I decided not to cover the electrical thing in the last post, but just suppose?
Let's pretend that something did happen that destroyed the electrical infrastructure. That could be anything from a shortage of gas (everything has consequences, remember?) to terrorist attacks on the electrical system. But the electrical system is gone. Kaput. Finis. No more electricity except the bits and pieces from renewable sources such as home-mounted solar panels or windmills. The solar and wind farms are disconnected from the distribution apparatus because the rest of the infrastructure is totaled.
Without some viable alternative ("You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means") what would happen?
It depends largely on the time of year and the location, but lets just say big city summer, and let's make it an immediate disaster rather than a slow burn.
My opinion:
Most hospitals can't function for more than 24 hours on separate generator power
Radio communication would go down quickly, leaving whatever area was affected in communication blackout
Transmission for cell phones would end (probably within 24 hours)
Lights and air conditioning would end, air movement in most buildings would end
Computers, electric cars, etc, would last through one battery use
Anyone reliant on life support is dead within 24 hours after the power ends unless they can get to a location with backup power
Anyone with refrigerated medication (such as insulin) is dead within 48 hours unless they have access to alternative power
All refrigeration goes down immediately. Stores lose anything that has to be refrigerated within 24 hours. A deep freeze will last up to 72 hours (if you're not mobbed by people coming for your food)
Anyone who cannot leave their home and has no one to help them is dead within two weeks
Since most people in a city environment keep only a week's supply of food on hand, within two weeks the mobs are out looking for anything they can eat
Addicts roam the streets, unable to get their next fix. They target pharmacies, doctors offices, and hospitals
Those people who are left after the first two weeks head for the countryside
So no communication, no hospitals, no refrigeration, no AC...piece of cake.
And no, I'm not going to write this. If you want it, that's your job. :)
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Think (or don't)
Normally I just start writing. I'm a pantser, or another way to put it is a discovery writer. I just sit down and start writing, then work with what comes.
But sometimes I have to sit down and think about things. Not timeline stuff or plot details, but social details. The one I have the most fun with is "How did this culture get this way?"
Sometimes it's very simple; sometimes it takes weeks of work to figure out where the roots are. That leads to more details and a more complete picture of the culture, because if I know how it got that way I can extrapolate other things that might have changed due to the history I discover.
Think of a dystopia in which the original root of all the problems was a foreign borer that got into all the strains of wheat. Well I can start with the character, and I know the situation s/he is in, but that one detail adds layers--did all the wheat die? If so, do they still have bread? I can imagine her going to a museum that grows a 2x2 foot patch of wheat so people can see what most of the world used to eat. The lack of wheat meant that many of the food animals that relied on that wheat also died out, so the current diet is mostly vegetarian with manufactured proteins. So right there, with that one detail of "history," I have an idea of their diet, what their world is like, and if I worked at it I could find hundreds of other details based on that one item--the lack of wheat.
If other grains were or were not affected, that would make a difference as well. How did the government respond? How did individuals respond? If the lack led to rioting, the government could have clamped down and created the dystopian culture for those that were left. A small group of people could have banded together to protect the last of the wheat culture, and they're besieged by the dystopian government.
A lot of this might have nothing to do with the story itself, but it creates a more textured and three dimensional world if I know the history and the present that came out of it.
But sometimes I have to sit down and think about things. Not timeline stuff or plot details, but social details. The one I have the most fun with is "How did this culture get this way?"
Sometimes it's very simple; sometimes it takes weeks of work to figure out where the roots are. That leads to more details and a more complete picture of the culture, because if I know how it got that way I can extrapolate other things that might have changed due to the history I discover.
Think of a dystopia in which the original root of all the problems was a foreign borer that got into all the strains of wheat. Well I can start with the character, and I know the situation s/he is in, but that one detail adds layers--did all the wheat die? If so, do they still have bread? I can imagine her going to a museum that grows a 2x2 foot patch of wheat so people can see what most of the world used to eat. The lack of wheat meant that many of the food animals that relied on that wheat also died out, so the current diet is mostly vegetarian with manufactured proteins. So right there, with that one detail of "history," I have an idea of their diet, what their world is like, and if I worked at it I could find hundreds of other details based on that one item--the lack of wheat.
If other grains were or were not affected, that would make a difference as well. How did the government respond? How did individuals respond? If the lack led to rioting, the government could have clamped down and created the dystopian culture for those that were left. A small group of people could have banded together to protect the last of the wheat culture, and they're besieged by the dystopian government.
A lot of this might have nothing to do with the story itself, but it creates a more textured and three dimensional world if I know the history and the present that came out of it.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Cover Reveal for Dark Spirit
My cover for Dark Spirit is finished!
This story was supposed to be out last October, but *wringing my hands and wailing* it got pushed back because I just couldn't figure out the cover.
So of course it falls together in a day once I make my mind stop playing and actually do some work. :)
Here it is: The second book in the Spirit Cycle.
This story was supposed to be out last October, but *wringing my hands and wailing* it got pushed back because I just couldn't figure out the cover.
So of course it falls together in a day once I make my mind stop playing and actually do some work. :)
Here it is: The second book in the Spirit Cycle.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
I need better words
Today is Thanksgiving. I've been thinking about what I want to say, and how to say it, but the words elude me at the moment. I need better words.
I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful that I have been able to write for the last 2 1/2 years. I am thankful for those who have helped me become a published author this year, and they are many. We are legion. :)
I am thankful that I live in a country that allows the people to determine the shape of the government, even if the "majority" doesn't always choose as I would. We still have that right, to change things if we don't like them.
But even beyond that. Deeper. For the last two years I have been focusing on my writing, and that would not have been possible without a great deal of guidance and help from a higher power. God has helped me in so many ways, I can't even name them all. Some are too personal. Some seemed fleeting and small at the time but in hindsight they gain a greater importance. Others were right there in my face, with the definite implication that saying "accident" or "coincidence" would result in cosmic laughter or a lightning bolt.
Kidding on that last one. I think.
I say "Thank You" every morning and night, and at odd intervals in between. It just doesn't seem enough, for Someone who has been there at every turn. For once, I wish I had better words.
So this year, Thanksgiving is His.
I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful that I have been able to write for the last 2 1/2 years. I am thankful for those who have helped me become a published author this year, and they are many. We are legion. :)
I am thankful that I live in a country that allows the people to determine the shape of the government, even if the "majority" doesn't always choose as I would. We still have that right, to change things if we don't like them.
But even beyond that. Deeper. For the last two years I have been focusing on my writing, and that would not have been possible without a great deal of guidance and help from a higher power. God has helped me in so many ways, I can't even name them all. Some are too personal. Some seemed fleeting and small at the time but in hindsight they gain a greater importance. Others were right there in my face, with the definite implication that saying "accident" or "coincidence" would result in cosmic laughter or a lightning bolt.
Kidding on that last one. I think.
I say "Thank You" every morning and night, and at odd intervals in between. It just doesn't seem enough, for Someone who has been there at every turn. For once, I wish I had better words.
So this year, Thanksgiving is His.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Consequences of a new Technology
We don't often think about what would happen if, but as a writer I think about weird stuff all the time. Quite often it ends up in stories (of the "Be nice to me or I'll kill you in my novel" variety) but sometimes it's just fun to run through possibilities.
This week I want to go over the consequences of a new technology. Not just a new variation on old technology, like an iphone or a DVD, but something really new. I can't find the quote now, although I've seen it three times in the last week. Orson Scott Card, I believe, said something along the lines that there are four stages to discovery: 1) It's impossible 2) it might be possible 3) It's obvious 4)I thought of it first.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries people were just discovering electricity and all the marvels attached to it. Many inventions were tried, most of which have vanished into history. A few are still used today. It was a brand new technology, and everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon. In a very real way, the widespread use of electricity transformed our world.
The fact remains that there's enough power in the atmosphere and the gravitational force of our planet to power everything we need until the planet literally cools. We just don't know how to use it.
What would happen if someone discovered how to use that power, without recourse to utility companies? Well first of all the utility companies would try to prove the people were stealing from them (which is along the same lines as a city saying people are stealing "their" water by catching what runs off the roof) but that's not the point here.
The assumption here is that it's spread on a wide scale, everyone starts using it at once.
My opinion:
The utility companies would close their doors, resulting in an immediate 10% increase in unemployment
Everyone who had invested in those companies would lose their investment
The stock markets worldwide would plunge, probably 40 to 60%
Governments who rely on the electricity companies (they're notoriously slow at adopting good ideas) would shut down--hospitals, schools, military bases, etc.
Other companies who contracted with the utility companies would lose that business and take a next quarter loss. Many would have to close, resulting in another 5% increase in unemployment
Prices for whatever raw materials allowed the new technology would skyrocket, putting the new technology out of the reach of most people. Those who have not yet adopted the technology would be screaming for the electric companies to come back.
The government would declare the technology dangerous (or subversive) and allow it to be used only by "authorized" and properly equipped contractors.
The utility companies would return, using the technology and selling the free power at a massive markup
So that's my opinion. What do you think? What would be the consequences of a new technology?
This week I want to go over the consequences of a new technology. Not just a new variation on old technology, like an iphone or a DVD, but something really new. I can't find the quote now, although I've seen it three times in the last week. Orson Scott Card, I believe, said something along the lines that there are four stages to discovery: 1) It's impossible 2) it might be possible 3) It's obvious 4)I thought of it first.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries people were just discovering electricity and all the marvels attached to it. Many inventions were tried, most of which have vanished into history. A few are still used today. It was a brand new technology, and everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon. In a very real way, the widespread use of electricity transformed our world.
The fact remains that there's enough power in the atmosphere and the gravitational force of our planet to power everything we need until the planet literally cools. We just don't know how to use it.
What would happen if someone discovered how to use that power, without recourse to utility companies? Well first of all the utility companies would try to prove the people were stealing from them (which is along the same lines as a city saying people are stealing "their" water by catching what runs off the roof) but that's not the point here.
The assumption here is that it's spread on a wide scale, everyone starts using it at once.
My opinion:
The utility companies would close their doors, resulting in an immediate 10% increase in unemployment
Everyone who had invested in those companies would lose their investment
The stock markets worldwide would plunge, probably 40 to 60%
Governments who rely on the electricity companies (they're notoriously slow at adopting good ideas) would shut down--hospitals, schools, military bases, etc.
Other companies who contracted with the utility companies would lose that business and take a next quarter loss. Many would have to close, resulting in another 5% increase in unemployment
Prices for whatever raw materials allowed the new technology would skyrocket, putting the new technology out of the reach of most people. Those who have not yet adopted the technology would be screaming for the electric companies to come back.
The government would declare the technology dangerous (or subversive) and allow it to be used only by "authorized" and properly equipped contractors.
The utility companies would return, using the technology and selling the free power at a massive markup
So that's my opinion. What do you think? What would be the consequences of a new technology?
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Weird Question #837
Hey! Probably closer to number 897,463, but I don't have that many fingers.
Although I'll give my opinion I'd like some discussion.
We know that the crude oil/natural gas resources of the world are finite, and according to some sources we've nearly reached the "hockey-stick" or "j-curve" point where oil usage for the world is out of control. We're quickly approaching the PONR (Point of No Return) at which consumption outstrips production beyond the capacity of various regulatory agencies to hide the fact. Yes, at that point prices will skyrocket, but gone is gone.
At some point in the future, gas and oil will be gone regardless of how much we try to hide the fact. Increased efficiency and new sources will only take us so far. Oil companies and utility companies have no reason to look into alternatives and in many cases are actively antagonistic, as evidenced by the increasing number of lawsuits by big oil and utility companies against other companies selling solar or wind alternatives. They have a monopoly, they don't want the competition.
So taking into consideration the fact that resources are finite, that there is little research being done in viable alternatives, and that embedded interests (scientific, economic and governmental) are doing their best to keep our heads in the sand, what do you think will happen when the oil does run out? This is under the assumption that viable alternatives are not found in the meantime.
My opinion:
Governments will try to hide the fact as long as possible so as to avoid a panic
Permanent rationing will go into effect but it will be blamed on terrorists or economic factors rather than scarcity
Resources will be reallocated so that governments can continue to run, further increasing the strain on citizens credulity
"Insurrections" will be put down with increasing force and brutality as people try to protect themselves from the growing chaos
As resources are reallocated, food distribution will start to break down, resulting in chaos and panic
People will run to the countryside, expecting to find food. Rumors about "hoarders" and "stockpiles" will cause further panic
The countryside is stripped bare by people looking for food
Mass starvation and disease
Armed camps spring up to protect the remaining resources
Governments confiscate what they can, destroy what they can't in an effort to maintain their power
So what's your opinion? Local, national or international consequences of one resource disappearing.
Next: Consequences of a new technology
Although I'll give my opinion I'd like some discussion.
We know that the crude oil/natural gas resources of the world are finite, and according to some sources we've nearly reached the "hockey-stick" or "j-curve" point where oil usage for the world is out of control. We're quickly approaching the PONR (Point of No Return) at which consumption outstrips production beyond the capacity of various regulatory agencies to hide the fact. Yes, at that point prices will skyrocket, but gone is gone.
At some point in the future, gas and oil will be gone regardless of how much we try to hide the fact. Increased efficiency and new sources will only take us so far. Oil companies and utility companies have no reason to look into alternatives and in many cases are actively antagonistic, as evidenced by the increasing number of lawsuits by big oil and utility companies against other companies selling solar or wind alternatives. They have a monopoly, they don't want the competition.
So taking into consideration the fact that resources are finite, that there is little research being done in viable alternatives, and that embedded interests (scientific, economic and governmental) are doing their best to keep our heads in the sand, what do you think will happen when the oil does run out? This is under the assumption that viable alternatives are not found in the meantime.
My opinion:
Governments will try to hide the fact as long as possible so as to avoid a panic
Permanent rationing will go into effect but it will be blamed on terrorists or economic factors rather than scarcity
Resources will be reallocated so that governments can continue to run, further increasing the strain on citizens credulity
"Insurrections" will be put down with increasing force and brutality as people try to protect themselves from the growing chaos
As resources are reallocated, food distribution will start to break down, resulting in chaos and panic
People will run to the countryside, expecting to find food. Rumors about "hoarders" and "stockpiles" will cause further panic
The countryside is stripped bare by people looking for food
Mass starvation and disease
Armed camps spring up to protect the remaining resources
Governments confiscate what they can, destroy what they can't in an effort to maintain their power
So what's your opinion? Local, national or international consequences of one resource disappearing.
Next: Consequences of a new technology
Thursday, November 7, 2013
As A Reader
A few weeks ago I was reading a blog post that talked about what readers want from a writer. Outside of the creative part, it said that most readers want to know the writer, to feel like they're a friend.
Oddly, what I most want to know about writers is "When is your next book coming out," but that's part of the creative stuff, I guess.
So I was thinking about my blog. This particular blog is for my readers. I also have a writers blog, and my crazy herb lady blog, and a seed exchange blog, and...Um, I think my interests are rather varied. And obsessive.
I was thinking about what my readers might like to know about me, and I kept coming up blank. What would I like to know about my favorite writers?
"When is your next book coming out?" which brings me right back to the beginning. I have no idea what my readers might like to know, but I know that whatever I say is probably going to be TMI. If so, I apologize in advance.
Your continued perusal of this blog is acknowledgment that I am human. Deal with it.
Oddly, what I most want to know about writers is "When is your next book coming out," but that's part of the creative stuff, I guess.
So I was thinking about my blog. This particular blog is for my readers. I also have a writers blog, and my crazy herb lady blog, and a seed exchange blog, and...Um, I think my interests are rather varied. And obsessive.
I was thinking about what my readers might like to know about me, and I kept coming up blank. What would I like to know about my favorite writers?
"When is your next book coming out?" which brings me right back to the beginning. I have no idea what my readers might like to know, but I know that whatever I say is probably going to be TMI. If so, I apologize in advance.
Your continued perusal of this blog is acknowledgment that I am human. Deal with it.
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