Thursday, December 31, 2054

The Book

This is a book I started writing toward the end of the Clinton Presidency. At the time, I was working toward an ending where the hero of the story would win the popular vote but lose in the Electoral College. It seemed like such a far fetched idea that it could never happen in real life. Real life mocks the best of us.

I put the book aside, pulling it out periodically to update the social references, but always got bogged down somewhere around the 40,000 word mark. I've never gotten past there.

Eventually, I decided to stop trying to update the story and to anchor it in the year 2004, but in a very different 2004 than you remember. In this version of 2004, MacKinzie Harper has been President since 2000. Within four months of taking office Harper ordered the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit into Afghanistan where they quickly ousted the Taliban and took custody of Osama bin Laden and most of his top lieutenants. The original charges related to the bombing of the USS Cole, but further charges were added later. At first, there was great deal of disagreement in America about whether or not this had been overly aggressive and heavy-handed, but then when documents were found linking bin Laden to plans for attacks on NY and Washington, most people applauded the action. Further arrests were made as more people were linked to various plots. All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Justice Dept. and awaiting trial.

Saddam Hussein continues to be a thorn in Harper’s side.

This is not an alternate history. It is fiction which requires a fictional and somewhat nicer 2004. So, briefly, let’s forget all that unpleasantness.

I'll be posting chapters daily (yeah right)until I get to the end of what I've written. Hopefully, having this out there for all to see will spur me to finishing the damned thing. I like much of what's there. Some parts, less. I'll leave comments open so you can express your admiration or loathing of me and/or my story. Real critiques from any of you who fancy yourselves writers will be greatly appreciated.

Those of you who know me (in an intertooby kinda way), know that I am pathologically unable to stay on-topic in other people's blogs, and I completely expect you to abuse my comments as well. Just be entertaining.

Lastly, I'm putting this out there for free and have no intentions of getting paid for it, but if I see The Movie come out and I haven't been paid, I'm gonna sue someone's ass. Just sayin'.


So, without further ado, heres...

16 comments:

Janiece said...

HA! HaHaHaHaHa!

Nathan, I knew it was only a matter of time!

Hahahahahaha!

Welcome to the blogosphere!

Nathan said...

Yeah, well I'm hoping that by putting up what I've written, I'll shame myself into actually finishing the book.

Oh, BTW You get FIRST. COMMENT. EVAR.

And my GF's a little pissed.

Anonymous said...

Nathan, welcome to the blogosphere! I'm looking forward to your story. :)

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, who are these women?

GF

MWT said...

Not to worry - they're married (to Smart Men). ;)

Good to see you finally got a blog up and running, Nathan. :D

Nathan said...

Yo GF, What MWT said.

::Leans over and tells GF I responded to her comment::

Jim Wright said...

Hmmmm, does this mean we can communicate with GF directly?

Hmmmm, the possibilities are...interesting.

Steve Buchheit said...

Ah ha! We knew you couldn't hold out for long.

Nathan said...

Hmmmm, does this mean we can communicate with GF directly?

Go ahead, Jim. Give it a shot. I suspect that she's going to read this briefly and then go back to reading the crafts blogs that keep her interest now. She makes soaps and balms and stuff like that.

Mmmm. Perhaps if you post your recipe for Kreplach Lip Balm, that would get her hooked.

Nathan said...

And Shawn hasn't showed up yet, but I know there's got to be some kind of chicken liver lotion out there.

Anonymous said...

Who are "Smart Men"...and where can I find one.....?

GF

Janiece said...

Who are "Smart Men"...and where can I find one.....?

Hee! Burn, Nathan, BURN!

GF, I apologize for taking the "first comment" spot. Based on the Nathan burn, I'm quite sure I'm going to like you, and that you're a Hot Chick.

P.S. I do know your name, BTW, but since neither you nor Nathan has used it, I assume you'd prefer to keep your anonymity.

Anonymous said...

Oh.

Anonymous said...

Edit:

Oh.

GF

Anonymous said...

After reading this post it seems to me you're story is having trouble remaining relevant because it's about current affairs.

When I write I tend to avoid doing that and set my stories in the future at least 100 years.

SF let's you get away with that quite nicely. After skimming through chapter one I found your writing style to be pleasing.

Good luck with your project, Check out what I am doing

Nathan said...

Saqib,

My reading is tilted heavily toward Sci-Fi, but I'm not about to try to write it. I don't have the science to do it convincingly. So, I'll have to stick with what I've got a clue about.

Glad to have my first commenter in Asia, though.