When I began writing my political/sci fi thrillers in the Vexton Series back in 2012, I had a deep interest in the topic of government corruption and what goes on behind closed doors in corporations. What evil entities would I be able to reveal to unsuspecting characters? How far could I go in pushing the boundaries of ethics and morals when it came to government deal making- especially in terms of finding cures for disease (would a government actually deal with a terrorist if they had the cure?). And in my final book of the series, The Preservation Plan, I posed the question “How much government is too much government? Can civility and absolute liberty coexist?” And strangely enough, now that the book is coming out, I find myself in the very odd spot of watching a lot of what I wrote about play out in headlines in the news in the United States… and it’s like watching my book become a documentary, albeit not the one that I actually want to see, so it’s a bit surreal.
I knew that the 2016 Election would have an historical outcome but I had no idea the fallout would be this insane divisiveness. The real world now seems to be supplanted into the fictional world I created- a divided America after another civil war. Recently I read an article that mentioned that behind those headlines, net neutrality is slowly being dismantled, which will have long lasting effects on our access to technology. I realized that I had written about all of these concepts in my series- so can it be technically escapist fiction? Will people want to escape to my near future America world if it resembles one that they are actually living in? Is my very career as a writer in peril? Writers don’t need more self doubt!!
The answer is yes: because it’s not their America, it’s a different one, with a different outcome, and it works well with what people really need right now. Hope.
When you create a fictional world you always insert elements of you and your life, and you often fashion characters after the people you know. In my books, there are many scenes set in the realm of business– because that’s in my background. So while settings and people may seem familiar, (which is a good thing because you want people to relate), the story telling is unique to each writer. And regardless of there being some parallels to the real world, it won’t play out the same way- because I’ve built in the concept of hope which is something that many people in the real world are struggling with now. I’ve written about the hope that people in corporations will come to realize that everyone should have human rights, hope that war doesn’t have to happen, and hope that a country can land on its feet again. Right now, there seems to be a real need for that, and without giving away spoilers, my stories do talk about the deep corruption within governments, the rise of youth, the restriction of media, and the growing uncertainty of the economy. If people can work together for a common goal, then just maybe there is a way out of the worst of situations, without destroying the entire human race.
While we don’t have complete control over the real world, you do over your fictional one, and that brings with it a great satisfaction when you can determine who the good and bad guys in the corporations are and mete out some well needed justice! So, I implore writers to keep pulling inspiration from the world around them, and not to panic when it invades their world-building process. Keep questioning the governing bodies, the corruption, the behind the scenes stories, and the vivid characters that present themselves in the headlines. Use those influences to help shape your creation. The outcome maybe be something you never intended, but it could be better than you ever imagined.
