Drinking: Twinings English Breakfast with a sprinkle of stevia and a splash of soy cream
Reading: A Thirty-Something Girl by L.M. Stull
So let me tell you about my newest novel. Most say the subject matter is interesting (if not a little controversial) and I'd love to hear your opinions about it.
The working title is SEEKING DONOR 1365 and was inspired by the news story about a sperm donor with 150 offspring. That mental image alone is mind-boggling. Add the question of ethics and the lack of regulations in the US about how many kids one donor can produce it gets downright fascinating.
What would it be like, as a teenager, to learn you have, oh, 149 or so half siblings walking around?
Bet it'd be freaky.
I'm exploring the topic from the perspectives of 5 fictional youth who lead drastically different lives but have one thing in common:
Donor #1365.
If anyone has any thoughts on this or any resources I could check out for research, please let me know. I'd especially love hearing from anyone with personal experience regarding the subject. Please leave a comment or send me an email at heathermihok@gmail.com. Thanks!
This sounds really cool. Is there going to be one sibling trying to connect with the rest of them?
ReplyDeleteOne thing I'd look at would be to see how the samples are geographically distributed. Would a lot of the children be concentrated near the area where the donation was given or be spread out all over the country?
Yes, Dan. There's going to be one that sort of brings them all together. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point about location and I've given it a lot of thought. I wanted the 5 to at least be realistically near each other so they could meet. I've turned to the midwest and created fictional small towns in CA, NV, UT and TX that are just a few hours (or a minor roadtrip) apart. They eventually discover siblings all across the US, though. There are lots of circumstances to play around with!
news item today about another of those donor guys. But I have nothing to tell you! I think it would be scary, what if you fell in love with someone who turned out to be your sibling??
ReplyDeleteAnother one? Really??? Wow it really makes you think. Maybe this is happening more than we realize. :-/
ReplyDeleteHehehe, Pierre, it's that very thought that inspired the story. How would a sixteen year old handle that kind of news?