Wright: one book at a time
Tilmer Wright Jr. is pursuing his dream one book at a time.
The Hardin Valley resident has published two books and completed two more — all labors of love for a man passionate about science, good storytelling and the written word.
“It was always on my bucket list — I always wanted to write,” he said. “I dabbled in it, and I drew inspiration from things.”
Wright’s genre is science fiction, but he said it is “not like Star Wars, but first contact stories — where humans meet beings from other planets.”
“Motes” was his first novel, published in 2013. Now more than five years in, Wright remains just as passionate about it today.
“I am proud of it,” he said. “I like the story. A lot of me, and my faith, is in that book.
“I recently reread [it and] I still love it,” he continued. “I wish everyone could read it. If I could afford it, I would give it away.”
In writing “Motes,” Wright drew inspiration from French philosopher, mathematician, inventor and theologian Blaise Pascal.
“He is one of my heroes from history. He talked about scale — between the infinitely small, and the infinitely large; there is no real scale for humans to know, or compare [how or where they fit in].”
Wright said “Motes” is “a story is about incremental revelation — we learn as we are prepared to learn.
“As a child matures, you can reveal more and more to him; we learn things as we are ready to digest and learn,” he added.
Wright’s second story, “The Bit Dance,” is “just a fun story” he said. He took the concept from a scientific algorithm based on the behavior of bees, the science behind artificial intelligence, and incorporated society’s fascination with social media.
“I had to get the book [done as quickly as possible] because I kept seeing things [in the news] like the details in my book. I didn’t want anyone to think I had copied them,” he said.
The book also melds his personal belief that “faith and science don’t need to be enemies. Science is a gift from God, and we use it to learn more about His Creation.
“A lot of [the] time, it seems to be at odds, but the day is coming when [both sides] will turn around and be awkwardly in the same spot,” he added.
Wright said he is not a young adult writer. “I don’t follow that format, and I don’t write them for kids,” he said. “[But] kids could read them; there is no sex or profanity.”
He does say young people are at the heart of both books, and while the subjects are not based on his life per se, they do have commonalities rooted in Wright’s own experiences.
“I had a great childhood,” said Wright, who grew up in Kingsport before moving with his family to Florida. “I identify positively with my youth.
“We were never rich, but I never went a day without my parents telling me how much they loved me.”
Although his parents have passed away, Wright has carried on their legacy within his own family, which includes wife, Ellen, and daughters, Maisyn and Madisyn.
Wright describes Ellen as his “first editor. She is very good — and ruthless.”
Wright is employed by Brunswick Boat Group in the IT division, which doesn’t give him a lot of time to pursue his passion.
“I love to write, I just wish I had more time to do it,” he said. “If I could do this for a living, I would absolutely do it.”
He said a “great day” is when he can churn out 2,000 words or more.
Wright already has written a children’s book, for which he is seeking an illustrator, and also has finished a new novel, “Talisgate.”
His books are available on Amazon, in either print or Kindle format.
