by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I feel less inclined to talk about this novel as I grow more serious and more confident that it will be as good as I hoped for two years ago. I’d rather be using my time to develop, read and write than write about writing.
And, yet, I do continue to pay for this Website, so I here I am.
One thing that is interesting is two different macro trends are rushing towards each other. On one hand, under the traditional norms of American politics, Biden is cruising towards a possible blowout win. Meanwhile, the rise of fascism in the United States indicates that lulz, that doesn’t matter. Trump is going to rather brazenly steal the election, leaving 60% of the electorate apoplectic.
The question is, of course, how is art going to address this. First, we’re all going to have to accept that there’s going to be a crackdown in the arts in Trump’s second term. The late night hosts will be purged first and foremost. Gradually, people will begin to be pushed out of windows like they are in Russia. Lulz!
But I believe there should be a window of opportunity for a novel such as mine between when Trump steals the election and when, well, things get so bad that Little Green Men snatch people like me off the street.
I have a lot to say about the Trump Era and that’s what my novel is about. My white hot rage against the Trump Administration is the source of the energy necessary to finish this novel (actually one story, two novels.) Hopefully, however, my rage against the vile policies of the Trump won’t come across as preaching in the text itself. I hope to diffuse my rage so much that you can read this novel as simply an interesting thriller and that will be that.
As I keep saying, there are some existential aspects to this story that will be a tip off to my political views, but I can’t help that. From the very beginning of this process, there have been some elements to this story that I wanted to use and I’ve worked very hard to make them organic. So they’re not going anywhere.
And, really, in the end, I believe a lot of other people will be seething with rage about the Trump Era when this novel comes out and some of the more obvious ranting in the novel will find a receptive audience.
