Thursday, January 26, 2017

Take that turmoil and use it

All of the angst flying around lately has been stressful, to say the least, but it's also been useful for me. You see, I'm working on a big series where America essentially falls apart due to inept and corrupt government practices, a massive pandemic, and terrorism.

Needless to say, I'm gathering information like crazy during these crazy times. How fragile is our republic? How many laws can an elected official break before he's called to account? But more importantly, I'm seeing how people are reacting. Who will step up in a crisis? What kinds of organizations are formed? What kinds of actions do people take?

I've already gone back to the previous 6 books in the series and layered in corruption, impeachment, and assassination. Now I'm looking at what remains of the government, which isn't much. And I'm thinking about how to reshape it given the new world America finds itself in--where we're no longer a super-power, where there are vast, burned-out cities, and where communication is iffy at best.

I've re-read the Constitution and Bill of Rights and a few other "old" documents, trying to glean what the founders had in mind. Then I'm taking those ideas and trying to craft a new world government. It's going to take me 3 books to get to the start of it, but I have plans for more books set in the future where I can see the results of my experiment.

Like I said: take that turmoil and use it, somehow. All the emotions and the distrust and the anger can be great fuel if we use it somehow positively.

J L
(jayellwilson.com)

11 comments:

Margo Hoornstra said...

Great idea turning the unfortunate events into positive actions. We need to remember that somehow as humans we always survive and persevere. Best of luck on your future.

Diane Burton said...

JL, I've always admired writers who can take the present and extrapolate the future. Reading the Constitution & Declaration of Independence sounds like a great start. It's great that you can use the emotions we're all experiencing in the present turmoil to fuel your series. Good luck. As Margo says, we will survive and persevere. I'll add: at what cost. I lived through the turmoil of the Viet Nam era. Those were horrendously emotional times. I'd prefer not to relive that now.

Leah St. James said...

Great idea to read our founding documents, JL. Like Diane, I'm hoping we're not going back down the '60s road. I was pretty young, but I remember it being ugly (as they say in the south!).

Rolynn Anderson said...

What a powerful, take-charge approach, JL. I'm proud of your way of making chicken salad out of chicken sh*t. Perhaps you could run for office next...we need a woman like you cleaning up the messes these men have made. Thanks for looking at the chaos and getting to work at ordering it. For my part, David Brooks article has given me some new insight about where to focus, perhaps it will help you, too. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/opinion/after-the-womens-march.html?_r=0

Jannine Gallant said...

I feel like our planet might just chew us up and spit us out like it did with the dinosaurs. A plot where a group of scientists rise up against the establishment to do whatever it takes to save the world has potential in my mind. I wonder if it would get banned... Good for you for turning this ugliness to your advantage.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

I have to admit, I choked on my coffee over Rolynn's comment about chicken salad. Rolynn, you're put on notice. I'm stealing that and using it in a book somewhere.

JL, what a mind you must have. I envy that. Yes, using this turmoil is a good thing. I happen to know a group of idealistic and educated students at MIT who went bonkers when a recently elected official said there was no such thing as global warming. Especially the team who is working on developing a film--as in thin material--you can pour salty sea water through and have purified drinking water come out. No energy is used. It will bring safe drinking water to third-world countries and to us when hurricanes and other tragedies hit.

Andrea Downing said...

Very impressive post, JL. I particularly like your statement, "I've already... layered in... impeachment, and ...." Now there's a thought.

Brenda Whiteside said...

I know you will do a terrific job!

Rolynn Anderson said...

Huzzah! Anytime I can make Vonnie choke on her coffee, I've won a marathon. And I'm on a high right now, because after golf today, the women who remained to drink wine and talk 'happened' to be women who are horrified about mr. thin skin. We had the best time working on our strategies. JL, we're doing what we can to concoct a healthy, eatable chicken salad.

J L said...

Thanks, all -- I think we all have to channel our energies as best we can. As I've said before, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Pick your battles and fight however you feel you can. I'm acting out on paper, but I'll probably make a few phone calls and attend some meetings, too. Politics at the grass-root level can be a powerful thing, and I plan to work on that.

And yes, it was fun layering in that impeachment. It was the VP who inherited the title who got impeached. The Prez was committed to an insane asylum. Boy, that felt good!

Alicia Dean said...

What an ambitious project! I have no doubt you'll do a fabulous job.