R. Kirk White's Blog

March 5, 2015

Becoming a Writer

R Kirk White Extinction Square I wanted to say hello to everyone at Goodreads. This online forum is a great place for authors and readers to interact, to give recommendations and advice, to exchange ideas. What a great site for loves-of-the-written-word to hang out!

In my first post written exclusively for Goodreads I’d like to answer that age old question: Why did I become an author? I’d be lying if I said I had not thought about it over the years.I love literature, I really do. Not in an academic way, but as a window to new places, or a journey that helps me draw closer to the person I’d always hoped I’d be. Novels are a way out: out of the mundane, out of the restrictions of everyday life, out of the limits we impose upon ourselves. However, writing a novel is time intensive with no guarantee of any discernible economic reward. So, by necessity, sustenance took center stage over literary ambitions for a large block of my adult life. Interestingly, I found that the longer I put financial considerations above everything else the easier it got. The further I got from paycheck-to-paycheck living the more life opened up and the harder it was for me to get off the treadmill.

And then it was over. The treadmill broke. My stable work situation was suddenly not so stable. Work that had become so demanding no longer seemed worth the effort. Life was finite and it was passing me by. A summer opened up and my excuses ran out. I knew if I was ever going to write it was now or never.

Starting the long road to authorship was a particularly daunting challenge. I was well aware it would take incredible discipline, sacrifice, and focus. Long hours would be spent toiling in obscurity often wondering if I had what it takes, or if what I did would ever really matter. Yet, I knew in my heart, I would regret it if I let this opportunity pass me by. So it began.

Yes, I thought about quitting a number of times; like when I was stuck not being able to envision a satisfying way to move the story along, or when I would wake up and see that what appeared to be so brilliant the night before had dissolved into mediocrity in the morning light. But I have always been stubborn and persistent. So, I’d dust myself off, pick myself up and head back to the laptop.

My ace in the hole was my rock-hard faith that I had a great premise for the science/fiction adventure I wanted to create. I have always been a science buff finding nanotechnology particularly fascinating. If physicists are ever able to actually create self-replicating nanobots, that build matter up from the molecular level, they will surely open up a Pandora’s Box. Nanobots have the potential to eventually provide for nearly all of mankind’s material needs, or they could just as easily wipe out all life on earth if they were specifically designed to do that.

Now suppose that tomorrow some obscure physicist announces that he has made the breakthrough. What would happen to this world we’re all so familiar with after the first viable nanobot is created? Would these tiny machines be used for good or evil? Would the foundation of a utopia start to take shape or would a power-hungry oligarchy design nanobots with nefarious intent? What about ordinary individuals just going about their daily lives who get caught in the crossfire? Would they look the other way as evil became the norm, or would they risk everything to oppose it?

I can’t tell you the exact moment when I knew I would see this project through to completion. As the plot unfolded and the characters took shape the story took on a life of its own. I would follow inspiration where ever it led as it branched out to new and necessary scenes ushering in unexpected characters along the way. At other times, I’d hit a dead end and be forced to circle back to pick up the story-line again. Yet, through it all, the anguish and the elation, the world that I was creating was coming into focus.

Five years later the "Square_World Trilogy" was complete. I’d love to invite you into to this adventure. A new and exciting world awaits and all it takes on your part is the same thing I needed to begin the journey: A leap of faith.
Extinction Square by R Kirk White
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Published on March 05, 2015 19:25

Becoming a Writer

Picture  

I wanted to say hello to everyone at Goodreads. This online forum is a great place for authors and readers to interact, to give recommendations and advice, to exchange ideas. What a great site for loves-of-the-written-word to hang out!

In my first post written exclusively for Goodreads I’d like to answer that age old question: Why did I become an author? I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it over the years. I love literature, I really do. Not in an academic way, but as a window to new places, or a journey that helps me draw closer to the person I’d always hoped I’d be. Novels are a way out: out of the mundane, out of the restrictions of everyday life, out of the limits we impose upon ourselves. However, writing a novel is time intensive with no guarantee of any discernible economic reward. So, by necessity, sustenance took center stage over literary ambitions for a large block of my adult life. Interestingly, I found that the longer I put financial considerations above everything else the easier it got. The further I got from paycheck-to-paycheck living the more life opened up and the harder it was for me to get off the treadmill.

And then it was over. The treadmill broke. My stable work situation was suddenly not so stable. Work that had become so demanding no longer seemed worth the effort. Life was finite and it was passing me by. A summer opened up and my excuses ran out. I knew if I was ever going to write it was now or never.

Starting the long road to authorship was a particularly daunting challenge. I was well aware it would take incredible discipline, sacrifice, and focus. Long hours would be spent toiling in obscurity often wondering if I had what it takes, or if what I did would ever really matter. Yet, I knew in my heart, I would regret it if I let this opportunity pass me by. So it began.

Yes, I thought about quitting a number of times; like when I was stuck not being able to envision a satisfying way to move the story along, or when I would wake up and see that what appeared to be so brilliant the night before had dissolved into mediocrity in the morning light. But I have always been stubborn and persistent. So, I’d dust myself off, pick myself up and head back to the laptop.

My ace in the hole was that I knew I had a great premise for the science/fiction adventure I wanted to create. I have always been a science buff finding nanotechnology particularly fascinating. If physicists are ever able to actually create self-replicating nanobots, that build matter up from the molecular level, they will surely open up a Pandora’s Box. Nanobots could eventually provide for nearly all of mankind’s basic necessities, or they could just as easily wipe out all life on earth depending on what they are designed to do.

Now suppose that tomorrow some obscure physicist announces that he has made the breakthrough. What would happen to this world we’re all so familiar with after the first viable nanobot is created? Would these tiny machines be used for good or evil? Would the foundation of a utopia start to take shape or would a power-hungry oligarchy design nanobots with nefarious intent? What about ordinary individuals just going about their daily lives who get caught in the crossfire? Would they look the other way as evil became the norm, or would they risk everything to oppose it?

I can’t tell you the exact moment when I knew I would see this project through to completion. As the plot unfolded and the characters took shape the story took on a life of its own. I would follow inspiration where it led as it branched out to new and necessary scenes ushering in unexpected characters along the way. At other times I’d hit a dead end and be forced to circle back to pick up the storyline again. Yet, through it all, the anguish and the elation, the world that I was creating was coming into focus. Five years later the Square_World Trilogy was complete. I’d love to invite you into to this adventure. A new and exciting world awaits and all it takes on your part is the same thing I needed to begin the journey: A leap of faith.

 

 

 

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Published on March 05, 2015 14:51

February 13, 2015

The Square_World Trilogy is Complete

Picture I am delighted to announce that my Square_World Trilogy is now complete. The ebooks are a blend of realism, science-fiction, and spirituality. The creation of self-replicating nanobots opens up the door to paradise or hell-on-earth depending on what they are designed to do. In the final enovel of the series,  Extinction Square  , the fate of the world falls into the hands the least expected. Just normal people going about their lives forced to choose between giving wickedness a free reign, or risking everything to stand up to evil incarnate. Square Water , The Square Root of Evil , & Extinction Square  , are available at Amazon. I write under the pen name R Kirk White. Hope you enjoy the ride.
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Published on February 13, 2015 15:52

August 19, 2014

Near Death Experiences: Is Death the End?

Picture    I recently saw the movie "Heaven is for Real" and it got me thinking about Near Death Experiences. The movie is based on a four-year-old's account of a trip he made to heaven while on the operating table. It is based on a true story, but I'll let you judge about the accuracy of the boy's account. I'll just say it was a very enjoyable movie and the 4 year old actor did a wonderful job playing the part.
   I researched Near Death Experiences many years ago after reading the book Life After Life. So many 1st & 2nd hand accounts of N.D.E.s have been uploaded to the web that it's getting harder to tell the truth from half-truths from the crap. More recently many videos have been posted on YouTube from people who have experienced the phenomenon. In general, the personal ones where someone is telling his, or her, story without embellishment, and without trying to get you to buy their book, are the most believable.  
   Now, as to whether or not Near Death Experiences are real, or if there is some other rational explanation for them the very best site I found on the subject was written by a nurse, Penny Sartori, who has been treating critically ill patients for a long time. She has taken a scientific approach to trying to understand what happens when people report leaving their physical bodies when clinically dead or near death. I am providing the link to this site so those of you who are interested can check it our for yourself. Here is the link Near Death Experiences
   I am a Christian, but I'm not pushing any agenda here. Just check out the site when you have the time and draw your own conclusion. If you approach this with an open, analytical mind I think you will come out with a greater appreciation for life. 
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Published on August 19, 2014 13:14

July 18, 2014

Be Flexible

PictureTennis Anyone?     Summer is here. For me that means hitting the tennis courts.  I've always had a love of tennis. Just me and a ball and the guy across the net from me. I've had some great times slamming the ball back and forth with a worthy opponent. Along the way I have enjoyed some exhilarating wins and some crushing defeats. But some of the best times were just me and a friend battling our hearts out for nothing more than a hard fought victory and a handshake afterwards. However, after my tennis partner of many years bowed out I found it harder and harder to find someone to play. 
    The problem was finally resolved when I joined a Flex League. 
The concept is simple. Everyone pays a fee and signs up for seasonal leagues with players who are around the same skill level. One week I am designated the home team and another week I am the visiting team. We play all over Broward County. I pick where we play when I'm the home team and my opponent picks the courts when I am the visitor. At the end of the season the top players make the playoffs. 
     So far the league had been a blast. Most of the guys I've played have been nice, and I've played on a number of new courts all over the county. It's a great excuse to get out and enjoy summer. There's none of the snobbishness of the country clubs, or the self-promotion of the U.S.T.A., which is a joke. You pay a annual fee to join the United States Tennis Association and get sales pitches for overpriced gear and for discount tickets to matches nobody wants to see and not much else. So, if you want to get in shape, meet new people, and play at new venues check out the Flex Leagues.  See you on the courts:)
    
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Published on July 18, 2014 09:55

May 15, 2014

Announcing a science/fiction e-novel review exchange

Picture E-publishing has opened the door to nearly everyone who wants to publish. Unfortunately with thousands and thousands of e-novels being published it is becoming harder and harder for new novelists to find an audience. I always intended that this blog be a forum for e-publishing: a place where authors and readers could exchange information and ideas about the process of creating and publishing original e-novels and short stories. With that in mind I have decided to add a review exchange for science/fiction writers. 

The premise is simple. Any novelist who would like to have someone review his, or her work, would submit a request by filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page. (This information will only be shared with like-minded novelists). All review requests will be listed on this forum. If another novelist decides to read and review your work, you would, in turn, agree to read and review his, or her, work. Both parties would agree to download, read, and review each other's e-novel and post the reviews on Amazon. This would get new readers for both participants and new reviews. (Yea, it would cost you a few dollars to download a book, but you would also be selling your book.)

To participate in this exchange you must agree to be polite, courteous, respectful, and nice. No derogatory or profane comments permitted. Remember, we have all worked very hard on our stories. If there are major flaws in the work you read, in spelling, formatting, or simple logic please share this information privately with the party involved. It is my hope that this added exposure will uncover some truly original and deserving e-novels and novelists.  Name * First Last Email * Comment * Submit
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Published on May 15, 2014 16:19

April 4, 2014

The Square Root of Evil

Picture I am very happy to announce that The Square Root of Evil is now available on Amazon. It is the second e-novel of my Square_World Trilogy.


The Square_World I write about is our world a few months in the future. A breakthrough in nanotechnology has opened the door to paradise on hell-on-earth depending on how it is used. In Square Water , the first e-novel of the series, Dr. Harrison, a physicist, designs the first viable nanobot that builds water up from the atomic level by snapping together 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O).  His discovery has the potential to end water shortages the world over. However, nanobots can be incredibly beneficial or unimaginably destructive depending on what they are designed to do. A secret international criminal alliance plots to kidnap Dr. Harrison and steal his discovery. (For Square Water I used R Kirk White as author.)



In The Square Root of Evil a mercenary who used to work for the world elite has started hunting and assassinating the one-percent. He calls himself Judgment Day. His modus operandi is to kidnap his targets, inject them with a lethal drug, and ask if there is anything they would like to be forgiven for in few minutes they have left. One victim confesses that he put out a terminate-with-extreme-prejudice contract on Dr. Harrison. The inventor of the Square Water nanobot designed a new nanobot, Hydrogen Squared, that produces hydrogen. This new, clean-burning, fuel source threatens to make gasoline powered engines obsolete. An international oil consortium allocates vast sums of money to hire mercenaries and to pay off members of Congress to sanction the murder of Dr. Harrison, his family, and his friends. The Judgment Day killer must decide whether to continue his vendetta against the one-percent or risk exposure by trying to save the physicist from some very dangerous adversaries. (For The Square Root of Evil   I used my full name Richard Kirk White as author.)

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Published on April 04, 2014 16:59

February 1, 2014

Be Nice and see where it leads

Picture    It's a new year. This is the year I decided to take total charge of my life. I have a new look, a new e-novel I'm polishing for publication,  a new set of priorities, a new routine, and a  new attitude. This inward assurance comes after a year upheaval and change. When my long time job ended I was faced with two undeniable consequences: There's no going back to what I had, and my time is finite. So I rearranged my priorities. #1 Be nice and see where it leads. It's a simple thing to remember and it has already helped me focus on the positive and not get dragged down by the different little irritating thing that happen all the time. #2: Find something to enjoy about each day. After all each new day is a gift. Try not to squander it. #3: My health: I work out hard and regularly because it is the surest way to remain vibrant. It delays the aging process. It give me more options, more energy, and leads to more opportunities. #4: My writing is more important to me now than work. This is where I get to be creative and have my say. Hopefully a time will come when I can support myself entirely by my writing. Until then, I will continue to work, but I have cut back to part-time. #6 Always be open to a new love or a new adventure. Love makes the world go round. Don't be afraid to express your love. Don't sit at home feeling sorry for yourself if you are between loves. Think of each new day as a new adventure. It seems to me that the best way to build a satisfying life, or to find you true love is to Be nice and see where it leads. Let's all have a great adventure this year!

 





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Published on February 01, 2014 15:51

December 20, 2013

What I'm Thankful For

Picture Here we are in the holiday season again. There are so many things I'm thankful for. #1: I'm thankful for another sweet day of life. #2: I'm thankful for the good health I enjoy. #3: I'm thankful for the people I love and the people who love me. #4: I'm thankful I live in America. I know it has its faults, and there are many things we need to improve, but America is the freest large country on the face of the earth. Does anyone really think they would have the same opportunity to pursue his, or her, dreams in Russia, or China, or India? #5: I'm thankful for the internet, how it has opened up opportunity for average people. #6: Along those lines I'm thankful for e-publishing that allows me to put my writing out there for all to see without having to bow to the Lords of the publishing industry. #7: I'm thankful I have the opportunity to share my thoughts with anyone who is willing to read them. I wish you all a wonderful, happy, loving Christmas and a New Year that is filled with success and joy.
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Published on December 20, 2013 10:39

November 8, 2013

Bullies & Incognito

Picture     The story with the Dolphins and Incognito has transcended sports and put a spotlight on bullying. Let's face it, most of us have had to deal with bullies at one time or another. Sometimes the abuse is physical, sometimes mental, sometimes both. What bullying boils down to is intimidation. And it will never end until you stand up to the bully. Until you confront your bully the threat of him, or her, ruining  your day will always be in the back of your mind, like a coke whore who's always worrying about running out of coke. Bullies use intimidation to control you, or in prison terms they own your ass
    I have heard some people speaking against confronting the bully saying things like, "so you confront the bully and you get your ass kicked, then what?" What this boils down to is simple: do you want to be in charge of your life or not? You have to make the bully understand that he will come out on the losing end if he continues to harass you. If you get in a fight with a bully and lose, you can buy pepper spray for less than $20 bucks. the next time you see the bully pepper spray him, then beat the shit out of him. Let him know he ever comes after you again you will put him in the hospital, and is that doesn't stop it, the grave. Screw 'em. Nobody has the right to bully you. It's everyone's basic right to defend himself.
    Now things get complicated if you are being bullied at work by a superior. In that case, document every abusive comment and action. Once you can demonstrate that the bullying is a recurrent pattern go the bully's boss with your evidence and make it clear if it doesn't stop you will seek legal counsel. The one thing companies fear is lawyers: translation-losing money. 
    Intimidation and bullying are part of life. Isn't that what most of us writers write about, someone facing up to threats and intimidation and find a way to overcome them? It's your life. Take it back!
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Published on November 08, 2013 11:26