What Book Would You Write?

[vcczar]

If you had the time, desire, money, and the ability to write a book on a specific subject, what would you want to write about?

There are like 30-something books I've got in mind, some of which I've started, but I think at the moment, I'm most interested in making a Presidential Timeline that also ranks the presidents and allows the reader to rank the president. More importantly, the book wouldn't be geared toward novices as these books generally are. Pick any presidential timeline or ranking book and you'll get about 95% of the same information and responses. The main reason for this is that selling to a general audience makes more money, this is why specialist books go to University Presses and often cost $50-200. I think I can bypass this because the book would be more of a reference book than a reader, although it is a hybrid of both.

What would you write about?

[Edouard]

I am unsure but there are two books I think I would write.

The first would be a trolling book which would contain a lot of plots linked together to mock every abusive conspiracy theorists like a secret enterprise behind the election of Biden with ancestors who fought in the Wermarcht in WW2 and have been defeated and whose ancestors were from the templar order.

The other would probably be scenarios of what if, how the end of the world can come via several scenarios which are realist just to see how our human situation is. Like for example I would love to sensibilize people at what they are doing and the consequences of it like how states are becoming polarized again in the USA and how a war rhetoric is coming back.

Maybe also that I would enjoy writing alternative historical scenarios and also what historical figures would think about nowadays' era. I am quite romantic about the historical timeline. I think private fictionnal stories in historical timelines would be interesting.

When I was a kid I wanted to write about the XVIIth century and I also started writing a book about Napoléon around 9/10 years old.

[Kitten]

Japanese Political History 😛

or Japanese Politics for beginners

[Pringles]

Like Ed I too wrote a large “report” on Napoleon when I was little. When I was 9 I bought Napoleon Total War and saw some books/YouTube videos which had me obsessed with him for a bit. 
 

Concerning books though I would likely want to write something about political extremism in the modern age. Explaining why more and more people feel the need to be identifying with “Far Left” or “Far Right” ideas and becoming completely close minded. It’d talk about how social media is a major problem for people mentally if they are not vigilant against how they use it. And ultimately I’d end off with the consequences of the whole situation if we don’t change as a society. 
 

I could write plenty of books about historical events, specific ones I especially have knowledge about at least. Alt history is always fun as well. I could probably handle some science fiction as well.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Pringles

[10centjimmy]

Like others (and probably most of us here) I've started a couple skeletons on alt history stories, one that's most fleshed out focuses on Hamilton surviving the infamous duel and leading the US, and Burr successfully leading his conspiracy in the West.

[vcczar]

6 minutes ago, 10centjimmy said:

Burr successfully leading his conspiracy in the West

I'm most interested in what goes on here. 

[10centjimmy]

1 minute ago, vcczar said:

I'm most interested in what goes on here. 

 The Texan lease from Spain, not getting turned in by Wilkinson in Louisiana, and successfully gaining independence from Spain before Mexico.  Not totally fleshed out timeline-wise, but still feasible!

[vcczar]

5 minutes ago, 10centjimmy said:

 The Texan lease from Spain, not getting turned in by Wilkinson in Louisiana, and successfully gaining independence from Spain before Mexico.  Not totally fleshed out timeline-wise, but still feasible!

Do you envision it being successful? How does Burr operate as a head of state? For all his flaws, he opposed slavery, does he abolish slavery? How does that work when the majority of the settlers coming in will be trying to bring slaves with them, possibly with a large enough urgency that Burr faces a Congress that attempts to restore slavery or allow it without Burr's approval. 

[MrPotatoTed]

I co-authored a published book about my then-employer's 150-year history, as a work project.  It was a fucking beast to get through, and I'll likely never write another book for as long as I live.  Haha.

I have a lot of fiction story ideas in my head that I've been kicking around for a decade or longer.  Chief among them is a novel set in a world where the children of criminals are treated as criminals as well, until they reach the age of 18 without committing crimes of their own.  The main character is a teenager on the cusp of making it to 18 without any crimes, allowing him to shed his family's shame and finally be treated as a person of his own -- but as his birthday gets nearer, he begins to learn that those in power are criminals themselves and various atrocities take place that have him questioning the entire system.  Soon a revolution begins and he gets swept up in it while trying not to get dragged down too deeply by other side, but eventually of course he must choose.

 

[10centjimmy]

1 hour ago, vcczar said:

Do you envision it being successful? How does Burr operate as a head of state? For all his flaws, he opposed slavery, does he abolish slavery? How does that work when the majority of the settlers coming in will be trying to bring slaves with them, possibly with a large enough urgency that Burr faces a Congress that attempts to restore slavery or allow it without Burr's approval. 

I think that's part of the struggle, and we see a similar push-pull taking shape in the US. Burr's western country being more executive led vs the Congress-led USA. I definitely see slavery more stigmatized in the west due to the Spanish and Burr influence, plus the Stephen F Austin party wouldn't have arrived yet (and probably won't) in 1810, when I want the story to start.

[Cal]

If I had unlimited time and money to support it, I'd be so happy to be able to research and write a book comparing American political philosophy/ideals and their execution over its history compared to other countries, particularly with France and the UK. 

[vcczar]

1 hour ago, MrPotatoTed said:

It was a fucking beast to get through, and I'll likely never write another book for as long as I live.  Haha.

Could you elaborate on this? I'm curious.

[MrPotatoTed]

9 minutes ago, vcczar said:

Could you elaborate on this? I'm curious.

I have ADHD so it's difficult for me to focus for too long on a project I'm not personally passionate about.  Plus I work in crisis communications, and there were always exciting crises popping up to distract me.  My boss was getting furious that I was dragging my feet and missing deadlines on the book.  I ended up just staying at work all night one night, alone, to get most of the writing done.  (Yes, I wrote like half the book in a single night -- the other side of ADHD is the ability to intensely hyperfocus when you absolutely have to.  Haha)

[vcczar]

12 minutes ago, MrPotatoTed said:

I have ADHD so it's difficult for me to focus for too long on a project I'm not personally passionate about.  Plus I work in crisis communications, and there were always exciting crises popping up to distract me.  My boss was getting furious that I was dragging my feet and missing deadlines on the book.  I ended up just staying at work all night one night, alone, to get most of the writing done.  (Yes, I wrote like half the book in a single night -- the other side of ADHD is the ability to intensely hyperfocus when you absolutely have to.  Haha)

Yeah, I have ADHD too, so the hyperfocus is required for me to get anything done. The "difficulty focusing for too long on a project" fits me to a T. This is why I have such a love-hate relationship with AMPU. I typically don't want to spend more than a month at a time on even projects I like. 

[Pringles]

54 minutes ago, MrPotatoTed said:

I have ADHD so it's difficult for me to focus for too long on a project I'm not personally passionate about.  Plus I work in crisis communications, and there were always exciting crises popping up to distract me.  My boss was getting furious that I was dragging my feet and missing deadlines on the book.  I ended up just staying at work all night one night, alone, to get most of the writing done.  (Yes, I wrote like half the book in a single night -- the other side of ADHD is the ability to intensely hyperfocus when you absolutely have to.  Haha)

 

40 minutes ago, vcczar said:

Yeah, I have ADHD too, so the hyperfocus is required for me to get anything done. The "difficulty focusing for too long on a project" fits me to a T. This is why I have such a love-hate relationship with AMPU. I typically don't want to spend more than a month at a time on even projects I like. 

Man with the way yall talk about ADHD sometimes I wonder if I have it or just have bursts of not being motivated to do anything. But I've never been "diagnosed" with anything like that so... I'll really never know

[vcczar]

2 minutes ago, Pringles said:

 

Man with the way yall talk about ADHD sometimes I wonder if I have it or just have bursts of not being motivated to do anything. But I've never been "diagnosed" with anything like that so... I'll really never know

I think one deciding factor is the almost complete inability to focus or concentrate on anything one is uninterested in, even if one makes a concerted effort to do so. 

it was really bad K-12. I would sit in the front of a classroom in an attempt to get my grades better and within seconds I was instantly daydreaming without even knowing it. This would happen frequently in the course of a classroom session. It wasn't motivation-based, it was an inability to control focus despite strong efforts. 

[Pringles]

1 hour ago, vcczar said:

I think one deciding factor is the almost complete inability to focus or concentrate on anything one is uninterested in, even if one makes a concerted effort to do so. 

 

Me but with advanced mathematics (Calculus) and some forms of science 💀

[Cenzonico]

If really given the choice I'd write some sort of manifesto. It fits my mindset, and I think it's about high time we get more ideologies exposure. Too better the answer the actual question, something like "Electoral politics for dummies" or "Libertarianism and you"

[Cal]

On 2/18/2023 at 6:09 PM, vcczar said:

I think one deciding factor is the almost complete inability to focus or concentrate on anything one is uninterested in, even if one makes a concerted effort to do so. 

it was really bad K-12. I would sit in the front of a classroom in an attempt to get my grades better and within seconds I was instantly daydreaming without even knowing it. This would happen frequently in the course of a classroom session. It wasn't motivation-based, it was an inability to control focus despite strong efforts. 

Yeah, I have a huge difficulty in sticking to projects. It's not even necessarily that I lose interest as much as it is that I gain interest in something else and feel the need to get started right away, believing I can juggle both on top of all of the obligations that came before. I've gotten better at recognizing when that's not going to work out though. For example, I really want to write an article for a law journal over a specific development in the Supreme Court's reasoning in personal jurisdiction cases, but I know I wouldn't have the time for it currently. The RP I run that a few others here are participating in is something I'm hoping to keep up with until a natural completion date (though with spontaneous career opportunities it took a brief hiatus) and am excited to continue and think will be a good juxtaposition from my earlier RPs that fizzled out. Which means I'll need to get to work on that more today! Haha.

[vcczar]

8 minutes ago, Cal said:

Yeah, I have a huge difficulty in sticking to projects. It's not even necessarily that I lose interest as much as it is that I gain interest in something else and feel the need to get started right away, believing I can juggle both on top of all of the obligations that came before. I've gotten better at recognizing when that's not going to work out though. For example, I really want to write an article for a law journal over a specific development in the Supreme Court's reasoning in personal jurisdiction cases, but I know I wouldn't have the time for it currently. The RP I run that a few others here are participating in is something I'm hoping to keep up with until a natural completion date (though with spontaneous career opportunities it took a brief hiatus) and am excited to continue and think will be a good juxtaposition from my earlier RPs that fizzled out. Which means I'll need to get to work on that more today! Haha.

My ability to multi-task has certainly declined in the last 5 years. My patience has also declined, which plays a role in all of this. Like you, I don't lose interest in things I like, I end up having a new idea I want to try out, and that becomes the latest obsession. I'd say from my late teens through almost all of my 30s, I refused to give projects up. So I'd go back to things. However, I'm now realizing I should probably give things up. It's main due to my, "I said I'll do this, so I'll go through with it," as if realizing taking on too much and then admitting it is a massive no-no. One of my goals for this year is, if I get bogged down in something that is making me miserable--even if I once enjoyed it--to just let it go, even if it disappoints people. 

 

[NCblue1]

I have a few ideas that I might actually write about, but there is one story that I wish I could write, but know that I cannot.  I'd love to read it though if any of you are interested in writing it.  It's a story about race, opportunity, history, international travel, natural disaster, war, and the circus.  It starts out as a true story.  When I was in grad school, I researched the events that led up to the building of the Panama Canal, and so I read the diplomatic correspondence from Latin America from the 1890s.  There is a cable to Washington included in the foreign correspondence of an odd case.  A consul reported a visit by a young black man who was being drafted into the army of a South American country who didn't have any papers but claimed to be an American.  The man said that he was from AL or MS (I forget which) but joined a traveling circus taking care of some of the animals.  You can well imagine in the deep south there were probably few opportunities for a young black man to advance or see the world.  After a while the circus decided to tour South America until they were scattered by an earthquake.  Most of the animals escaped, the performers drifted away, the young man tried to care for an elephant for a few days or weeks but couldn't manage by himself.  It's unclear if he knew much Spanish, he likely didn't much money (if any), and his identification papers were lost.  The country he was stranded in decided to go to war and drafted him.  That's when he visited the American consulate. As it happened the consul had traveled through the deep South and recognized the young man's unique accent and cabled to Washington that he was able to identify him as American because of the accent.  I tried to locate the man in later censuses to find out the ending of the story, but without success.  Did he return to the US to the North, or perhaps back to a new circus, or did he decide to stay in Latin America in a country that wasn't at war and where there was more equality?  The big difficulty would be in accurately writing the accent.  

[DakotaHale]

I’m currently writing two books.

One is a nonfiction summary of the Great Emu War.

The other is an alt-history that imagines an alternate Cold War where the US and allies have a falling out after WW1, and sees a three way Cold War between the US, UK, and the Soviet Union after WW2 (where limited involvement of the US leads to greater Soviet control over Europe).