Deep Dark Dystopia

Since, in reality, I didn't even intend to write a book, I certainly did not realize that I would write a dystopian fiction novel.  As I have said, two of my interests collided, a love for writing and a new found belief in preparing for a future that could be extremely changed by more than one disastrous scenario.

I admit that I only had a vague idea of what the word dystopia meant and it was after I had my first novel finished, that I knew that the category or subject of my writing was indeed, dystopian fiction.  The definition of dystopia is the opposite of utopia. An imaginary place where people live fearful lives due to a changed world. So, the books that I wrote this past year are definitely about that.

What my books are not about, is a deep and dark dystopian existence.  My stories are not about what happened to the world, they're about how my characters are able to survive the what. I am basically an optimist and I absolutely believe in being prepared, planning, and using your smarts and ingenuity to live, even in our present world and for certain in a post disaster world.  I want to explore the possibilities of living with change.  So, there are no zombies or challenges that don't have a chance of my characters overcoming them. Very little bad language, no explicit sex, people and families joining together and working together to survive.  These are the stories that I choose to tell, the stories that excite me and my imagination.

I have had readers who were disappointed. Critics who have commented that "that was too convenient, that was too easy, don't think it would be that way, not enough action and violence...."  After a bit of hand wringing I realized, they absolutely have the right to read, watch or even participate in anything they wish. To each his own.  I have to write what I imagine, my vision of a fictional future. My vision is not dark and hopeless, but difficult, dangerous, challenging and hopeful. 

A good friend asked me to read over the beginning of his book based on some of his Vietnam war experiences. He kept warning me, "there's lot of bad language."  I told him that just because my books are not full of bad language, does not mean that his story shouldn't have any. As a writer, you must be true to your story. A military, war story would obviously have the language of real people in those real situations.

My point here is (thought I'd never make it, didn't you?")  As a writer, be true to your own story and style. You'll never please everybody and you will not be able to make romance readers enjoy your action thriller. Other than the hard learned lessons about grammar and editing, you must write your story, your way.  As a reader, be careful to read descriptions and "blurbs" about any book you are considering to read. Don't buy a light romance and be disappointed because the writer doesn't describe every little romantic "encounter" in explicit detail and don't buy No Normal Day (a dystopian family survival story) and feel cheated because Jack, the family man doesn't become a zombie and chew off the head of his neighbor. 


Your comments are always welcome.  JO