All, I'm looking for some help.
Over the past year or so, I've started a numerous threads gathering information relating to a subplot on some of my amateur novels that I hope to get published some day.
I've written about 3500 pages or so that would be spread across multiple eras (2 books for Alternate 7 Years War, 4 for Alternate American Revolutionary War, 2 for Alternate War of 1812 and several for Alternate US/China Wars from 1860 to 1950. Much of it is centric to the United States or, as I call it, the United States of Columbia.
If any of you have been following my Threads regarding Quasi-Wars I through VI, many of these themes (weaker Britain, Napoleonic France survives, no united Germany, Ottoman falls, China is stronger and conquered much of Japan) were included to get your feedback on the concepts for my novels.
Some background on my request:
I've lately been concentrating on a subplot regarding an American serviceman in pre-WWII era American Australia before the outbreak of War between the Chinese Empire and the United States of Columbia. In my TL, Australia was settled by American Whalers as Britain never controlled the sea-lanes as in OTL or the wealth and power of India in OTL resulting in less influence in China and therefore less interest in Australia. My theory is that Britain was less likely to settle Australia if the Indian Ocean wasn't effectively a British lake with no challengers and Britain had never been able to force China into the "unequal treaties".
So basically, Australia and New Zealand were settled much more slowly by America than they were in OTL. In 1945, "American" Australia and New Zealand had roughly half the population as OTL.
My questions today relate to some chapters I've written about a US serviceman stationed in Darwin (same name as in OTL as Darwin's expedition went forward). I admit I don't know much about the nation of Australia and want feedback if anything I wrote is factually incorrect regarding the environment, geography and culture of local Aboriginals and the place they had in Australian society in this era (assuming US governance wouldn't be that different than British). Remember this is being seen through to the eyes of a young non-com from Michigan who knew nothing about the area when he arrived. A certain amount of exposition is required based on this but I tried to keep it down (off the record, I struggle to reduce the amount of exposition in my writing but often get caught up and it makes it really, really boring).
Key issues and PODs:
Aboriginal culture and social standing
Local environment and geography of northern Australia including Darwin
My theoretical deliberate introduction of invasive fauna to large portions of Australia.
Note that I have started two threads before gathering data on my "American Australia".
One on the likelihood of Australia remaining unsettled (though claimed by many) to the 1820's. Many people were skeptical.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=370850
The other was regarding possible species introductions by a rich nutcase intending to plant big game animals there only to die before the hunt began and his descendants became game wardens. There were a lot of good ideas put forward.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=355507
For ease of reading (this is 9 pages on a full sheet with 10 font), I'll break each of the Australian chapters into separate posts.
Thanks for any feedback, good or bad. Feel free to offer any ideas. I'd especially love to hear from some Australians, if any visit these boards.
Also note that I haven't really proofread this yet and know that mistake a lot of its/it's/its', who/whom, etc, etc.
If anyone is interested in my Quasi-War Timeline, I've broken it into numerous chapters of 30 to 60 posts.
Quasi-War 1
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=344281
Quasi-War 2
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=366914
Quasi-War 3
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=368565
Quasi-War 4
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=370199
Quasi-War 5
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=374541
Quasi-War 6 (ongoing as of January 2016)
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=374541
Over the past year or so, I've started a numerous threads gathering information relating to a subplot on some of my amateur novels that I hope to get published some day.
I've written about 3500 pages or so that would be spread across multiple eras (2 books for Alternate 7 Years War, 4 for Alternate American Revolutionary War, 2 for Alternate War of 1812 and several for Alternate US/China Wars from 1860 to 1950. Much of it is centric to the United States or, as I call it, the United States of Columbia.
If any of you have been following my Threads regarding Quasi-Wars I through VI, many of these themes (weaker Britain, Napoleonic France survives, no united Germany, Ottoman falls, China is stronger and conquered much of Japan) were included to get your feedback on the concepts for my novels.
Some background on my request:
I've lately been concentrating on a subplot regarding an American serviceman in pre-WWII era American Australia before the outbreak of War between the Chinese Empire and the United States of Columbia. In my TL, Australia was settled by American Whalers as Britain never controlled the sea-lanes as in OTL or the wealth and power of India in OTL resulting in less influence in China and therefore less interest in Australia. My theory is that Britain was less likely to settle Australia if the Indian Ocean wasn't effectively a British lake with no challengers and Britain had never been able to force China into the "unequal treaties".
So basically, Australia and New Zealand were settled much more slowly by America than they were in OTL. In 1945, "American" Australia and New Zealand had roughly half the population as OTL.
My questions today relate to some chapters I've written about a US serviceman stationed in Darwin (same name as in OTL as Darwin's expedition went forward). I admit I don't know much about the nation of Australia and want feedback if anything I wrote is factually incorrect regarding the environment, geography and culture of local Aboriginals and the place they had in Australian society in this era (assuming US governance wouldn't be that different than British). Remember this is being seen through to the eyes of a young non-com from Michigan who knew nothing about the area when he arrived. A certain amount of exposition is required based on this but I tried to keep it down (off the record, I struggle to reduce the amount of exposition in my writing but often get caught up and it makes it really, really boring).
Key issues and PODs:
Aboriginal culture and social standing
Local environment and geography of northern Australia including Darwin
My theoretical deliberate introduction of invasive fauna to large portions of Australia.
Note that I have started two threads before gathering data on my "American Australia".
One on the likelihood of Australia remaining unsettled (though claimed by many) to the 1820's. Many people were skeptical.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=370850
The other was regarding possible species introductions by a rich nutcase intending to plant big game animals there only to die before the hunt began and his descendants became game wardens. There were a lot of good ideas put forward.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=355507
For ease of reading (this is 9 pages on a full sheet with 10 font), I'll break each of the Australian chapters into separate posts.
Thanks for any feedback, good or bad. Feel free to offer any ideas. I'd especially love to hear from some Australians, if any visit these boards.
Also note that I haven't really proofread this yet and know that mistake a lot of its/it's/its', who/whom, etc, etc.
If anyone is interested in my Quasi-War Timeline, I've broken it into numerous chapters of 30 to 60 posts.
Quasi-War 1
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=344281
Quasi-War 2
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=366914
Quasi-War 3
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=368565
Quasi-War 4
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=370199
Quasi-War 5
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=374541
Quasi-War 6 (ongoing as of January 2016)
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=374541