Way back in 2012, I may have told you that I started a novel. (Or, more likely, I actually told you sometime in 2013 or 2014, but that really is a trivial point.) It began with a single encounter at the grocery store, something I noted on my computer, and then came back to, time and time again. As the story progressed, I realized that one of my characters suffered from a disease. I wasn't sure which one, but within a few months, it became apparent that the husband of my protagonist had been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). After I'd finished writing the novel, and at the time I started working on my query letter, a reader of mine said, "Oh, don't call it ALS. People don't know what that is. Go with Lou Gehrig's disease instead. At least most people have heard of the baseball player."
Well my scientific self wanted to stick with ALS, but I didn't. I could see the reader's point. I changed it in my query letter and moved forward, hoping that it wouldn't really matter whether I called the disease by it's scientific or common name. That, as we all know, remains to be seen, because as of this writing, there is no book deal in sight.
Had I started that query letter today, though, I could keep ALS in the letter. Because thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge, people are aware of what those three little letters stand for. (And if you don't know what the Ice Bucket Challenge is, then you are really out of the loop. More than I am. Which is a significant accomplishment for you. Go pat yourself on the back.)
My problem? It's all a gimmick. Don't get me wrong. After having read multiple true accounts of patients with ALS, speaking to someone who suffers from the disease, and writing about it for over 200 pages, I'm more than sympathetic to the cause. I think raising money for ALS awareness and research is a fantastic idea. I'm just sad that it takes a gimmick to get it done.
So my question is Why? Why can't we realize how serious diseases are and donate money to research for them without having to throw a bunch of ice water on ourselves? Why can't we be more aware of the millions of people who suffer each day from anything and everything, and simply give a little bit because we are kind to one another? Why does it take a gimmick to get things done?
I don't have an answer, nor do I have the time to ruminate on one. I'm just thinking this. If the world is ruled by gimmicks, then I need to stand up and fight, or join the crowd. So finding myself a gimmick to get my book published might be added to my to-do list.
Well my scientific self wanted to stick with ALS, but I didn't. I could see the reader's point. I changed it in my query letter and moved forward, hoping that it wouldn't really matter whether I called the disease by it's scientific or common name. That, as we all know, remains to be seen, because as of this writing, there is no book deal in sight.
Had I started that query letter today, though, I could keep ALS in the letter. Because thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge, people are aware of what those three little letters stand for. (And if you don't know what the Ice Bucket Challenge is, then you are really out of the loop. More than I am. Which is a significant accomplishment for you. Go pat yourself on the back.)
My problem? It's all a gimmick. Don't get me wrong. After having read multiple true accounts of patients with ALS, speaking to someone who suffers from the disease, and writing about it for over 200 pages, I'm more than sympathetic to the cause. I think raising money for ALS awareness and research is a fantastic idea. I'm just sad that it takes a gimmick to get it done.
So my question is Why? Why can't we realize how serious diseases are and donate money to research for them without having to throw a bunch of ice water on ourselves? Why can't we be more aware of the millions of people who suffer each day from anything and everything, and simply give a little bit because we are kind to one another? Why does it take a gimmick to get things done?
I don't have an answer, nor do I have the time to ruminate on one. I'm just thinking this. If the world is ruled by gimmicks, then I need to stand up and fight, or join the crowd. So finding myself a gimmick to get my book published might be added to my to-do list.
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