Randy Anderson's Blog
May 22, 2017
Preview of Divisible, a political novella
This is an excerpt from Divisible, a political novella. The full novella is available in paperback on Amazon as well as all ereader platforms. Enter to win one of ten copies here on Goodreads! Contest ends May 31st.
Chapter 3
An Open Letter to a Future Generation, The Nation of Ute
I wish I could tell you, descendants of mine, exactly what it was that brought us to this point. But if I knew such a thing, I wouldn’t be leaving you this note. You see, if I knew, surely many others would have known as well. And I have enough faith in our species, as you should too, to believe that we possess the ability to prevent disaster if only we can see it unfolding. So I must assume that we didn’t see it coming.
Perhaps that’s too rosy a view of the world. I ask that you grant me this indulgence. You see, I’m writing this letter from a very bleak place indeed. I need to fill myself with all the hope I can summon. Hundreds of feet above me lie some of the most magnificent mountains you’ll ever see — evergreen forests spackled with Aspen trees, whose autumn gold makes the landscape appear like the fur of a calico cat. And when the wind blows, the fragile leaves shimmer like tiny tambourines celebrating the last days of their usefulness. And here I sit, hundreds of feet below it all, so far removed from that thin layer of vibrant life on the surface that worms don’t dare visit.
Every week, I work a series of twelve-hour shifts. My time off is spent reading and sleeping in the dormitories down the hall, and my weekends are spent hiking through the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains in the glorious Nation of Ute. It’s a simple life with a single purpose, and I cherish it.
My job is easy. If the red light on the wall flashes, I press the first button. If it flashes again, I press the second button, and then the third button for the third flash and so on and so forth until all the buttons have been pressed. While I’m curious about what would happen should I press the first button, I possess absolute certainty of the results, were I to press them all.
And that is why I’m writing this communication. I’m asking you, future human, child of my great-great grandchildren’s children, to ponder our progress. Whether you look upon these words as a peace offering from the past, a roadmap for the future, or a silly parable offering nothing more than mild entertainment, I urge you read it through and perceive its absolute sincerity.
The troubles of the Old Country are well documented. But we can’t blame our forefathers for their experimental follies. They were experimenting, after all. I believe the fabric of any society is built on science, politics, economics, sociology and so forth. These are all sciences, really. And like any scientific experiment, there are failures. In fact, good experimentation demands it. And so we failed, brilliantly, and at great cost to many people. With each failure, we progressed and evolved. A new nation rose between the oceans. A nation governed in a way that allowed a unique freedom. And with this freedom, we first expressed ourselves, then governed that expression. We allowed people the freedom to work hard and grow prosperous and then allowed others to cheat without breaking a sweat. After all, it would be unfair to allow one but not the other, right? We held life in the highest regard, above all else, and then we allowed everyone the tools to take it away. What good is life if it’s not constantly in peril? This country grew to understand that true freedom can only exist when good and evil are granted equal audience. Justice, equality and civility were pitted often against piety, tribalism and disrespect.
It wasn’t an ideal society. The ideal society is a myth. Societies are born diseased just as surely as the species that comprise them. Sometimes, the pox is a horrendous rash that visibly consumes the victim, destined to seethe in a festering mess of its own puss. Other times though, it’s a cancer, hidden for long periods of time. And when it finally grows large enough, it causes symptoms. These are subtle at first — body aches, fevers, and malaise — until finally, when the cancer is discovered, its growth outpaces any attempts to stop it. And while it’s true that all societies, like the species they contain, will die, the human being has the unique capacity to extend a single life. So it stands to reason that we have the capacity to extend the life of a society. Civilization building — like medicine — is a science, unfortunately though, without the Hippocratic Oath.
I’ll ask you to forgive me if this note digresses from time to time. The darkness of my gray octagonal room creates the illusion of so much space, my mind feels absolutely untethered. The only definitions before me are the soft halo of light around the page on which I write and the damp and eerie glow of the ghost lamp below the red light. It was installed as a safeguard against hallucinations. I will admit, there were times, before the ghost lamp was installed, that I almost believed I saw the red light illuminate. Thankfully it hadn’t, and I’m ever grateful to my hands that didn’t act upon my eye’s lies. Nobody has seen the red light flash since the war ended. And since the ghost lamp was installed, nobody has hallucinated otherwise.
You must know that it was the Nation of Ute that ended the war. There are sure to be historians that will tell a different story, but I have it on good authority that if we hadn’t committed that horrible act of treasonous patriotism, the United States of America would have torn itself into a vapor. I am aware that most would look upon an act of treasonous patriotism as nothing more than an oxymoron. But I assure you, there was a moment when an act of treason became a profound display of patriotism. And it was, at the same time, a failure, brilliant, and at great cost to many people.
Unfortunately, the cancer in the United States of America was much too far along. A cure would not be found. And our failure would not make the nation stronger. It only served to stop the war and end the Old Country, leaving two new ones in its place, divided in the most untenable way. It left a remainder — the great Nation of Ute, where I now reside — left free from the governing bodies of both America and the United State by the very buttons that lie before me.
Randy Anderson is the author of the Time Phantom series, Careful, and On Making Off. He lives in New York City where he writes, reasons, and reacts.
Chapter 3
An Open Letter to a Future Generation, The Nation of Ute
I wish I could tell you, descendants of mine, exactly what it was that brought us to this point. But if I knew such a thing, I wouldn’t be leaving you this note. You see, if I knew, surely many others would have known as well. And I have enough faith in our species, as you should too, to believe that we possess the ability to prevent disaster if only we can see it unfolding. So I must assume that we didn’t see it coming.
Perhaps that’s too rosy a view of the world. I ask that you grant me this indulgence. You see, I’m writing this letter from a very bleak place indeed. I need to fill myself with all the hope I can summon. Hundreds of feet above me lie some of the most magnificent mountains you’ll ever see — evergreen forests spackled with Aspen trees, whose autumn gold makes the landscape appear like the fur of a calico cat. And when the wind blows, the fragile leaves shimmer like tiny tambourines celebrating the last days of their usefulness. And here I sit, hundreds of feet below it all, so far removed from that thin layer of vibrant life on the surface that worms don’t dare visit.
Every week, I work a series of twelve-hour shifts. My time off is spent reading and sleeping in the dormitories down the hall, and my weekends are spent hiking through the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains in the glorious Nation of Ute. It’s a simple life with a single purpose, and I cherish it.
My job is easy. If the red light on the wall flashes, I press the first button. If it flashes again, I press the second button, and then the third button for the third flash and so on and so forth until all the buttons have been pressed. While I’m curious about what would happen should I press the first button, I possess absolute certainty of the results, were I to press them all.
And that is why I’m writing this communication. I’m asking you, future human, child of my great-great grandchildren’s children, to ponder our progress. Whether you look upon these words as a peace offering from the past, a roadmap for the future, or a silly parable offering nothing more than mild entertainment, I urge you read it through and perceive its absolute sincerity.
The troubles of the Old Country are well documented. But we can’t blame our forefathers for their experimental follies. They were experimenting, after all. I believe the fabric of any society is built on science, politics, economics, sociology and so forth. These are all sciences, really. And like any scientific experiment, there are failures. In fact, good experimentation demands it. And so we failed, brilliantly, and at great cost to many people. With each failure, we progressed and evolved. A new nation rose between the oceans. A nation governed in a way that allowed a unique freedom. And with this freedom, we first expressed ourselves, then governed that expression. We allowed people the freedom to work hard and grow prosperous and then allowed others to cheat without breaking a sweat. After all, it would be unfair to allow one but not the other, right? We held life in the highest regard, above all else, and then we allowed everyone the tools to take it away. What good is life if it’s not constantly in peril? This country grew to understand that true freedom can only exist when good and evil are granted equal audience. Justice, equality and civility were pitted often against piety, tribalism and disrespect.
It wasn’t an ideal society. The ideal society is a myth. Societies are born diseased just as surely as the species that comprise them. Sometimes, the pox is a horrendous rash that visibly consumes the victim, destined to seethe in a festering mess of its own puss. Other times though, it’s a cancer, hidden for long periods of time. And when it finally grows large enough, it causes symptoms. These are subtle at first — body aches, fevers, and malaise — until finally, when the cancer is discovered, its growth outpaces any attempts to stop it. And while it’s true that all societies, like the species they contain, will die, the human being has the unique capacity to extend a single life. So it stands to reason that we have the capacity to extend the life of a society. Civilization building — like medicine — is a science, unfortunately though, without the Hippocratic Oath.
I’ll ask you to forgive me if this note digresses from time to time. The darkness of my gray octagonal room creates the illusion of so much space, my mind feels absolutely untethered. The only definitions before me are the soft halo of light around the page on which I write and the damp and eerie glow of the ghost lamp below the red light. It was installed as a safeguard against hallucinations. I will admit, there were times, before the ghost lamp was installed, that I almost believed I saw the red light illuminate. Thankfully it hadn’t, and I’m ever grateful to my hands that didn’t act upon my eye’s lies. Nobody has seen the red light flash since the war ended. And since the ghost lamp was installed, nobody has hallucinated otherwise.
You must know that it was the Nation of Ute that ended the war. There are sure to be historians that will tell a different story, but I have it on good authority that if we hadn’t committed that horrible act of treasonous patriotism, the United States of America would have torn itself into a vapor. I am aware that most would look upon an act of treasonous patriotism as nothing more than an oxymoron. But I assure you, there was a moment when an act of treason became a profound display of patriotism. And it was, at the same time, a failure, brilliant, and at great cost to many people.
Unfortunately, the cancer in the United States of America was much too far along. A cure would not be found. And our failure would not make the nation stronger. It only served to stop the war and end the Old Country, leaving two new ones in its place, divided in the most untenable way. It left a remainder — the great Nation of Ute, where I now reside — left free from the governing bodies of both America and the United State by the very buttons that lie before me.
Randy Anderson is the author of the Time Phantom series, Careful, and On Making Off. He lives in New York City where he writes, reasons, and reacts.
May 9, 2017
Reader gets blue balls, writes 1 star review
Reading can be dangerous. Especially if you find a book that tickles you — then leaves you hanging. This recently happened to a reader of Time Phantom: Amsterdam. Below is his review, and my response.
Top critical review
1 out of 5 stars
Urghhhhh…. yet another serial book
This is yet another in an endless series of serial books that fail to indicate upfront that this is Book 1 of a series. My favorite genre is time travel and so I was looking forward to reading this.
I found the writing to be good and the story compelling. As I was reaching the end of the book I couldn’t see how the author was going to wrap up the story line within the remaining chapters. Then I find out that the story continues in subsequent books!!
I HATE THAT!! To me it’s a cheap trick to try and hook you into acquiring the next book in the series. I refuse to fall for that kind of “bait and switch”.
Dear JLM,
I am so sorry my lack of disclosure has caused you to shout. Whenever someone types hate in all caps, I take notice. First, let me say that Amazon does indicate on the sales page that this is book 1 of 2. It’s right below the yellow stars. The ones that are now a little less yellow thanks to your 1 star rating. But the point is, Amazon is blameless in this. It is entirely my fault you didn’t know this was a series. Frankly, advertising that up front wasn’t something I thought about. And I get it. I mean, when I first saw Star Wars, nobody told me there would be sequels and prequels and “stories”. Man do they have a butt-load of my cash.
But I’m a little confused, JLM. I thought we had a good time? I know I enjoyed having your eyeballs brush against my words. And from your review, it appears that you liked it too. In fact, I feel like we had a connection. You liked the order of my words, the characters, you were following all of my story lines. You’d invested yourself to the point where you knew you’d never get satisfaction from the remaining fifty pages. That’s the kind of connection a reader and a writer aspire to, isn’t it?
I’m sorry I couldn’t just finish, clean it all up and bounce out of your life like all the other non-serials chippies you clearly enjoy reading. But this story, the one we’ve already started sharing together, the one that actually means something more than twenty minutes of fiction, deserves more than a one-night stand.
Listen, I get the whole, in-n-out thing. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a quickie too. And, the next time you are, might I suggest my novella, Divisible. It’s not your favorite genre, time travel, but it takes place in the future and it’s a pretty thoughtful read. Plus, it’s only 120 pages. I promise, we’ll go hard and you’ll be finished in an hour. You won’t even need to call me the next day.
If you’re looking for something a little longer with an emotional connection, my novel Careful clocks in at 100,000 words and will probably make you cry a few times, especially if you like dogs. The doggy-bags (bags containing dead dogs not leftovers) are quite numerous by the end. If you look at the reviews, those who read it are deeply satisfied in the “smoke a cigarette even though I don’t smoke” sort of way.
But those may not appeal to you because you like time travel. I do too. And I feel terrible that you thought our mutual desire to explore the world through this magical devise could be contained in just one session. But you see, I probably only have one shot at this genre and I want to savor it, take it slow, spread it out over the course of… let’s say six books. And I’m not breaking the books up because I want to. I’m breaking them up because well, when you’re having a good time sometimes it’s best to take break. You wouldn’t watch an entire season of Orange is the New Black in one sitting, would you? (Don’t answer that, I know it doesn’t prove my point.) But practically speaking, nobody buys a 500,000 word book unless it’s written by a Russian (which I’m not) or a ridiculously smart graduate of the Writers’ Workshop (not me either.)
We’ll finish, I guarantee it. Give me a chance. Bring me back to your bed or your couch or the subway or jury duty. I promise, we’ll have fun. After all, Time Phantom II: Copenhagen is only $3.99. A pittance compared to the thousands of dollars and countless hours I’ve spend producing it.
Come on JLM, come back! Let me show you a good time.
Top critical review
1 out of 5 stars
Urghhhhh…. yet another serial book
This is yet another in an endless series of serial books that fail to indicate upfront that this is Book 1 of a series. My favorite genre is time travel and so I was looking forward to reading this.
I found the writing to be good and the story compelling. As I was reaching the end of the book I couldn’t see how the author was going to wrap up the story line within the remaining chapters. Then I find out that the story continues in subsequent books!!
I HATE THAT!! To me it’s a cheap trick to try and hook you into acquiring the next book in the series. I refuse to fall for that kind of “bait and switch”.
Dear JLM,
I am so sorry my lack of disclosure has caused you to shout. Whenever someone types hate in all caps, I take notice. First, let me say that Amazon does indicate on the sales page that this is book 1 of 2. It’s right below the yellow stars. The ones that are now a little less yellow thanks to your 1 star rating. But the point is, Amazon is blameless in this. It is entirely my fault you didn’t know this was a series. Frankly, advertising that up front wasn’t something I thought about. And I get it. I mean, when I first saw Star Wars, nobody told me there would be sequels and prequels and “stories”. Man do they have a butt-load of my cash.
But I’m a little confused, JLM. I thought we had a good time? I know I enjoyed having your eyeballs brush against my words. And from your review, it appears that you liked it too. In fact, I feel like we had a connection. You liked the order of my words, the characters, you were following all of my story lines. You’d invested yourself to the point where you knew you’d never get satisfaction from the remaining fifty pages. That’s the kind of connection a reader and a writer aspire to, isn’t it?
I’m sorry I couldn’t just finish, clean it all up and bounce out of your life like all the other non-serials chippies you clearly enjoy reading. But this story, the one we’ve already started sharing together, the one that actually means something more than twenty minutes of fiction, deserves more than a one-night stand.
Listen, I get the whole, in-n-out thing. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a quickie too. And, the next time you are, might I suggest my novella, Divisible. It’s not your favorite genre, time travel, but it takes place in the future and it’s a pretty thoughtful read. Plus, it’s only 120 pages. I promise, we’ll go hard and you’ll be finished in an hour. You won’t even need to call me the next day.
If you’re looking for something a little longer with an emotional connection, my novel Careful clocks in at 100,000 words and will probably make you cry a few times, especially if you like dogs. The doggy-bags (bags containing dead dogs not leftovers) are quite numerous by the end. If you look at the reviews, those who read it are deeply satisfied in the “smoke a cigarette even though I don’t smoke” sort of way.
But those may not appeal to you because you like time travel. I do too. And I feel terrible that you thought our mutual desire to explore the world through this magical devise could be contained in just one session. But you see, I probably only have one shot at this genre and I want to savor it, take it slow, spread it out over the course of… let’s say six books. And I’m not breaking the books up because I want to. I’m breaking them up because well, when you’re having a good time sometimes it’s best to take break. You wouldn’t watch an entire season of Orange is the New Black in one sitting, would you? (Don’t answer that, I know it doesn’t prove my point.) But practically speaking, nobody buys a 500,000 word book unless it’s written by a Russian (which I’m not) or a ridiculously smart graduate of the Writers’ Workshop (not me either.)
We’ll finish, I guarantee it. Give me a chance. Bring me back to your bed or your couch or the subway or jury duty. I promise, we’ll have fun. After all, Time Phantom II: Copenhagen is only $3.99. A pittance compared to the thousands of dollars and countless hours I’ve spend producing it.
Come on JLM, come back! Let me show you a good time.
May 1, 2017
Divisible: A political novella
I'm in the middle of working on a very elaborate and lengthy time travel series called Time Phantom. The first two books are out and are selling well. I should be focusing my attention on book three and marketing the series.
However, I was so disturbed by the recent presidential election. I've been marching. I've been writing letters. I've been doing all the things one should do to make their voice heard. Then it dawned on me. I could use my writing talents to further the conversation. Shine a light on multiple points of view through my chosen artistic medium.
I wrote Divisible in 4 weeks. It's designed as a quick read meant to provoke thought and excite ideas. I published is last month both as an ebook and paperback. I'm back to working on Time Phantom but am really glad I took that break to write something that was pounding on my heart, my soul.
The lesson for me was to listen to a muse when it's knocking. No, don't just listen. Give it your full attention and dedication. The results, as I hope you'll see if you read it, can be quite powerful.
I'm giving 10 signed copies away here on Goodreads! Contest closes May 31st!
However, I was so disturbed by the recent presidential election. I've been marching. I've been writing letters. I've been doing all the things one should do to make their voice heard. Then it dawned on me. I could use my writing talents to further the conversation. Shine a light on multiple points of view through my chosen artistic medium.
I wrote Divisible in 4 weeks. It's designed as a quick read meant to provoke thought and excite ideas. I published is last month both as an ebook and paperback. I'm back to working on Time Phantom but am really glad I took that break to write something that was pounding on my heart, my soul.
The lesson for me was to listen to a muse when it's knocking. No, don't just listen. Give it your full attention and dedication. The results, as I hope you'll see if you read it, can be quite powerful.
I'm giving 10 signed copies away here on Goodreads! Contest closes May 31st!
May 27, 2014
Virtual Road Trip
I’m participating in a virtual road trip where different authors answer the same four questions. May answers are below. Then, stay on the cyber-highway and read Tiffany Dyer Bird’s Answers. Then, take a moment to answer them for yourself. We’d love to hear what you’re up to!
What am I working on/writing?
I’m currently writing the first book of a new time traveler series called INEKE. Since I’ve just released my novel CAREFUL on May 1st of this year, I’m also working on marketing that book. Like every other author, I’d love to just focus on writing the next book, but the reality is that half the job of being a writer is promoting your work. Just like my abdominals, it’s my weakest muscle and my least favorite thing to work on, but there’s only one way to getter a flatter belly and more sales, so I work it as hard as I can.
How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?
Right now I don’t know if I can say that it does. I’m heavily incorporating politics, religion and sociology into the story, but I can’t think of any good science fiction that doesn’t rely on at least one part of that trinity. Plus, as you’ll see from my answer below, I’m not necessarily after writing something different. For this series I want to write a really solid adventure story using time travel as the plot’s propellant. The mechanics of the time travel are pretty unique, but I can’t divulge that without spoilers. But in the end, I want to write a series that is exactly what people are expecting: action, romance, mystery, and thrills. The twists and turns will be exciting and hopefully unique, but I’m following a formula, so making this book similar to others in its genre is the point.
Why do I write what I do?
I love writing and telling stories. When I started writing in earnest, I followed the “write what you know” rule pretty closely and stuck to ideas, places and experiences that I was familiar with. I’m moving away from that now and exploring situations and places from my imagination. But, ultimately, if we’re talking about why I’m writing what I’m writing right now, I’d have to say, for the money. I want to try my hand at a more commercial piece. Yes, I decided to write my time travel series because that kind of story sells better than literature, which better classifies my first two works. So, the honest answer to that question, right now, is…I want to write a series that will replace my day job. Is that too much to ask?
How does my writing process work?
I keep an ever-evolving outline of my story on my desktop. I collect notes on my iphone, the modern-day notepad. Every few weeks I’ll dump those notes onto my computer and sift though then and incorporate what I like. A few times in the process I’ll lay out notecards. Each card represents a scene and I walk around the notecards placing them in order, then changing that order. While all this is going on, I’m writing 5 to 10 thousand words a week. Starting from the beginning. I like to write from the beginning because then I can discover things that inform the rest of the book. Then I reorder the cards, update the outline, and keep plugging away. The creativity, it should be noted, is fueled by walking and running, the engines of my ideas.
Take a virtual road trip over to Tiffany Dyer’s website where she answers these same questions here.
http://believehopedream.com/writing-a...
Tiffany Dyer Bird is author and illustrator of several books including the Fall of 2014, Happyful, a 52 week whimsically illustrated companion to awaken a more bliss-filled way of living, with special focus on healing, forgiveness, radical self love, practicing compassion & gratitude, sparking adventure, curiosity, creativity, and wonder. Through her blog, podcast, and workshops she emboldens individuals to live passionate (and compassionate) lives that are joy fueled and heart-directed. She speaks internationally on the potency of happiness, of doing good, and the power of love.
What am I working on/writing?
I’m currently writing the first book of a new time traveler series called INEKE. Since I’ve just released my novel CAREFUL on May 1st of this year, I’m also working on marketing that book. Like every other author, I’d love to just focus on writing the next book, but the reality is that half the job of being a writer is promoting your work. Just like my abdominals, it’s my weakest muscle and my least favorite thing to work on, but there’s only one way to getter a flatter belly and more sales, so I work it as hard as I can.
How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?
Right now I don’t know if I can say that it does. I’m heavily incorporating politics, religion and sociology into the story, but I can’t think of any good science fiction that doesn’t rely on at least one part of that trinity. Plus, as you’ll see from my answer below, I’m not necessarily after writing something different. For this series I want to write a really solid adventure story using time travel as the plot’s propellant. The mechanics of the time travel are pretty unique, but I can’t divulge that without spoilers. But in the end, I want to write a series that is exactly what people are expecting: action, romance, mystery, and thrills. The twists and turns will be exciting and hopefully unique, but I’m following a formula, so making this book similar to others in its genre is the point.
Why do I write what I do?
I love writing and telling stories. When I started writing in earnest, I followed the “write what you know” rule pretty closely and stuck to ideas, places and experiences that I was familiar with. I’m moving away from that now and exploring situations and places from my imagination. But, ultimately, if we’re talking about why I’m writing what I’m writing right now, I’d have to say, for the money. I want to try my hand at a more commercial piece. Yes, I decided to write my time travel series because that kind of story sells better than literature, which better classifies my first two works. So, the honest answer to that question, right now, is…I want to write a series that will replace my day job. Is that too much to ask?
How does my writing process work?
I keep an ever-evolving outline of my story on my desktop. I collect notes on my iphone, the modern-day notepad. Every few weeks I’ll dump those notes onto my computer and sift though then and incorporate what I like. A few times in the process I’ll lay out notecards. Each card represents a scene and I walk around the notecards placing them in order, then changing that order. While all this is going on, I’m writing 5 to 10 thousand words a week. Starting from the beginning. I like to write from the beginning because then I can discover things that inform the rest of the book. Then I reorder the cards, update the outline, and keep plugging away. The creativity, it should be noted, is fueled by walking and running, the engines of my ideas.
Take a virtual road trip over to Tiffany Dyer’s website where she answers these same questions here.
http://believehopedream.com/writing-a...
Tiffany Dyer Bird is author and illustrator of several books including the Fall of 2014, Happyful, a 52 week whimsically illustrated companion to awaken a more bliss-filled way of living, with special focus on healing, forgiveness, radical self love, practicing compassion & gratitude, sparking adventure, curiosity, creativity, and wonder. Through her blog, podcast, and workshops she emboldens individuals to live passionate (and compassionate) lives that are joy fueled and heart-directed. She speaks internationally on the potency of happiness, of doing good, and the power of love.
