Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

In the tradition of my friend , I figured I’d give a rundown of some of the gear featured in the sophomore novel of the Forsaken Patriots series,Ìý.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Rifles/Carbines
AKMS

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The commander of the Republican Guard unit, David Botende, is depicted as carrying an AKMS, the folding stock variant of the AKM rifle.

AK-15

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Members of the Wagner Group PMC advisers, including Major Kazimir Merkulov, are depicted as carrying the 7.62x39mm variant of the AK-12, the AK-15. This allows for the modularity of the AK-12 series while having ammo compatibility with their Central African Republic hosts.

AKM

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Members of the Central African Republican Guard are depicted as carrying the AKM. This is in keeping with the real-life development of . The major difference between the AKM and the original AK-47 is that the AKM utilizes a stamped receiver, whereas the original AK uses a milled receiver. A stamped receiver allows for faster mass production.

GALIL AR

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Jack Bradshaw, Danny Pace, and Mia Grimaldi all utilize Galil AR rifles during their mission in the Central African Republic. These were obtained by Callum MacLeod for a steal, as the Cameroonian Army had decided to upgrade to the modernized Galil ACE and were due to shuttle the OG Galils. The Galil is an Israeli derivative of the AK series, and is a common staple in many African nations.

Sniper Rifles
FR F2

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Callum MacLeod (a former member of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment and sniper) carries the FR F2 as his personal weapon. While it is not a common sight to see in Africa (the weapon is only used in two nations outside of France), MacLeod is attached to the weapon and managed to obtain one through…creative means.

Pistols
MP-443 GRACH

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Members of the Wagner Group PMC, including Major Kazimir Merkulov, are depicted utilizing the MP-443 as their standard sidearm. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, it is one of Russia’s standard issue pistols, though it is usually only issued to special purpose units.

PAMAS G1

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The PAMAS G1 is a French-licensed clone of the Beretta 92F and (at the time of writing) is the standard-issue sidearm of French forces, though it is currently being replaced by the Glock 17.

CZ-75

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The CZ-75 is used briefly by Mia Grimaldi, Jack Bradshaw, and Danny Pace while in Cameroon, commandeered from the Nigerian Black Axe gangsters that cornered Grimaldi in her hotel room.

Machine Guns
PKM

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The PKM is seen in service with both the Séléka and Anti-Balaka forces. At one point, Bradshaw commandeers a PKM and carries it as a second primary weapon, but abandons it shortly before arriving in Bangui.

DShK

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The 12.7mm DShK (the Russian/Soviet equivalent of the Browning M2) is seen employed by Anti-Balaka and Central African Republican Guard forces throughout the novel, as well as notably by Chadian forces in the novel’s finale.

Miscellaneous
GM-94

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Wagner PMC forces are seen utilizing a GM-94 pump-action grenade launcher during the siege in Bamingui. In this role, it was used with tear gas rounds to flush out militants that the Wagner advisers aimed to apprehend.

MASERIN FOREIGN PARACHUTIST KNIFE

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In a nod to MacLeod’s Foreign Legion pedigree, the protagonists carry Maserin Foreign Parachutist field knives. These were designed for the French Foreign Legion’s paratroopers, of which MacLeod used to be one.

MON-50

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The MON-50 is a Russian knockoff of the American M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine. It is used to great effect by Jack Bradshaw and his compatriots.

RPG-7

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The ubiquitous RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade is depicted as being used by Central African Republican Guardsmen.

RGD-5

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Jack Bradshaw and his compatriots are depicted as using surplus Russian RGD-5 fragmentation grenades during their mission in the Central African Republic.

F-5 SMOKE GRENADE

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The F-5 (a smoke grenade of French origin) is utilized by Bradshaw and his compatriots during their mission in the Central African Republic. In an embarrassing mistake on my part, the grenade is labeled the F-1, which is actually a designation for three different fragmentation grenades (one from France, one from Russia, and one from Australia).

Remember: Ìýis available NOW on Amazon! Get your copy today, and be sure to leave a review on and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ! Each review helps!

In the tradition of my friend , I figured I’d give a rundown of some of the gear featured in theÌýsophomore novel of the Forsaken Patriots series, .

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Rifles/Carbines
Pindad SS1-V1

[image error]Members of the Indonesian National Police carry the Pindad SS1-V1, a locally-produced and modified version of an Fabrique Nationale FNC. Bradshaw obtains one during his escape from his Warakas apartment, but does not use it. Members of the Kuwat Syndicate also carry SS1-V1s during their abduction raids in Belitung.

Short-barreled M4

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Bradshaw obtains a short-barreled M4/M203 combination with an Aimpoint Micro T1 optic from Milena Wright. ItÌýis never employed.Ìý(Pictured is a similar weapon, a MK18 with M203 and an EOTech). Members of the Kopassus special operations unit areÌýdepicted wielding M4 carbines during their raid of Suparman Guntur’s estate.

Micro Galil

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Members of Suparman Guntur’s personal security detail utilize IWI Galil Micro Assault Rifles (colloquially known as Micro Galils), equipped with Meprolight M21 reflex optics.

Heckler & Koch HK416 D10RS/HK416C

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During the raid on Suparman Guntur’s estate, Bradshaw, Pace, Baz, and Dado all utilize the HK416 with EOTech optics, Surefire SOCOM sound suppressors, and Geissele Super Modular rails, as pictured and configured in this screen grab from the CBS show SEAL Team.

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Given her diminutive stature, Milena Wright opts to carry the compact version of the HK416 (titled the HK416C), which boasts a 9-inch barrel and a smaller, retractable buttstock. It also runs an EOTech optic and a Surefire sound suppressor (not pictured).

Submachine Guns
Micro Uzi

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Bradshaw and Pace use IMI Micro Uzi submachine guns during the raids in Kembangan and Senen, as well as their attempted raid at the Port of Tanjung Priok. The Micro Uzis are equipped with Knight’s Armament Company sound suppressors, a vertical foregrip attached via a clamp on the suppressor (not pictured), and a Trijicon RMR red-dot sight.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1

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Members of the CIA’s Global Response Staff are depicted carrying the MP7A1 with an EOTech Optic and sound suppressor while working on a personal security detail.

Sniper Rifles
KAC SR25

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A Knight’s Armament Company SR25 sniper rifle is used by both Lucas Tan and Jack Bradshaw.

Pistols
Pindad P1

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Members of the Indonesian National Police carry the Pindad P1, a locally-manufactured version of the Browning Hi-Power. Bradshaw obtains one during his escape from his Warakas apartment, but is not seen using it. Members of the Kuwat Syndicate also employ the P1.

Glock 19 Gen 4

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Bradshaw obtains a 4th Generation Glock 19 from Milena Wright and carries it as his sidearm throughout the novel. It is equipped with Trijicon Bright & Tough tritium night sights.

Springfield MC Operator 1911

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Danny Pace carries the Springfield MC Operator 1911 as his preferred sidearm. This is a nod to his tenure in Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, where he could have carried the very similar M45 MEU(SOC) pistol.

Heckler & Koch MK23

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Suparman Guntur carries a H&K MK23 pistol as his preferred sidearm. He received it as a gift from a contact inside the Indonesian Army Special Forces Command (colloquially known as Kopassus), which is believed to have the weapon in their stores.

Machine Guns
Fabrique Nationale Minimi Para

[image error]Lucas Tan utilizes an FN Minimi Para squad automatic weapon during the hit on the Kuwat Syndicate training camp in Klapanunggal.

Fabrique Nationale MAG

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Members of the SAT-81 detachment of Kopassus utilize the FN MAG general-purpose machine gun during their raid of Suparman Guntur’s estate.

Night Vision
AN/PVS-15

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Bradshaw, Pace, and Tan utilize AN/PVS-15 night vision binoculars throughout the novel.Ìý (Side note: Milena exporting the PVS-15s is an extremely illegal move, and her providing them to foreign nationals [namely, Lucas Tan] is doubly so)

Remember: Ìýis available NOW on Amazon! Get your copy today, and be sure to leave a review on and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ! Each review helps!

In the tradition of my friend , I figured I’d give a rundown of some of the gear featured in the inaugural novel of the Forsaken Patriots series, .

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Rifles/Carbines
Fabrique Nationale HerstalÌýSCAR-H

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While serving in the Ranger RegimentalÌýReconnaissance Company during the book’s opening act, Bradshaw carries an FN SCAR-H (MK17) rifle, equipped with an Elcan SpecterDR 1-4x variable optic, an AN/PEQ-15 infrared illuminator, and a sound suppressor.

M4/M4A1

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During the book’s opening act, RRC Team 2-4’s team leader, Logan Fox, utilizes an M4A1 with an Elcan SpecterDR with top-mounted red-dot sight, PEQ-15, and sound suppressor. One of the COP Walker security contractors also uses an M4, his equipped with a Trijicon ACOG.

Heckler & Koch HK416

[image error]In the book’s opening act,Ìýseveral members of Red Squadron, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU, formerly known as SEAL Team Six) utilize HK416s in various configurations.

Century Arms N-PAP

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During the ambush scene in Tucson, Kazimir Merkulov utilizes a Century Arms N-PAP rifle with an underfolding stock, itself a sporting-rifle import variant of a Yugoslavian Zavasta M70.

BCM Recce 16

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In the same ambush scene, Bradshaw utilizes a BCM Recce 16 sporting rifle with an Aimpoint Micro T-2 red dot optic.

SIG-Sauer MCX, sawed off

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Members of the White Resistance Movement utilized SIG-Sauer MCX carbines with the barrels sawed off to PDW length. They best resemble the Rattler variant of the MCX line.

Sniper Rifles
M110A1 CSASS

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Rangers with Regimental Reconnaissance Company Team 2-4 utilize M110A1 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System rifles (themselves derivatives of Heckler & Koch G28 rifles), equipped with a Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 PMII Ultra Short Scope and sound suppressor.

Knight’s Armament SR-25 E2 CC

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During his recce on the WRM compound, Bradshaw utilizes a Knight’s Armament SR-25 E2 CC sniper rifle, mocked up to resemble the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System with which he qualified while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment. It is equipped with a Leupold 3.5-10x daytime scope, an AN/PVS-26 night vision optic, a fixed buttstock, and a KAC quick-detach sound suppressor.

Pistols
Glock 19

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While serving with the Regimental Reconnaissance Company, Bradshaw uses a Glock 19 with extended 17-round magazines and a Surefire X300U. Later on, while working stateside as a security contractor, Bradshaw utilizes his own personal Glock 19 without the weapon light for the majority of the book.Ìý He carries it in a .

Custom 1911

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White Resistance Movement leader Bill Pfarrer utilizes a custom-built 1911. The book doesn’t go into details, but it has an ambidextrous safety and night iron sights.

Walther PPQ

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Bradshaw utilizes a Walther PPQ as a security contractor, leading up to the first attempt on Gabriela Rivera’s life. He carries it in Craft holsters: a when in a suit and tie, and a when inÌýstreet clothes at theÌýFlorence rally.

(Fun fact: originally, Bradshaw used a Glock 19 here and a SIG P320 for the second part of the Stateside chapters, but my cover artist produced an image of a man using a Walther [likely a P99], so I adapted the story to better match the cover art. Attention to detail!)

Fault Lines cover art.
Smith & Wesson 642[image error]

As a backup to his Walther PPQ, Bradshaw initially carries a Smith & Wesson 642 snub-nosed revolver in a.

Glock 17/22

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The Glock 17 is seen in use with several characters throughout the book. The Glock 22 is used by Tucson Police Department officers within the book. These are essentially the same weapon, with the 17 chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and the 22 chambered in .40cal S&W.

Glock 34

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Kazimir Merkulov (aka Mark Gerald) carries a Glock 34 as his personal sidearm.

Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0

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Bradshaw uses a Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 in 9x19mm Parabellum during the closing chapters.

Shotguns
Remington 870

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During the shootout in his apartment, Bradshaw utilizes a Remington 870 shotgun with a Blackhawk Knoxxx SpecOps stock, a side saddle, and a light. I was not able to locate an adequate picture of this without an optic, so the provided picture is for general reference and is not exactly the one depicted in the novel.

Machine Guns
Fabrique Nationale MK48 Para

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Members of Regimental Reconnaissance Company Team 2-4 utilize the MK48 Mod 1 with a Para-style collapsible stock and Elcan M145 optic (not pictured). The MK48 is the 7.62x51mm NATO variant of the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, issued to SOCOM and JSOC units.

US Ordnance M60E6

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Members of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group’s Red Squadron utilize the M60E6 machine gun during the mission in Pakistan.

Grenade Launchers
Heckler & Koch M320

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Members of Regimental Reconnaissance Company’s Team 2-4 utilize the H&K M320 40mm grenade launcher during the defense of FOB Walker.

Night Vision
AN/PVS-15

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Rangers with Regimental Reconnaissance Company’s Team 2-4 utilize the AN/PVS-15 dual-tube night observation devices (NODs).

L3 GPNVG-18

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Members of Red Squadron, Naval Special Warfare Development Group utilize the GPNVG-18 panoramic night observation device. This graphic from Ìýdemonstrates the advantage that panoramic NODs hold over single or dual tube devices.

AN/PVS-14

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During his reconnaissance of the White Resistance Movement compound, Bradshaw utilizes a personally-owned AN/PVS-14 night vision monocular. Despite being cheaper than the GPNVG-18s (which have a price tag of just under ) and the AN/PVS-15s (which run about ), the PVS-14s still carry a hefty price tag . Night vision isn’t cheap!

Remember: is available NOW on Amazon! Get your copy today, and be sure to leave a review on Amazon and Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ! Each review helps!

(NaNoWriMo) is a 30-day event where writers commit to writing a manuscript of 50,000 words or greater. This year makes the 7th time that I’ve met the goal in the past 9 years, which gives me a pretty solid track record.

It’s no small feat. People have careers, families, other obligation to which to attend. It seems like a simple proposition: dedicate a couple of hours per day to writing and crank out 1,667 words per day or more. The reality is that life’s stressors make it difficult, and that’s before we factor in a finicky inner muse or the feared writer’s block.

Within the NaNo community, there are two organic kinds of writers: the planner, who is meticulous in their writing prep, know exactly where they are going with their book, have a solid outline, and follow it studiously; and the pantser, the person who has little to no idea where the novel is going to take them and enjoys the thrill of learning the story as they write. A hybrid of the two, a plantser, does some planning, but also leaves some things open to spontaneity.

With my first novel series, , I was somewhere between a plantser and a pantser. The only outline I had were the major plot points I’d managed to remember. I would improvise the rest, providing for an organized yet organic-feeling work.

The downside to this approach is two-fold: first, running out of writing energy happens frequently; second, the novel can sprawl on and on, which means longer completion time, longer editing time, and more time between novels. With a traditional publishing house at your back, it’s not as big of an issue; as an indie author, it’s a bit of a kiss of death.

This year, I decided I wanted to increase my writing output. The goal was to write at least three novels per year. I started my first one in August and finished it in October, with a final word count of roughly 109,000 words. I had a month of unproductivity while I was on vacation, so it’s feasible I could have written that in a little over a month.

[image error]At a write-in with members of the Tucson NaNo region.

For NaNo, I decided to stick with a structured outline. I’d done it once, something that had not come to me in the past, so I figured to see if it was a fluke or if I could keep up the pace.

I didn’t just keep the pace up. I went into overdrive.

InÌý26 days, I wrote a roughly 79,000 word novel, from start to finish. I still wanted to go for 90,000 for the month, so I immediately launched into writing a short story. I ended the month with 84,205 words. 5,000 and change short of the goal, but still something I’d never done before.

So, what’s the advantageÌýof planning over pantsing or plantsing?

Simply put, there’s less down time. You know exactly where you’re going and what needs to happen. If you’re a linear writer, like me, you can charge from point to point with almost effortless ease. If you’re a non-linear writer, an outline may help you arrange your thoughts and scenes.

The disadvantage is that it’s less organic. If the writer is not careful, the writing can come off as stale.

Here is the advice I would impart to somebody considering giving planning a try:

Outline only the most basic plot points. Don’t go into heavy detail about actions, dialogue, etc. If you’re like me, you’ll still need a little spontaneity to encourage you to move from one plot point to the next. But, with all of the basic points in place, you’ll find yourself swinging from one to the other with ease.
Keep in mind that this is a rough draft. Finish the draft first. If you find a gap between plot points where you find a little character development or a better bridge between plot points can be found, you can slip it in during edits.
Consult the plot outlineÌýevery time you sit down to write. I forgot to check the plot one time, cranked out 1,500 words, then realized those words were no good because they didn’t jive with what I’d initially had plotted. Consulting the outline can help avoid that.
At the same time, the plot isn’t 100% concrete. If you see an improvement on the plot point you’d originally outlined, feel free to change it. Just make sure that the change jives with the rest of your plot points.

Give it a shot and see if it works for you. And as always, happy writing!

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I apologize for being out of contact. I lost myself in my writing much more than I thought and never got around to blogging. I plan on using December (my editing and planning month) to double down on that.

This blog post is brought to you by Amazon. Specifically, it is Amazon’s asinine policy that authors cannot review each other’s works and removing any reviews from authors linked to each other that has motivated this post.

While I understand not wanting to allow reviews from people who clearly haven’t read the work and may be trying to unfairly influence the author, positively or negatively, it is an absolute crock that I cannot provide an objective review of a fellow author simply because I am also an author or that they are my friend.

So, screw Amazon. I’ll be posting my review here.

[image error]Nate Granzow and I on our “Shooters & Thieves� book tour in Des Moines, IA, circa August 2017

And yes, full disclosure: I know . I consider him to be one of my closest friends. That does not alter how I view his latest book, . If it were bad, I wouldn’t promote it on any of my social media platforms.

The truth of the matter (and something I’m not sure I’ve told Nate) is that Nate will come up with these ideas which my conventional thriller brain cannot process.

A story about an Air Force support type working with an intelligence operative to stop a modern-day Nazi plot? I wouldn’t write it.Ìý, and heÌýkilled it.

A novel series about an everyman journalist that can’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag, much less fire a gun? Definitely not my wheelhouse. I ascribe to the school of MOAR DAKKA. Guess what?Ìý.

So, when he pitched the idea of a comedy crime caper novel, part of me was naturally skeptical. But, he’d proven me wrong enough times that I knew to trust in Granzow.

Boy, did he deliver!

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The review follows:

Most authors find a niche and stick with it, and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, they’ll experiment outside of the genre for which they are known, but most authors know what they are good at writing and keep to that. It’s a rarer author that displays versatility and ventures out of their genre or subgenre. They exist (Stephen King is one that comes to mind, with works spanning several genres), but they’re certainly not the norm.

Nate Granzow is a criminally underrated author who has done geopolitical thrillers (the ), archeological thrillers (the award-winning ), historical thrillers () and even sci-fi horror ().

With , Granzow tries his hand at literary comedy, and he proves that he is a master of capturing schadenfreude.

The novel centers around a big-game hunting guide name Gabriel McCollough, a Scotsman prone to embellishment; and his nephew, Callum Bailey, a one-time stuntsman who now relegates himself to menial work in a zoo. In the wake of the controversy surrounding the trophy killing of Cecil the Lion, McCollough concocts a seemingly brilliant money-making scheme: use Bailey’s zoo access to tranquilize big game and photograph would-be hunters next to the sleeping beasts. The hunters get to feel manly with photos to support their stories, and no animals are actually hurt.

The plan quickly goes off the rails when McCollough’s and Bailey’s first client is trampled by a poorly tranquilized elephant, and their plan to dispose of the body and cover up the death fail spectacularly.

‘sÌýcolorful cast also involves a trio of street hoodlums, an Australian bounty hunter, a Yakuza enforcer and his senile oyabun, a black market entrepreneur that utilizes a mobility scooter, a cunning nymphomaniac widow, and an exotic dancer pursuing her law degree.

How does such an eclectic group of characters all come together?

You’ll have to read it to find out.

Ìýis another Granzow hit, one that will leave you laughing at the preposterous circumstances, snickering at the sharp and witty dialogue, and generally taking humorous pleasure at the misfortune of McCollough and Bailey. In short, schadenfreude in the palm of your hands.

Highly recommended!

As part of the lead up to 2018, I’ve been sharing tips that have helped me as a writer over the years.

Today, I’d like to talk about character dossiers.

Why a Dossier?

One of the biggest pet peeves I’ve encountered in popular media is when it’s clear that the writers are winging a character’s background. Inconsistencies and paradoxes are signs that they didn’t give the character much thought going into it.

A great example is from a show I love,Ìý24. In the earlier seasons, the show’s website had character biographies to provide added insight for the viewer.

Jack Bauer’s bio showed him being 36 at the time of Season 1 (ifÌý are to be considered canon, and they do line up with the website’s bio), with a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, a master’s from UC Berkeley, experience as an LAPD SWAT officer, and having served with the Army’s Special Mission Unit as a Captain.

The inaccuracy of the last part aside (something I delve into ), let’s break this down.

It takes 6 years total to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Let’s be generous and say Jack went to college at 17. He’d be 23 when he graduated.

[image error]Image credit:Ìý

Then he’s commissioned into the Army. Officially, officer applicants for the Unit must be at least O-3 and airborne qualified. Realistically, they need a few deployments underneath their belt. On average, it takes 4 years to make O-3 in the Army, but we’ll be generous and say he got promoted ahead of peers and made it in 3.5. So, that means he’s 26.5 when he gets picked up for the Unit, and that’s assuming he passes Selection and OTC on the first time go.

So, there’d be 10 years for Bauer to go from an O-3 Unit operator, to an LAPD SWAT officer (which takes at least five years on the street before he can apply), to a CTU agent, to the head of the CTU Domestic Unit in Los Angeles.

To become a Special Agent in Charge means you’re a member of the Senior Executive Service. That usually takes at least 15 years of work with your agency to attain. So, even if Bauer got to the Unit, decided, “Meh, not for me,â€� and quit and joined LAPDÌýimmediately afterward, did the same thing with SWAT, then joined CTU, he’d only have five years of CTU experience.

Later seasons of the show seemed to ignore the official dossier (and the dossier was removed from the site) in lieu of winging it with whatever was convenient for the plot at hand.

My point is: it’s not enough to just do your research. You should keep your research pertaining to a character in a log for quick reference. Enter the dossier.

Components of the Dossier

I’ve been using my dossier format, with a couple of tweaks, since 2002. It’s inspired by the character bios I saw while playingÌý. The basic components are:

Vital statistics
Character history
Character personality
Work history

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[image error]Biographical info of a Ghost Recon 1 character. Image credit:Ìý

Vital statistics:ÌýThis includes name, rank/position, height and weight, gender, hair and eye color, and distinguishing features. In the distinguishing features section, I usually include tattoos, scars, piercings, particular articles of clothing they frequently wear, and whether or not they smoke or drink and in what brands they partake.

History:ÌýThis is the meat and potatoes. Parents and occupation, siblings and occupation, early childhood, adolescence, and adult life. This should lead the writer right up to the moment we meet the character for the first time. I get extremely detailed. Marriages, divorces, childbirths, major losses, major job events. Include it all.

Character personality:ÌýThis is the soul of the dossier. What are they like at work? What do they do in their spare time? How are they inclined politically? Are they religious? What’s their sexual orientation and activity level? What kind of music do they jam out to? This section here requires a lot of thought. This will shape everything your character says and does.

Work history:ÌýI mostly include this as a quick reference. If I wanna see what my character was doing in 2012, I won’t scroll through the history unless I’m looking for a specific incident. I go to the work history.

I’ve also since added “military education,� “civilian education,� and “skill sets and certifications� as sections for quick reference. Obviously, this would be genre-dependent. Since I write in the tactical action/adventure/thriller genre, my dossiers have a government-type feel to them. If you’re writing a historical fiction or a fantasy piece, feel free to not be as rigid with it and get flowery with it, as long as you can reference it as you go.

I get really detailed with these. My dossier for the protagonist of my current series, Jack Bradshaw, was 1,865 words. The protagonist of my first series, Ben Williams, has a 3,006 word dossier.

I’ve heard that many of these fancy writing apps have features that allow you to do this sort of thing. If that works for you, fantastic!

I’m old-fashioned. Still write everything in Microsoft Word and keep track of everything in separate Word documents.

I’m attaching my for any writers that would like to use them. Feel free to run wild using them in your works. Just remember to remove the copyright header and put your own name there!

Happy writing!

Ìý

is right around the corner. Here are some tips if you’re looking to delve into the action-thriller genre, one about which I know a thing or two.

Know the Tools of the Trade

If you’re going to write in this genre, you need to familiarize yourself with the items your characters will use.

Few things make me cringe more as an action reader than seeing the terms “pistol� and “revolver� used interchangeably for semi-automatic handguns, calling a suppressor a “silencer� or magazines “clips� (unless it’s a character given to poor terminology), the main character utilizing double Desert Eagles (or Desert Eagles at all, unless you’re going for a Mack Bolan, comic-booky type feel), or external safeties on weapons that don’t possess them.

Ìýis a good resource for those looking to do research on firearms.

If your character is in the military or intelligence special operations communities, you should research what weapons are used in that community. Having your operator run around with a tricked out 1911 in 2018 if they attended Unit selection after the mid-2000s isn’t going to read correctly.

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This is partially why my friend Peter NealenÌý: it gives him leeway in the logistical details. And while most private military/security companies are relegated to defensive roles, it’s not unrealistic to have them be employed in an offensive role by utilizing legal loopholes to circumvent international law preventing the use of mercenaries in warfare.Ìý

Don’t go too into detail on the weapons. A little gun porn is fine, but if you go overboard, you’ll slow down the prose.Ìý

It’s not just guns, either. Radios, holsters, uniforms, etc. If you describe your protagonist running around in SWAT black like it’s the 1990s in the here and now, you’re gonna get dinged.

And if it’s historical fiction, don’t commit the same sin thatÌýCall of Duty: Black OpsÌýcommitted. Research the history of that weapon and see if it was even invented in the time period in which you’re writing.

That leads me into my next tip�

Know Your Unit

When I was writing for Hurricane Group’sÌýHot Extract, I coined a term: “A-Team Syndrome.â€� If you remember that show, you had a Colonel, a Captain, a Lieutenant, and a lone buck sergeant as the protagonists.

You are almostÌýnever going to see a colonel kicking in doors. If you see a Captain or a Lieutenant kicking in doors, something’s gone seriously wrong. You’re definitely not going to see an officer manning a guard tower, as portrayed in the poorly researchedÌýJack Ryan Amazon series.

[image error]Image credit:ÌýÌýReaction markings mine.

One particular author (whom I won’t name) had their former Unit protagonist be a “lieutenant junior class� while he served there before making the leap to CIA.

There are no lieutenants in the Unit. The lowest officer rank is Major (O-4), the troop commander. The bulk of the Unit are NCOs between the ranks of Staff Sergeant (E-6) to Master Sergeant (E-8), the latter being team leaders.
“Lieutenant junior classâ€� isÌýnot an Army rank, and the character is explicitly described as being Army.

If you want your character to be a door-kicking badass, he’ll be an NCO. There is nothing wrong with your main character being an NCO. That does not automatically mean he’s never been to college (many NCOs attend college, and college is all but a requirement to reach E-7 and higher in the modern day) or that he is illiterate. What differentiates the American Army from many of its counterparts is that we place a lot of responsibility in our NCO Corps, particularly in SOF.

Here are some links for researchingÌý,Ìý,Ìý,Ìý, andÌý.

That’s another thing: if you’re writing about somebody who served in a non-American military unit, you ought to research the role of NCOs in that nation’s army.

Do your research on that unit’s history. This is especially relevant if you’re writing modern action. The Global War on Terrorism has radically overhauled the missions that several SOF units conduct.

One more thing: you’ll have noticed I’m using male pronouns. That is because the SOF field is dominantly male.

The integration order signed under the Obama administration has made it possible for a woman to attend selection for the various USSOCOM units, but to date, only one has been . You can make the woman the first SEAL, Green Beret, or JSOC operator, but you will be remiss not to mention the challenges she would face as a trailblazer.

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How I’ve circumvented that to include female protagonists: if they’re military, give them an MP or HUMINT background and attach them to the unit as an enabler.ÌýÌýYou could also have them be former civilian law enforcement and bringing certain skills to the contractor world.

I’ve taken both the contractor/HUMINT/LE approach and the “first� approach before. Both can work effectively.

Avoid Character Clichés

A perpetual loner or a man who has suffered tragedy is really appealing to write. Take a look at most action heroes and you’re likely to find a history of loss and pain.

This is fine as long as you do two things:

approach that angst realistically. Study the psychology of PTSD and other conditions your protagonist may have, and make sure not to go overboard with it. If a character has too many problems, somebody in their chain of command would eventually yank them.
acknowledge the reality: many folks within the SOF and IC communities are family men. That doesn’t mean it’s a functional family or the parents� first marriage, but many do settle down.

Also, while there are some physically imposing types in the SOF world, there are also folks that look like everyday people you could bump into on the street and not pay a second look. They’ll be lean and in-shape, as is necessary for their chosen career, but most shooters won’t resemble The Rock or John Cena.

[image error]Two different body builds. Both special operations veterans. (Images courtesy ofÌý.

This also applies to their skillsets. There are some jacks of all trades in the tactical world, but specialization is more often the norm. Weapons, medical, communications, demolitions, and intelligence are all specialties found in nearly every tactical unit. Your characters should reflect that.

Most folks in this career field are going to be able to handle themselves in a fight, but make no mistake: they’re not all MMA fighters. Some of them have just rudimentary skills and would probably get their asses kicked by a pro fighter.

Remember That Shooters Are People, Too

If you follow this rule, you’ll likely follow the above rule, as well.

It’s rare to find a shooter that solely lives for shooting, with no likes or dislikes. If you write that character, it is upon you to explainÌýplausibly how they reached that point.

Yes, the shooters have a very particular set of skills. They’re people you don’t want to cross.

At the same time, the shooters have likes and dislikes, personal passions, and political and sociological beliefs.

Maybe they like cruising the junkyard for clunkers so they can turn them into road-worthy works of art. Or perhaps they’re learning how to strum the guitar or know how to sing. I’ve known many a shooter who’s into video games or reading. The culinary arts could be something about which they are extremely passionate. Maybe they’re active in their church.

Three things to remember: the professional tactical community is overwhelmingly conservative, Christian, . So, if you’re going to write a liberal character, they can’t be so far off the liberal deep end that they hate guns and violence and consider themselves to be social justice warriors. If that’s the case, why are they in this line of work? They’ll be center-left and they will be the odd man out.

[image error]In my opinion, CBS’sÌýSEAL Team has done a solid job of portraying the demographical norm in SOF, showing an alternative perspective, and showing the mentality of the shooters, all while avoiding sanctimony. Image creditÌýÌý

On the flip side, placing a conservative character to the right of Atilla the Hun is also a no-go. Yeah, the average shooter is a staunch conservative, but if they’re talking about filling mass graves with liberals or delving into the cesspool of racial identity politics, they’re likely not going to be accepted by their peers.

They’re conservative, but the majority aren’t racist. They’re very much a meritocracy. More than that, they’re a tribe. If you’ve made it in, you’re one of them, regardless of your race or ethnic background.Ìý

I bring this up not to debate, but rather, to show baseline statistics. If your character is outside the norm, they will have a slightly different perspective than one who is within the norm. It is your job as a writer to accurate portray that character’s perspective.

Conclusion

Whether it’s weapons, kit, unit history, or personnel constitution,Ìýyou must do your research. The action genre is one that is research-heavy. Your readers will have likely either served in those units, read about those units, or both. You have to sell them on your fiction being authentic.

You put in the work, you’ll see the results in the praise.

Happy writing!

Introduction

In the interest of being more active on my website, and with right around the corner, I figured I’d share some pointers on how to improve as a creative writer.

I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who complimented my expansive vocabulary. They mentioned they also have a relatively wide-ranging vernacular, but had no outlet for it. I suggested they give writing a shot, but they replied that their skill level was low, and whenever they sit down and give creative writing a shot, their mind goes blank.

I definitely understand these challenges, and it forced me to reflect upon what got me through those earlier days of writing. That is where I realized that I’ve been following these four tips (though not in these words) for nearly two decades, and much of this advice was imparted upon me from my writing mentor, former Mack Bolan/Executioner ghost writer Doug Wojtowicz.

So, without further ado:

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1) Always Be Reading

This is cliché writing advice. It is a cliché because it’s true.

As a writer, you should always be reading, whether it’s for pleasure, for research, or to keep up on contemporaries in your genre. It’s through reading that you learn what’s popular in the genre, what stories have been told, and find elements of writing that you like and dislike (more on that in a bit).

Reading sharpens the writer’s mind. It’s the equivalent of dry fire practice at home, whether it’s draw from holster, reloads, or focusing on the fundamentals of sight picture, breathing, posture, and trigger squeeze. Just as in the firearms world, practice makes proficient, and reading is a form of practice when it comes to writing.

Speaking of writing�

2) Always Be Writing…Mostly

There is no replacement for actually writing. Even if you feel that your writing is substandard, youÌýmust write more to develop the necessary skills.

It doesn’t matter if it’s J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or the late Tom Clancy.ÌýEverybody sucks at writing when they first put words on paper. It’s part of the process. It’s only through writing that one can develop their skills.

If reading is dry fire practice at home, writing is range time. There is no replacement for it.

[image error]One of the greats, Mickey Spillane, hard at work. (Image credit: )

Don’t let your fear of a substandard manuscript or story paralyze you from writing. If you need to just write a story and keep it to yourself to work on overcoming that fear, then do it. Just keep on writing until you reach a point where you feel comfortable sharing your words.

I do say “mostly� because I vehemently eschew the advice that one should force themselves to write. Real life takes its toll, and sometimes you just aren’t mentally in the right place to write. Take a break and come back to it when you’re refreshed and ready.

And remember: don’t strive for perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect manuscript. There is “editableâ€� for rough drafts and “goodâ€� for final drafts. “Perfectâ€� is the enemy of “good,â€� and if you strive for absolute perfection, you willÌýnever finish the story.

3) Develop Your Voice and Style

One might think this would fall under the above two tips, and in a fashion, it does. At the same time, this is critical enough that it merits its own bullet point.

There are four basic elements to a fiction manuscript:

Plot
Character arcs/development
Prose
Dialogue

Finding your own is a combination of reading to see what you like and dislike about each element, and writing to iron out the kinks until your voice and style have developed to your satisfaction.

Developing your plotting skills requires knowing the tropes of your genre. I am of the belief that there is no such thing as a original plot. There are only original arrangements of tropes, augmented by the other basic creative writing elements.

To know your tropes, you must know your genre, and the only way to know your genre is toÌýread.

[image error]PUT THAT COFFEE DOWN. Coffee’s for readers only. (Image credit: )

This also goes for character development, as character traits are also tropes. Once you master your tropes, you can lampshade them, subvert them, invert them, or even play them straight for effect.

A word of caution: your character development can’t consist entirely of tropes. You have to know people and what makes them tick. If it doesn’t come from an authentic place, your reader will catch it.Ìý You don’t have to base your characters off of real people wholesale (though I have done that in the past), but you should absolutely base them off ofÌýelements of those people.

As far as prose, that’s really going to be genre and reader dependent.

What I’ve found worked for me growing up was if I found a particular piece of prose that spoke to me, I’d end up transcribing it, developing the muscle memory of how it was written. Once I’d end up committing it to memory, I’d rinse and repeat with other passages from various authors until I had an aggregate, and from there I would experiment to add my own twist.

Once can do the same with pieces of dialogue, though the best advice is to speak the dialogue aloud. If you can say it easily, then the dialogue is natural and solid. If you have to put some effort into it, the dialogue may be too stiff and artificial, and may require reworking.

4) Embrace Constructive Criticism

This may be the hardest step for some, especially if an aspiring writer is penning stories and keeping it to themselves as they build confidence in their craft.

At some point, though, to truly grow as a writer, the bird’s going to have to leave the nest. You’ll have to show your work to somebody.

Some are going to rave about your work. Others, not so much. Your default instinct will be to defend what you’ve written, as it is an extension of you.

¶Ù´Ç²Ô’t.

[image error]Yoda, if he were a writer: “Accept criticism, you must, if one with the writing Force, you are to become!� (Image credit: )

Stop and listen to what the other person has to say. Contemplate the advice given.

Criticism is the friction of progress. It’ll be the pressure that turns your sand into a pearl, your coal into a diamond.

Having said that, have a discerning eye for what is constructive criticism and what is not.

If the criticism keeps the genre in mind or focuses on the mechanics or fundamentals, that’s constructive. Keep it.

If the criticism is mostly the reviewer’s personal preference and is tone-deaf to the genre, shut it out. It’s useless negativity.

Keep the constructive criticism near and dear to your heart; throw the non-constructive criticism in the trash where it belongs.

Conclusion

Writing is a continuous evolution. You must always strive to improve your craft. The day you become stagnant is the day your stories grow stale.

You improve your craft through reading and writing often. Those help you to develop your voice and style.

Above all else, don’t be so proud of your work that you refuse to accept constructive criticism. On the same token, don’t allow the negativity of small-minded people to drag you down.

Happy writing!

I’ve been putting off reformatting my website for some time, but in anticipation of the release of my new series, Forsaken Patriots, I figured I should get on that.

The website now has a page for (which also happens to be the front page), an updated , and aÌýpage where you can find all of my . A page has also been dedicated to my older , which mostly consist of gun stuff, media reviews, and political posts from the past few years.

Speaking of political posts…I recognize that I am passionate with my opinions and I have opinions that offend just about every major political group. So, in an effort to reduce strife and createÌýa more inclusive environment in which to promote my writing, my social media will remain apolitical, with the only exception being my Twitter (fair warning if you follow me there).

Having said that, in the interest of posterity and as a metric for growth and change, I will keep all of my blogs up for the time being. Yes, even my of the 2016 election.

[image error]Photo credit: Sassi Italy Tours

So, what will my social media (and my website specifically) focus on?

I’d like to take a note out of my friend book and start focusing more on the writing. The books I read for research, the weapons you’ll see in my books, some limited excerpts leading up to publication. I’d also like to provide resources to fellow independent authors, point them in the right direction on how to promote their work, how to format manuscripts, what to look for in cover art, etc.

[image error]Throwback to a beardless me demonstrating a draw from jacket concealment. You can read that blog post.

Another thing I’d like to eventually get back into is TACTIPS. I’d love to do the occasional blog on things like shooting fundamentals or everyday carry (EDC) kits, as well as cool gear or guns I get my hands on. Having said that, I’ll be brutally honest: that will take a backseat to actually producing books. I’d like to promise a regular blogging schedule, but that would not be realistic. Still, it’s something I’d like to do.

Finally, for all those still supporting me across various social media after beingÌýa published novelist for the past six years: thank you for your continued support. It is because of you that I continue this endeavor.

[image error]Me with my friend . I’m also relatively beardless here. Check out Mark’s GRAY MAN series!

Ìý

I know I’ve kept fairly mum since I switched projects a few months ago.

Here’s me coming up for air with a bit of a status report.

First thing, the new novel is somewhere between the halfway mark and the 2/3rds mark. It currently sits at a bit past 64,000 words (that’s 256 pages if you’re using 5×8 print, which this book will use). I’m aiming for something between 90,000 and 100,000 words (360-400 pages), but I won’t know for certain until the editing process is done.

[image error]Photo credit: The second thing: I’m going to be at the !

The Festival enters its tenth year, and is a display of both traditionally and independent authors.

You’ll be able to buy the first book in my new series directly from me there, and bring any books of mine you own in for autographs.

Additional details on when exactly I’ll be there and where you can find me will be posted as I learn the details.

I look forward to seeing you there!

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