David Turner Writeshttps://www.davidturnerwrites.comPart 2: A Cassandra for the End of the World2025-12-19 06:16:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/part-2-an-inescapable-omnipresent-idiotOne potential and extremely grim ending for our pursuit of an artificial super intelligence.Part 1: Boiling the Oceans for Nothing2025-10-31 10:58:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/boiling-the-oceans-for-nothingA skeptical take on the high cost of "AI" in the modern world.The Other Side of Tomorrow2025-07-31 17:07:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/my-chronicles-of-riddickI outlined myself into a corner before falling back on a tried and true writing trick. After a long, messy road, the first draft of Skybreaker is complete!I Failed. And Exceeded My Wildest Expectations2025-02-08 11:10:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/i-failed-and-exceeded-my-wildest-expectationsA mea culpa and a victory lap all rolled into one chart-full postThe Curse of Perfect Recall2025-01-12 13:01:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/the-curse-of-perfect-recallHumanity's fallible, imperfect, and incomplete memories are good things, actuallyThe BackSTaB Model2024-11-30 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/the-backstab-modelDumb names for silly theories about writing progress (and lack thereof) on the Spacewalker sequel!A Few Steps Closer2024-09-21 06:23:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/a-few-steps-closerA very tangential reflection on SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission.Change the Things You Cannot Accept2024-08-03 06:59:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/change-the-things-you-cannot-acceptAccept the things you cannot change? I don't think so. Not when I'm the one building the world.2024 Writing Goal Check-In2024-07-04 06:08:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/2024-writing-goal-check-inAccountability check-in: how am I doing on my 2024 writing goals?Why2024-06-01 10:01:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/whyA tough month at work has me asking 'why?'A Very Strange Chapter2024-05-04 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/a-very-strange-chapterAn unexpected journey through my Google searches after an evening of writing.I'm Limited by the Technology of my Time2024-04-20 09:03:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/dfdI'm limited by the technology of my time... but my crew doesn't have to be.I Should Stop Doing That2024-04-08 15:08:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/i-should-stop-doing-thatCreating is hard. Over coffee, my friend reminded me that I need to be kinder to myself.Not So Fast2024-03-09 00:50:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/not-so-fastSo close to the finish line, I find myself limited by the technology of my time.A Utilitarian's Dream, A Luxurist's Nightmare2024-02-24 16:59:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/a-utilitarian-dreamHow much does a cryosleep module weigh, anyway?My Disappointment is Immeasurable2024-01-27 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/my-disappointment-is-immeasurableA little more about Lagrange points and what Neptune REALLY looks like.Writing More in 20242024-01-13 07:19:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/writing-more-in-2024Committing to my writing goals for 2024!Get in Loser, We're (Almost) Going to Neptune2023-12-30 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/get-in-loser-we-re-almost-going-to-neptuneAll you really need to estimate a space mission's trajectory delta-V is a porkchop and a dream.Building a Space Mission From Scratch2023-12-16 10:09:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/building-a-space-mission-from-scratchHow I developed Aspire's deep space mission from scratch while writing the early drafts of Spacewalker.Gaoled by my Goals2023-12-02 07:04:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/gaoled-by-my-goalsI've done a bad job of setting goals for myself recently and it's high time I fixed that!Cryogenic Sleep 22023-11-04 08:14:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/cryogenic-sleep-2A few more thoughts about how I represented the consequences of cryogenic sleep in Spacewalker.Cryogenic Sleep2023-10-21 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/cryogenic-sleepCryogenic sleep was the first technological topic I researched while writing Spacewalker. It's not so far off, not if we can figure out how bears do it.The Digital Equivalent of a House Fire2023-10-07 07:04:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/the-digital-equivalent-of-a-house-fireWaxing philosophical about books, media ownership, capricious corporations, and how at the end of the day, only paper will persist.What Was Once Unfathomable2023-09-23 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/hello-old-friendOSIRIS-REx -- the first NASA mission I worked on -- is returning its rock and dust samples to Earth tomorrow!Killing My Darlings2023-09-09 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/killing-my-darlingsMy developmental editor introduced me to the concept of "Killing your darlings" and it led to removing Spacewalker's prologue.Nobody told me to wear sunscreen2023-08-26 07:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/nobody-told-me-to-wear-sunscreenA recent vacation mistake has me reflecting on my most memorable sunburn.The Story Validation Checklist2023-08-12 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/a-measuring-stick-for-story-structureI used Great Stories Don't Tell Themselves by Larry Brooks to develop a Story Validation Checklist and give myself confidence in my third draft.A Montage of Rewrites2023-07-30 06:22:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/a-montage-of-rewritesThanks to some tough love from a beta reader, I set out to better myself as a writer over the second and third drafts of Spacewalker.What We Leave Behind2023-07-15 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/what-we-leave-behindI owe my love of science fiction to my dad and his old books in the attic.Story Taxonomy: Comparisons2023-07-01 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/story-taxonomy-comparisonsI use the story taxonomy to compare Spacewalker with Interstellar and Mickey7, Frozen Orbit, and Finder.All that Remained was the Parting of Ways2023-06-17 00:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/all-that-remained-was-the-parting-of-waysAs I reached the end of writing my first draft, I asked myself: Who will live? Who will die? And why haven't I already figured this out?Story Taxonomy: Spacewalker2023-06-10 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/story-taxonomy-spacewalkerI share the preliminary taxonomy of Spacewalker, as well as some thoughts about drivers and hard science fiction.Story Taxonomy: Literary Lingo2023-05-27 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/story-taxonomy-literary-lingoTo help myself identify comp titles and relate to agent manuscript wish lists, I need to re-think how I relate to media. Enter the Story Taxonomy.Taking the Plunge2023-05-13 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/taking-the-plungeMy first experience sharing my work with beta readers wasn't as straightforward for them, or me, as anticipated.The Ship (Story) of Theseus2023-04-29 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/the-ship-story-of-theseusIs Spacewalker the same story after six major revisions? Am I the same author?A Journey Begins2023-04-22 09:00:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/a-journey-beginsIn late 2017, I stepped into the light and came clean with my friends about my writing journey.Red Pens and Blank Pages2023-04-15 08:03:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/red-pens-and-blank-pagesI ignored the most important warning sign and started querying before I was ready.Another Chance2023-04-01 14:05:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/another-chanceA clarifying moment in 2017 convinced me to stop pursuing a politics blog and go for writing a novel.The Story of the Story so Far2023-03-18 13:08:00https://www.davidturnerwrites.com/blog/the-story-of-the-story-so-farWelcome to the blog! An insomnia-fueled brainstorm in 2016 led to the concepts behind Spacewalker and inspired the first words I put to paper.