About this project
Everyone has a bucket list - a list of things you'd like to do, see, or accomplish before you die. Some of my items are crossed off.
• See the Police live in concert (who knew they'd be able to get back together and deliver an amazing concert)
• Be on the Price is Right (ok, this one isn't 100% done, but I did do to the live show in Vegas. Sure, I'd love to play Plinko, but just being there with other fans, seeing how much they love this cheesy show really did it for me)
• Score a diving header (ok, so friends tell me it was more like a crawling header and the latest attempt ended me up with a broken nose, but still how cool is that?)
• Write a novel that Robin Cook would be proud of...
Hmm, that last one has taken some time. I came up with a terrific idea back in the early 90s for the novel, but the topic I wanted to write about hadn't really yet reached public consciousness. You see, I'm a die hard science fiction thriller fan. And I'm a scholar in the field of bioethics - ethical issues in health, science, and the environment. My idea was to write a dark, dystopian science fiction thriller about what to do with people who are in permanent vegetative states. It had to be creepy but it also had to be timely.
So with the following things having reached critical mass, I decided the time was right:
• The battle over Terri Schiavo, the brain damaged woman in Florida who was in permanent vegetative state, has brought bioethics and medical decisions to the fore in a way I couldn't have predicted.
• Self-publishing with Kindle, eReader, and iBooks eased the barriers to publishing
• I’m done with my formal training, largely out of work except for some teaching, founded a company devoted to interactive education using a Choose Your Own Adventure (www.wikipedia.org/gamebooks) format. The time was NOW.
Here’s where you come in:
• Writing takes time. While I consider it fun, it still takes time to produce quality writing. For that, I have a writing group that helps keep me on task. But finding capital (time, money, and energy) to invest can be daunting.
• Marketing has become an integral component of social networking. With Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, I can build on existing professional and social networks to spread the word about my books. I’ve already sold 5, yes 5, copies of the first chapter of the book I’m writing.
So when I heard about Kickstarter, I knew I had to give it a shot.
So here’s the proposal: Help me cross off a biggie on my bucket list, help educate the world about ethical issues, and learn how creepy science and medicine can get if unchecked.
FAQ
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Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on December 7, 2010.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
Receive a copy of the first chapter of the book, which is already written and available on a variety of eBook platforms. To generate additional sales, Kickstarter supporters, publicity, and buzz I would ask that folks tweet, email, or enter comments on the book's Amazon.com page.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Receive a copy of the eBook when it’s complete. In addition, a supporter at this level will receive all of the benefits from the lower levels of support.
Pledge $15 or more Pledge $15 or more
Receive both an mp3 audio version of the book (read by yours truly) as well as the eBook version, when it’s complete. In addition, a supporter at this level will receive all of the benefits from the lower levels of support.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
One of my goals is to show people how easy and fun writing an eBook can be, so for each Kickstarter supporter of $100 and more, I will help produce one eBook on the Kindle platform from content written by a supporter. (This can also be gifted to another person – a neat gift for an aspiring writer.) In addition, a supporter at this level will receive all of the benefits from the lower levels of support.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
I want books like mine to be more participatory, so this lucky devil will have the responsibility for helping determine the trajectory of various paths through the story. My plan is to write the book, then pick select action-packed and suspenseful sections where the reader gets to make the choice on what happens. This Kickstart supporter will become a behind the scenes partner on determining these choice points. (If multiple supporters exist, I will set up a poll with comments, so that the merits of a particular approach can win out.) And, as a special treat, in the event that the book should be so successful that Hollywood wants to produce a movie based on it, this Kickstart supporter would be written into the script as a cameo role. Imagine meeting Jessica Alba (the natural person I would select to play the female protagonist because she kicks butt)! In addition, a supporter at this level will receive all of the benefits from the lower levels of support.
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