Shouts From Down Under

Les is More Miserables

I unearthed this strange type of information while searching for a detail in my Nano novel The Children Cloud.

http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=23468266

I wanted to find one of the worst cities in different locations across the globe. Not picking on any particular country ok, so don't send me letters with white powder in them, please.

Or ticking devices .

When we look for those special details to create authenticity in our stories, it's not easy sometimes. First off, finding out ordinary things, I found, seems to cloud the creativeness somewhat.

"You want to know what?"
"But that was way back in 1975, how the hell would I know? I could ask my mother / grandmother, but she may not remember."
"Why don't you go there yourself and find out?"
"That was a terrible disaster. Nobody wants to talk about that."
"A writer? You are going to quote me? Are you a journalist? No, sorry, I can't help you."

Or people just don't respond when you ask them. That's what has mostly happened with my first novel. And after a few years of guesswork, I'm finally getting to know people who are willing to help! But now my book is written. So I'll have to dig deep and be ready to cut with the knife of editing.

I'll have to admit I was not only wrong about some things, but completely deluded.

I've learnt a lot about myself in this research. People protect their lives from delving strangers, and rightly so. People suffer from PTSS even when it's in places unacknowledged, or never heard of, or denied by the powers that be.
People assume you have an agenda. They think you want to find out some dark secret about them. Perhaps they are afraid that what they say will somehow be used to oppress them.
I think this cannot be underestimated, particularly in these unstable times of global insecurity.

So, I think it takes a lot of passion, guts and the patience of Job (In the Bible, King James version, suppose he's in others too)

Then, when I've completed all this research and editing etc, I may find that no one wants to touch my novel if it's too politically sensitive, or may upset crucial people.

Even though I have no agenda with it. As far as political stuff goes, I decided to just write how people themselves, my characters felt in a typical sense, relevant to history and locale. I used general opinion as far as I could tell with records.

I mean, folks. Do you get it? Recorded history may not be true. Even hieroglyphics may have been the newspaper articles of the day . Ok maybe I'm being stupid.

But not everything we take as solid concrete evidence and truth of history is right. I don't think we should just believe everything we hear.
Even the Bible, as much as I believe in it, advises to "try the spirits".

Not everyone who says Lord Lord, will enter into the heavenly kingdom etc. So people could easily think they are doing the right thing, following teachings they believe, yet it not be truth or the true teachings.

So, how to know? I guess it's by the fruit that comes from people who believe in whatever. Look at what has happened.

Now, if you look at world events right now, who is right and who is wrong? Are people happy? Do they eat well? Are they grindingly poor, just orinarily poor, or just ok but with no desire to reach or extend? No initiative to pursue goals. No route or available opportunity to be more than everyone else.
Yes, I'm talking communism, capitalism etc etc.

Personally, on that volatile subject, I feel that a hybrid model is the only answer to that world problem. You can get greedy corrupt communists. You can get greedy corrupt capitalists. Both camps treat their members of society unfairly at times.

Humans are not robots. Humans fail. They lie, cheat, steal, commit atrocities, and most of all, need something to strive for, goals. And they fear. They have pride. A long memory. They have a need to defend, a need to have an opposition.

The restless seas of humanity crash on the rocks of opposing shores, never progressing, never retreating. Just a continual battle raging between immovable opposing forces until time is no more; at the breaking of eternities dawn then we will all see how things really are; the truth of everything will be seen and no arguments will be valid any longer.

Getting back to details for novels! (I love that emoticon!) I think that when researching, we can overdo things!

Take notice! I fell in this trap before, of having for example, citizens of Sydney all saying G'day mate, and having Holden cars, kangaroos in their back yard, and sitting around at barbecues eating meat pies and saying "bloody hell!".

In a story, that doesn't work. Well, it might have in Australia a couple decades ago, but not now. And it's the same in other countries. You can't just have cliched people.

My novel set in Ukraine was headed that way. Until I realised that I was being an idiot having every single person destined to sit around drinking vodka, horilka, eating Salo and swearing at the others who might be either Russian, or Ukrainian.

I discovered that in other countries there are sensitive subjects that people find provoking to talk about, especially to an ignorant Australian who the media would portray as being a racist bastit!
(I was born here and had no control over what happened 200 years ago etc and I have no problem with anyone, no matter who they are, long as they are fair dinkum and friendly. And don't try hitting on my wife or some other no-no)

Not wanting to upset anyone, especially in a beautiful country overseas, it hasn't been easy finding those little details I need to bring my novel to life. Reading between the lines is one thing, but getting to the nitty gritty of realism is a "different story".

But, I'm not giving up people! Not a chance.

Because behind this novel is a golden, compelling, passionate reason for continuing against all odds.

I want to tell the world, especially young people a tale of something monumental that happened, because of ignorance, because of pride, because of circumstance, because of , perhaps, none of these things except accident.

I particularly want young people to read about something in an exciting story, that they wouldn't otherwise be bothered to read.

I want everyone all over the globe to be aware of a chasm that has opened up in the time space continuum, that is irreversible, too big for mankind to control, and sadly, isn't a joke or exaggeration in any manner.

It's only too real.

Details in my local area. Beware! Watch out for pic of dead cat. I pushed this photo down the page out of sight, so if you don't want to see it, leave it be.



Sparky