that tests your WPM, with an average of 94 wpm, I could do 5640 wpH, and some basic facts on writing books is that most books contain at least 300 words per page, so 5640 wpH is almost 19 pages. I figured, that if I spend at least ONE hour a day on this book, and work with a minimum of 300 wpH to 5500 wpH, I could write almost 18 pages a day. I have all FOUR of the Star Trek Invasion books, first 2 don’t come close to 300 pages, but the last two, DS9 is 338 and Voyager is 308. So if I were to write books for a minimum of 230-300 pages, that will take me at least 12-17 days to write one whole book, IF I were to devote ONE hour a day, 5500 words per HOUR, 18 pages PER DAY for 12-17 days. And that’s if I don’t hit a brick wall and have writers block, lol.

But I’ve been listening to a lot of motivational music and what’s different that I have never done before when I HAVE tried to write books, and immediately lose interest, is that I have created this page with the project proposal template I used from Google Docs. So I laid out the summary of the book, the goals and milestones, and started laying out Research…Revision (I had started writing this book before and I then thought, the introduction….the beginning needs to be redone. At first I included Archer as Admiral Archer, giving the CO his ship but, I thought…no, just leave any and all known/famous characters out period.) So I’m revising the first chapter I did write and just starting it all over. Only did one chapter of barely 4 pages…yeesh.

So yeah, I laid it all out and all I need is some opinions on the ‘Beginning, Middle and End’ part, if they all should stay in the one book or should I separate them into three different books? Stretch out the story? Or get to the point and get the Cold War going? Because I still plan to write more of the USS Endurance after the Cold War starts. Just don’t have ideas on those juuuuust yet.

Questions? Opinions?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by @Jamesmaxwell.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by @Jamesmaxwell.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by @Jamesmaxwell.

Yup, I made this 😛

[Marcase]

Welcome back ! Sorry to hear the army didn’t pan out, I know that’s something you wanted. Hope it works out for you in the long run.

First look at your story – looks good 🙂 Not a writer myself so I’m the wrong guy to ask ofcourse, but I may give some more positive feedback when I have a bit more time to give it the proper attention. Of course, now I’m curious to that motivational music, we could always use some more suggestions at our Song of the Day topic 😀

"Boldly bashing Borg to bits since 2012..."

[Author]

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