Ask the Author: Garry Berman
Answered Questions (6)
Garry Berman
Sometimes I might get stuck writing a scene on, say, page 50, but I have a great idea for a scene that probably won't occur until page 80 or 100. I'll skip past the scene I'm stuck on, and write the one for later in the story. Then I'll try to fill in the rest in between.
When I was writing my first book, "Old Wave," I got a terrible case of writer's block for about three weeks. Out of desperation, I dug into an old folder of comedy sketches I had written many years before, and found one that I realized I could re-shape and fit it into "Old Wave." At least it was something to work on and help me progress. After I added that scene, getting back to the rest of the story was a lot easier.
When I was writing my first book, "Old Wave," I got a terrible case of writer's block for about three weeks. Out of desperation, I dug into an old folder of comedy sketches I had written many years before, and found one that I realized I could re-shape and fit it into "Old Wave." At least it was something to work on and help me progress. After I added that scene, getting back to the rest of the story was a lot easier.
Garry Berman
Freedom to be creative, and to see the finished product that I can hold and flip through, and say, "I did this!" The downside about being a writer? It's a very solitary occupation!
Garry Berman
I still consider myself an aspiring writer, so my advice to others is--go find something else to do! You're my competition!
On what might be a more helpful note, I'd suggest to put something you've written away for a while, so you can re-read it with fresh eyes, and maybe without the giddiness that can lead to excess. And an editor of some kind is very helpful. Kelly is a wonderful editor for me. Whenever I begin to get too indulgent, and spend two paragraphs on something when only one will do, she'll let me know it!
On what might be a more helpful note, I'd suggest to put something you've written away for a while, so you can re-read it with fresh eyes, and maybe without the giddiness that can lead to excess. And an editor of some kind is very helpful. Kelly is a wonderful editor for me. Whenever I begin to get too indulgent, and spend two paragraphs on something when only one will do, she'll let me know it!
Garry Berman
I usually like to work on more than one book at a time. I might work on a script or a fiction piece while also researching and writing a non-fiction book. My most intense interest has been American entertainment, especially comedy, throughout the past century--vaudeville, radio, films, TV. So, I have two books on their way to publication: a comic novel co-written with Kelly Marie Thompson (which we are self-publishing), and a book that looks at the history of television's "firsts"--the first sitcom, first police drama, etc. Our novel, "From Me To You" will be available VERY soon, while the television book, "For The First Time On Television..." will be published by Bearmanor Media sometime in 2016.
Garry Berman
I've been writing all my life. I write only comedy and humorous prose, which just seems to be how my brain in wired. I remember whenever my 2nd grade teacher would instruct us to write a 1-page story, I always wanted to make mine funny. I would hand it in and watch her as she read it. If I saw her smile or laugh, I considered it a wonderful victory.
Garry Berman
The history of my most recent (and self-published) book, "Barkers Upon Tyne," is a bit unusual. I've been collaborating on comedy scripts with Kelly Marie Thompson, who lives in England, since 2011. She sent me the first 10 pages of the pilot episode, introducing the three Barker siblings all in their twenties, who live in Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, and who are constantly interfering in each other's lives. I was so impressed, I asked to work on it with her. We submitted the pilot to the BBC (yes, they ENCOURAGE script submissions from the public!), but they passed on it. Undeterred, we re-wrote a good deal of it, and decided to write six episodes in all, and take control over their destiny by publishing the "Barkers" episodes ourselves, available for anyone to read. We somehow wrote, edited, and polished all six episodes in only eight weeks. And we've just begun working on a new batch.
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