In my spare time I am writing fiction. I’ve been asked why.
The short answer is that things are broken, perhaps beyond repair. But with hope we might be able to reverse the decline.
Here is the long answer:
In my work as a professional coach, I see countless examples of good intentioned people getting abused and taken advantage of, by talentless grifters and psychopaths. As a father I see a system hell bent on corrupting the future of my children with ideological nonsense, conceived, and propagated by cowards, and bad actors.
The story that I am labelling ‘Rule of Twelve’, told over three books, presents a story of hope and love, built on traditional values in a world where even the needed linguistics have been erased. The books are based in the future. Roughly two hundred years ahead. The books present the outcomes of a world driven to the brink by the followers of the Identitarian, New Puritan, and Utopian related ideology.
The books include a splattering of my professional knowledge of relationship building. I build it into the story as the characters get to know each other and fight to keep their emotions and urges in check. In doing so, I am trying to answer in my own mind several questions. These questions include: Can hope be brought back as the dominant mindset? Can belief in courage, self-restraint, fairness, and wisdom be restored as corner stones of one’s approach to life? Can belief in the importance of family be restored in today's young adults? What will help turn the tide on hedonism as the primary driving factor in the goals and ambitions of today's youth? What will help society return to recognition of individual strengths rather than immutable characteristics as the primary factor in recruitment and promotion? What will help bring the youth back to belief in the higher power, that something that is greater than themselves, the one that they must, above all else, hold themselves accountable to?
The books are written from the perspective of the two main characters, Marr and Dukk. Marr is a keeper. Someone who helps produce fine foods and wines for the elites. Her day job is just a cover. She is a trained warrior and part of the resistance. Dukk is a haulier, the new captain of a ‘rig’, a small intergalactic freight spaceship. His job is to haul the fresh produce to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, to the compounds and settlements of the elites. He is street smart and aware of the unfairness of the world, but he is not part of the resistance. They are brought together by forces unseen. Grander plans are afoot to restore balance. Others have put them at the centre of that plan. They learn pieces of that plan as the story unfolds. However, at the core of the story is relationship building. Dukk and Marr build a relationship over the course of the books as they venture into the galaxy to solve a mystery and combat the worst types of evil. Their relationship draws on traditional values, even though that fact isn’t known to them. Their story is overlayed with other core characters, primarily the rig’s crew. I use these other characters to present concepts that are both in contrast and aligned with traditional values.
If you are struggling with any of the themes below, be it professionally or personally, get into these books. It might even help. Or, if there is someone you know that is struggling, buy them a copy. Who knows, it might be what is needed to bring them forward.
Victim mindset, bullying, manipulation, humiliation, conflict, the blame game, fear, sabotage, stubbornness, incompetency, protectionism, micro-management, narcissism, disillusionment, ineffectiveness, indecision, inflexibility, restrictive practices, discrimination, aimlessness, career stagnation, career setbacks, demotivation, demotion, disappointment, personal priority conflict, overwhelm, or complacency.
