Folks with an interest in space, engineering, US geopolitics as they relate to space missions, and next steps for exploration...
Are really going to have a treat coming for them when @WordsmithFL finishes his current WIP. 🙂
We have *such* talent here on CoSo. Still, the attention to detail necessary for such a project is in fine hands with this storyteller, who knows how to write with precision and scope.
(So please rap his knuckles when you see him here, & tell him to finish his MS already!)
Stephen, I know you have tinkering to do with the first chapter (fiddly technical matters to further shore up the visuals / chronology, mostly: nothing major), but as for the large-scale stuff? The ability to set a scene, bring all the moving parts to bear on a story without getting in the weeds of the wrong details, and encapsulate sweeping cultural movements in actionable concrete terms?
You're *so* very much on point. This is going to be a terrific text once finished.
@MLClark Thank you for all the kind thoughts and support. I look forward to what you think about Chapter 2.
My writing mentor, Sheila Finch, gave me two excellent pieces of advice:
(1) If you're in love with a scene, it should probably come out.
(2) If the scene doesn't advance the plot, it should probably come out.
History books typically don't work that way. But this story is so like a novel -- heroes and villains, complications, etc. -- that I'm treating it like one.
Oh, I read C2 before posting! I was acknowledging your thoughts on C1, but the scope of history organized in C2 is what really sold the work for me. Arresting openers are one thing, but your navigation of many layers of history / motivation around the key geography was wonderful.
The explanation of geography's value to space flight was also well done. (I only wonder if there's something more up to date than the record analogy, which the Yutes might not grasp.) Really solid work.
@MLClark Thank you ... Re the record player analogy, I'm always open to suggestions. It's what occurred to me. I always fiddled with verbiage to see what worked and what didn't.
For example ... In 2012, NASA issued a guide on using gender terms. "Manned" became "crewed."
Since half our audience was foreign, many not speaking English, I was worried that "crewed" would sound like "crude," e.g. "crude flight" instead of "crewed flight."
But no one ever said anything, so I went with it.
@MLClark This is the 2012 NASA style guide update. I don't think it's changed since then. Search the page for "Gender-Specific Language."
@WordsmithFL
Honestly, the fact that we put up with "seamen" for as long as we did means we don't get to have objections to whatever weirdness comes with neutrality now. 😅
The challenge with the record-player is that I'm sure Yutes understand the concept, but the value of the analogy lies with we who actually used it, & saw differences in area while listening to our albums. What would have the same heft today? A merry-go-round maybe? But these are fiddly bits. Get the whole written first!