My need to one up the author of this thriller I’m reading is growing white hot. The reason is, he’s got me hooked — event though I find the whole thing rather meh — and I want to figure out how to achieve the same effect in my four novels.
One way I’m hooked is I want to know why his heroine acts the way she does. Given that by the time I get around to the two novels in the series that would be the most direct in their similarity to this novel I will have laid out exactly why my heroine acts the way she does, I now have to up my game.
This is the fun part of development — when I have a challenging problem to fix in an interesting, organic and innovative manner. I live for stuff like this. But even with the novels that are vaguely similar to this thriller, I’m coming at things in a dramatically different fashion.
My personality and vision are obviously very, very, very different from the author of this thriller. There are some gauzy similarities in our visions, but some of it is just coincidence and some of it is form follows function.
That, of course, doesn’t stop me from frantically trying to think up ways to make it clear that MY series is far more interesting and unique than this series I’m reading. I’m kind of OCD about such things.
As I continue to read this thriller, I feel my sense of competitiveness kicking in. I have a fucking huge chip on my shoulder as it is when it comes to this project, to see someone else’s interpretation of Lisbeth Salander on the page is enough to get my juices flowing.
I’m beginning to get the sense that the author is really trying hard to appeal to the overlap of Lisbeth Salander and Jack Reacher fans. There’s something less-than-organic about this. To me, the point is to tell a great story with a clear vision and then, to figure out how to fit that vision within the general conventions of the genre you’re trying to fit within.
For the moment, at least, I find this novel…meh.
Something about it grates on my nerves and I have yet to pin it down. It all seems very by-the-numbers. The author is screaming on the page, “PLEASE LOVE HER, SHE’S JUST LIKE WHAT YOU REMEMBER OF LISBETH SALANDER.”
We love you, babe.
Ugh.
There are two things about Salander that make her iconic — one, she’s not very likeable, and, two, her character was fleshed out before the whole kicking ass and taking names part started. Now, obviously Larsson was gratuitous in the amount of backstory and exposition he wrote to get to that point, but the fact remains that we gradually got to know Salander.
But there is one thing I realize now — I need to make it more clear what kind of novel readers are getting into from the get-go. I just don’t have any wiggle room. I have to throw everything I have at the audience from the beginning to hook them.
I’ve picked up a thriller that’s very much in the milieu of the four novels I’m developing and writing. It’s obviously, just like my project, very influenced by Stieg Larsson’s original Millennium series. What’s interesting is how different people take different things away from the series.
This book’s author obviously is leaning into the vigilante aspect of Lisbeth Salander’s personality. The novel is very well written, and, yet, it’s sufficiently different from what I’m working on that I don’t feel that threatened. The novel is, so far, pretty much a generic thriller that wants to create an American Lisbeth Salander.
The Icon.
I want to do that, too, but my interpretation of the Salander trope is dramatically — and I mean dramatically — different. In fact, now that I’m writing four novels, for the time being Mare Of Easttown is a bigger influence than Larsson.
And, I will note, that if you study The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Salander isn’t really the hero of the story — that’s Mikael Blomkvist. The author of this book I’m reading wants to get straight into the story of his Salander-type character. And, what’s more he definitely seems to want to appeal to Jack Reacher fans, to the point that he has a quote from Lee Child in support of the book.
But a key element of Salander is she had a very weird upbringing that we gradually get to learn more about over the course of two books. With the book I’m reading now, we’re just plunged straight into the character’s vigilantism. One of the rules of thumb about writing a successful novel is, “Tell a old story in a new way or an new story in an old way.”
And, of course, there is the very real notion of “There’s nothing new under the sun.”
As such, I have to get over myself. If I was to come up with something that was completely and totally unique, a publisher wouldn’t know what to do with it marketing wise and it would turn readers off because they wouldn’t have anything to compare it to.
So, I need to chill.
It’s ok if someone has written something vaguely in the same vein as what I’m working on. It’s inevitable that someone would want to create an American Salander. For the time being, at least, it definitely seems I’m safe in continuing to develop and write these four novels. Each of the four novels is a very compelling story, enough so that I’m willing to throw my entire life into finishing them.
What’s more, the novels I’m working on are far more character driven than what I’ve read so far of this novel. From the first two chapters, it definitely seems as though the author is more concerned with the action adventure thriller elements of the Millennium series as opposed to the character elements that I find interesting.
Another thing — the thing that got me writing a novel — now novels — in the first place was my white hot rage against Trumplandia. That rage was always the thing that generated the energy necessary for me to write a novel. That need to address the bullshit of the Trump Era is another thing that definitely makes what I’m working on different than this book.
I’m obviously working against the headwinds of being older, not being formally educated in creative writing and not having gone to an Ivy League school, but lulz, fuck the haters.
Unfrozen Caveman Governor Ron DeSantis said recently he did not want to hear a “blip” from Biden about his COVID response until Biden addressed the border crisis. (This is whataboutism bullshit, but, lulz.)
Ron DeSantis
But it’s his use of the term “blip” that really bothering me. Why did he use the strange phraseology? Usually, one would say, “I don’t want to hear a word…” about this or that thing.
DeSantis’ team must have workshopped that statement because of this “blip -> flip — > fuck.” So, in essence, DeSantis, with a wink and a nod was saying, “I don’t want to hear a fuck…” in a very round about way.
Anyway, fuck — or blip — DeSantis. What a fucking autocratic piece of shit.
I have no inside knowledge about what Trump may have known about the January 6th Insurrection, but I do have a sense of how he thinks. I also have noticed some things about him over the last five years of terror and here’s my general sense of what Trump knew — or didn’t know — about what happened on January 6th.
Given what Trump was ranting about leading up to the event, it seems safe to believe that the goal of the “plot” was to scare the shit out of Mike Pence specifically. So, in general, the plot was to gather a bunch of bonkers MAGA people together near the Capitol, give them a bunch of hype speeches then direct them to attack the Capitol where they would either a) simply buy them time b) succeed in scaring the shit out of Mike Pence so he wouldn’t certify the vote.
Other than that, there was a lot of vague activity with the general goal of either buying time or scaring Mike Pence, but I doubt Trump, himself, knew all that many details. Because, Trump is so incapable of keeping a secret that we would know specific what he did know! So when he tweeted something like “January 6th is going to be lit!” that’s a direct indication of what was rolling around Trump’s mind.
But there is a caveat to all of this.
One is, even if we learn specifically what Trump knew and when he knew it, Trump continues to be politically above the law so…lulz. There is absolutely nothing we can do to hurt Trump politically. He will continue to linger in the shadows of America politics, waiting to pop out to destroy American democracy once and for all.
But wait, there’s more! Even if somehow we magically end Trump’s political career, there are a dozen would-be autocrats who will use what they learned from what happened on January 6th, then do exactly the same thing or worse in an effort to nullify a Biden 2024 win.
There’s a lot of hype within the center-Left echo chamber about how Texas is “one day” going to swing Blue because of macro economic trends. All things being equal, if we were still a functioning liberal democracy — and if Texas Republicans were collectively lobotomized — this would be true.
But we’re not a functioning democracy and Texas Republicans know damn well they’re on the cusp of losing power if people vote so — they don’t want people to vote.
Texas Republicans are growing more and more autocratic in leaps and bounds to the point that I believe the only way they will ever allow Texas to turn Blue is if they’ve been destroyed and no longer have the ability to do anything about it. In other words, only after a Second American Civil War has destroyed the state of Texas as we know it and it’s being Reconstructed afterwards will Texas ever be allowed to vote for a Democratic president.
A Blue Texas would doom Republican hopes for the presidency to such an extent that not even Florida being a safe Red state now could help the situation. Add to this how fucking hysterical and anti-democratic Texas Republicans are on an systemic, existential basis and there is absolutely no fucking way they will ever allow the state to shift Blue peacefully.
The absolute white hot rage that Texas Republicans have about the mere notion of the state turning Blue is pretty much what’s going on in general with the national Republican Party. It is very tragic, but it’s clear to me now that only as the by product of a tragic, avoidable civil war will the United States ever be a functioning liberal democracy again. It’s possible that the U.S. Military might step in to fix all the problems necessary to get us back on the democratic track, but unlikely.
So you can add an autocratic Texas to the long list of macro trends that indicate we’re either going to slip peacefully into the autocratic rule of a white Christian ethno state — or we’re going to have a fucking civil war.
I have no idea what is going to happen at this point.
From what I’m able to glean, the MAGA New Right wants us to believe that COVID19 is just part of modern life now AND they want to attack the Biden Administration for “not doing as well” as the Trump Administration did handling the pandemic.
My reaction to the MAGA New Right’s views on COVID19.
As such, the MAGA New Right is absolutely against mask and vaccine mandates and changing people’s lives in any way to address the lingering COVID19 crisis — and yet also wants to scream bloody murder that Biden hasn’t solve it, which apparently Trump was on his way to doing but for the evil Deep State “stealing” the 2020 election from him.
Now, I have to note that for the time being, this working — and may ultimately work to the extent necessary to flip Congress for the MAGA New Right in 2022. So, in essence, this paradoxical media narrative will be a success.
And, yet, the MAGA New Right has a problem — there is a real risk that the metrics that matter most will start to hurt their political chances. If it becomes clear that something, anything has to be done to mitigate the COVID19 uptick currently happening in Red States, then there might be a frantic too-little, too-late struggle to reverse course in mid stream.
This will be even more the case if some variant pops out that blows past our existing vaccine regimen and throws us back to square one.
But as it stands, Republicans literally would rather have a lot of people die of COVID than miss a chance to “own the libs.” To that extent, the MAGA New Right is a literal personality death cult.
If people like Ron DeSantis have a come-to-Jesus moment about COVID19, it will be so sudden, so unexpected that we will all be left in shock. And, honestly, the only way that will happen is if they see some sort of political advantage — a way to “own the libs,” if you will — by doing so.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of those divisive political figures whose entire world could be changed if there was a severe crisis in the United States in January 2025 as I predict. When the type of existential choice of civil war, military junta or autocracy presents itself to a nation, it’s usually people like AOC who get shoved into a situation where they can rise to the occasion.
But, let’s talk more mundane things: is she going to primary Charles Schumer?
This is a complicated question because AOC is nationally popular within the national center-Left, but is so much of a lightening rod that she turns off a lot of moderates. And the only way she’s going to defeat Schumer is if she banks Right to the point that she no longer spooks moderates. But should would have to do it in such a way that she did not alienate the progressives who love her so much.
So…I dunno.
The case could be made that given that it would be a primary that she could use her Leftist support to win it, THEN bank Right for the general.
If she does mange to pull of that hat trick, then she is going to hurtle towards a battle royal with VP Kamala Harris to succeeded Biden — who I just don’t see running for a second term, no matter what he may have us believe.
But, as I mentioned, AOC is just the type of person who history would point its finger at if we face the historic, existential choice in January 2025 of autocracy, civil war or military junta. If that happens, everything will get scrambled in a jaw dropping manner to the point that we might see AOC cozy up with the leaders of the #NeverTrump movement.
A few pink political elephants exist whenever one talks about AOC. Traditional politics would dictate that she has about four years to get married and have a kid — in that order. She needs to do it, like NOW. But she is a Leftist darling, so, lulz, what do I know. I will also note that I am in awe that not one — not one! — bikini picture has surfaced of her since she caught national attention. AOC is a bombshell and the amount of forethought necessary for her political team to eliminate any photographic evidence of a what a babe she is, is impressive.
I think it’s annoying that it would hurt her politically if such a photo did come out — I mean, come on. But that’s the world we live in.
Yet, the key thing is — AOC has a greater-than-zero chance of at some point becoming a latter day TR if we somehow enter a Second Progressive Era. But I’m always wrong, so lulz.
I continue to see a lot of shock and puzzlement on the part of Twitter liberals as to the behavior of putative 2024 Republican presidential nominee, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. But to me, DeSantis’ behavior seems completely logical relative to his goal of being elected president. Here’s why:
Negative Polarization Is Now Absolute I can’t stress enough how absolute negative polarization is now in the United States, at least from my practical experience. It’s so absolute that the base of the Republican Party would rather people die than accept that COVID19 is a national health crisis. So, in a sense, yes, the MAGA New Right is a personality death cult. The wild thing is that, on an individual basis, the average MAGA New Right person doesn’t see themselves as being racist or misogynistic or any of the things that collective the MAGA New Right obviously is.
2022 (Or 2024) Is A Long Ways Away Politically DeSantis is calculating that given how popular being an autocrat to “own the libs” is with the base of the Republican Party that he can actively work to kill voters and by the time 2022 (or 2024) rolls around it will all be a lulz. The pandemic will be over and the only thing stopping him from slingshotting himself into the presidency will be the 300 pound sack of shit known as Donald Trump. Lulz! Autocracy Is Popular Even though most MAGA people don’t really think in terms of autocracy, they definitely support it. My fear of a white Christian ethno state based on “blood and soil” is their dream — they fully embrace the “cruelty is the point” of Trumplandia. Of course, what will happen is autocracy will arrive and they will be shocked when a family member is murdered in cold blood by ICE or they can’t say what they like freely in a bar. But by that point, it will be too late and they, at least will have “owned the libs” forever. The National MAGA New Right Electorate What DeSantis is doing is the political equivalent of finger banging the national MAGA New Right base. They love, love, LOVE all his “lib owning” and autocratic, thuggish behavior that puts him on the national stage. They want MAGA without Trump so everything is strictly a policy debate. If that’s the case, then they win because they can both sides everything or simply shrug and say fuck you, lib.
The thing about the Escape From movies is they are much beloved, but they’re also ripe for a reboot. As I recall, at the end of Escape From LA, the world came to an end, so, lulz.
So, I would take the general conceit of the movies and make the first movie in a new franchise — staring Jennifer Lawrence as a female Snake Plissken, natch — would be Escape From America. In this movie, Trump finally got his fucking wall — a real wall, not the dumb fence he wanted to call a wall — and our intrepid protagonist has to escape from the United States by getting over the wall.
It would be so cool!
You could have all the guards and maintenance crew of the wall be Mexican. You could root around in the practical implications of such a fucking dumb idea becoming reality.
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