D.R. Fuller's Blog: Invisible's Genre Defined

Invisible by D.R. Fuller

“Invisible” by D.R. Fuller is a Speculative Fiction (Contemporary Fantasy) novel about a young woman who finds her life tragically altered. Evelyn must now survive in a world that no longer knows she exists, and without realizing it, could kill her at any moment. Moreover, she must discover who, and what she is, before the unrelenting progression of events destroys her, as well as the uncaring world that has abandoned her.

Why write and share a story?

When I was young, science fiction or fantasy books and movies were pretty much content censored, movies more than books. Still, writers were able to express themselves creatively and intelligently without resorting to vulgarity. I think it was the 60's that things started changing the fastest. "Shock and Awe" became the philosophy of the day. How many ways could the body be mutilated, how much vulgarity could we get away with, and "Do your own thing" became the national pastime. "If you don't like it, don't look, read or listen to it" was the response to critics. The real problem was that most people were fairly innocent. That is a strange notion, but when compared with today’s society, it is true. Yes, there was evil then, but it is fundamentally different today. Now, there is no "right or wrong". When told that you are doing something bad, the response is that it depends on your viewpoint. Back then, you knew you were doing something bad, you just did it anyway.

Some will remember or have heard of the book and movie, “Gone with the Wind”. Gone with the Wind was written by Margaret Mitchell and published in 1936. It was later made into a movie by the same name with Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable playing the main characters Scarlett and Rhett.

“Although legend persists that the Hays Office fined Selznick $5,000 for using the word "damn" in Butler's exit line, in fact the Motion Picture Association board passed an amendment to the Production Code on November 1, 1939, that forbade use of the words "hell" or "damn" except when their use "shall be essential and required for portrayal, in proper historical context, of any scene or dialogue based upon historical fact or folklore ... or a quotation from a literary work, provided that no such use shall be permitted which is intrinsically objectionable or offends good taste." With that amendment, the Production Code Administration had no further objection to Rhett's closing line.”

1. Leff, Leonard J.; Simmons, Jerold L. (2001). The Dame in the Kimono: Hollywood, Censorship, and the Production Code. University Press of Kentucky. p. 108.

Compare that bit of history with what we have in the world today. Some years ago, I stopped reading my favorite books because I didn’t know where to find decent, clean ones that I would not find objectionable. Eventually, I started playing around with writing my own, not to sell or publish, but just to enjoy. This eventually evolved into writing “Invisible”. It may not be the best piece of literary perfection, but it is mine and I love it. I also know many will not share that love, but I know that there are others in the world that will. It is my desire to find and share this with them.

Invisible is now available on Amazon.com

We are very excited to announce the availability of "Invisible" on Amazon.com! Published by White Meadow Books, it will have a soft back distribution in 2016, but the decision to place it as an eBook on Amazon was even more exciting.
Being a new author has, and still is enlightening our understanding of the complexities involved in publishing, distributing, and advertising a book. We see comments by authors, some with multiple publications, indicating they are having difficulty finding people to read e-copies of their books, even when offered as a free download. Others have offered their stories for free resulting in hundreds of downloads. However, when the free offerings end, so do the downloads. We have the feeling that some people download eBooks by the dozens when they are free, just in case they want to read them later. The upside to this is that as an advertising vehicle, it does get the books into many more hands, or e-readers as the case may be. Still, from an author's point of view, we’re sure they would prefer the increased downloads be associated with someone actually reading their stories and sharing their experiences.
Nevertheless, few authors will become rich. It’s a lot like young people going into sports. Few will ever become professional players. Few will be able to make a living doing it and even fewer will become mega-stars. They play because they enjoy the sport. We believe most writers are the same. They write because they enjoy sharing their creations with others. The money charged for the creation is little more than an indicator of how much people are enjoying the books and feel they are worth paying a few dollars for. Nothing gives us more pleasure than having someone read our book and feel what we feel, see what we see, experience what we experience. However, the creation and distribution process involves a lot of people who need to be paid. And while it would be nice to sit back on a beach in the Pacific, sipping on a coconut and counting the millions of dollars received from writing a book… we aren't holding our collective breath.

When the Universe Expands

She felt as much as heard the steady thump. It had given her a sense of security for as long as she could remember; it represented home and she lived for its consistency. Occasionally, she synchronized her own light fluttering to match it, but just briefly. Sometimes, she would count the nanoseconds that separated each beat and graphed the fluctuations. It didn't match her own precise rhythm, but she loved the variations and plotted predictive analyses curves in an effort to see if she could guess at future variations.

Of course, the thumping was not the only sounds that filled her world. A multitude of reverberations echoed through her. The steady rush of fluids that accompanied each thump, gases passing over variable surfaces, liquids of varying degrees of viscosity moved in and out of restricted passages, more solid elements passing over each other in a cascading symphony of pops, slurps, and snaps. Hers was a beautiful world of sound and pressure and she loved it.

Suddenly, she paused as understanding began to fill her consciousness. Occasionally, at irregular intervals, the rushing gasses took on a wonderful cadence, sometimes rhythmic, but more than that. The recurring consistency that accompanied it left her universe and returned later. Sometimes the returning sounds were modified in ways that could not be accounted for by her world. It was as if something existed beyond her universe. Could there be others? She systematically collected and correlated all of the occurrences she could identify, both past and present. Over and over, she evaluated the evidence until she was positive.

Now she remained perfectly still as wonder and amazement touched her understanding. Her rapid fluttering synchronized with her world’s consistent thumping and her mind perceived the data outside her universe for what it was. She listened as her world responded to the other universe.

“Oh, John, I never believed it was going to work.”

Then from the other universe…

“It's wonderful, Lu. Hey! Why the tears?”

Again from hers…

“I’m so happy, John. We have our little one...we have our little baby.”

The Publication of Invisible

We are very excited about the publication of Invisible. It was started over five years ago and is finally at the printer. As soon as the final proof print arrives and is approved by White Meadow Books, the first printing will begin.

It feels as if I have written Invisible several times since that first year. It has been changed and evaluated, modified and evaluated, edited and evaluated over and over again. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that it will never be finished until I let go of my perfectionism. Whatever I do, will make some like it and some not. In the end, I have to be satisfied with it myself, and I am.

I love Invisible. I love the story and the plot. I especially love my main character, Evelyn. It took me a long time to realize that she is the inner image I have of my eternal sweetheart of 45 years. From the age of 16 to 64, we have loved each other. She is my life and my forever.