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Boyd Morrison | Things Get Weird When Life Imitates Fiction
July 28, 2010
Don’t try to be topical. That’s what writers, agents, and editors say. By the
time you’re done with the book and it’s in stores, it could be over two years
since you came up with the idea for the story. So when I wrote my debut novel,
The Ark, what were the
odds that, a couple of weeks before the novel’s release, two attention-grabbing
news stories would relate directly to the plot of my book? Apparently, the odds
were very good, because that’s exactly what happened. I wasn’t trying to be topical, but I did want to explore universal themes like
the dangers of religious fanaticism and recovery from personal loss, which makes
The Ark sound like a PBS
documentary combined with a Very Special Episode of Blossom. It’s not. The Ark is a thriller about
a former combat engineer named Tyler Locke who must find Noah’s Ark in seven
days to stop the end of the world. There were some eerie links to my book that made the news in the weeks leading
up to the release. At the beginning of The Ark, Tyler is on an oil
rig in the north Atlantic when he discovers that bombs have been planted
somewhere on the structure. If he doesn’t find them in 10 minutes, the platform
will explode. The Ark being a fun
thriller novel, I’m not giving much away by saying that Tyler heroically averts
catastrophe. Oh, if only BP had written their story the same way. Just before
the book came out, the Deepwater Horizon blew up, killing eleven and turning the
Gulf of Mexico into the Black Sea. I thought, Huh, that’s an unsettling
coincidence. It gets weirder. One week later, at a splashy news conference in Hong Kong,
Noah’s Ark Ministries International claimed they found the remnants of Noah’s
Ark high on Mount Ararat. If it were true, my novel would be outdated before it
was even released. I wasn’t worried. I tend to be skeptical of these kinds of announcements.
Someone seems to "discover" Noah’s Ark every ten years. So far, they’ve all
turned out to be a hoax, or a rock formation, or a shadow on the satellite
photo. In the latest case, although the discoverers are "99.9% certain" it’s
Noah’s Ark, their irrefutable evidence consists of a few pieces of wood and rope
carbon-dated to 4,800 years ago. How they know the bits are from Noah’s Ark and
not some dirt farmer’s hovel, they’re not saying. They also have some
underwhelming photos that show the interior of a tiny room made of wood. Next
time, I’d like to see some exterior shots. So to my surprise, even though I finished the first draft of The Ark in 2007, the story
is now timely. I just hope history doesn’t repeat itself with my next book
coming in December. Cross your fingers because it’s a disaster thriller called
Rogue Wave, and it’s about tsunamis.
Comments
42 comments posted.
Re: Boyd Morrison | Things Get Weird When Life Imitates Fiction
I love stories about ancient artifacts and the religious, myths,legends, and stories that surround them. This book is definitely up my alley.
(Kai Wong 12:18pm July 28, 2010)
How crazy that the book is so close to what is happening right now! Sounds like such a great book!
(Joanne Reynolds 6:27am July 28, 2010)
This sounds fantastic! Hubby and I both love these types of thrillers. The coincidences of the oil rig are eerily chilling.
(Karen Gervasi 9:10am July 28, 2010)
The similarities are creepy but I love it. You have combined all the ingredients that i look for in a book.
I can't wait to read it.
(Fallon Hadley 9:37am July 28, 2010)
Thanks for the chance to win your book. I look forward to reading The Ark, as well as Rogue Wave when it's published.
(Tracy Cassidy 11:07am July 28, 2010)
sounds like a great book to read and enjoy
(Sagrario Vigil 1:25pm July 28, 2010)
I love action thrillers. Throw in
ancient history, prophecy, religious
artifacts and it sounds like a winning
combination!
(J. Elis Morgan 1:26pm July 28, 2010)
Ancient History.... I love it. This sounds like a book that I could not put down. Congratulations and keep writing these marvelous stories
(Barbara Ryan 1:45pm July 28, 2010)
the ark sounds like a real good read
(Debbi Shaw 1:46pm July 28, 2010)
This sounds like a really good
read!
(Theresa Jaquess 2:41pm July 28, 2010)
This book sounds great. Very interesting. I want to read it!
(Cheryl Lynne 2:57pm July 28, 2010)
My kind of book! Thanks for the chance to win
(Barbara Andersen 2:58pm July 28, 2010)
Wow, timing *is* everything!
Congrats on your timely release!
(S Tieh 3:37pm July 28, 2010)
Sounds great, and like everyone else thinks, it is a crazy coincidence. Thank you for giving us the chance to win one of your books.
(Tonya Atchley 4:36pm July 28, 2010)
Looking forward to reading The Ark. Can't wait till Rogue Wave comes out. Thank's for a chance to win a copy of the Ark
(Teresa Ward 4:36pm July 28, 2010)
This sounds like a great read!
(Chantel Williams 5:47pm July 28, 2010)
I love love love books! Thanks
for the giveaway =)
(Alice Xiao 6:43pm July 28, 2010)
Maybe you've tapped into something bigger than yourself and that story needs to be told. Sounds like an interesting read.
(Darci Paice 6:52pm July 28, 2010)
Whether I win or not, this is something I would purchase to read.
(Erika Clayton 8:55pm July 28, 2010)
I really like a thriller novel tied in to religion. Sounds interesting.
(Pam Howell 8:58pm July 28, 2010)
Nothing is stranger than life itself.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 11:28pm July 28, 2010)
Those events certainly are coincidences. I can imagine how you felt reading about them since they fit so closely to the book you had written. Maybe you are a bit psychic? LOL
(Gladys Paradowski 12:21pm July 29, 2010)
How strange. I'll bet that was a little on the eerie side but hey, if it helped sell some extra books (not the bad things but just the timing) then good for you. Again, NOT the bad things. I am not happy about the oil spill, etc or the men that died.
(Vicki Hancock 12:38pm July 29, 2010)
Nothing is stranger that real life.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 6:19am July 29, 2010)
Sounds like an interesting and entertaining read!
(Leanna Morris 10:26am July 29, 2010)
I love action trillers, with mystery, intrigue and some historical thrown in The Ark has to be a great book.
(Brenda Hill 2:56pm July 29, 2010)
Sounds like a great read!!!
(Julie Swaney 6:10pm July 29, 2010)
I love being able to escape into an action thriller. Looking forward to reading The Ark. Thanks.
(DeeAnn Szymanski 6:37pm July 29, 2010)
Stories have a way of arcing or arching into the future. I get goosebumps thinking how close some predictions come.
(Alyson Widen 6:40pm July 29, 2010)
I like action thrillers so I should enjoy this book---I'm just glad that I don't live on one of the coasts if your next book imitates life---a tidal wave is not what I would like to experience first hand.
(Sue Farrell 6:42pm July 29, 2010)
I loved the insight. ALL sorts of interesting 'stuff' happens around us. The Ark looks like a must have read.
(Mary Preston 7:22pm July 29, 2010)
Congratulations on your first book and I wish you a lot of success. This sounds like a winner to me, too.
I keep forgetting that a novel takes so long to write and have published. Sometimes we do see other books come out when they could be ripped from the headlines. Are you sure you aren't clairvoyant?
(Sigrun Schulz 7:27pm July 29, 2010)
can i say wow you did a good job on the title and would love to win it
(Desiree Reilly 7:35pm July 29, 2010)
Congratulations on getting published!
James Rollins is one of my favorite
authors, so you book definitely sounds
like something I'd enjoy. I'd love to win
a copy.
Do you think it will be available on CD?
I travel for work and really enjoy
listening to books on CD.
(Molly Wilsbacher 7:53pm July 29, 2010)
Your book sounds wonderful!
(MaryAnne Banks 8:21pm July 29, 2010)
This sounds like a really great book!
(Brenda Rupp 9:21pm July 29, 2010)
My older sisiter and I frequently speculate on world conditions and poltics-many times we have shaken our heads and agreed things were 'stranger than fiction'
(Dawn Raymer 9:30pm July 29, 2010)
I would say this is almost eerie.
(Renee Grandinetti 11:01pm July 29, 2010)
Anymore, it seems no matter how much you stretch your imagination, reality either follows you or is there to greet you.
(Patricia Barraclough 12:03pm July 30, 2010)
To combine Noah's Ark with the end of the world is an interesting twist!! It sounds like a real page-turner that would appeal to both sexes, and I can't wait to read it!! I'll have to be sure to keep it away from my Husband until I'm done with it!! I've always been fascinated with the stories of the ark, and this one should be no exception, although yours should be more interesting. Your next book should be one to take note of as well. Congratulations!!
(Peggy Roberson 8:25am July 30, 2010)
Too bad you weren't in charge of the BP drilling :>) If Noah's Ark is a sign of the end of the world, I think I will wait a few years to go looking for it :>)
(Karin Tillotson 1:56pm July 30, 2010)
My type of book so throw my name
in the pot.
(Lisa Richards 7:46pm July 30, 2010)
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