Segment 3 (Chapters 8 – 11) The Travel Home
This block of chapters was really fun to write! After spending a lot of time on the environmental science with the first two segments, I was now able to bring in the space element of the story: the science fiction. The training, shuttle launches, the space station Mirage, and, of course, the Barge.
A funny thing about the Barge was that as I was writing about how many humans I could get off the planet, I ran into a flaw in my math. I was attempting to determine how to accommodate thousands of individuals in space, while the ISE had only been focused on developing a space station capable of housing a few hundred. As I was winding down from one of my many late-night writing sessions, I was watching TV, and a cruise line commercial came on—eureka! I Googled images of cruise ships, grabbed one of them, and turned the image upside down. Perfect! Even better was that ISE didn’t have to build it, just acquire it from a group of rich people.
Along with the space science stuff, these chapters allowed me to bring in some new secondary characters. Secondary characters must have purpose so the reader connects with them but is not fully invested in them like primary characters. Also, adding secondary characters allows me to explain details without a lot of narration and provides a different voice to the reader. For instance, Olivia Maddox was created to tell the AX5 story through a documentary; Colonel Poore was created so the reader could hear of Alex’s intellect and experience; Major Porter was created to help explain the Barge and a bridge character to General Perkins; and Specialist Reyes was created to interact with the main character and to build up anticipation prior to Alex being summoned into the briefing room (see the image).
I also introduced new primary characters: Jack Wallace and Henry “Hank” Perkins. This was a good spot to bring them into the story, as they will become very integral to the success (or failure) of the mission and important throughout the rest of the story.
Many have asked me, “How do you come up with the names?” The short answer is that the names simply come to me. I hear their voice and visualize their mannerisms when writing and think about what name would best fit them. I have used name generators before to get ideas, but mostly for lower-support character names.
In fact, General Henry “Hank” Perkins came to me while I was traveling on the road for work in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. My hotel was next to a Perkins Restaurant, and I had been thinking about the character during my long drive, then 'bam,' there it was—General Perkins was born. The name Henry “Hank” came later as I developed the character further.
Sadly, I had to torment the main character, Alex, once again. It was important that he had one last breakdown of guilt, blame, and lack of confidence. This was intentional, as it would help him become a stronger leader who does not question his decisions and can handle adversity and challenges as the leader of a human colony.
Please message me on my Facebook Author page if you have questions, comments, or want to know more about Chapters 8 - 11.
