I’ve heard some people grousing about the over-saturation of this event being on the news, but I’m not one of them. đ I think it’s high time we focus on more positive stories in the news. I also love Kate, Will, and Kate + Will, so I’m very happy to hear lots about the third member of their little family. đ
It’s Day Two of David Litwack’s whirlwind blog tour, and there’s been a lot of good conversation about him and his work. In fact, he had an interview on Twitter (a “Twitterview”) today with Novel Publicity, and at the end, he answered questions by fans. Click here for the whole transcript, including lots of writing tips and insight on Litwack’s work.
Today, let’s get to know the author a little better. I’m going to share a guest post by David Litwack, himself. I’ve actually read this post a few times, and it moves me with each read. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know how important disability awareness is to me. For my new followers, in a nutshell, I sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2005. I am lucky and blessed to have survived, recovered, and flourished so well. But, sadly, not everyone does, and Litwack explores the psychology of it in his book, Along the Watchtower.
Along the Watchtower, Litwack’s latest novel about a war veteran suffering from PTSD, escaping reality with World of Warcraft, and making sense of it all
I actually haven’t gotten a chance to read this book, myself, yet; I’ve been focused on his other, There Comes a Prophet, which I’ll be reviewing on Friday. After reading the interview, this guest post, and an excerpt (which I’ll be posting tomorrow!), I can’t wait to start.
I admire how important this topic is to Litwack, as well as the depth of research he did. He saw an international problem that is largely ignored, and he addressed it through fiction. I think it’s something all writers strive to do, and I’m in awe of this combination. In the story, Litwack’s main character is having a tough time facing reality and unwittingly starts to recognize the world of World of Warcraft, Azeroth, as his own. I think it’s a common and natural tendency for anyone who’s been through trauma to try to find an escape, albeit temporary. It’s actually pretty natural for anyone, isn’t it–isn’t that what we do every time we watch a television show, play a video game, or read a book?
Another reason this material hits home for me is because I realize, from personal experience, how blurry that line can be between reality and dreams/nightmares. When I first woke up from my coma, I kept thinking I was in a dream. It finally sunk in when my mom said something after a few weeks; it’s something none of us can remember because it was so trivial and small, but it was in its commonness that I recognized reality. It’s not always the big things that make us feel alive, it’s the small, too, which anchor us to this everyday world. It’s a strange feeling to explain, and I look forward to reading how Litwack has illustrated it.
As to the video game,  I haven’t played it, personally, beyond commandeering Jeremiah’s game he sometimes leaves unattended, and flying his character (via dragon, of course) as high as possible, into the most obscure location I can find. Sometimes, his character will take unfortunately long swims. For some reason, he hasn’t been leaving his computer unattended anymore, and I can’t imagine why. đ But I do think the world is complex and fascinating, and I’m interested to see how Litwack translates it into literature.
Without further ado, please enjoy what I think is a very honest and important guest post by David Litwack.
Guest Post by David Litwack
Please enjoy this guest post by David Litwack, author of the gripping contemporary novel, Along the Watchtower, and the deep, dark dystopia, There Comes a Prophet. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book.
Gaming and war would seem to be as far apart from each other as you can get. But while youâre in the midst of them, they share one thing in commonâa sense of being in an alternate reality.
Iâve always been fascinated by how much of what we consider to be reality is subjective, how each of us bring our own experiences and biases into play. But when weâre ripped from our normal lives and placed in extreme circumstances, our reality becomes totally fragmented. Such is the case with hospitals and war.
A couple of years ago, I became engrossed in the online game, World of Warcraft, thanks to my son. Iâm on the east coast and heâs on the west, so weâd meet every Wednesday evening in the virtual world of Azeroth, where our avatars would go on quests together. I was struck by how immersed I became in the mood of the game as we wandered through castles and crypts, solving riddles and vanquishing demons, how for a short period of time, I could totally buy in to the alternate reality.
The fantasy gaming experience has a dream-like quality to it, which led me to wonder: how would this experience affect the dreams of someone whose reality has been fragmented by the trauma of war? These conceptsâwar, hospitals, and the fantasy world of online gamingâcame together in Along the Watchtower.
I began to research the effects of war on returning veterans. I learned that 30% are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress. That means after six months theyâre still dealing with flashbacks, disturbing dreams, depression and difficulty re-assimilating into their former lives. And that doesnât account for the many others who are seemingly able to adjust but continue to deal with inner turmoil. The war experience changes all forever. Many have suicidal thoughts (the suicide rate among veterans is triple that of the general population. More soldiers have died by their own hand than in the war itself). Many struggle with dark thoughts and have difficulty forming relationships, unable to âturn offâ the normal flight or fight syndrome, leaving them suspicious in crowds and always on alert.
And then, there are the physical injuries. One of the ironic successes of these recent wars is the advance in battlefield medicine. The result is that far fewer die of wounds than in prior wars. The ratio of wounded to dead in WWII was 1.1/1, in Vietnam 1.7/1. In Iraq, itâs 7/1. More are saved, but more come home with debilitating, lifelong injuries. And 68% of the wounded have some form or brain trauma, penetrating injuries from shrapnel or non-penetrating concussions from the blasts of IEDs.
To learn more about brain injuries, I read In an Instant, the story of Bob Woodruff. The brilliant Woodruff had just been named co-anchor of ABCâs World News Tonight. Then, while embedded with the military in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. Bob suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him. The book describes his recovery and recounts how fragile the human brain can be. At one point, the erudite Woodruff could rattle off the names of all prior U.S. presidents but couldnât remember the names of his own children.
And I read about post traumatic stress. One of the best books is Achilles in Vietnam. Written by Jonathan Shay, a Vietnam War era PTSD counselor, it compares his clinical notes from patients to the text from Homerâs Odyssey, showing how we as human beings have dealt with war trauma across the millennia. He shows how war disrupts our moral compass, leaving re-entry into normal life as a brutal and agonizing experience.
Playing a make-believe fantasy game and going to war both have a surreal quality that takes us out of our normal reality. But for war veterans, the sense of normality doesnât return without a struggle.
The Wounded Warrior Project is a wonderful organization, dedicated to helping veterans adjust. Their stated mission is: âTo foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nationâs history.â How successful weâll be at achieving that goal will tell a lot about who we are. Itâs one of the most important stories of our time.
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, both Along the Watchtower and There Comes a Prophet by David Litwack are on sale this week. Whatâs more, by purchasing either or both of these fantastic books at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.
The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog commentâeasy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
- Pick up Along the Watchtower at its discounted price of $2.99 on Amazon
- Get There Comes a Prophet at its discounted price of 99 cents
- Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
- Visit the featured social media events
- Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.
Along the Watchtower tells of a tragic warrior lost in two worlds; a woman who may be his only way back from Hell. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.
There Comes a Prophet A thousand years ago the Darkness cameâa time of violence and social collapse. Nathaniel has grown up in their world of limits, longing for something more. For what are we without dreams? Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.
David Litwack, the once and future writer, explores the blurry line between reality and the fantastic. Visit David on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.