Faraway Looks: The Blog of John Jackson Miller

Dances with Mandalorians! KOTOR War #2 hits stands

2012-02-07T22:16:00.000-06:00

Zayne Carrick has pretended to be a Mandalorian many times — but now he's been captured by the Mandalorians and pressed into service. Drafted by two different armies in the same month? For Zayne, that's part for the course! And you can check it out in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War #2, now on sale at your local comic book purveyor's emporium!

With #2, we learn more about what former Jedi Master Dorjander Kace has up his now-armored sleeve — and Zayne gets to see what life with the Mandalorians is really like. It's not what he expects, to be sure...

Also, Roqoo Depot has the exclusive first look at the cover of May's Knights of the Old Republic - War #5, the big finish to the arc. There'll be more up here about it in a few days — and I'll have notes online about our big second issue.

Mass Effect: Invasion concludes! Issue #4 hits shelves Wednesday!

2012-01-17T20:19:00.000-06:00

And Wednesday finds the final chapter of Mass Effect: Invasion on your comics retailer's shelf! It's a pretty big moment in the Mass Effect universe, determining the future of the Omega space station and setting up events for Mass Effect 3.

Issue #4 has two variant covers, one from Massimo Carnevale and the other from Paul Renaud.

I'm dreadfully behind in posting production notes on the Mass Effect titles, but I hope to get to them some time in the near future. Also note that preorders are already being taken for the collected edition of Invasion, set to release in April. But no need to wait — you can get the full story now!

Star Wars: Knight Errant Deluge #4-5 notes now online

2012-01-14T21:46:00.000-06:00

Catch-up work is continuing on the site. In the wake of the posting of the production notes for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War #1 the other day, I now have posted the notes for the final two issues of another series: Star Wars: Knight Errant - Deluge #4 and Star Wars: Knight Errant - Deluge #5. I don't normally get a full month behind on Star Wars comics posts, so I'm glad to have that taken care of. The holidays did a number on my posting schedule!

Also, prose fans, pages have now been started on the site for Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith - The Collected Edition and for "Secrets," the eighth story in the series. There are also preorder links there for the book for Amazon, for Kindle, and for Barnes & Noble. Oh, did I just give the links again? Funny, that!

Slowly but surely getting caught up. Don't forget, Mass Effect: Invasion #4, the finale of that series, releases on Wednesday!

Knights of the Old Republic - War #1 notes online

2012-01-12T22:21:00.003-06:00

I am hopelessly behind in posting production notes for recent issues — I have to get to two Knight Errant issues and a stack of Mass Effect issues, not to mention some Lost Tribe of the Sith stories. But while it is fresh in my mind, I have posted the production notes and trivia for Knights of the Old Republic - War #1. Click the link to find them.

My usual caution applies — I try to write spoiler-free, but still you should read them after you've read the issue. Readers will find on the site a page for every product I've ever been associated with (except, again, a handful that I haven't gotten to yet). I do these to sort of bring the reader along on my journey through writing. You can find the notes pages for all the comics I've written here.

Also, several have asked where they can purchase the variant cover for #1. It is produced in smaller numbers than the main cover, I believe, and you can request it of your retailer by asking for the Dave Wilkins cover. But you can find it here at Things From Another World. (The main Benjamin Carre cover is here.)

And don't miss the other news of the day — the Lost Tribe of the Sith Collected Edition has a cover!

Lost Tribe of the Sith Collected Edition and "Secrets" revealed!

2012-01-12T13:12:00.003-06:00

Houston — we have a cover! Or two! The official Star Wars blog has released information about my upcoming Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories, which is coming out July 31 from Del Rey. They've also posted the cover and description for "Secrets," the eighth digital download in the series. Click here to see the blog post, which has the larger cover reveals!

As previously announced, the collected edition has, among other surprises, a big new novella from me, "Pandemonium." As to when it's set and what it's about — the Secrets story will have a lot to say.

Secrets follows aged Varner Hilts as he seeks some way to keep the Lost Tribe from collapsing further into chaos. The free eBook will be available on March 5 and features an excerpt from Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse, the final installment in the epic Fate of the Jedi series.

It's going to be a mammoth of a paperback — 432 pages, bigger than Knight Errant! There will be a digital version as well, for purchase; the package will have quite a lot that is new. Pandemonium is larger than the size of four of the Lost Tribe ebooks combined— so a full third or more is new material. And there may be some other goodies.

Lost Tribe: The Collected Stories is available for preorder now from Amazon! There's also the Kindle edition.

And don't forget the Knights of the Old Republic: War series — issue #1 is on sale now. I'll have notes online about it soon.

A quick KOTOR comics primer

2012-01-10T11:55:00.002-06:00

With the #KOTORWarChat about to start at 2 EST today on Twitter and the first issue of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War coming out tomorrow, I thought I would work up a quick primer on the series for new readers. The title is new-reader-friendly already, but here are the quick points:

When's it set? It's 3,962 years before Star Wars Episode IV. This is a period where the Republic has, until recently, been robust and unchallenged; the Sith aren't on the scene. But the Mandalorians, the armor-wearing nomads who established the Boba Fett tradition, are on the move, and have now taken on the Republic itself.

Who's Zayne Carrick? Zayne is nineteen years old, and was once a Jedi student. He wasn't talented in the traditional ways and would have had trouble making the grade — but then a long series of events resulted in his breaking out on his own, helping the helpless along the way. He made a lot of friends and a few enemies: you can read more about them on my individual pages for the issues — and of course in the books themselves. Follow the links from my shop to find copies, all nine volumes are still available.

What's happened to him now? He's been drafted by his homeworld to fight the Mandalorians — which is rough, because Zayne doesn't believe in killing. That becomes a major element of Knights of the Old Republic - War.

What happened to Zayne's friends from the original series? The draft board only wanted Zayne! Seriously, we'll find out as we go along.

What's it got to do with the video game and online RPG? The comics are set several years before the first Bioware video game, and a couple hundred years before The Old Republic. But it's all part of the same history, and there are connections here and there.

Why have I seen two covers for the first issue? Because there are two! The more common cover is the Benjamin Carré one with the fire on the cover (an actual scene from the issue). The other one is also available from your retailer, and from Things from Another World — follow the image link at the bottom of their menu page.

Where do I find the series? At your local comics shop — find it here — or from Things From Another World. Enjoy!

See you in the shop tomorrow — and on Twitter.

Live Twitter Chat and a slew of interviews (UPDATED)

2012-01-08T22:34:00.003-06:00

With Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War #1 going on sale on Wednesday — cover for #3 is at right — I have done a whole lot of interviews and podcasts in recent days — and for Tuesday, Dark Horse has slated a Live Twitter Conversation for me, using the hashtag #KOTORWarChat. Prizes available: Dark Horse is giving away digital copies of the issue itself to five lucky winners who post. Details here, and remember you can always find me on Twitter here.

Now, to those interviews. Here is a non-comprehensive list of links that have appeared so far:

PODCASTS
• It's All It's All Up To You
• Mos Eisley Radio
• ReviewFix
• Fictional Frontiers (posting soon)

TEXT INTERVIEWS
• Angry Koala Gear
• Big Shiny Robot
• Comic Book Therapy
• Geek Crash Course
• MTV
• Nerd World News
• Robot 6 (New!)

There was some variety in the questions, so there's variety in the answers. More to come, believe it or not!

There's a page on the site now for Knights of the Old Republic - War #3; the cover is above. The solicitation for #4 is just out too, I think.

Also, this is pretty long overdue, but I finally have a page online here for Star Wars Omnibus: At War With the Empire Vol. 2, which collects a whole bunch of comics including my very first Star Wars work, "Model Officer" from 2005's Star Wars: Empire #35. You can get the book from Amazon, Things From Another World, or your local bookseller.

KOTOR interview on MTV site

2011-12-30T12:35:00.000-06:00

Like the headline says -- there's a new Knights of the Old Republic - War interview with me up at MTV's website. First of many to come.

Among them, a podcast with ReviewFix, which has the teaser bit online now.

KOTOR: War #1 ships on January 11!

Exclusive preview for KOTOR: War #1 now online!

2011-12-22T22:56:00.002-06:00

An early Christmas present: Comic Book Resources has a sizable preview online for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War #1!

There are a whole bunch of interviews coming up, so I won't say too much more beyond what's here -- except to note that we have a great jumping-on point here for readers, as Zayne Carrick is thrown into the Mandalorian Wars as a draftee.

Fans of our past KOTOR comics may also recognize our first familiar face here from Zayne Carrick's past, someone I've been crafting for this exact role for a long time not just in the regular series, but in three other canonical venues. (Five points if you can name them all without checking Wookieepedia!)

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War #1 ships January 11. Order it now from your local retailer or TFAW!

Knight Errant Deluge finale and Mass Effect Invasion #3 now on sale!

2011-12-20T22:48:00.000-06:00

On a holiday shopping run tomorrow? It's another double comic day for me — with the final issue of the latest Kerra Holt adventure, Star Wars: Knight Errant - Deluge #5, hitting stands, alongside Mass Effect: Invasion #3!

I've had a pretty busy day (check out my latest post on my comics research blog, which is pretty interesting — to me, anyway!), so for a change I'll turn things over to the catalog copy. Take it away, catalog:

"In Knight Errant - Deluge #5, caught between a Sith and a Hutt, Jedi Knight Kerra Holt must battle both to save the billions on the planet Darkknell from being drowned by a fleet of ships with the power to flood the planet! Her plan is full-steam-ahead brute force--but her enemies are more cunning than she expected. Is this the end of Kerra Holt, the lone Jedi?

"In Mass Effect: Invasion #3, the Omega space station has fallen and Aria, Omega's pirate queen, is on the run from an enemy greater than anything she's ever faced before. Learning that the battle is merely the first skirmish in a war that will reshape the galaxy, Aria must retake Omega and lead a new charge to save her empire!"

With two variant covers — one by Paul Renaud, and the other by Massimo Carnevale!

Thanks, catalog! Hopefully the holidays will give me a chance to get caught up on some production notes for the site. In the meantime, have a comic Christmas!

KOTOR War interview on Newsarama

2011-12-06T20:34:00.000-06:00

Just as the headline says: There's a meaty interview about next month's new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War series up today over at Newsarama. Check it out!

Armored anthology line-up set

2011-12-01T18:32:00.002-06:00

Editor John Joseph Adams has just posted the line-up for Baen Books' Armored anthology that I've got a story in — it's due out March 27. In addition to familiar names like Jack Campbell, Dan Abnett, and Alastair Reynolds, the mass-market paperback has stories from some fellow Star Wars authors, Michael Stackpole and Sean Williams. I've just posted a page on the site for the book here.

Armored is a collection of stories about futuristic armor-wearing characters. It's familiar territory after my past Crimson Dynamo, Iron Man, and Mandalorian work — and my own story, "Human Error," represents my first original fiction in a long while, including a brand new SF milieu. You can preorder Armored from Amazon here.

Mike, whose column I edited for years at Comics & Games Retailer, will be the author guest of honor at one of my annual haunts, Midsouthcon in Memphis March 23-25. Hopefully we'll be able to get copies in time for the show.

In the meantime, I've also added some more updated pages to the site, including a page for the Mass Effect: Invasion collection, which is due out in April and can also be preordered now from Amazon. Also, Dark Horse has gone same-day for download purchases of digital comics: read about it here.

Autographed comics and books again available

2011-11-30T21:05:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've been able to offer autographed copies of my books and comics through the site — I've been so busy there hasn't been much time to handle orders or keep up with what I had on hand. But with requests coming in in advance of the holidays, I've set up a new inventory list on the Shop page, where you'll also find instructions for ordering.

I have copies of the Knight Errant novel and most of the Star Wars and Mass Effect trade paperbacks I've written on hand (though not all — the early KOTOR books go out pretty fast), and all are offered at cover price plus USPS shipping. All payments go through Paypal.

I also have small quantities of many of the individual comic books on hand — write to the address at above right to request availability and pricing on specific issues. (Sorry, but I don't have the KOTOR Campaign Guide in stock any more. No one seems to!)

Second, for those looking for unsigned copies at good prices, I've updated the links to Things From Another World on the Shop page — and there are also Amazon image links down the left-hand side of each page here on the site. TFAW actually has the Mass Effect: Invasion trade paperback for preorder already. And don't forget your local comics shop and bookstore, which have access to just about everything!

Update: Yes, I do ship internationally -- though beware that postage can often cost more than the books being shipped. I usually provide whatever range of options the U.S. Postal Service provides.

Carrick Station? Say, that sounds familiar...

2011-11-28T12:46:00.001-06:00

The Old Republic MMORPG is on the launchpad — and as players of the beta are now able to report, there is at least one familiar name to be found: Carrick Station, an important hub. The game's site is here; Google a bit, and you'll get a look at the location itself.

I've been asked a few times already about whether there's a direct in-universe connection between that naming and the Carrick from the Knights of the Old Republic comics. It's not my project to speak to (though I have spoken with the fine folks behind it), so all I can really do here is state what everyone already knows. There are many years between the settings, and a lot of Carricks in the galaxy — including in Zayne's family alone! — so there may be a connection, or maybe not. Time will, of course, tell — time, and the stories in between!

Which is a good reason to get your order in for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — War #1 at your local comics retailer. Zayne as we knew him wasn't a very popular person with the Republic — nobody was going to be naming anything after him. But his life is about to change again, drastically. Could he finally be in line for the acclaim his actions deserve — or will things go from bad to worse? With Zayne's luck, you never know!

There are several fun callback nuggets in the TOR game, or so I've been told — including even in the server names, I'm told. (Update: Look in the comments here for a whole bunch of them, from Dreypa's Oubliette to Rohlan Dyre.) Enjoy the game — less than a month now until it goes live for everyone!

Mass Effect Invasion #2, Knight Errant Deluge #4 now on sale!

2011-11-15T22:40:00.000-06:00

Another double-release Wednesday, with Star Wars: Knight Errant — Deluge #4 and Mass Effect: Invasion #2 on sale in shops across North America. More creepy comics goodness with Hutts and Reapers!

The Stormdrivers have come to Aquilaris, and Kerra's all alone in trying to save her former home. Can Kerra save her friends from the literal flood? This issue's Joe Quinones cover, you may recall, was the exclusive print from San Diego.

Meanwhile, a different plague has struck over in Mass Effect: Reaper Adjutants! Plus, what does Cerberus have in store for Omega? Check it out in this issue — with a regular cover by Massimo Carnevale and a variant cover by Paul Renaud!

A quick note — I have been alerted that retailers serviced by Diamond's "New Memphis" warehouse may not receive Deluge #4 and some other items until next week because of a shipping problem. Ask your retailer if you don't see it on sale.

Knight Errant: Deluge #3 production notes online

2011-10-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

A bit belatedly, the production notes for Star Wars: Knight Errant - Deluge #3 are now online — thought the notes for Mass Effect: Invasion #1, which came out on the same day, remain on my to-do list, along with some of the Evolution issues.

(That said, Newsarama's Lucas Siegel tweeted that Invasion #1 was the best Mass Effect comic book to date, and I tend to agree with him. Pick it up!)

I have been incredibly busy lately, with work progressing on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War and Star Wars: Knight Errant - Escape. I'm also into the proofreading stages on the new novella for the Lost Tribe of the Sith print collection, so it's been a regular commute lately to the galaxy far, far away. Fortunately, there aren't many toll booths to deal with — except for in the Hutt neighborhoods. ("Leave the blaster, take the cannoli...")

New KOTOR: War Art -- and the making of a ship class

2011-10-21T12:28:00.001-05:00

On the heels of the last couple of announcements about January's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War series, Dark Horse for its Star Wars Friday has released art including page one of the series, with dialogue. Of interest to many will be the new version of Republic frigate which appears in the first panel by artist Andrea Mutti.

I won't name the ship or class which appears — that'll give a bit away — but for a peek behind the curtain, you can see my (really rough) concept which I provided the artist here. The Republic Hammerhead cruisers are mainstays of the era, but they're also somewhat impractical for landings, as we saw in Knights of the Old Republic #14. For the troop-toting frigate I needed for the series, I imagined an offshoot to the design — slightly smaller (thus the frigate name) but flipping the forward section over 90 degrees. My mock-up simply drew from the Bioware design for the cruiser. (Of course, as with any of my notes — or Lego designs — none of it is canonical. Only what appears in the books, of course!)

As we see in Andrea's drawing on the Dark Horse site — which is canonical — there are actually two "assault decks," above the central axis of the ship for aerial vehicles, and below, where we see one of the doors opening.

We'll learn more about the specific ship we see on panel — which, KOTOR buffs, already exists in the series history — when the issue comes out. Be sure to order Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - War #1 from your retailer when it appears in the November catalog!

KOTOR WAR, Knight Errant, Mass Effect release news!

2011-10-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

Comic Book Resources has the January 2012 Dark Horse solicitations, so you can see the spiffy variant cover that Dave Wilkins has done for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War #1!

As noted last week, art is by Andrea Mutti, Gigi Baldassini, and Michael Atiyeh, with covers by Wilkins and Benjamin Carré. It's on sale Jan. 11 — and as the solicitation announces, it is in the same miniseries format as most of the other recent Dark Horse Star Wars titles. As the solicitation says, "If you’ve ever heard of the Knights of the Old Republic video games and comics but didn’t know where to start—this is it!"

And Wednesday is a double-comics day for me. Mass Effect: Invasion, which I both coplotted and scripted, launches with #1 and two variant covers; and Star Wars: Knight Errant: Deluge sees its third issue go on sale. Be sure to check them out!

Knight Errant: Escape starts in June 2012!

2011-10-14T16:50:00.000-05:00

Amid that slew of news yesterday including Knights of the Old Republic: War, Dark Horse announced that my third Knight Errant comics series would appear in 2012. Today, some more details about it, as Dark Horse posts on its blog:


Knight Errant: Deluge #3

"Star Wars: Knight Errant – Escape will launch in June 2012 for a 5-issue arc. Fan favorite John Jackson Miller is writing the series, with artwork from penciller, Marco Castiello, inking by Vincenzo Acunzo, colors by Michael Atiyeh and lettering by Michael Heisler..."

A little early for art or many details yet, but this is, by far, Kerra Holt's most intensely personal, dangerous assignment yet, taking her into the heart of darkness. What, you already thought Sith space was the heart of darkness? Let's just say it has a heart of hearts...

Don't forget, Knight Errant — Deluge #3 goes on sale on Wednesday. That's also when Mass Effect: Invasion #1 launches as well. Double JJM Wednesdays return!

Zayne Carrick returns in Knights of the Old Republic - War!

2011-10-13T11:44:00.009-05:00

At Dark Horse's retailer breakfast this morning at New York Comic Con, the publisher announced the next installment in the life of Knights of the Old Republic hero, young Zayne Carrick. Written by yours truly, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War begins in January!

The Jan. 11, 2012 release date is almost six years after the publication of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #1 — but it's set not long after the end of Knights of the Old Republic #50, and Zayne's peace and quiet following that series is short-lived. He's not a Jedi and the Mandalorians are invading — and with his homeworld of Phaeda under threat, Zayne's luck holds true. He gets drafted!

Troubles ahead for our peace-loving hero — and surprises galore in this story, including the return of some familiar faces. With cover art by KOTOR favorite Benjamin Carré and a variant cover by Dave Wilkins, Knights of the Old Republic—War "doesn’t just mark the return of one of the most popular eras in Star Wars video games and comics," Dark Horse says, "it is an entry point for any reader interested in Star Wars!"

It really is a true jumping-on point. If you haven't read any KOTOR comics at all — or if you're a regular who's read everything — you'll find a lot to like. (Don't forget, there are nine KOTOR trade collections still in print — and many are available from Dark Horse digitally.) Art is from Italian artist Andrea Mutti, who drew Rage for Dark Horse. Much of the rest of the team returns, including editor Dave Marshall, colorist Michael Atiyeh, and letterer Michael Heisler.

I continue working in Kerra Holt's time frame — Knight Errant Deluge #3 releases next week, and there's more to come — Dark Horse also announced the next round of Knight Errant comics for 2012! I'll let you know when I can share more details about that story — it's a blockbuster!

But I am thrilled to return to Zayne Carrick's adventures. War is the story I always had in mind for Zayne's continuing adventures — and what I've seen of the art and the covers looks awesome. (And a tip of the series-naming hat to John Ostrander and Star Wars: Legacy, whose own War title inspired the name — John's new Dawn of the Jedi series was announced at the breakfast, opening up a brand new era of continuity.)

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War #1 is in the retail catalog in November for January shipping— order it at your local comics shop!

Whee!

Star Wars: Knight Errant Deluge #2 notes online

2011-09-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

The notes for Star Wars: Knight Errant - Deluge #2 are now online here -- and a lot of clean-up work has been done to the site.

The search engine should now be working on all pages, and I've even begin to whittle away at some of the works that didn't yet have production notes, like Mass Effect: Evolution #1 and the game module Star Wars: Dawn of Defiance #9: Sword of the Empire, which I delayed doing so long that the license changed hands, and the game is no longer online. But at least the notes are there, finally!

Knight Errant Deluge #2 and Mass Effect Evolution collection now on sale!

2011-09-20T23:02:00.001-05:00

Another double-on-sale day: The collected edition of Mass Effect: Evolution is now on sale, as is the second issue of Star Wars: Knight Errant — Deluge!

Evolution is available in two editions in the United States, but only one of them, the trade paperback, is in wide release. There is also a hardcover edition produced in limited numbers for the Science Fiction Book Club and other vendors.

But all editions also include a preview of Mass Effect: Invasion, as well as "Incursion" and "Inquisition," two stories by Mac Walters that were previously web-only.

Pages have been set up on the site here for all the latest issues coming out, including for this fall's Mass Effect Invasion; two spiffy covers for each issue.

Meanwhile, Kerra Holt goes on offense in Deluge #2, with the help of her new allies in Devil Squadron. But when Hutts are around, things are never quite what they seem...

Notes coming here later for that issue; in the meantime, pages are online here for the Evolution trade and, at last, for the Aflame collection.

Knight Errant Deluge #1 notes online

2011-08-25T23:03:00.002-05:00

Had just enough time to get the notes online for Knight Errant Deluge #1 — and you can actually now find the pages, because I got the links right. Enjoy...

Knight Errant: The deluge begins!

2011-08-16T23:37:00.000-05:00

Followers of Kerra Holt -- the next chapter has arrived! The first issue of Star Wars: Knight Errant - Deluge is now on sale from Dark Horse and your local comics retailer!

The events of the new comics storyline follow the events of Star Wars: Knight Errant - Aflame and the Star Wars: Knight Errant novel, both on sale now -- but you don't have to have read them to follow the new series. In fact, this series begins where Kerra started out -- Aquilaris, the planet that Vannar Treece rescued her from years ago.

Now, Kerra has finally returned as a Jedi, intent on freeing the place. But she doesn't find the enemy she expects to see here, nor the same friends...

The issue includes our first look at a new villain and some interesting fighter designs -- as well as glimpses of characters only seen heretofore in the novel. There are two variant covers, so ask for them!

Still in heavy deadline-world, but I hope to have some notes on the issue here soon. Enjoy!

JJM suits up for Armored, 2012 anthology from Baen

2011-08-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

Fans of my work on Iron Man and with the Mandalorians in Star Wars, here's something up your alley: I have an original short story coming up in Armored, an anthology coming from Baen Books as a mass-market paperback in April 2012. The book is available for preorder now.

One of a series of themed anthologies from editor John Joseph Adams, the announced line-up for the volume also includes works from Alastair Reynolds, Dan Abnett, Jack Campbell, Jack McDevitt, Simon R Green, Sean Williams, and Genevieve Valentine. It's all on the power-armor theme — "an armor-plated clip of hard-hitting tales featuring exoskeleton adventure with fascinating takes on possible future armors ranging from the style of personal power suits seen in Starship Troopers and Halo to the servo-controlled bipedal beast-mech style encountered in Mechwarrior and Battletech."

My own story, "Human Error," was a lot of fun to write — more about it later. Original, non-licensed fiction is a rarity from me, but hopefully you'll be seeing more in the future. Just have to make time to write it!