[ghausa] Escalation and Fiction
- From: Bruce Cook <cookcomm@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ghausa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 10:36:03 -0500
Thu, Aug 29, 2013 at 7:27 AM
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Escalation - Fiction or Reality?**
from Bruce Cook, AuthorMe.com to 1 recipient
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Dear friends,
In light of recent events, I am sharing the September edition of the
monthly newsletter I write for emerging writers each month. I pray it will
help us refresh our perspective on global harmony. (Sent to GHA USA Members)
Enjoy,
Bruce
*Escalation in Fiction (and Life)*
By Bruce L. Cook
In fiction, as in life, stressful situations lead to escalation.
The fiction author sets a conflict (a stressful situation), and the
characters react, often resorting to escalation. This makes the story so
exciting.
Think of Dr. Seuss. He conjured up the delightful *Butter Battle Book*, in
which the Yooks and the Zooks battle each other over breakfast food. The
Yooks, who wear blue and eat their bread with the butter side up, are on
one side. The Zooks eat their bread with the butter side down.
The battle between these two groups escalates, starting with a mere
slingshot. The counter-weapon is a triple slingshot, and then comes the
slingshot that catches rocks from the triple weapon and sends them back.
Next the Yooks use a weapon powered by Poo-A-Doo powder and ants' eggs and
bees' legs and dried-fried clam chowder. The Zooks, in return, fight back
with an eight-nozzle elephant machine that shoots high-explosive sour
cherry stone pits.
Not to be outdone, the Yooks devise a device with spindly mechanical legs
and four faucets on the back to "sprinkle blue goo all over the Zooks!"
Alas, the Zooks create the same machine to fight back. Finally, both sides
devise a compact weapon named for the first nuclear weapons invented, the
Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroo. As with nuclear bombs there is no defense. In the
end, the generals for each side wait for each other and the questions is
which will be first to use the terrible weapon and trigger mutual
destruction for all.
Now, for a fiction author, its obvious that escalation is interesting. We
might even try to avoid a comparison with real day-to-day existence. But
really who would kill thousands of people just because they dont butter
their bread on the same side?
Try a new scenario. One side kills people with missiles and guns. The other
sits back in a palace and sends airplanes with deadly chemicals. Now which
side is best? And, as an author, would you stop by merely telling what
happened?
The real question is would it be possible for the two sides to tolerate
their differences? Is it really necessary to kill so many people just to
get your way? Even children should know better than that.
I would challenge authors not to stop with just telling the horrible story.
Instead focus on harmony among peoples, mutual respect, and plentiful
application of the golden rule, however its expressed in the cultures
involved. (And, believe me, it is always there.) Show how individuals are
taken advantage of by those who hold power over valuable resources like
oil, water, and the engines of economic production.
In your writings, try to help world leaders find ways to make peace real,
not just a figment of fiction.
The ABC of Harmony, Global Harmony Association,
2012<http://www.lulu.com/shop/dr-leo-semashko/the-abc-of-harmony-for-world-peace-harmonious-civilization-and-tetranet-thinking-civilization-and-tetranet-thinking/ebook/product-21151715.html>
Leo Semashko
Scarboro Missions Golden Rule across the Worlds
Religions<http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Golden_rule/>
Paul McKenna
The Coming Interspiritual Age,
2012<http://www.amazon.com/The-Coming-Interspiritual-Age-ebook/dp/B00AY6OA6K/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid61237385&sr=1-1>
Kurt Johnson
An Introduction to the Just Third
Way<http://www.cesj.org/thirdway/thirdway-intro.htm>
Normal Kurland
The Butter Battle
Book<http://www.amazon.com/The-Butter-Battle-Book-Notable/dp/0394865804/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid77778287&sr=8-2&keywords=butter+battle+seuss>
Dr. Seuss
To subscribe to this newsletter, click
here<https://www.elbowspace.com/servlets/cfdC?xr4=&formts
08-02-02%2016:34:51.129073>
Yours in harmony,
Bruce
Bruce L. Cook, Ph.D.
President, GHA-USA
Vice-President, GHA
Director of CSSS Publishing and Editorial team
President, World Writers Resources, Inc.
Author, *Harmony of Nations: 1943 2020*, Just Fiction Editions, 2012
1407 Getzelman Drive
Elgin, IL 60123 USA
312-859-8090
cookcomm@xxxxxxxxx
www.harmonyofnations.com
http://author-me.com
*http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&keyT4*<http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&keyT4>
.
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