Mike Befeler's Blog, page 61

Keeping Balance as a Writer

Writing can be a lonely avocation. Nearly every morning, I sit down at my laptop and delve into a world I create in my own mind. There are adventures, pathos and humor discovered there, but I do this with no human interaction. This inner world can be fascinating, but it needs to be balanced with contact in the outer world.

Consequently, I take a break at midday to go outside. I play a sport called platform tennis two to three times a week. This allows me to enjoy an interesting activity and spend time with friends. Other days, I take walks. This gets me in touch with nature. Since I live close to the mountains in Colorado, I can enjoy nature with all its sights, sounds and aromas.
In the afternoon I do promotional work, often engaging with other writers or doing events. Afternoon and evening are also time for family activities.
I follow this schedule unless we’re traveling to visit our grandkids. During these excursions, I put my writing aside.
For a writer I find it important to keep this balance. I enjoy the solitude of writing but also the interaction with nature and other people.

Harry Truman

While doing research for the non-fiction book I’m writing, I came across an interesting story about Harry Truman and his response to a critic’s review of a performance by Harry’s daughter, Margaret.

Washington Post Music Critic Paul Hume's December 6, 1950, review of Margaret Truman's singing performance at Constitution Hall, stated, "Miss Truman is a unique American phenomenon with a pleasant voice of little size and fair quality . . . cannot sing very well . . . is flat a good deal of the time . . . more last night than at any time we have heard her in past years . . . has not improved in the years we have heard her . . . still cannot sing with anything approaching professional finish." 
Harry Truman responded, “I've just read your lousy review of Margaret's concert. I've come to the conclusion that you are an ‘eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay.’ It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you're off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work. Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!”

V-mail During World War 2

Okay, so we have email today, but during World War 2 there was V-mail. I had never heard of this until I started writing the biography of a World War 2 veteran and came across an example of this form of communication.

V-mail was short for Victory Mail. Here’s the way it worked. A soldier wrote correspondence on a small sheet that was photographed, sent in negative microfilm and printed upon receipt. The infantry man I’m writing about sent this V-mail on December 20, 1944, from the Vosges Mountains in France to his girlfriend back in the United States: “Hello, Sugar. This is just to let you know that I am still kicking and will punch hell out of the U.S.O. commando or 4F who’s making you forget me. They just brought hot chow out to us and I am feeling pretty good. It’s very cold right now and hard for me to hold the pen. How are you? How is school, and what are you doing with yourself? Do you ever see my father, my loving brother? Write soon. Love, Eddie.”
Thirteen days later he was captured by the Germans and spent three months in prisoner of war camps until liberated by the Russians.

Trivia Uncovered When Doing Research for Writing

I’m currently writing the biography of a World War 2 veteran. When he tells me stories of his experiences fighting the Germans, in a prisoner of war camp, behind Russian lines when liberated from the camp, and back to the American lines, I research the times and parallel events in history. After the war when he was in Paris, he bought Lifebuoy soap at the PX, He later went to a park and sold soap and cigarettes to get spending money.

In researching this, I came across a story about Lifebuoy soap. During the 1920s, an outfield wall advertisement for Lifebuoy at the Philadelphia Phillies stadium stated, "The Phillies use Lifebuoy." One night a vandal added to the ad, "And they still stink."

More World War 2 Trivia

In writing about an infantryman who was captured by the Germans during World War 2 and put in a prisoner-of-war camp, I’ve learned some interesting facts. He was in Stalag IV-B in eastern Germany. This camp had prisoners from many countries, and he was with other English-speaking prisoners in one section of the camp. The British had been there the longest, starting to arrive after being captured in North Africa. One of the self-governed forms of punishment among these prisoners entailed having a violator be “put in Coventry.”

This saying comes from approximately 1648 when Cromwell sent some Royalist soldiers to be imprisoned in the town of Coventry. The local parliamentary supporters shunned them.
In Stalag IV-B, the British used this same form of shunning to punish a prisoner who had disobeyed rules, such as stealing from other prisoners. It proved very effective. To be further isolated without communication from your fellow prisoners served the person of enforcing discipline.  

World War 2 Trivia Continued

In my current writing project, the first nonfiction book I’ve written, I’ve been learning about World War 2. This was my parents generation, and I had heard interesting stories before but not to the extent as I have from the veteran I’m interviewing who was also a prisoner of war and liberated by the Russians. Here are a few pieces of trivia I’ll share.

There are numerous definitions of the acronym GI including “Government Issue,” “General Infantry,” or “Galvanized Iron,” since it at one time referred to equipment made from galvanized iron.
To provide logistics support for the Allied army, the Red Ball Express became a twenty-four hours a day supply line of trucks. The system operated from August 25 to November 16, 1944, when the port facility at Antwerp, Belgium, reopened. The name comes from the red balls that marked the routes for these trucks (and not civilian vehicles) and the red balls on the trucks themselves.  

World War 2 Trivia

I’m currently writing the biography of a World War 2 veteran who was captured by the Germans and liberated by the Russians. He has many fascinating stories about his war and post-war experiences. He is also an amateur historian and has taught me many things about the World War 2 era.Here’s one I didn’t know before. After the Normandy landing, the American troops had a problem getting through the German hedgerows. The Sherman tanks couldn’t destroy the hedgerows and became vulnerable when their weak underbellies were exposed in trying to mount the hedgerows. An American sergeant came up with the idea to turn the Sherman tanks into bulldozers by welding scrap iron blades on the front of the tanks. Using leftover metal from the German defenses against landing craft, the modified tanks nicknamed “rhinoceros” tore through the hedgerows.

Promise of the New Year

This is a time to reflect on the past year and make plans for the year ahead. 2013 was a year of ups and downs, both personally and in the world. My downer was a heart attack in September, but the upside is that I’ve bounced back with no permanent damage to my heart. Other than that, our family stayed healthy. On the writing front, I had  three new novels published: the fifth book in the Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery series, Care Homes Are Murder; and two paranormal mysteries, The V V Agency and The Back Wing.

Looking ahead, we have visits to our kids and grandkids in California in February and the rest of our family in Iowa in March. The sixth book in my series, Nursing Homes Are Murder, will appear in May, and I’ve signed a contract for a new novel titled, The Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse.
I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year!

Spirit of Christmas

Whether someone is a Christian or not, this time of year we can all embrace the spirit of Christmas. There is the symbolism of this time of year, going back to the pagan tradition of celebrating the return of light after the longest night of the year. The lights, festivities and family gatherings bring about a feeling of inclusiveness and belonging. The gifts of the Magi portray giving rather than receiving.

And the bottom line is the teachings of Jesus to love. So we can celebrate this message whatever our religious heritage might be because this same message reverberates through all religions.

Importance of Choice of Words

As a writer, words make up a key part of my daily life. What we write or say can be ignored or can have a significant impact. It still amazes me that when I sit down at the keyboard in the morning to write, magic happens. Well not all the time. Some days it’s a struggle, and on other occasions the words flow.

I was reminded of the importance of words two weeks ago when I watched a program on the History Channel about the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. After FDR was notified of the event, he prepared a speech to give to the American people. In the original version he had written, “a date which will live in world history.” This didn’t have much impact. He later rewrote it so when he gave the address, he grabbed people’s attention with the phrase, “a date which will live in infamy.” That one small change made all the difference.Words. Choose them and use them wisely.