Statement of Purpose
This collection of material and reference links is intended as a set of resources for individuals who are writing Fan Fiction for Battlestar Galactica, The New Series.
When I write, I want my work to stay as true to the world of Battlestar Galactica, as presented on-screen, as I can possibly make it. Since my preference is to write hard-SF action/adventure material, I constantly run into technical questions. (What's the mass of a Raptor?) So, as I compile useful material and discover good reference links, I intend to share them with whomever is interested by posting them here.
The material listed here is from a variety of sources. One of my pet peeves is to go searching for background material for a story, discover a web site with exactly the information for which I was looking, and then note that there are absolutely no references included with the material. My commitment to you is that all material presented here will be listed with its source, whether I put it together myself, adapted it from someone else's work, or it is simply listed as a link. The veracity of material presented on linked-to sites outside rangerlord.net will be left to you to determine.
Many Hands Make Light Work
I really, really encourage anyone who is writing fan fiction to get involved with other authors and help in any way that you can. I have already discovered that it can be very tough to get anyone to beta-read your work, or review it after you've posted it (especially for someone not writing relationship fan fiction). Among other things I hope to do with this web site, I would like to start a directory of beta-reader volunteers who prefer to work with non-'shipper material. If you are interested, please use the mail link at the bottom of this screen to contact me.
I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from lending a hand here, but given the facts of human nature, I have to say the following: I will accept any help that you may wish to provide, as long as you understand a few salient points. I prefer to receive any contributions via e-mail, and a link is conveniently provided at the bottom of most pages on this site. This is a private site, and I make the final decisions about what is posted here, and how it is presented. This web site is an important part of my hobby, but this hobby is just one aspect of my life, so I will update this site as my precious time allows.
You have my thanks in advance for any assistance you might provide.
Valuable Links
Battlestar Wikipedia Quote: [The Battlestar Galactica Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) (a.k.a. Battlestar Wiki) is a free online encyclopedia and episode guide covering the Science Fiction series, the original Battlestar Galactica, Galactica 1980, and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica.] Notes: A recent notice on this site's main page warns to watch for an upcoming server and domain name change.
Tips on Writing Military SF This is a collection of reference articles written by former Marine squad leader William S. Frisbee, Jr. He covers many topics of interest to anyone who wants to write realistic small group operations using real-world tactics.
The Science Fiction Writers Association was founded by Damon Knight in 1965. Its membership is limited in scope to approximately 1500 professional writers. However, there is some excellent information available there to non-members - just go to their website and follow the 'Resources' link on the navigation bar. Under 'The Craft of Writing' you'll find some very interesting material, including articles from notable SF writers Vonda N. McIntyre and Poul Anderson. Just be careful, some of the material is meant to be humorous!
Battlestar Galactica: A GateWorld Episode Guide. Although this is a major website dedicated to the Stargate franchise, it also maintains several sub-sites for other science fiction shows including Battlestar Galactica. The episode guides include writer and director credits, plus a photo gallery. Also presented is a overview of eight of the major characters (Commander Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, President Roslin, Dr. Baltar, Numbr Six and Colonel Tigh), again with photo galleries. Overall this is an interesting site, but very light on actual content. You can jump straight to GateWorld's Battlestar Galactica page with this link.
The SadGeezer’s Guide to Cult TV SciFi. Quote: [This is an expanding collection of alternative TV Sci Fi Guides (some are the largest on the net!) and forums and resources for Cult Science Fiction fans. It's also the home of SadHOO the Internet's largest dedicated Science Fiction Directory! The aim of this site is to provide information to Sci Fi fans like you and give you an opportunity to comment, review and vote on the Sci Fi TV that YOU would like to see.] Of special note to writers - this site contains transcripts of each episode (Main menu/SG Guides).
The Fanfiction Glossary. This is an extensive listing of fanfiction terms and acronyms maintained by Subreality.com. If some snarky fangirl riffs that your latest fanfic is nothing but waffy smarm, you'll probably need to go here to decode. Then write a revenge fic.
What am I writing? When that short story you sat down to write starts spiraling out of control, you may begin to wonder exactly what it is that you're writing. Well, take a word count and then follow this link to find out.
Seriously Cool Stuff
Starship Dimensions Yes, you read that right - an entire web site dedicated to size comparisons of Sci-Fi starships. Starship Dimensions has a large collection of ship illustrations (Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Farscape, Aliens, Starship Troopers, and more) laid out on a grid, to scale. Bonus functionality for you poor souls using Internet Explorer, you can drag-n-drop the illustrations for side-by-side comparisons. Battlestar Galactica is currently represented here only by the Galactica from the original series. Warning: Dial-up users beware - this is a graphics-intensive site!
Kennedy Shipyards Quote: [Original, fan-produced, sci-fi, real space, and WWII blueprints and memorabilia found NOWHERE else on earth!] This is a retail site, primarily selling blueprint sets, but a variety of other items are available from NASA mission patches to professionally pre-built models. The blueprints available here are limited-run, fan-produced sets, covering Battlestar Galactica (the original series), Star Trek (TOS, TNG, Voyager & Enterprise), plus Star Wars, Babylon 5, and other Sci-Fi classics. Kennedy Shipyards also offers a variety of real-world blueprint sets, mostly World War II era aircraft, and more recent NASA vehicles. As of this writing, the only material they offer from the new Battlestar Galactica series is a 19-page blueprint set of the Galactica, including the Mark II and Mark VII Vipers, the Recon Raptor, and the standard shuttle. Again, this is a fan-produced item (and thus not official). I own #71 of a planned run of 2,005 copies.
Photos and Such
Dark Thoughts Battlestar Galactica - Dark-Thoughts.net is a site loaded with tons (or is that tonnes) of great high-resolution photos from Battlestar Galactica. While this isn't strictly a writer's reference, this site authorizes you to use their photos provided proper credit is given to them. Sounds good to me - look for some of these photos to start popping up here!
Back to the TopLinks to More Links
Battlestar Galactica Online Quote: [This list is is a guide to the Battlestar Galactica online universe and related resources on the Web.] This site includes links for both Battlestar Galactica 1978-79, and Battlestar Galactica 2003-2005. Also includes links for e-groups, fan clubs, fanzines, modeling, RPG forums, original cast members' sites, and more.
More content coming soon!