Top 9 things you MUST mention if you write a Star Trek SCE book

I've been reading the Star Trek: SCE books lately. (Starfleet Corps of Engineers)
I love them, they're so nerdy even most Star Trek fans probably don't even like them (yes, that's a generalization that I've done no research on...).

One thing that has popped out at me is the number of cliches specific to this series (yes, some of them are on purpose referencing other Star Trek cliches.)

So, just for fun, I present the top 9 things you MUST mention if you write a Star Trek SCE book:

1. P8 Blue's "specially designed chair" -
This phrase must be used at least once per book, as entered. preferably, it should be used anytime a character goes anywhere near the briefing room.

2. Hawkins has to get hurt -
Hawkins is a member of the security team. This is actually a referance to redshirts on TOS getting killed off all the time. He gets at least a bump on the head in every novel.

3. Captian Gold has to use at least one Yiddish word.
This one actually makes sense, but it still counts...

4. Beat the reader over the head with Bart Faulwell's homosexuality -
Sensitive topic for some, most authors beat the reader over the head with it with all the finesse of a Klingon.

Bonus Points:

5. Sneak in a mention of Core-Breach's family axe -
If you do, you MUST quote the full text of the inscription.

6. Mention Gomez spilling hot-chocolate on Captain Picard at least once -
they've gotten better at this as the series has progressed, but at the beginning it was in EVERY novel.

7. Only Scotty's seventy-year out-of-date knowledge can save us!

8. Soloman talks in binary code, the other characters marvel -
for extra points, recount again for the reader how he got his nickname

9. Beat the ship up so badly that in real life they'd scrap it... then fix it all up for the next book

What was I thinking?

I've been at a tractor show for the past week, and when I got back I sat down to start writing some more (I know, I could have, and should have been writing AT the tractor show, but that's a different matter...), and thought, "What was I thinking?"

The last sentence I had wrote was:

"He hoped the Natas weren't here. Or, if they were, that they could at least get luck before they had to face them."

I have NO idea what I meant. Obviously, there's a typo in there somewhere. I'm going to blame the iPad's auto-correct for replacing whatever word I meant to write with "luck". I'm still not sure what I meant to write though...

A good excuse... um, er, reason for not posting much..

Okay, it's a lame excuse, but I found this list of myths about introverts interesting:

http://jerrybrito.org/post/6114304704/top-ten-myths-about-introverts

I'm surely an introvert myself.

How does this apply to writing? It's easy sometimes to make all the characters do what you would do in a situation, but that doesn't feel real, and would make a boring, flat story.
In Meskka, for instance, Tomed and Bast are extroverts, and Nilre is an introvert. Rrrark is more of an introvert, but he can be outgoing if he has to be.

In An Unwanted Apprentice, Kendra and Alenk are introverts (it's a bit of a cliche to have a collage researcher and student be introverts, but that's a different topic...) Tannin is definitely an extrovert... and not just because he won't shut up. ;)

That's just one of the fun things I like about writing, exploring different personality types.

Busy season...

I'm back from Washington.... okay, I've been back for a while. August is a really busy month. Both of my day jobs are keeping me busy. I just got back from the steam show in Mason, MI, and week after next I'm going to the Gas Tractor show in Oakley, MI.

On a sci-fi note, NPR has a poll where you can vote for your favorite sci-fi and fantasy books.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/02/138894873/vote-for-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-titles?sc=fb&cc=fp

What are yours?