I'm 130 pages into Gypsy's Return and having one hell of a time. For one thing I'm out of my depth. I am not a sci-fi writer and yet I'm tackling a time-travel tale that encompasses all sorts of social and political themes. For instance, how do events in the past effect the future? Does anyone know the answer to this? The possibilities are endless. I was at first trying to follow a logical trajectory but have since decided that the law of unintended consequences is a better way to go. That way I don't have to explain why effecting a change for the better in genetic engineering policies led to a repressive and intolerant future. (what?)
And every day I find more fodder for my book. This is the first time I can look at what's going on in the world without being overly upset. The themes of global warming, poverty, frakking, mining disasters, over-population, depletion of natural resources, including water, are all perfect for my book. My heroine is attempting to make things better for future generations but what she doesn't realize is that serendipity can skew things wildly one way or the other. There is no straight line to anything.
The other paradox of all this is that the people in the future either have or don't have a memory of the world that was destroyed by past events...As the writer, I ask myself, what gives some the ability to recall a past that no longer exists? And what is it that keeps some from remembering? Or maybe, if I was writing logically, no one should remember. But if no one remembers how do I have interaction between my heroine and those she once knew in the future? aargh...
If anyone has a comment/answer to any of these questions I would be thrilled to hear it! And thanks for reading...
Oh, I love it. I would probably be tempted to solve the problems with surrealism or dreams. But that's just me, probably doesn't work for everyone. Maybe some people access other realities through quantum leaping or astral projection or past-life regression/progression. They might have the memories but not know they were real.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not out of your depth, it's probably a boring book. I look forward to reading it.
thanks, Rachel--yes, dreams are one of my main staples...that and visits from goddesses. With this one I'm using drugs and spells as reasons for not remembering...and a sort of sheep-like mentality in the general populace. We'll see where it goes...
DeleteI can sense your excitement in every word.Good luck with the project, it sounds really good. I love novels with ideas. My only time travel book was 'Ghost Dance' currently hunting agents. It explores the consequences of a dark magician affecting the past via a late C19th Ghost Dance. The rest of the novel explores the consequences 200 years earlier and the moral dilemna of finding and killing the ancestor of the black magician who so disastrously changed history. I'm afraid I didn't bother too much about anomalies because I couldn't find any - too thick :)
ReplyDeletethanks for the encouragement, Mike! I would love to read yours..any thought of self-publishing? it saves time.
DeleteI don't have your guts, Nikki :)
ReplyDeleteI doubt that, Mike,I think your younger age has something to do with it...I simply don't have the time to wait!
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