Good morning, my friends! I hope you had a wonderful Easter and a great week!

I spent the week finishing my fictional story and living in my imagination. (Sheesh, it's a dark place in there!) My writing process consists of me telling everyone I love that I'm going into hibernation mode and taking lots of walks.

Because my walks were combined with thinking and plotting, I spent a lot of time at some of the beautiful parks in Athens. I'm a fan of parks wherever I go, and the ones here do not disappoint. Where else can you find ancient relics that you could actually sit on as you drink your bottle of water? As well, there's always a shaded bench tucked into a small, verdant oasis where you can rest on a hot day. (You can find more photos on my Instagram here.)

Speaking of writing, I wanted to give you a bit of an inside scoop on the story I published this week, Good Citizens.

This is a concept I'd been considering for quite some time. I've developed some characters. There's Camille, the one whose journal you read, her granddaughter Bella, her friend Dash, a disabled veteran who is a brilliant hacker, and Dash's twin boys. But as I was writing, I thought that the actual story was getting lost in the story of the characters. This isn't to say I'll never share the stories of Cammie and Dash and their families, but for now, I wanted to explain how this world came about.

The concepts behind the story took a great deal of research. I used actual events to set the scene because I think that the dystopian society described is not only possible but likely. And that, to me, is the most chilling thing of all. It's not like reading a story that takes place 100 years in the future - it could start rolling out tomorrow - or on the timeline established in Cammie's journal.

Writing fiction is so different than writing commentary. I really enjoy it and would love to spend more time doing it in the future.

But dang, it's scary! I don't feel hesitant when I publish an article anymore. I don't feel worried about whether people will like it or not, or whether it will be well-received. But when you write fiction, it's like you just opened up an artery and offered your lifeblood. It is like giving a real part of yourself to the world and holding back nothing. Heck, the word "terror" is mild for the feeling of sharing stories you created with the world.

I really appreciate the comments and feedback some of you have left on the article about it on OP, and welcome anything you have to say about it, good, bad, or ugly.

I hope you have a fantastic week ahead!

This new work of short fiction takes you into a near-future world that seems all too likely.

When the American banking system collapsed, a new federal digital currency was quickly rolled out to save the country. But soon, it became all too clear that what had felt like a rescue was actually a hostage situation – one that affected every American.

In a world of strict digital control, algorithms, new rules, and a mandatory app called Good Citizen, was it possible to reclaim your personal freedom? How did our nation fall so far, so fast, into technocratic authoritarianism?

Camille Willis records her observations in a journal as a warning for ensuing generations. She answers the question that future historians are bound to ask. "How did Americans go from being the free-est country on earth to this dark place?"

This cautionary tale will make you feel uncomfortable about the path our country is on. Maybe it’s not too late to change course.

Beta readers called it "unsettling" and said it left them "chilled." Praised for its realism, this story shows us one way that the nation we love could fall. It’s a quick, 44-page read that will leave you staggered by the possibilities when technology is used as a tool for subjugation.