Kindle Edition
Amazon
Category:
Literary Fiction
ISBN-10: 1519168462
Type: Fiction
Pages: 197
Copyright: Nov. 7, 2015
ISBN-13: 9781519168467
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
A writer struggles with being compelled to write for his job and not being able to get his own original works published.
Things You Can Do is a novel that explores the struggles of a writer who has lost creative control over their content and the burden of producing content that sells rather than producing the content they want. The story is also an allegory of art and literature in a capitalist market place and how the relationship between censorship and art shapes the world around us.
Excerpt
Part 1
Chapter 1: Day 3 – Lunchtime
“I can’t write about that.”
“Why not?”
“It will never get published, let alone make it past the Censorship Committee.”
“Why not?”
“The Committee forbids any story that is too fantastic. All your ideas would be censored,” he snapped back, carefully providing a response that would not lead to another ‘Why not?’ from his companion.
“Why?”
“You know why, I know why, everyone knows why! That’s just the way it is!” He was trying to hold back the rage that was threatening to engulf him. It was quite normal for a conversation between the two to end this way.
“Why?”
He gave no reply to this final why; instead, he took a large breath and exhaled as calmly as he could so as not to show his companion that he had gotten that far beneath his skin.
His companion knew better, though, and decided not push any further. He knew that if he kept pressing, the two would wind up sitting in silence for the rest of their lunch hour. He also knew that his friend could be overly sensitive sometimes and that the only way to mend the situation was to offer up an apology, even though he did not mean it. “I’m sorry for upsetting you, but I just cannot understand how you can be a writer and not be allowed to express yourself freely.”
“I know, and I hate getting so riled up, but I can’t help it: this job is slowly sucking all the humanity out of me.”
And with that, the conversation was over. They spent the remaining few moments finishing their water-downed coffees, wordless, waiting for the bell that would signal the end of lunch.
This job is slowly sucking all the humanity out of me. The words kept echoing through his mind. It was rare enough for him to admit the way he felt to himself, even rarer for him to admit the way he felt to another. He tried to think of something else, but every time he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, it bounced right back to the front with more velocity than before. In a matter of moments, the force of the reverberating thought gave him a headache. The next three and a half hours until the end of work would not be enjoyable. He let out a disgruntled sigh, and mustered enough willpower to leave the ever darkening recesses of his mind so that he could make it through the rest of the day.
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