Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
(I’ve called you all here on a matter of grave concern…..lol)
Well, now that I type this, maybe kinda cool. No, definitely kinda cool!*
I started the Wakefield Doctrine, in part, because I knew that it had the potential to become a very helpful, useful and, all-around efficacious tool for self-improving oneself.**
As you read below, (in the feetnotes), we spend our lives practicing being the best clarks (or scotts or rogers) that we can be. The thing of it is, the Wakefield Doctrine maintains that we, all of us, retain the potential to perceive and function in ‘the other two worldviews’.
I’m a clark. I live in the reality of the Outsider. I’m good at shadow-living. I also have the capacity to experience the world of the Predator and the life of the Herd Member. That means, I (potentially) have the behaviors (and skills and weaknesses) that are exhibited by my scottian and rogerian brethren (and brethrini). So, when I consider the ways that I believe I need to improve my life, I know that I don’t have to ‘go out and find’ new behaviors (or attitudes or reflexes). All I need to do is find, within my scottian and rogerian aspects, those things that will add to who I am. (Big caveat here: you know how, say, Christine or Dyanne, are like real quick on their feet and, even when they’re among total strangers, they project a sense of competence and confidence***? Sure, you and I could do that, but they’ve practiced for a lifetime. All I’m saying is, ‘sure, know that you can do those things, but go easy on yourself if you stumble initially. Practice is the answer. The big thing is: you have it within. already. no need to think you’re lacking in a quality. Just a matter of practice.)
Speaking of big things! Just sent out my first Query Letter as part of the getting ‘Blogdominion‘ published. (I was falling for the very clarklike behavior of, ‘oh man! this Query Letter is the most important step…I better get it perfect!!’… well, sure that’s kinda true. And, as soon as I write the perfect Query Letter (and Synopsis)…. I’ll be sure to send it out. In the meantime, I sent the following this morning:
Please accept this Query, (and brief Synopsis and the first 20 Pages of the Story), of my first novel, ‘Blogdominion’. I’m sending this because every process has a first step. In this case, the process has moved from ‘write the complete story’ to ‘get the story published’.
My bio will be brief: born in a taxicab racing down the streets of a small island community in the early morning hours of a cold March day. Educated beyond practical necessity and employed in what would, best-euphemistically be called, a liberal arts work history.
That I’ve written a novel is the direct result of a serendipitous insight into human nature, a blog (based on that insight) and, the recognition of the need to improve my ability to communicate in a written form.‘Blogdominion’ might best be categorized as a ‘Mystery Science Fiction’ story (which a hint of noire).
86,278 words. And, based on the response (and requests) of my First Gen Readers, the first installment of a Series of ‘Sister Margaret Ryan’ stories.Synopsis:
A young women finds refuge, (from herself), in a Convent, seeking peace and unconditional acceptance. The 21st Century soon intrudes and she is called upon to help protect the way of life she now treasures, at the risk of being forced to return to the chaotic life, before finding refuge at St. Dominique’s.
Sister Margaret Ryan discovers that a person’s past can never be left behind. In fact, certain skills and talents that she felt were best left in the past are needed, not only to help the Convent, but to save the life of her Mother Superior, Sister Bernadine Ellison.
Halfway across the country, a Mormon Engineer and his young assistant are forced to confront an emergent computer device that, upon attaining self-awareness, is exploring life and, as is so often the case when the young try to learn the ways of the world, things get broken and people die.
A mystery that needs to be solved, a growing threat that follows Sister Ryan back to her new home and the answer to the question, ‘What is it to be alive?’ All are part of ‘Blogdominion’Pages 1-20:
I got the agent’s name and contact info from an article in Writer’s Digest. The guy said, ‘1 paragraph bio and synopsis’. I suspect that, going forward, I’ll need to be a but more expansive on both the bio and the synopsis. But, that’ll be my on-going effort. The process has begun.
OK, Just wanted to keep everyone up to date with Sister Ryan and them. You all know how, ‘I can’t wait to share everything in my life with my friends everything,’ I am…. lol
(Did I mention that, self-improvement is not always easy or comfortable? That feeling of being sick to your stomach seems to accompany a lot of the progress that’s made?)
*don’t want to get into too much trouble with zoe, what with her being all, “clark, you need to remember what/who you’ve become as a result of all your efforts and throw that old self-image stuff out the door!! doug! watch this guy and bite ’em if he tries to backslide”.
** in a nutshell (yeah, ha ha Kristi) the Doctrine maintains that ‘personality’ is that collection of practiced strategies and styles of interacting with the world around us that we learn, develop and practice appropriate to the character of the reality that we find ourselfs in, when we are just small, young lifeforms. If I find myself in the reality of the Outsider, then I am going to develop, (and learn and practice), those behaviors that let me stay in the background and yet, still exert my will to whatever extent that need exists in me. And, for those of us growing up in the world of the Predator… honing response and attack skills, ignoring overly subjective responses to the world, are all part of growing up a scott. and the same with rogers, of course.
*** ’cause they scotts! of course!
