Project Threshold: Finale by Craig Crawford

1/7/2024

Multi-volume, science fiction, horror author Craig Crawford introduces us to his fourth volume in the Project Threshold series, “Project Threshold: Finale”:
Greed releases something without compassion or care. Its sole purpose is to cleanse the Earth of humans. Starting in Canada, it destroys everyone it crosses paths with, making its way to bigger settlements. Weapons won’t kill it and the only group who might be able to save humanity is Project Threshold.

An amazing story! I hope it is not real. The characters seem quite realistic to me. Facing an unknown foe, people are dying left and right. The creature seems to not be hampered by the laws of physics. Will the PT organization survive this threat?
I love this series and this book. The author has a very deft hand and pours out the words onto the page with the utmost care. There is not an extra or unnecessary word in the story. Fabulous writing!
If you like short stories, you will love this series. Each adventure can stand alone.
If you like long stories and intricate plots, you will derive plenty of enjoyment because all of these stories are connected in multiple ways.
I am excited for the new batch of stories!

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Project-Threshold-Finale-Craig-Crawford
https://www.goodreads.com/-project-threshold-finale
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/project-threshold-finale-craig-crawford

You can connect with the author:
https://twitter.com/CRAIGLCrawford
https://www.facebook.com/CraigLCrawfordWriter
https://craiglcrawfordbooks.com
https://projectthreshold.com

I reviewed the first book in this series here:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/p-t-team-berger
I reviewed the second book in the series here:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/p-t-team-talise
I have reviewed the third book in this series:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/team-riker-by-craig-crawford
Here is a link to my review of Craig's satirical "The Beginner's Guide to Being Evil": www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-beginners-guide-to-being-evil-by-craig-crawford
I have reviewed the fourth book in the Project Threshold series:
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/project-threshold-finale
I have reviewed the fifth book in the Project Threshold series, Season Two: "Team Berger":
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/p-t-season-2-team-berger
I have reviewed the sixth book in the Project Threshold series, season two, "Team Riker":
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/project-threshold-season-2-team-riker
I have reviewed the seventh book in the Project Threshold series, Season Two: "Team Talise":
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/project-threshold-s-2-team-talise

I have reviewed another book by the author:
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/zombunny-by-craig-crawford

Tags: aliens, demons, ghost, paranormal, supernatural, science fiction, urban fantasy, horror

Copyright © 2024 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

55 Comments

Craig Crawford link

1/8/2024 06:49:56 pm

Hi Mark,

Good to be back. I do love talking writing, publishing, marketing, advertising, the whole gambit! And thanks for continuing on my journey with me :)

Mark

1/8/2024 07:21:57 pm

I am very pleased to have you back for a chat. I love your stories and being able to talk about your journey is a real plus.

For new visitors, this conversation started during the promotion for Craig's first Project Threshold book, Team Berger; it continued through the promotion for the next two books, part of the Project Threshold series. Each interview is composed primarily of unique questions though a repeat is possible but not intended. I have been growing my list of questions for years.

Let's get to it.

First question.

What hurdle did you face in writing this book and how did you overcome it?

Craig Crawford link

1/8/2024 09:18:29 pm

I had a couple of big hurdles.

First, it started as a single story and got picked up by a press. They asked if I'd thought about serializing it. I hadn't specifically, but at the time I was working on a novel based off that world (still am :) ). However, the idea of a serial seemed to fit and so I went at it. As I wrote another story, I thought of more characters and that's when Talise's unit came into being. I'm also fascinated with Alaskan mythology and lore, so, shortly thereafter Hannah Riker showed up, leading her team in the north. Several stories in, I realized I needed this to go somewhere and the idea of a finale, bringing all the teams together flared to life.

I probably had eight or more stories written by then and I paused a bit to figure out what was going to bring them together and how to bring the other teams in. I juggled some stories for order and built in some aspects to play into the finale. It was challenging but it worked, given the dynamic of that world.

The second challenge was that I wrote far more stories than the first press was able to handle. The editor suggested seeing about approaching other presses to see if they wanted to split the stories and I did reach out to other presses I've published with. It got complicated in a hurry. One other was interested but stepped back because there were a lot of moving parts. Red Cape Publishing had joined in too and stayed with me. We set a date for fall 2023 to publish but there was enough time involved the first press who loved the original story just kept growing and getting bigger and they eventually had to back out because they had too many other projects going. Thankfully Red Cape picked up the entire thing and here we are.

It's all worked out beautifully and I'm happy with the end result.

Mark

1/9/2024 08:22:55 am

I understand that phrase, 'too many moving parts' and use it frequently. I doubt if many independent publishers have entered into project-sharing agreements. I am not a publisher, but I can see several issues that would need to be hammered into a unique contract.

Your fans are happy also.

New question.

Did you make a New Year's resolution this year?

Craig Crawford link

1/9/2024 08:31:24 am

It seemed like a really cool idea at the outset: multiple presses teaming up to share stories. But the more time wore on, the more complicated it got.

The whole New Year's Resolution thing just feels like a curse. Seems you spout one and I, at least, sputter out or get too fixated on it :)

I do have projects for this year. I'm going to get the next set of Project Threshold stories finished. Hopefully before spring. I've also got the third book in a YA scifi I'm going to finish. It's in good shape, I just need to work on it and finally put it to rest. I wrote the first two books back to back but then got sidetracked because my short stories started getting picked up by different presses and I just haven't gotten back to it. Time to dial back in and complete it.

Mark

1/9/2024 10:37:48 am

I have struggled with NY resolutions for many years, capitulating after a month or two. Every year. My perpetual resolution is to not make resolutions. Am I doing it right? ;-)

Your fans will be very pleased to know more stories are on the way.

New question.

Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer, and why?

Craig Crawford link

1/9/2024 12:17:55 pm

My similar experience with resolutions...for writing I often decide on a couple of project to tackle and see which takes over for priority, then get to the other one, though I really do let my muse give me the go sign on these stories.

As for the suffering, I guess it depends on what you mean. Do you need your own personal hardships to write well? I don't know if it's a prerequisite, but if you're going to write about interesting characters, you have to understand some of the basics like loss and all the various life events people go through in order to convey emotions accurately.

I do think you can glean some of it through friend's and family experiences.

For horror, you have to understand real fear to be able to get it across to your readers in a believable way.

I wrote and published a story called A Murmuration of Starlings which involved a man's daughter disappearing and while I have not experienced that (and never feel the need to) having a son I can get the idea of what it would do to a person to have to experience that.

And for Project Threshold, Berger's Story--Keeping the Monsters At Bay, I meddled with that story for a long time trying to get Katie's trauma accurate. I thought about it from her viewpoint, read up on PTSD and how people can react to horrifying events. Also from the viewpoint of her other team members--knowing something was up but not realizing she hadn't told the full story and them trying to figure out if there was something more that happened to her and how to get her to talk about it.

Also, I believe, as a writer, the longer you live, you're going to encounter all kinds of situations, experience loss in some form and all the other gambit of emotions and incidents people invariably face in life. So perhaps I'm advocating that writers who have some life under their belts are better equipped to create more balanced characters...

Mark

1/9/2024 02:31:43 pm

Your muse gives you a lot of help.

A few generations ago, people used to think that a writer needed to suffer, experience deprivations to be able to write a good story. As in Dicken's time, life was short and brutal for those in the lower class. So, some writers would consciously seek out accommodations that would provide the experience they sought. Think of an unheated room in an attic, for example, optimal suffering. Stories from all ages have elements of suffering, now we think more in terms of challenges, quests and overcoming obstacles. The protagonist has plenty of suffering but not the author.

I agree, life contains much suffering even in our more modern age. Our perspective can make a difference in our suffering also. An entitled narcissist experiences pain and frustration whenever their plan is thwarted. Contrast that with the suffering of the remaining family members when a college athlete suffers a catastrophic cardiac arrest and dies.

I agree with your assessment that older writers might have a better understanding of suffering and the human condition.

New questions.

What were your intentions or your goals when you wrote this book?

Do you feel you were successful in getting that message across to the reader?

Craig Crawford link

1/9/2024 03:12:33 pm

I love the idea of a multi-dimensional world and I wanted to explore it to all of its depths. I read a ton of mythology, cryptozoology, Indigenous lore, & lore from other cultures and I wanted to incorporate it into these stories playing the "what if" game. It was an opportunity to take some of the lesser known strange and introduce it into these stories, plus add some of my own creations.

Mostly anything that fascinates me--like mermaids, tulpas, underground civilizations, and so on. One of my favorite lore from the northern Indigenous People is about the Kushtaka. I found a way to slide them into these stories.

I grew up watching the X-Files and was mesmerized by the earlier seasons, and I grew up flued to Darrin McGavin's The Night Stalker. Also, my favorite cartoon growing up was Jonny Quest, so all of that culminated in my own serial with common threads and an over arcing story.

I think it worked.

Secondly, I was tired of the idea of a sinister agency at the heart of things like in the X-Files and even to an extent, in The Night Stalker. It's pretty much a standard trope. I decided I wanted to create a pseudo-government agency that is benevolent for the most part and is actually out to protect humanity instead of take advantage of it. I also wanted to model it on that premise of sacrifice for the rest of us.

I grew up as a kid of the 70's and there was a lot of bad press about the military because of the Vietnam War. Over the years I've come to see that the people who serve in the military (I never did) really are putting their lives up for sacrifice so the rest of us can grow up, go to school, get married and live "normal" lives while others are potentially sacrificing their own "normal" lives for the rest of us. I wanted an organization that drives home what that sacrifice is really all about.

And I think I demonstrate that with all the different characters to varying degrees. Some of the characters die, some have lost their families, others their sanity, all for the sake of people they'll never meet, and people who don't even know Project Threshold is out there protecting them.

Mark

1/9/2024 06:06:42 pm

Not casting the government as the evil mastermind is one thing that sets your books apart from so many others. The government and military are made up of many different individuals. Each have their motivations for seeking civil or military service. I think most of the service members want to serve their country, to keep it safe for future generations.

That one perspective caused me to love your books even more. I was in the air force, I served 8 years in the air national guard. I felt honored to serve my country. All of the people I worked near were the same.

New question.

Do you ever brainstorm with non-writers and if so, is it effective?

Craig Crawford link

1/9/2024 07:28:39 pm

When we watch movies I always start grinning or laughing every time the "evil" government card is thrown out there. It's been done so many times.

And again, I take a hard look at the military and it's full of people who say, "I'm willing to die to keep you safe" and they don't know anything about me. That's admirable and it's easy to forget that oath when it comes to the military. It's the kind of organization I want Project Threshold to be.

And thanks for your service too.

I have a few non-writer friends who have read my stuff. Most of them will give feedback but very few actually try to give me ideas. Mostly because of my genre, the non-writers may ask questions but I don't get a lot of "oh, have you thought about writing about this? Etc."

I will give a shout out to two of my staunch followers. First to Jim who started reading my other books before I got much published. He's offered great encouragement and since he's read a ton of fantasy and scifi, he's a great sounding board.

2nd goes to my number one Project Threshold fan: Shelby. She didn't know me well when I gave the stories to her, but she read them and I hooked her. She is always pushing me, in a very kind way, to write more. Occasionally she'll throw something out my way--we were talking the other day about the Superstition Mountains--she lives down south and knows a bit about them and some other SW lore.

I read something last year about finding your ideal reader and gauging your marketing and advertising toward that. I am using Shelby as my guinea pig and asked her a slew of detailed questions about the Project Threshold series to find out from her eye what makes them good, which stories stand out, which don't, what characters she gravitates to, why, and what else I could do with them.

I think the feedback will help me "see" where the strengths and weaknesses are.

I think, as a writer, you should always be looking at your audience even though you don't let them necessarily dictate what you write.

Mark

1/9/2024 08:17:26 pm

Most authors don't do much brainstorming with readers for the reasons you explain quite well. I hope every author has devoted fans like you do. Jim and Shelby sound wonderful.

I have heard of the Superstition Mountains but I have no idea how that name was attached.

New question.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

Craig Crawford link

1/9/2024 08:31:24 pm

Superstition Mountains have a Lost Dutchman Mine...supposedly. Also there have been several deaths out there where they find the bodies but no heads...or the heads turn up later far away from the bodies...horror food for thought.... ;)

Honestly, it's lots of small things and no one thing stands out. I write on Word and for me it is pricey I suppose but very versatile for my needs. I've spent money getting the word out and I'd say a group called Promote Horror and working with you have been good investments. I feel like I'm getting a lot of good word of mouth at least on Twitter (still can't call it "X" ).

If we look at the long haul, my best investments really comes down to music. I usually write to music in some form or other and I've downloaded tons of songs over the years. Sometimes a single song can propel me to knock out a story. It can set a tone or a beat or a tempo. Case in point, I wrote The Missing in Riker's book to John Carpenter and specifically Escape From New York. One track--Over the Wall. It set a pacing I wanted to create an urgency and to keep pushing the story to the last word. Be curious if someone reads that story listening to that tune if it helps with the sense of running out of time...especially the last few pages :)

Mark

1/10/2024 09:05:44 am

The Lost Dutchman Mine. That was floating in the back of my head when I made my previous comment. I watched a lot of TV when I was growing up in the 50s and 60s. One of the shows was an exploratory, science, history, paranormal show called "You Asked for It". I think they did an episode or two about the LDM. It really sparked my imagination. I probably saw it on other programs also.

Thanks. I can't call it X either. As long as the search bar says Twitter I am sticking with that.

I have heard from more than one author that they need music to write. A few have told me that certain scenes require certain music. You fall squarely into that group. That might make a good blog topic for your Amazon author page, listing the music you listened to while writing chapters or scenes.

New question.

Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career? Feel free to share as many as you would like.

Craig Crawford link

1/10/2024 09:54:05 am

That's a good call on the blog. I will do that. I don't always have a song or set music when I write, but sometimes it's just the perfect match.

In addition to Project Threshold, I am still writing and submitting short stories for publication. I'm subscribed to Authors Publish and several small presses to get head's up notices when places are open for submissions. I also follow several podcasts for inspirational fuel: Intothefrayradio.com covers all things paranormal and supernatural. P.E.E.P. podcast https://www.nicollemorock.com/peep-podcast and several others.

I also use Horrortree.com and submissiongrinder.com to occasionally go hunting for submission opportunities. And my two fav presses: Mannison Press and Red Cape Publishing :) :)

Mark

1/10/2024 11:55:03 am

Fans love inside details and sharing the music that helps you in definite spots seems like an ideal tidbit for them.

Thanks for sharing those links and businesses.

I think nearly every author can benefit from short story competitions. Many authors write unnecessarily florid prose.

New question.

What are your favorite reference books, sites or software for grammar and writing?

Craig Crawford link

1/10/2024 01:37:00 pm

I hadn't thought about it, but I think so too on the music front. And probably the podcast links too--people who would be interested in my horror would probably be into similar related fringe :)

I used to keep the standard dictionary, thesaurus and so on at my fingertips. Now, however, most everything I need is for a quick look up which I do through a google search. However, I do have a book I found long ago with pictures of most everything you want, labeled with names. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-What-Visual-Glossary-Physical/dp/0345303024

It gives you all the name labels for suits, castles, armor, ships--you name it ;) I still reference it. It's got a great index for hunting things down too.

I use behindthename.com for coming up with names. I don't always go for names with specific meanings but sometimes I'm in that mood and BTN gives you that search availability.

I also use Youtube for lots of research. In the Talise book a helicopter crashes at the end of IT Walks. I wanted to see what it looked like and reaffirm that they didn't burst into flames and explosions like in the movies. Lo and behold there were videos on it happening...and no they generally do not blow up on impact :) :) :)

Otherwise, I am an internet kid even though I grew up before such a beast, and do a lot of internet research, doubling up on facts to make sure it's not just someone's own belief. I use Googlemaps a lot for places--especially with Project Threshold covering the entire United States. Just finished my recon of the Superstition Mountains so expect a story related to that ;)

Mark

1/10/2024 03:55:31 pm

That visual dictionary sounds fabulous! I love it and might have to get one for myself.

Before the internet, we had an exhaustive dictionary in our house. It was 4 or 5 inches thick, full-size pages. It had lots of small pen and ink illustrations and a few color pictures of famous works of art. I could spend an hour or two in that thing. I wish I had it now for sentimental reasons.

New question.

Have you ever created a throw-away character that developed into a major player?

Craig Crawford link

1/10/2024 04:15:48 pm

I think we did talk about this before but I had World Book Encyclopedias too which were a boon...before Google :)

I have run into that from time to time. Wrote a fantasy series where Erin of Kellerin was originally going to be just a love interest of my main character but in building her backstory she became such a resourceful, feisty, independent character she morphed into becoming an up and coming mercenary hero who ended up giving crap to my MC and they never did hook up--turns out he already had a girlfriend in the wings I wasn't privy too until writing it :) :) :)

Also happened in my Project Threshold stories with a newbie. I wasn't sure she was even going to make it to the end with all of her burdens but she ended up stepping up and becoming tough and resourceful by the finale. I was surprised but very happy about that.

Mark

1/10/2024 06:13:50 pm

I think you are right.

That's a great story about Erin. Quite a few authors have shared similar stories with me. I have to say I am a fan of these sudden character leaps.

New question.

Why do most authors write in 3rd person POV instead of first or second POV?

Craig Crawford link

1/10/2024 06:50:08 pm

As a pantser I am fine when the characters take charge and display their personalities. It's when I get some of my best stories and also when they go in new directions I didn't see coming. With Erin I knew she was gonna be kind of a badass, but this whole side plot opened up and she went from being in awe of a hero to challenging him for acceptance and even outdoing him.

As for POV, 3rd gives you the most versatility. You pick a character perspective, but you can get inside their head or not and it makes it easy to give your reader the over-the-shoulder view of what's going on.

2nd has never been a fav of mine--I don't get the level of intimacy I do with 3rd. Honestly, it feels kind of awkward and I have never more than dabbled with it.

1st person can be tricky because you're grounded from one person's perspective. It can work well if done right, however. My fav books--the Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny are told from 1st person.

I have used 1st person on short stories which I've been very satisfied with and I have another fantasy novel in which I use it in a limited manner getting inside the head of one of my complicated characters, but it was for effect to show a very narrow minded ruthlessness.

3rd person is my go-to, but it is really dictated by the story I want to tell.

Mark

1/10/2024 08:32:29 pm

Thanks for breaking that down.

First person POV is quite limiting for the author as you pointed out.

The Amber Chronicles sound interesting to me. I have read only a few first person POV books and I love it when it is done right. When I ask myself who is speaking then it's a fail.

I reviewed a book, "The Divinity Bureau" was told in first person. The author alternated POV in each chapter and the action flowed pretty smoothly from chapter to chapter. Towards the end there was one chapter for a minor character and one for a dog. That was interesting.

New questions.

Do you ever put a story aside and come back to it at a later date?

When you have stepped away from a story, how long before you revisit it?

Craig Crawford link

1/10/2024 10:11:42 pm

Agreed-- 1st person POV has to be handled carefully or it can go flat. And I think you're doubly under pressure to keep the story on track without getting too wordy, too descriptive, and in 1st person I think that can be a hard thing.

As to your question, I'm in the middle of that right now. I have a YA Scifi trilogy and I wrote the first two books back to back. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with the 3rd and so I let it sit. I know how it will end but I have been hesitant on which direction to go to get there.

Ultimately I need the characters to decide for me. However, when I get into those situations I always start back at the beginning. I've been rereading the first two books to get the feel of the story again, the details of the characters and their interactions and going back through my original notes to get back on track.

Over the years, I have found that rereading your own stories is invaluable because there are nuances tucked in them about the story, the characters and even your mindset when you were writing it. It's kind of like solving a mystery and following the original tracks to get back on the trail to the solution.

Mark

1/11/2024 10:12:10 am

At least you know the ending, many authors don't even know that much. Perhaps writing out the ending would be helpful. You can always change it, of course. Here is a guest blog by one of my clients from a few years ago. Maybe it will be useful for you, though I do think you are on the right track. Copy-and-paste time. http://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/non-linear-writing or hit the search box below.

New question.

Do you think you were born to write or did you have to learn the craft?

Craig Crawford link

1/11/2024 11:46:19 am

Thanks. I'll check the article out. This one has been giving me some troubles, but I keep learning to turn the story over to the characters because they know what's going on :)

Looking back on my history in regards to your question, I think there is little doubt I was meant to be a writer. I've had lots of things happen along the way that have kept pushing me toward this.

When I was younger, I was always telling stories even with my toys. I always read a lot and as I've said, when I hit the middle grades, I met a new group of friends and got introduced to the fantasy/sci-fi worlds. This same group also pulled me into Dungeons and Dragons, where I found I liked running the game more than playing--in effect guiding and telling the story.

I had teachers who encouraged me along the way throughout school too. One teacher submitted a story I wrote to a magazine. Didn't get published, but she saw enough in it to send it out. Another let me go off syllabus in a creative writing class--as long as I turned in one paper each week I could write whatever I wanted.

After college I got my first real writing gig--friends and I were playing a new RPG and the source books needed an index really badly, so I created one. A friend suggested I send it to the company, and they ended up picking it up. I got a flat fee, but I did get paid a sizable amount for it. They also contract hired me for a second.

Then I got my pseudo-internship with the Wolf-Pirate crowd. That was almost a year of writing instruction.

Everything has led me forward, sometimes in meandering directions, but always toward writing. It's part of my psyche, my life, like having eyes or hands, and really it always has been.

Mark

1/11/2024 01:30:08 pm

Short of being born with an MBA in literature, it seems like you were born to write! That might make a nice tattoo.

I must admit that I am not familiar with the Wolf-Pirate crowd. Perhaps, I should be.

New question.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Craig Crawford link

1/11/2024 02:18:10 pm

It seems it and I am fine and happy with that direction. I am at my most contented when I'm working on stories.

Wolf Pirate--I came across them in a Novel and Short Story Writer's Market Guide back in 2008ish. I thought they were an agency and submitted my fantasy novel to them (the one with Erin :) ). They wrote back and said they were a non-profit and helped writers that they decided had promise Take it as you will but they offered to pair me with one of their editors for free and we went through my novel over the course of about four months. After, my editor, May, suggested taking my novel and splitting it into two because in the original it was telling two stories side by side and May pointed out the pitfalls of that approach.

I had seen that style done poorly in a novel I'd read and wanted to take a crack at it. But, as she pointed out, the downside of that approach is that your readers would tend to get attached to one story over the other and it would detract from the overall arc of the novel.

So May offered to keep with me if I wanted to split the book in two and write one story or the other. This is also where I expanded Erin's character and when i discovered there was a lot more to her than I'd originally thought.

After working through it, Wolf Pirate did try pitching it to the big 5 but couldn't get anywhere with it. In the next few years Wolf-Pirate dissolved but I worked with them twice in all. I was very pleased with the entire experience and learned a lot about the process of writing a novel. I still keep in touch with the original creator of Wolf Pirate, though she has been doing other things.

As for the most difficult part of my artistic process, it really is true that writing begets more writing. I have lots of ideas these days and not near enough time to get them all down. Right now I'm juggling Project Threshold 2 stories, getting back to my YA trilogy and fending off random short stories and going back to working on a Project Threshold novel, and another dark scifi series I'm three books deep into.

I really listen to my muse and on days I have nothing creative going I concentrate on marketing or editing. I have gone a couple of weeks without working on a story at all. However, I can feel a story or the next chapter brewing and when it's ready I sit down and write it and shove everything else out of the way.

Summers I barely write at all, but around mid to late September the urge to start creating kicks into gear again. The hardest part was learning to listen to those rhythms and trust that my creative side knew what it was doing.

AND, from a long time back, once I discovered that if I let the story be in charge, instead of trying to force it myself, churning out stories became a whole lot easier. And quicker.

It works for me.

Mark

1/11/2024 04:05:02 pm

Wolf Pirate sounds like an interesting company. It's too bad they aren't operating anymore. Thanks for explaining.

Life has many rhythms, you are astute to have figured that one out.

New question.

What is the easiest part of writing a book in general?

Craig Crawford link

1/11/2024 04:38:56 pm

Catherine said they started out building writing curriculum for schools in Florida, I believe, and that they were funded by authors. I know she got very frustrated and disillusioned with the big 5 even back then. It probably didn't endear her to them because her organization used to take books coming out from the big 5 and grade them like a assignment, based on content, editing, etc., and she was a tough grader :) :) :)

The easiest part is actually writing. It's still very fun for me. I get into my "zone" and immersed in the story and I tune out everything else.

My favorite story to tell is about when my wife and I were first married and living in a duplex. My writing area was in the living room backed away from the TV. I learned to tune it out (pun intended), and just totally focus on my story. One evening my wife walked by, and as a joke stuck her hand between my face and the screen. I literally jumped out of my chair because it freaked me out.

I was so engaged in my story I could only see the screen and the words and it scared the crap out of me breaking that connection :) She never did it again because my jumping up scared her too :) :) :)

Mark

1/12/2024 09:29:48 am

I understand your writing focus. I have a similar focus when reading. I used to read on buses and other public places when I was going to school. That worked well for me until I got married. I had to learn to tune out the world selectively and keep the wife channel open.

New questions.

What did you buy with your first royalty check?

How did you celebrate when you published your first book?

Craig Crawford link

1/12/2024 10:45:07 am

So when I sold the index I actually used the money to buy my first Dell computer. This was back in the "old" days when Dell was new on the scene. It was either a Dell, Gateway or an NEC, and I went with a Dell.

To be honest, I built my index on a Smith-Corona word processor and then took the diskette to our University Library and transferred the data to a 3.5" disk and then got it battle worthy to send to the company. Yeah.

Having the computer was a game changer for me because I had Word for the first time and I even got dial up internet :) :) :)

So, it was the first time my name was on something and it's still out there: https://www.amazon.com/Rifts-Index-Adventures-Kevin-Siembieda/dp/0916211959

And Volume 2: https://www.amazon.com/Rifts-Index-Adventures-Craig-Crawford/dp/1574570080/ref=sr_1_1?crid=164S3LFD73J3V&keywords=Rifts+Index+volume+2&qid=1705074156&sprefix=rifts+index+volume+2%2Caps%2C67&sr=8-1

But it still wasn't fiction, and after that I concentrated exclusively on getting novels going.

Mark

1/12/2024 01:06:26 pm

That is a great story! I love it. I kept a book beside my computer while waiting for dial-up to connect and download or upload. It was so slow. There was no GUI, I had a 12", green-monochrome display, CRT. If you didn't know your DOS commands, you were not getting far.

New questions.

How many times did you rewrite the first page, the first chapter of this book?

Or did the last chapter need the most work?

Craig Crawford link

1/12/2024 06:15:46 pm

For the finale, the first page came easy. I ended The Missing on a literal cliffhanger :) I knew I had to bring the teams together and so it made sense to start with the plane, rerouting all personnel north. And, all throughout these stories, I'd been name dropping and mentioning Kurt and Cass without actually introducing them so I knew it had to start with them front and center. (Early on I toyed with Kurt and Cass and thought it would be fun to tease the reader with each of the teams giving hints about Kurt and Cass but no one ever actually meeting them until the finale, and I followed through on that).

It made sense to pair them with Berger and his team because I started the stories with Berger. He's kind of the unofficial veteran and leader of leaders.

As for the writing, I knocked out the first section in about two nights of writing. It was all there in my head and I knew I needed to establish Kurt and Cass' personalities before moving forward. It took probably four or more rewrites to get it exactly the way I wanted, tweaking the dialoge and the pacing.

I'd already been working on a novel centered around Kurt and Cass before these stories blew up, so I knew Kurt and Cass well. Kurt's got a lot of back history, same as Cass but he's got this ever burning anger and just cannot say twelve words without getting out of hand or shooting off his mouth. Cass is the only one who can temper him and it's why they're a two person team--excuse me, three . . . but that's above your paygrade ;)

The second of the three stories took me the most work, trying to line up everything for the 3rd story in the finale. I knew who was going to be the focal point (without giving anything away)--I'd set that up in earlier stories. I just had to maneuver the teams, watching as the story unfolded in my head, who was going to make it and who else was going down.

I approached the finale in small sections, writing a part, mentally lining up the next pages in my head, then moving again. As I've said, I am a pantser and while I knew the end game, I wasn't really sure how I was going to get there until I put down the first section, then the second, and so on.

I honestly don't understand how my mind works, but it takes into account things that will happen later because I didn't have to go back in and add things.

The best I can equate to my writing style is that it's almost like sculpting (which I've never done). It's like, as I write, I uncover bits of the story that is already there and as I dust and dig away at it, other pieces appear and take shape. But the story is there with all the nuances. I just uncover it.

I don't always see the details until I happen upon them. Cass' last words to Berger sum it up. I hadn't thought of that line until I wrote it. I'd actually set it up at the end of Berger's stories but I didn't think about using it for the end until I reached the end.

I think it puts the perfect punctuation on the stories and the theme of Project Threshold, though.

Mark

1/12/2024 08:01:28 pm

There are a lot of things above my pay grade. I was only E-4 in the air force.

Sculpting is a good word picture.

New question.

Do you have a favorite filler word or two that you have to keep taking out of a story, like just, like really, or like like?

Craig Crawford link

1/12/2024 09:47:02 pm

I have several. What I've discovered over the years, it that when I'm in the middle of writing, my mind has those momentary pauses when I'm finishing a couple of words and the story is progressing but during those hesitations I end up using all kinds of filler words like "that." I also often tend to use the same descriptors like 'he darted left' and 'she darted around the corner' and so on.

I think it's my mental way of just bulling through and getting the story on the page but I do have to go back through and read several times to pick up on those. And, I have a couple of go-to's for reading my stuff now who will pick "that" stuff out much quicker than I can.

My best story there was while writing my very first fantasy novel. I had all these action scenes, and my buddy, upon reading, discovered that every time someone was running I had the characters "pumping their arms" :):) :) It was a good description to my mind to give that image of really digging in and running hard, but I used it I don't know how many times and we both had a good laugh at all the pumping going on in my story :)

Bottom line, I think those kinds of filler words happen and often, and in the early drafts, if that's what helps you get the story down, go for it. You just need good editors to remove those things before you call it done.

Mark

1/13/2024 09:10:27 am

You make a good point. Filler words and phrases can help get the story out of the author's head and that is critical because with that first step nothing else can happen. Arm pumping is a good descriptor and should not be overused.

Your stories are greatly improved with weeding out the repetitions.

New question.

Do you have a hidden message in your writings for a particular person or group?

Craig Crawford link

1/13/2024 09:58:53 am

It's what I've seen in my own writing. My best buddy and I discuss writing all the time. He's read everything I've ever written which is helpful because he knows my quirks and methods--probably better than I do. When I get into creation mode, it is about getting the story down and all those little mental pauses that translate into filler words help keep the flow. They just don't make for good story and need to go later :)

Looking back over my writing, I have noticed a pattern with my main characters. I tend to write about burdened or broken characters.

Growing up, I was a big fan of Spiderman and Batman and as an adult I realized they are heroes, not necessarily because they want to make the world a better place, but because they have to. They're driven because of bad things that happened to them and whether it's a conscious choice or not, they're trying to make the world better so those things won't happen to other people.

Almost all of the MC's in my stories are driven because of something that happened to them in their lives. I think that's true of most stories because it creates that conflict and makes the reader want to know more about them, why they are the way they are and if they can overcome. In that way I'm not unique, However, I like characters and tend to write characters who are driven by trauma in some form. Or they're awkward on some level.

For Project Threshold, Berger is burdened by how his profession has messed up his personal life and how he deals with shouldering the deaths of people in his crew. Talise is probably the most "normal" but she's got past trauma and while she hides it well, she's still scared, and especially of the paranormal. Riker, she's the most driven, trying to make something right for her family. Wasn't her fault, but she doesn't see it that way and she is completely driven toward finding some kind of peace and even atonement, though she'll tell you it's for her sister's sake and not her own.

On the other hand, in that, I know now I'm always trying to help these characters find their peace and make things right in their world for them. I think it's part of why I get passionate about my characters and my stories--I'm writing, but I'm rooting for them to be made whole again. If I have a message at all, it's that even characters who are in crappy situations in their lives can can overcome their personal hells and find something good in the end. If I can pass that hope onto readers, I'm a happy man.

Mark

1/13/2024 11:30:08 am

Your characters and writing mirror the real world. We all have brokenness within. We live among others who experience pain, hardship and heartbreak. We cannot escape the real world for any appreciable length of time unless you're reading a really good book.

The message of self-sacrifice and redemption runs through your stories. It is a timeless message.

New question.

Do you have any Easter eggs hidden in your stories that only close friends or family members would recognize?

Craig Crawford link

1/13/2024 01:31:15 pm

Most stories have to have struggle in some form, otherwise what's the point :) I embrace the beat down and the broken and try to help them find their heroic sides :)

I also like dealing with real world issues. I have a dark scifi book series (working on #3) where the main character gets bogged down in really scary stuff and starts contemplating suicide. My fantasy series involves the hero who is ridden with guilt and trying to run away from himself. I explore all kinds of "darkness" including DID--the Dissacoiative Identity Disorder.

The mind is built to survive and it will help the self any way it can--even fracturing perceptions of reality to keep it's owner functioning. Kind of like my Cleansers in Project Threshold. They can't often mend the trauma that has happened but they can do just enough to keep the person functional--not a great solution but as Courtney says, "It's the best we can do."

There are no real quick paths to healing.

As for Easter Eggs. Growing up, I had a love-hate relationship with William Faulkner. I read a lot of his stories in school and while I like his writing he was such a downer about everything. Very dark and depressing. One of the coolest things he did, and to me, the most clever, is that he really did create his own world. Many of his stories took place in a fictional Yoknapatawpha County and he had characters showing up across stories.

I thought it was such a cool idea.

So, for Easter Eggs. I have a couple of nods to certain shows I grew up with. I will say that Berger's fourth story plays off of a short story I published with a press called Soteira Press. It's called Below the Water Line and in Berger's story #4, they go to the place in the story (I did actually set that one in my town--got the original idea walking to work along the Iowa River and my imagination just ran amok one morning on the way in). It also includes Berger talking to the main character from that story. It was fun.

Also Talise's 4th story plays off of a short story I haven't published yet, but I liked the character/adversary in it so much I wanted to do more with him, and based off what I know about him, it was easy to work into a Project Threshold story.

Project Threshold has also started showing up in some of my unrelated short stories. They'll show up at the end or in subtle ways, but they're there. And my dark sci-fi, which also centers around other dimensions bleeding into our own involves my main character, Darby, eventually coming face to face with Project Threshold personnel.

Again, I love that idea of characters crossing over into other stories unrelated to each other. It's fun to write and I think readers will appreciate it too.

Mark

1/13/2024 03:40:48 pm

True. There are no quick paths to healing.

As a reader, I love finding crossovers in stories. It's a mind-expanding moment when that occurs. Keep it up, connect them as you see fit.

New question.

Do you believe that a good book will sell itself?

Craig Crawford link

1/13/2024 06:41:07 pm

As a reader, I like crossovers too so I will keep going :)

I think over time a quality book can sell itself. The issue right now is getting it in front of people.

I don't know how many more books are out for reading than say twenty or even thirty years ago, but it's a bunch. According to Google traditional publishers put out half a million to a million, plus now self published books equal about 1.7 million. That's a lot of books.

The question then becomes how do you get people to see your book, let alone decide to buy it. Each author is competing against a huge white noise of books.

Like most things, I think quality writing plus steady effort over time is where good books float to the top. As authors and writers we have to keep at our craft, building new stories and better stories over time. You have to keep getting the word out as best you can and eventually people will take a chance on your stories. If you write a good tale, that's where word of mouth comes into play.

And each time you put out something new, it can build upon your last stories. It feels like every author is up against this formula of quality and persistence and those who don't quit and just continue to tell good stories have the best chance of getting ahead.

Sure, you're always going to have that one in a million who just hits right out of the gate, but for most of us, it's about keeping busy writing and submitting, marketing and advertising your books as best you can with whatever level of financial means you have available.

And you just keep going.

Mark

1/13/2024 09:00:31 pm

That is a lot of books! I am guessing around two million books are published a year for at least one decade maybe two.

That is the core of the issue, getting your book in front of readers. It is a difficult task because while there are a lot of readers they are overwhelmed by the selection of books. Some readers love a series and some don't. I think it's smarter to write what you want to write.

Steady effort is the key. Marketing effort. Marketing a book is more akin to an ultra-marathon than a 100-yard dash. Whether traditionally published or indie published, the bulk of marketing and promoting a book land on the shoulders of the author. We have discussed this previously.

You. Just. Keep. Going. That is perfect.

New question.

Do you think good marketing can overcome the limitations of a mediocre book?

Craig Crawford link

1/13/2024 10:58:51 pm

That has become my marketing and publishing stance. I'm in for the long game. There will doubtless be ups and downs, moments where it feels like I'm going nowhere, but it's just one section of road. Drive over it, ride through it and keep going. I can live with that.

I think successful marketing can elevate a mediocre book to an extent. It will get more eyes on your book, but I think it only gets you to that point where people will pick up one and give it a try. You may pick up a few readers who click with the book, but in the long game, it's the authors who hook their readers, give them what they really want in a story and take them out of reality for a while who will keep their first readers into their next books.

Mark

1/14/2024 08:17:00 am

That is the smart thing to do.

Writing a book is one thing, selling it is another. The writing hat must come off and the writing-is-a-business hat must be worn on a regular basis.

Amazon is not the only game in town though it can easily feel that way. Smashwords doesn't have delivery trucks running all over town. I am a firm believer that an author should put their books on as many platforms and in as many formats as possible. There are people who won't shop on Amazon, they prefer to buy their books on Apple, Barnes and Noble, or perhaps Rakuten or Google Play.

Each platform has different requirements and learning the particulars can take time away from other activities. There are companies out there who specialize in cross-platform opportunities, aggregators. Aggregators just might be an author's best friend! https://www.kotobee.com/blog/everything-need-know-aggregators/ Another copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below.

New questions.

In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?

What else are planning to do to promote and market your books over the next few months?

Craig Crawford link

1/14/2024 09:24:30 am

Agreed about Amazon. I got lucky and found Red Cape Publishing for Project Threshold--they sell my books on Amazon, Apple and B&N and a couple of others too. I'll check the link!

As for marketing avenues, I think the key is finding your audience first. You have to learn to whom your stories really fit and then find a way to reach them. I think a variety of tactics is the key, testing different things to see what gets the most notice and then follow up with more.

As for successes, I don't know that any one thing has been a silver bullet, but it's more the combination of getting the word out in a variety of ways. I'm spreading the word locally, across social media and various small scale efforts like advertising on the podcasts, working with you, and a couple of smaller avenues.

As for my plans, since the set is out, I'm doing a press release on my own in the next week and then talking to two local businesses who support local writers to see if they'll carry my books. Then I am going to continue to advertise with some podcasts who specialize in paranormal/supernatural themes.

I am also keeping up my newsletter and for my followers there, I'm treating it like an extension of the stories. I am going to explore more of the Project Threhold world and back story of the organization and even new characters as I work on the next installment.

Finally, I'm going to dive in and try some ads on either Facebook, Google or possibly even Reddit. Been reading up on all of them and trying to decide which to experiment with.

And, any new avenues that I come across I will research and try out too. During this journey I discovered a place called Promotehorror.com which does inexpensive ads for...horror :) I never knew about them until I started digging.

I kind of hit burnout on juggling all of this over the holidays and have been taking a break but I will jump back in as January drags on. Persistence over time, though I will still take breaks from time to time because you have to. And I want and will keep time for writing too ;)

Mark

1/14/2024 01:21:33 pm

You have a full plate with those marketing plans. I think you are making the right moves. Being willing to take the time to understand how ads work on the different platforms will pay off in the long run. It will likely take months of testing before you have a good grasp on the ins and outs of each platform. I expect you will find that your ads will require small adjustments as time rolls along.

Here is another copy-and-paste link that might be useful. How to Change Your Kindle Keywords, by Dave Chesson https://annerallen.com/2020/09/how-to-change-your-kindle-keywords-by-dave-chesson Dave Chesson has been studying Amazon's ads for a long time and he has what looks like some great software for authors.

I have links for a large number of blogs relating to marketing and promoting books on my Highly Regarded Blogs page. Use those keywords to find them easily.

I don't know anything about Reddit though the name keeps popping up.

New question.

What is the biggest myth about writing that you can dispel that would help aspiring authors?

Craig Crawford link

1/14/2024 03:45:47 pm

Thanks for the links! I need all the information I can get. With ads it's what I've heard: a lot of people give up quickly because they don't get immediate results and it sounds like you have to spend the time to figure out the system with lots of trial and error. I can live with that because not everything I'm doing hinges on Project Threshold's stories. It's a proving ground and experimental training ground.

If I can figure it out, I'm good to go :)

Reddit is something new to me--sounds like they're just getting their ads going and I've signed up for business ads and am getting updates from them. Not sure if my readers are there or not, but I'll probably play with it at some point.

The biggest myth. I hate the myth that you have to write every day. It sounds like a formula for burnout.

I look at writing as being akin to exercise--this isn't the first time I've spouted this but I buy in. If you want to get stronger, faster, build endurance, and get in shape, you do have to exercise regularly. However if you push too hard, with exercise, you can injure yourself. You can push too hard.

The key is to exercise regularly, but also taking breaks in order to let your body rest.

I see writing in the same light. You have to write regularly. I do believe that writing begets writing and the more you do it, the easier it gets and the better you get at it. You build those writing muscles. However, I feel like creativity is a battery of sorts and you have to recharge it from time to time. It means taking breaks and doing other things in order to recharge that creative battery.

Push too hard, force yourself to write when you're not into it, and suddenly writing becomes "work" and something you HAVE to do instead of something you look forward to doing. That's when you start finding ways to avoid it, ignore it and push it back. I think you can also get burn out on ideas.

So, my advice to new writers and those getting going is to learn and listen to your own rhythms. If you write best in early morning then schedule your writing times around that. Then make time for it. AND, you don't have to finish one story before moving on to the next. Now, I'll caveat that--you don't want to half finish a bunch of projects, but I always have a couple of projects going at the same time. If I sit down to write and pull out a story and am not really into it, then I'll flip over to another and see if I can get into that one.

I also think switching from short stories to novels can help. There's a different pacing to both and some nights you're in the mood to write chapters and others just a quick in and out with the short story.

I tweak the original statement with: you should write regularly. If you're serious about this craft and career you should be sitting down several times a week. Exercise your creativity and push it, but don't not overdo it. It can be different for each person.

For me, I tend to write heavily from January through April or May. I rarely write during summer, and then it starts to pick back up in the fall. I do very little usually over the holidays--there are often too many distractions to focus. This year I broke my own pattern and I have been writing more Project Threshold stories.

Bottom line--write often but listen and learn your own rhythms. Know when your own peak writing times hit and use that to get the most out of your creative energy and your muse.

Mark

1/14/2024 06:09:02 pm

That is some good advice, it's measured and reasonable. You make a lot of sense; I have recommended daily writing to more than one author, I will change that to regular writing. I also like the idea of switching writing lengths. I have been a firm believer in having more than one project at a time. I especially like the bottom line!

New question.

Have your research and writing methods changed much since your first book?

Craig Crawford link

1/14/2024 06:35:29 pm

Mostly that's what I learned about myself over time. I tried the whole 'write every day' thing and it just bogged me down. It made it much harder to get passionate about writing.

To your question, oh my yes.

in the beginnings my writing was a haphazard thing and I didn't put much thought into the overall story. I meandered a lot in my telling and I used much more passive style language. I thought about my characters but only in the moment of their role in the story. I didn't take the time to really think about them as a complete person with strengths and flaws. I'm sure my heroes were very 2-dimensional and predictable.

For research I know I do much more now. Took me a long while to realize what you see in the movies is probably about 85% nonsense when it comes to physics :)

It was part of the process of learning. These days, even if I'm writing fantasy I still want the basic properties of physics in play.

Best book I ever read on magic was by an author--yes, my fav again: Roger Zelazny. He wrote two books--The Changeling and Madwand. Basically, in a fantasy world this wizard is a major pain in the ass and everyone bands together to kill him. However, he's got a son. A wizard walks through dimensions and trades this wizard's son with a baby of similar age from our world to keep a balance between worlds. The son from our world ends up being a tech genius and even though he's in a medieval world, he starts running amok and they have to bring the magical kid back to straighten things out.

Great books but be forewarned--Roger died before he could finish the story and it still pisses me off :) :) I'd love to be able to talk to his family and see if he had notes on those books to see where he intended to go with it....

Anywho...in those books magic was treated more like science and a manipulation of energy. Pol, the main character, saw magic as different bandwidths of light/energy and he could touch and manipulate those energies to achieve certain effects. I thought it was brilliant.

Either way (huh, maybe I still meander), I take a lot more care in my writing these days to dig into the details of the story. I like setting the backdrop and putting rules into place that I can live with to make sense for the reader. Project Threshold--I've set up it's a multidimensional Earth and things come through and bleed into our world. I haven't gotten too deeply into that yet, but there are rules in play and limitations.

Setting those things up helps down the road against contradictions and for making the world feel more real without having to explain absolutely everything.

Mark

1/15/2024 09:21:45 am

I know what you mean about the physics. I love superhero movies and read Marvel comics as a boy and well into adulthood. I don't care how strong the Ironman suit is, in our world he would die inside the suit experiencing the trauma the suit goes through in the movies. Yet, I enjoy the movies because I can suspend my beliefs for a short period of time.

Those stories sound fabulous, I know I would enjoy them.

New question.

Some authors go to great lengths to get inside the heads of their characters. Some create a biography, find photos that match the picture in their head, fill out psychological profiles. What do you do in that regard, if anything?

Craig Crawford link

1/15/2024 10:50:09 am

Agreed. I am comfy with a certain amount of disbelief as long as it makes sense. With your Iron Man armor example, yes they never explain how he can survive a direct strike from a tank shell :) However, in the beginning they establish that is the "rule" and I am good with it because it's consistent. And his armor is damaged regularly and he has to replace it, so I'm happy. I just need something.

As to your question, in college I took an online course on Creative Writing (we used to call them correspondence courses :) :) ) There I obtained a "Character Development Questionnaire." It was about 20 questions in length and designed to help you get to know your MC's. I took it and expanded it to 76 questions because I do like to know my MC's inside and out.

I used it for every main character--protagonist and antagonist alike. Now, I don't need it so much--I just get to know my people. Another mystery of my writing game, but I believe I've used it so often, I mentally tick through most of those questions and quickly learn how my MC's function mentally.

I still think it's a valuable tool and you can download it from my website for free: https://craiglcrawfordbooks.com/extra-stuff/ scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link.

For Project Threshold, I do have detailed BIO's for each of the characters--even the ones who don't make it through this four part series. I created them for my fans, to let them dig a little deeper into the main characters. They have the basic statistics, but also their training, favorite weapons, and backgrounds on how they ended up in Project Threshold. And more importantly, why.

You can find those here: https://projectthreshold.com/personnel/

I thought it would be a fun way to connect further with my audience and give something back for those who want to get more connected with the Project Threshold world.

And they can expect more. Now that the first set of stories is complete, I am going to add backgrounds on some of the periphery characters within Project Threshold like Quincy and Janice and even the Cleansers. While I work on the next set of stories I will try to keep my readers connected by giving them more background on the organization this year.

Mark

1/15/2024 02:17:47 pm

Readers love getting the inside scoop! I am not an exception.

Maybe you could offer your superfans a decoder ring or something like that. Like in "The Christmas Story", with Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun.

Last question.

Do you have any problems when writing about characters of the opposite sex, why or why not?

Craig Crawford link

1/15/2024 02:35:08 pm

It's a good idea. When the first book came out I did randomly pick 5 subscribers to get free books. Last year I wrote two other Project Threshold stories that were exclusively for the newsletter and were Kurt and Cass focused since they didn't have any stories of their own. If you would like those, let me know and I'll email them to you. Also- I have a redacted mission statement. I'll probably reissue those for subscribers this year but again let me know if you want to see them.

I am looking into making Project Threshold dogtags....we'll see how that goes, but I think handing those out would be fun and a nice thank-you to subscribers. I will probably put out another redacted mission document from Project Threshold-2 and maybe another story or two. I am always looking for ways to expand the world. I have a "Bestiary" page on my site and I'm working with an artist now to throw up some art of the monsters from P/T-1.

For characters, I am not sure of the why's but I like writing female characters. I think it might be because I grew up reading mostly male characters. This was back in the day and female characters were either love interests or support characters. Same for the movies.

I grew up on horror movies and I remember always rolling my eyes because especially in the 50's, 60's and 70's women roles were either hunting for a husband or being saved by the "heroes."

I also grew up in a very matriarchal household for the most part so I have always liked strong female characters. I get feedback from female readers to try to represent women properly. I think Project Threshold represents that well, and I am really connected to Talise and Kali and Riker. And Katie and Jessie too.

I think female characters have different vulnerabilities and manners than male characters and it's interesting and fun to explore those in fiction.

Mark

1/15/2024 05:12:35 pm

Yes, I would love to see those stories and the mission statement.

I like strong female characters also. I like all of your characters!

Thank you, Craig, for answering my questions so well. You have provided unique insight into your writing process. You have been a fabulous guest on the Word Refiner channel once again.

Until next time, keep on writing.

Craig Crawford link

1/15/2024 06:55:27 pm

Thanks Mark. I always enjoy these and I will contact you every time I get books published. I feel like this is very valuable as a resource for marketing.

I'll send you stories and extras :) Happy 2024.

Project Threshold: Finale by Craig Crawford

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