Bill Conrad's Blog, page 4
April 23, 2025
How Dan Harmon Writes Rick and Morty
I have been collecting links about publishing, writing, creativity, and authors to assist with writing. Recently, I was outlining an upcoming book and wanted some inspiration, so I re-investigated several links, and one seemed like an interesting article topic.
I am a big Rick and Morty fan, and when the creator, Dan Harmon, revealed his method, I bookmarked that one. In case you are unaware, Dan’s show follows “the most intelligent man in the universe” and his side-kick grandson. They have epic adventures that bounce from alternate reality, space travel, crazy alien beings, major family issues, epic adventure, kindness, compassion, intense drama, universe-wide romance, and personal daemons.
How can he fit so much plot into a single half-hour show? It requires next-level writing. Thus, Dan developed a focused technique to compress a large story into this short period.
https://nerdist.com/article/rick-and-...
Dan broke the basics into eight steps, forming a tight circle, and coincidently, my seventh book closely follows his model. While I wrote the outline for my years before discovering this article, I wonder if Rick and Morty partially inspired my plot structure. Given how many times I have re-watched each episode, this is not out of the realm of possibility.
(1) He begins with “you,” a character you can identify with. I also begin my stories with a solid foundation because I feel it is essential to start a story from a place readers can easily grasp. Beginning some ware outlandish is too big of a leap. Thus, my seventh book began by re-introducing characters and describing their everyday lives.
(2) Dan describes the next part as a need, meaning that the main character requires something to continue. This is where Dan and I diverge. I prefer my characters reacting to something, meaning an external element messes with their everyday lives.
Thus, in my seventh book, a mysterious character forces my main character to go on a harrowing journey. However, the mysterious character dangles a carrot in the form of the location where his two friends are being held prisoner. So, I used both motivations, but the stronger one is being forced.
Still, desire is a fundamental reason to accomplish; thus, as I write this very sentence, I understand my motivation is for you to understand these eight steps. Meaning this is my desire.
(3) The next part Dan describes as “go,” which is when the characters cross a threshold that changes the story’s direction. I feel a good story needs to mix things up, and breaking the story up into distant locations is always entertaining. Contrary to what you might think, I have found it is easier to maintain story flow (moving from one plot element to the next) by changing locations because it keeps the action going as opposed to a long slog where little changes. I did this in my seventh book by forcing my character to fly all over the planet.
(4) Dan then describes a search, which is when the characters get tested. A test is an integral part of character development; a strong character succeeds while a weak one fails. In my seventh book, my character must face powerful adversaries. Some are ruthless, while others are friendly. As the story progresses, my main character grows and becomes more confident. I feel it is essential for the main character to be in a better place by the end of the story. Otherwise, what is the point of a book?
(5) Dan calls this step “the find,” meaning that the character succeeds in their quest. I wholeheartedly agree with this step. The reader must see the main character coming out on top because ambiguity is plot death. In my seventh book, my character passes the test, is given the location of his friends, and saves them. (Alright, this was a bit of a spoiler alert as my book is ~six months away from being published.)
(6) Dan calls this step return, which means the character returns to an everyday reality. I agree with this step because it is essential to leave the reader grounded. In my seventh book, my main character returns home with his friends, who do normal activities near his house. This is the reward for achieving something.
(7) The last step is change, meaning the characters describe how the adventure affected them. In my seventh book, my epilog reviews the story and brings closure to the events.
Until writing this article, I did not realize how closely I followed Dan’s model, yet there is a big difference. In Rick and Morty, the main character, Rick, drives everything. He is the alpha male. I find mega-confident characters too challenging to write for because they always must be in charge and know what to do. I prefer characters that, while talented, have no idea what is happening. They are more fun to manipulate, and readers get more out of a character like them. However, like in step four, a character must grow, and in the sequel to my seventh book, I plan to have my main character take more control.
What Dan’s method lacks is the bigger picture. “What is next for Rick and Morty?” This is where I have seen many book series fail. The author’s primary goal is to finish one story without a future book in mind. And I am 2000% guilty of this crime. When I wrote my first three books, I had no idea what my main characters would be doing five books away. Feelings, goals, locations, new characters? I had not thought up a single one. Yeah, that did not lead to any problems…
So, where does this leave us? I hope you ponder my thoughts and add Dan’s article to your tool belt. If not, I understand because this is how I approach life. I take in all I see, discard the junk, and use the best parts to my advantage. But what if this is article junk, in your opinion? I still claim victory because if I had done my work correctly, you understood the technique, were able to evaluate it, and chose it was not for you. My point is that even in my failure, you learned about a method that does not apply, which is just as valuable. Still, I hope you found this article, at the very least, entertaining.
You’re the best -Bill
April 23, 2025
I am a big Rick and Morty fan, and when the creator, Dan Harmon, revealed his method, I bookmarked that one. In case you are unaware, Dan’s show follows “the most intelligent man in the universe” and his side-kick grandson. They have epic adventures that bounce from alternate reality, space travel, crazy alien beings, major family issues, epic adventure, kindness, compassion, intense drama, universe-wide romance, and personal daemons.
How can he fit so much plot into a single half-hour show? It requires next-level writing. Thus, Dan developed a focused technique to compress a large story into this short period.
https://nerdist.com/article/rick-and-...
Dan broke the basics into eight steps, forming a tight circle, and coincidently, my seventh book closely follows his model. While I wrote the outline for my years before discovering this article, I wonder if Rick and Morty partially inspired my plot structure. Given how many times I have re-watched each episode, this is not out of the realm of possibility.
(1) He begins with “you,” a character you can identify with. I also begin my stories with a solid foundation because I feel it is essential to start a story from a place readers can easily grasp. Beginning some ware outlandish is too big of a leap. Thus, my seventh book began by re-introducing characters and describing their everyday lives.
(2) Dan describes the next part as a need, meaning that the main character requires something to continue. This is where Dan and I diverge. I prefer my characters reacting to something, meaning an external element messes with their everyday lives.
Thus, in my seventh book, a mysterious character forces my main character to go on a harrowing journey. However, the mysterious character dangles a carrot in the form of the location where his two friends are being held prisoner. So, I used both motivations, but the stronger one is being forced.
Still, desire is a fundamental reason to accomplish; thus, as I write this very sentence, I understand my motivation is for you to understand these eight steps. Meaning this is my desire.
(3) The next part Dan describes as “go,” which is when the characters cross a threshold that changes the story’s direction. I feel a good story needs to mix things up, and breaking the story up into distant locations is always entertaining. Contrary to what you might think, I have found it is easier to maintain story flow (moving from one plot element to the next) by changing locations because it keeps the action going as opposed to a long slog where little changes. I did this in my seventh book by forcing my character to fly all over the planet.
(4) Dan then describes a search, which is when the characters get tested. A test is an integral part of character development; a strong character succeeds while a weak one fails. In my seventh book, my character must face powerful adversaries. Some are ruthless, while others are friendly. As the story progresses, my main character grows and becomes more confident. I feel it is essential for the main character to be in a better place by the end of the story. Otherwise, what is the point of a book?
(5) Dan calls this step “the find,” meaning that the character succeeds in their quest. I wholeheartedly agree with this step. The reader must see the main character coming out on top because ambiguity is plot death. In my seventh book, my character passes the test, is given the location of his friends, and saves them. (Alright, this was a bit of a spoiler alert as my book is ~six months away from being published.)
(6) Dan calls this step return, which means the character returns to an everyday reality. I agree with this step because it is essential to leave the reader grounded. In my seventh book, my main character returns home with his friends, who do normal activities near his house. This is the reward for achieving something.
(7) The last step is change, meaning the characters describe how the adventure affected them. In my seventh book, my epilog reviews the story and brings closure to the events.
Until writing this article, I did not realize how closely I followed Dan’s model, yet there is a big difference. In Rick and Morty, the main character, Rick, drives everything. He is the alpha male. I find mega-confident characters too challenging to write for because they always must be in charge and know what to do. I prefer characters that, while talented, have no idea what is happening. They are more fun to manipulate, and readers get more out of a character like them. However, like in step four, a character must grow, and in the sequel to my seventh book, I plan to have my main character take more control.
What Dan’s method lacks is the bigger picture. “What is next for Rick and Morty?” This is where I have seen many book series fail. The author’s primary goal is to finish one story without a future book in mind. And I am 2000% guilty of this crime. When I wrote my first three books, I had no idea what my main characters would be doing five books away. Feelings, goals, locations, new characters? I had not thought up a single one. Yeah, that did not lead to any problems…
So, where does this leave us? I hope you ponder my thoughts and add Dan’s article to your tool belt. If not, I understand because this is how I approach life. I take in all I see, discard the junk, and use the best parts to my advantage. But what if this is article junk, in your opinion? I still claim victory because if I had done my work correctly, you understood the technique, were able to evaluate it, and chose it was not for you. My point is that even in my failure, you learned about a method that does not apply, which is just as valuable. Still, I hope you found this article, at the very least, entertaining.
You’re the best -Bill
April 23, 2025
April 16, 2025
When Your Heros Fall
Throughout our lives, certain people take on a high level of respect; we call them heroes. Looking back, I think my first was Evel Knievel, a motorcycle stunt driver with a larger-than-life personality. I was too young to understand the person. I only knew he did incredible jumps. By age ten, I lost interest.
It is hard to pinpoint a person I deeply admired in my early teens. The Dukes of Hazzard and Arnold Schwarzenegger come to mind. I do recall admiring Mel Gibson in my late teens. This was long before his booze rant, but by the early 90s, his interviews turned me off.
The mid-90s were a bleak time because I was no longer a kid. Instead, I was a working adult who had to face reality, which did not leave much room for a hero. Granted, I was a mega Rush fan, but the band members were not heroes. Why? I am not a musician, and we have little in common.
Not much changed until I became a writer. A friend recommended The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Where has he been all my life? I was hooked from page one and read every one of Neil’s books. What an author! His creativity, subject matter, characters, and stories are all over the top. I wish I had 10% of his mind.
What was my hero worship commitment level? 100% If anybody wanted a book recommendation, I would shout The Graveyard Book! While writing, I try my best to think about his concepts and challenge myself to write beyond. And it worked. He indeed inspired me to develop more powerful ideas. Yet, out of respect, I went far out of my way not to copy any of his cherished concepts or include direct quotes from his work.
In an upcoming book, I included a homage scene. A character, Cleopatra (yes, in my story, she is still alive), is discussing a book she enjoyed because the other main character recommended it. Of course, it was The Graveyard Book, and he recommended reading Neverwhere.
While editing the paragraph, I got sidetracked and wanted to know the status of The Graveyard Book movie. It has been on hold for the last ten years, and Ron Howard is rumored to be the director. So, I did an internet search, and Neil recently said there was no news to report. Oh, well. Then, I looked further down the search page.
It turns out that my hero writer is accused of abusing five women, and there is an ongoing court case. It felt like somebody punched me in the gut. I am so utterly disappointed with him. There is so much pain in this world, and he was among the few who stood above the severe problems we face.
I make no excuses for the man. Abuse is entirely unacceptable. So, what did I do? Obviously, I altered the paragraph. Cleopatra read The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. From this point forward, I will neither reference Neil nor recommend his works.
What about my prior articles? I will pull one and edit my other words to include a warning. My reasoning for removing the article is that it is now inappropriate. The other articles are technical writing discussions that do not focus on Neil’s work. So, the points are still valid, but I am bound to edit in a warning.
Yet, there is still a potential problem. What if a studio makes The Graveyard Book movie? Will I pay to see it? Gahh!! It was such a great story. Darn it, my answer is no. Part of being a responsible adult is sticking to good morals. What kind of man would I be if I supported a woman abuser? A lousy one.
This whole situation hurts. I am so disgusted with Neil. I honestly thought he was a better person. An inspiring role model for today’s writers. Alas, no. He is a monster and not the monster in his fantastic stories.
You’re the best -Bill
April 16, 2025
It is hard to pinpoint a person I deeply admired in my early teens. The Dukes of Hazzard and Arnold Schwarzenegger come to mind. I do recall admiring Mel Gibson in my late teens. This was long before his booze rant, but by the early 90s, his interviews turned me off.
The mid-90s were a bleak time because I was no longer a kid. Instead, I was a working adult who had to face reality, which did not leave much room for a hero. Granted, I was a mega Rush fan, but the band members were not heroes. Why? I am not a musician, and we have little in common.
Not much changed until I became a writer. A friend recommended The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Where has he been all my life? I was hooked from page one and read every one of Neil’s books. What an author! His creativity, subject matter, characters, and stories are all over the top. I wish I had 10% of his mind.
What was my hero worship commitment level? 100% If anybody wanted a book recommendation, I would shout The Graveyard Book! While writing, I try my best to think about his concepts and challenge myself to write beyond. And it worked. He indeed inspired me to develop more powerful ideas. Yet, out of respect, I went far out of my way not to copy any of his cherished concepts or include direct quotes from his work.
In an upcoming book, I included a homage scene. A character, Cleopatra (yes, in my story, she is still alive), is discussing a book she enjoyed because the other main character recommended it. Of course, it was The Graveyard Book, and he recommended reading Neverwhere.
While editing the paragraph, I got sidetracked and wanted to know the status of The Graveyard Book movie. It has been on hold for the last ten years, and Ron Howard is rumored to be the director. So, I did an internet search, and Neil recently said there was no news to report. Oh, well. Then, I looked further down the search page.
It turns out that my hero writer is accused of abusing five women, and there is an ongoing court case. It felt like somebody punched me in the gut. I am so utterly disappointed with him. There is so much pain in this world, and he was among the few who stood above the severe problems we face.
I make no excuses for the man. Abuse is entirely unacceptable. So, what did I do? Obviously, I altered the paragraph. Cleopatra read The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. From this point forward, I will neither reference Neil nor recommend his works.
What about my prior articles? I will pull one and edit my other words to include a warning. My reasoning for removing the article is that it is now inappropriate. The other articles are technical writing discussions that do not focus on Neil’s work. So, the points are still valid, but I am bound to edit in a warning.
Yet, there is still a potential problem. What if a studio makes The Graveyard Book movie? Will I pay to see it? Gahh!! It was such a great story. Darn it, my answer is no. Part of being a responsible adult is sticking to good morals. What kind of man would I be if I supported a woman abuser? A lousy one.
This whole situation hurts. I am so disgusted with Neil. I honestly thought he was a better person. An inspiring role model for today’s writers. Alas, no. He is a monster and not the monster in his fantastic stories.
You’re the best -Bill
April 16, 2025
April 9, 2025
Disliking Your Creation
One of my top ten moves is Better Off Dead. The 1985 film was written and directed by Savage Steve Holland and starred a young John Cusack. Many viewers would consider this a brat-pack, teeny-bopper, and typical 80s film, but I found it well-written, perfectly acted, and some of the best movie lines ever. And the soundtrack? It is in my top five. (The Breakfast Club, Beverly Hills Cop, Lost Boys, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure make up the other four.)
All the gushing aside, there is a big problem. John Cusack hated the movie. He felt Savage Steve humiliated him, and the movie could have been much better. In an interview with costar Dan Schneider, he said:
“The next morning, he basically walked up to me and was like, ‘You know, you tricked me. Better Off Dead was the worst thing I have ever seen. I will never trust you as a director ever again, so don’t speak to me.’”
“It made me not care about movies anymore. And I didn’t even want to do One Crazy Summer at that point. I was just gone. It was sort of like the break-up that I made Better Off Dead about. It was so out of left field that it just floored me.”
https://web.archive.org/web/200602061...
I watched the movie for about the twentieth time last night and began thinking about John Cusack’s opinion. We have all done things we are not proud of, but it is unusual when others cherish those things we created. Typically, we do the opposite by convincing everybody that our awful creation is not that bad.
This kind of reaction has only happened once in my life. I developed a testing device that had many flaws. My company made 50 for production and field workers, but I felt the flaws could easily be corrected, so I built a better version. Clearly, the workers would throw away my abomination and lovingly take my new design into their hearts.
Of course, everybody liked the first design and refused to touch the improved one. I had to look away whenever I saw them using the first version. When I left the company, I asked if I could have one of the second versions, and it is now in a box in my attic. Yet, that is not the same. The equivalent would be writing a book I hated but everybody loved.
My reaction to this possibility is, “Well if I hated it so much, I would not have published it, stopped selling it, or released a second edition to correct the flaws.” John Cusack did not have that option, so this kind of situation is not the same. But let’s drive this train wreck a little further down the track.
Let’s say my books took off, and I signed with a mega-publisher. (Yes, it is more likely that Madona will knock on my door and offer to clean my house for free while humming Material Girl.) The publisher takes an early version of my next book, radically alters it, and makes it an instant hit. Because of the contract, I am powerless to stop them.
That is the closest life situation I can imagine that mirrors what John Cusack faced. So, how would I feel about it? I would be angry and tell all my fans not to read the book. Yet… I certainly would cash those fat checks. And there is the double-edged knife. Would I tell my fans not to buy my book? Are my morals that rock-solid? After all, they would be enjoying my words. And a fat check is a fat check. So, yeah, I can see myself brooding about the incident instead of making a sizeable public deal.
What would I say to a fan who wanted to discuss my book? “Sorry, it wasn’t my best?” But what would listening to endless compliments feel like? “Wow, your book is so fantastic.” Man, that double-edged knife digs in deep.
This thought experiment made me want to interview John Cusack, yet I understand that this topic upsets him. He is a creative person who takes pride in his accomplishments. Seeing that movie or hearing a comment probably feels like a bee sting. I certainly do not want that feeling. Yet, I loved the film.
So, what does that make me? It makes me confused. I want to respect John Cusack and enjoy the film simultaneously. It isn’t easy to merge the two feelings. When thinking about this, I saw two options. I can continue to praise the movie while knowing John is getting paid, or I can eliminate the film from my heart, knowing this secretly makes John happier. Yeah… Did I mention how much I enjoy the soundtrack?
You’re the best -Bill
April 09, 2025
All the gushing aside, there is a big problem. John Cusack hated the movie. He felt Savage Steve humiliated him, and the movie could have been much better. In an interview with costar Dan Schneider, he said:
“The next morning, he basically walked up to me and was like, ‘You know, you tricked me. Better Off Dead was the worst thing I have ever seen. I will never trust you as a director ever again, so don’t speak to me.’”
“It made me not care about movies anymore. And I didn’t even want to do One Crazy Summer at that point. I was just gone. It was sort of like the break-up that I made Better Off Dead about. It was so out of left field that it just floored me.”
https://web.archive.org/web/200602061...
I watched the movie for about the twentieth time last night and began thinking about John Cusack’s opinion. We have all done things we are not proud of, but it is unusual when others cherish those things we created. Typically, we do the opposite by convincing everybody that our awful creation is not that bad.
This kind of reaction has only happened once in my life. I developed a testing device that had many flaws. My company made 50 for production and field workers, but I felt the flaws could easily be corrected, so I built a better version. Clearly, the workers would throw away my abomination and lovingly take my new design into their hearts.
Of course, everybody liked the first design and refused to touch the improved one. I had to look away whenever I saw them using the first version. When I left the company, I asked if I could have one of the second versions, and it is now in a box in my attic. Yet, that is not the same. The equivalent would be writing a book I hated but everybody loved.
My reaction to this possibility is, “Well if I hated it so much, I would not have published it, stopped selling it, or released a second edition to correct the flaws.” John Cusack did not have that option, so this kind of situation is not the same. But let’s drive this train wreck a little further down the track.
Let’s say my books took off, and I signed with a mega-publisher. (Yes, it is more likely that Madona will knock on my door and offer to clean my house for free while humming Material Girl.) The publisher takes an early version of my next book, radically alters it, and makes it an instant hit. Because of the contract, I am powerless to stop them.
That is the closest life situation I can imagine that mirrors what John Cusack faced. So, how would I feel about it? I would be angry and tell all my fans not to read the book. Yet… I certainly would cash those fat checks. And there is the double-edged knife. Would I tell my fans not to buy my book? Are my morals that rock-solid? After all, they would be enjoying my words. And a fat check is a fat check. So, yeah, I can see myself brooding about the incident instead of making a sizeable public deal.
What would I say to a fan who wanted to discuss my book? “Sorry, it wasn’t my best?” But what would listening to endless compliments feel like? “Wow, your book is so fantastic.” Man, that double-edged knife digs in deep.
This thought experiment made me want to interview John Cusack, yet I understand that this topic upsets him. He is a creative person who takes pride in his accomplishments. Seeing that movie or hearing a comment probably feels like a bee sting. I certainly do not want that feeling. Yet, I loved the film.
So, what does that make me? It makes me confused. I want to respect John Cusack and enjoy the film simultaneously. It isn’t easy to merge the two feelings. When thinking about this, I saw two options. I can continue to praise the movie while knowing John is getting paid, or I can eliminate the film from my heart, knowing this secretly makes John happier. Yeah… Did I mention how much I enjoy the soundtrack?
You’re the best -Bill
April 09, 2025
April 2, 2025
Alternative Book Endings
I enjoy movies with a director’s cut, deleted scenes, and exciting commentary. These extra bits add to the experience and provide insight into the movie creation process. A personal favorite is the Austin Powers commentary track. Hilarious!
This weekend, I watched a YouTube video about the original ending of Dr. Strangelove. If you have not seen the excellent movie, it is about a crazy air base commander starting WWIII. The original ending had a giant pie fight among the world leaders, but the movie release was atomic bomb blast stock footage.
This discussion inspired me to think about other movies with drastically different endings: Bladerunner, Terminator 2, I Am Legend and The Butterfly Effect. Well, what happened? First, a script was written, and a team made the move. The director/producer/test audience wanted something different when they watched it. So, the team reshot the ending.
This makes perfect sense because we all have made something, looked at it, and then changed it. My garage is full of half-attempts and leftover pieces. But what about a book? While common in movies, I do not recall any book including an alternate ending. Why not?
In my fourth book, I planned to end it with a grand reunion, but while writing, I realized this ending was unrealistic and inappropriate for the next book in the series. So, when I got to the last chapter, I changed the ending to have the characters go their separate ways. Thus, I had an alternate ending in mind but did not write it down, which is the closest I have ever come to creating an alternate ending. In other books, I re-wrote or deleted major sections to correct flaws. So, it is possible to have an alternate text that my readers have not seen.
Would my readers be interested in this material? I think some might find it interesting and gain insight into my writing process. But where would a writer put that text? I suppose the best place would be their website, which is closest to a “DVD Extras Menu.” Is that a solution? I have visited several author’s websites and have never seen deleted material. I recall seeing a published first draft of a famous author’s book at a used bookstore. I have since forgotten the name; obviously, it did not make an impression.
One reason might be that readers would not know what to make of this text. “Did the author mess up?” “Why are they telling me this?” “So, they wanted to end the book this way?” “Why not combine the two?” Another reason is that it takes effort to edit/proofread this material and there is no financial benefit.
Another reason might lie at the commitment level. An alternate ending would reveal the author’s lack of writing confidence. “What? Is there a third ending I do not know about?” “The original is better.”
Finally, I do not want to show the world my mistakes. Take my fourth book ending as an example. I admit that my first ending was weak. Why celebrate my lack of writing ability? “Hey, world, look at me! I wrote something subpar.” Yay? The whole point of spending thousands of hours writing/editing is for readers to enjoy the result. A flawed version does not help.
Yet, I still enjoy watching alternative-ending movies. What is the big difference? I pondered the matter and developed a theory. A book is in a different entertainment category. They are long stretches of linear concepts, while a movie is driven by limited dialog and big visuals. I would argue that other parts of the brain are triggered, and the intended audience knows this.
A movie has actors, editors, camera operators, microphones, sets, locations, producers, theaters, DVDs, big money, foreign markets, and illegally downloaded copies. A book only has an author. So, we get it. With all the moving parts, a movie is bound to have issues. Viewers accept this. Alternatively, readers do not let authors off the hook because they have total control.
I wanted to offer some proof of my theory. Why did famous spy novelist Tom Clancy not write a romance book? This category of books is undoubtedly popular and profitable, and Tom had the talent to write an excellent romance novel. I can feel the readers of this article getting upset. The people who enjoy romance books think, “Hey! Stop using my book category as an example.” And Tom Clancy fans think, “Hey! Stop tarnishing the memory of my favorite author.”
Tom (when he was alive) was aware of your feelings and chose not to change book categories because this would have dumped a load of ice water on his career. This means that Tom respected his loyal readers, understood his limitations/market, and respected other readers.
Let’s flip this thought. Mega action stars, such as Dwayne Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Jason Statham, star in a romantic movie. What if it is a hit? Romance movie viewers will watch it, while action viewers will not. What if it is a failure? All viewers will not watch it. What if their next movie is action? Will anybody refuse to watch it because of the prior romance movie? Nope.
So, there is a mental difference. Readers have an expectation, which is perfection. An alternate ending does not have a place in their minds. So, it is unlikely that alternate endings and first drafts will ever become popular. I certainly will never show the world my mistakes.
You’re the best -Bill
April 02, 2025
This weekend, I watched a YouTube video about the original ending of Dr. Strangelove. If you have not seen the excellent movie, it is about a crazy air base commander starting WWIII. The original ending had a giant pie fight among the world leaders, but the movie release was atomic bomb blast stock footage.
This discussion inspired me to think about other movies with drastically different endings: Bladerunner, Terminator 2, I Am Legend and The Butterfly Effect. Well, what happened? First, a script was written, and a team made the move. The director/producer/test audience wanted something different when they watched it. So, the team reshot the ending.
This makes perfect sense because we all have made something, looked at it, and then changed it. My garage is full of half-attempts and leftover pieces. But what about a book? While common in movies, I do not recall any book including an alternate ending. Why not?
In my fourth book, I planned to end it with a grand reunion, but while writing, I realized this ending was unrealistic and inappropriate for the next book in the series. So, when I got to the last chapter, I changed the ending to have the characters go their separate ways. Thus, I had an alternate ending in mind but did not write it down, which is the closest I have ever come to creating an alternate ending. In other books, I re-wrote or deleted major sections to correct flaws. So, it is possible to have an alternate text that my readers have not seen.
Would my readers be interested in this material? I think some might find it interesting and gain insight into my writing process. But where would a writer put that text? I suppose the best place would be their website, which is closest to a “DVD Extras Menu.” Is that a solution? I have visited several author’s websites and have never seen deleted material. I recall seeing a published first draft of a famous author’s book at a used bookstore. I have since forgotten the name; obviously, it did not make an impression.
One reason might be that readers would not know what to make of this text. “Did the author mess up?” “Why are they telling me this?” “So, they wanted to end the book this way?” “Why not combine the two?” Another reason is that it takes effort to edit/proofread this material and there is no financial benefit.
Another reason might lie at the commitment level. An alternate ending would reveal the author’s lack of writing confidence. “What? Is there a third ending I do not know about?” “The original is better.”
Finally, I do not want to show the world my mistakes. Take my fourth book ending as an example. I admit that my first ending was weak. Why celebrate my lack of writing ability? “Hey, world, look at me! I wrote something subpar.” Yay? The whole point of spending thousands of hours writing/editing is for readers to enjoy the result. A flawed version does not help.
Yet, I still enjoy watching alternative-ending movies. What is the big difference? I pondered the matter and developed a theory. A book is in a different entertainment category. They are long stretches of linear concepts, while a movie is driven by limited dialog and big visuals. I would argue that other parts of the brain are triggered, and the intended audience knows this.
A movie has actors, editors, camera operators, microphones, sets, locations, producers, theaters, DVDs, big money, foreign markets, and illegally downloaded copies. A book only has an author. So, we get it. With all the moving parts, a movie is bound to have issues. Viewers accept this. Alternatively, readers do not let authors off the hook because they have total control.
I wanted to offer some proof of my theory. Why did famous spy novelist Tom Clancy not write a romance book? This category of books is undoubtedly popular and profitable, and Tom had the talent to write an excellent romance novel. I can feel the readers of this article getting upset. The people who enjoy romance books think, “Hey! Stop using my book category as an example.” And Tom Clancy fans think, “Hey! Stop tarnishing the memory of my favorite author.”
Tom (when he was alive) was aware of your feelings and chose not to change book categories because this would have dumped a load of ice water on his career. This means that Tom respected his loyal readers, understood his limitations/market, and respected other readers.
Let’s flip this thought. Mega action stars, such as Dwayne Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Jason Statham, star in a romantic movie. What if it is a hit? Romance movie viewers will watch it, while action viewers will not. What if it is a failure? All viewers will not watch it. What if their next movie is action? Will anybody refuse to watch it because of the prior romance movie? Nope.
So, there is a mental difference. Readers have an expectation, which is perfection. An alternate ending does not have a place in their minds. So, it is unlikely that alternate endings and first drafts will ever become popular. I certainly will never show the world my mistakes.
You’re the best -Bill
April 02, 2025
March 26, 2025
Cleaning Out the Condo
My parents own a tiny Palm Springs condominium, about a 90-minute drive from their house. It is a fun getaway; typically, they use the place five times while my wife, daughter, and I go twice.
Some condo problems have occurred over the past 30 years. The primary issue is that nobody permanently stays there, and all dwellings need regular maintenance—especially the plants. So, spending at least three hours cleaning and repairing is mandatory. On many occasions, I spent the entire weekend repairing.
About fifteen years ago, the problems were so bad that a major renovation was necessary. My brother-in-law was out of work then, and my parents paid him to do the remodel. He is a licensed building contractor, and this arrangement benefited everybody.
Now, I must take a side tangent. My brother-in-law is very good at his job, and I have learned much about construction from him. One of his biggest lessons is, “You never know what you are in for until you open the walls. So, open the walls before you start.” A good example of this philosophy came from an estimate he worked on for renovating the El Cortez Hotel.
Every city has landmarks, and one of the famous downtown ones in San Diego is El Cortez. It has a massive neon sign that can be seen for miles. The owners decided to change it from a hotel to a high-end condominium. They brought in three contractors for estimates, including my brother-in-law.
The other two were dressed in slick business suits and only spoke in generalizations, while my brother-in-law dressed in jeans and quietly observed everything like a hawk.
They came to one room, and he said, “So, this place is going to be remodeled?” “Yes.” “Alright, let’s open a well.” “Why?” the owner asked. “You do not need to do that,” one contractor remarked. “Look, I need to see what’s in here. You have to get rid of all the drywall anyway. Right?” “Umm, I suppose,” answered the owner. Quick as lightning, my brother-in-law whips out a utility knife and slices a ten-foot-wide cut into the drywall. He peeled it away, and it came crashing down. Everybody is stunned.
“Kind of what I expected. Look, this wiring all needs to go. But that is not the worst part. You have a pipe going through a load-bearing wall.” “Is that a problem?” the owner asked. “If other rooms are like this, it will cost you double.” The other contractors were stunned. “This is going to be a massive job. I have seen all I need to see in this room. Let’s look at the elevators.” “Why?” another contractor asked. “I am betting they need to be replaced.”
They went to the elevator room, and my brother-in-law said, “Yup, as I suspected. You need to install brand-new elevators. Because this is a sixteen-floor building, five million each.” “What!!! Is he right?” the owner asked one contractor. “Oh, well, umm, you need to have an elevator expert come in to do a proper inspection. It’s probably a minor upgrade to pass code.”
The owner did not know what to think, and my brother-in-law said, “Now, let’s talk about the biggest expense, the entryway. It does not have a wheelchair ramp. To put one in, you need to move the load-bearing columns. Twenty million.” “What!!!!! Is he right?” One contractor responded, “Oh, we can put in one of those wheelchair elevators. No big deal. A grand or two.” “That would stick out into the public sidewalk. The city does not allow that.” “That cannot be,” the smug contractor said. “Trust me, it is. Twenty million bucks, minimum.”
The owner did not know who to believe. My brother-in-law submitted an estimate three times more than the competitors, including many other issues he spotted but did not discuss.
The other contractors submitted bids, including “unexpected code issue” clauses. So, the owner called a professional building inspector who spent a week pointing out what my brother-in-law said and other issues.
Why did I write so much about this side tangent? My mother insisted the work begin without “opening the walls” despite my brother-in-law’s objections. The demolition took three times longer than expected and uncovered many issues. The renovation took two months longer than expected and cost four times more. Still, he did a fantastic job with a new kitchen, new (cheap) appliances, wood floors, good lighting, consistent paint, and working outlets. Yet, some building material was left over, and he stored it there (foreshadowing).
Last year, I forced another renovation. The main bedroom shower had broken tile at the bottom, leaking water into the wall. This caused dry rot and black mold. Because my brother-in-law is now employed, my mother called a contractor who insisted on a two-phase project: the demolition (opening the walls) and the rebuild. In the process, he found termites.
The contractor oversaw a massive remodel of the main bathroom, the outside wall, and part of the kitchen. The termite company had to drill holes in the concrete to inject poison. The contractor tiled the outside concrete to cover all the holes and painted the garage floor. All this construction left piles of extra building material (more foreshadowing).
My parent’s health has recently declined, and they decided to sell the condo. So, they found a real estate salesperson who did not show up at the appointment time or return their calls. They contacted another who was eager to help.
My wife and I wanted to take a last trip to the condo and decided that three weeks ago was perfect. We planned to have a relaxing vacation and take some of the things we brought there. I offered to do some minor cleaning, but the plan was for my mother and sister to do the bulk of the work.
The day before our relaxing trip, my mother dropped a bombshell. They wanted to put the condo on the market this month and asked us to prepare it for sale. My mother had a long list of things to clean/fix and items to bring to her. Yikes!
My wife and I spent Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning cleaning, collecting trash, and packing my pickup truck. There was so much junk: old phone books, broken appliances, two remodels worth of building materials, and overflow from their house.
What is “overflow?” My parents were both teachers, and they ran a mail-order company for many years. The condo became a storage locker for these activities. One closet had boxes full of old mimeographed lessons and blank business invoices. In addition, there were falling apart silk plants loaded with dust, old food, broken kitchen appliances, and over a hundred sheets/pillowcases.
The worst part was the basic cleaning because my parents have a dog which left hair everywhere. We brought a few Clorox Clean-Ups but needed to buy two more containers, resulting in three trash bags of paper towels and Clean-Ups. Even the oven, which only saw limited use, was loaded with burned food. It had dog hair in it. How did it get there?
The biggest problem was disposing of the trash because the condo lacked a big dumpster. So, I drove around town looking for a place to get rid of it. I quickly learned from the big warning signs it is illegal to dump trash in dumpsters behind buildings. So, I spent 30 minutes driving until I found a big dumpster without a sign. I am such a scamp.
By Sunday morning, we had done a great job preparing the place for sale. The real estate person came and toured the condo. Unfortunately, we had no time left to work on the plants or clean the garage. He was impressed with our work.
As I drove away, my truck was overloaded with stuff, and I took a huge pile to my parent’s house. I ended up with some useful items, but the majority was bulky trash I could not take to the dumpster. It took three weeks to break it down and load it into my trash bin.
Why am I telling you this? Since I have become a writer, my perspective has changed. I thought a lot about what I was doing for the entire weekend. I was clearing away one family’s memories for another to take over. The old school papers brought back memories of my mother’s teaching. Then there were the hours and hours my father spent preparing items for customers. It made me wonder what the people purchasing the condo did for a living.
Another aspect was all the choices my parents made. Why this particular set of glasses? Why white furniture and not brown? Everything reflected my parent’s personality, goals, and fashion sense.
Now, I need to take another side tangent. Palm Springs is a retirement destination, plus many wealthy people live there. This makes it an odd driving combination of ultra-conservative/nearly blind slow-pokes and entitled rich brats in flashy cars. Red lights are “a low priority suggestion” and expect to be cut off.
Because retired people pass away, something has to happen with their possessions. Plus, rich people die or want to get rid of their junk. This inspired several consignment stores, and I enjoy window shopping. They are loaded with artwork, jewelry, furniture, antiques, and household stuff. If you get a chance, check out the artwork.
Going further down this tangent. Let’s think about these people who recently passed away and the stuff ending up at the consignment store. They were born between 1930 and 1960, which means they lived through the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
Take me as an example. My childhood was in the 1970s and 1980s, meaning this was my favorite clothing era, music style, and culture. Duran Duran, Maimi Vice, salmon pink clothes, hair gel, Nakamchi tape players, Amiga computers… But for these people, the list is vastly different: doo-wop music, 1957 Chevy, patchouli oil, macrame, fly collars, Dual record players, shag carpet, mood rings, go-go boots, the Beatles, bell bottoms…
At these consignment stores, I see what people purchased at the height of their big spending. The artwork has a distinctive 60s, 70s and 80s style. The paintings are in the Patrick Nagel style, The Summer of Love, the Peace Movement, Stick It to the Man, or 80s flash with bold colors. Then there are the 80s fitness machines, 70s appliances, and random 60s art-deco things. It is like I am walking through a time machine.
What was the condo style? My parents purchased it in the early 90s, and the southwestern style was popular. So they bought new beechwood furniture with cactus themes and Native American patterns. Everything else was old stuff they brought from their house, including a load of 80s appliances, tube televisions, dual VHS player, wireless phones, an answering machine, an old mixer in a faded box, Puma shoes, a boom box, and board games.
They were comfortable with this and wanted the place to have this style. So, as I cleaned, it was like going back in time to when my parents were younger and purchasing what was hip.
Of course, this makes me think about my daughter going through my piles of junk and what my stuff would look like at the consignment stores. A good example is my CD collection. I knew all about CD players in high school but could not afford one. By college, they were less expensive, and I got one. My CD collection was about 20 at the time due to my lack of funds. Unfortunately, this did not change when I graduated due to the lousy economy. It took two years to get a job, but something drastically changed.
Napster came along, and I could get all the MP3s I wanted, so there was no need to purchase the bulky CDs. At this time, I had about 40 in padded Case Logic boxes. It was so cool. So, I put the cases in a closet and forgot about them.
Over the years, my income gained, and I wanted to fulfill a minor goal. In college, I admired my friend Matt’s CD collection, and eight years ago, I decided to build my ultimate CD collection. I spent great effort going to thrift stores, the swap meet, eBay, and the site ImportCD. To date, I have 555 CDs, which are all cataloged in a detailed Excel spreadsheet. Yeah… Such a geek.
Today, I am missing five, but they never come up for sale, so it is unlikely I will ever get them. I am writing about this because someday, my daughter must do something with my collection. By then, CDs might come back into fashion, but it is more likely that all my hard work will get tossed in the trash.
What does a big pile of CDs say about me? That is what I thought as I boxed up things at the condo. The CDs represent my exact musical taste and are something I cherish. IE, “This is what Bill is into.”
Right now, my daughter is building her pile of junk. Did you know that exotic erasers are popular with kids? They are, and my daughter has a collection of various styles and colors. Hello Kitty erasers? You bet. Someday, my daughter’s children will be cleaning out her house and have to decide what to do with a pile of once-cherished erasers.
You’re the best -Bill
March 26, 2025
Some condo problems have occurred over the past 30 years. The primary issue is that nobody permanently stays there, and all dwellings need regular maintenance—especially the plants. So, spending at least three hours cleaning and repairing is mandatory. On many occasions, I spent the entire weekend repairing.
About fifteen years ago, the problems were so bad that a major renovation was necessary. My brother-in-law was out of work then, and my parents paid him to do the remodel. He is a licensed building contractor, and this arrangement benefited everybody.
Now, I must take a side tangent. My brother-in-law is very good at his job, and I have learned much about construction from him. One of his biggest lessons is, “You never know what you are in for until you open the walls. So, open the walls before you start.” A good example of this philosophy came from an estimate he worked on for renovating the El Cortez Hotel.
Every city has landmarks, and one of the famous downtown ones in San Diego is El Cortez. It has a massive neon sign that can be seen for miles. The owners decided to change it from a hotel to a high-end condominium. They brought in three contractors for estimates, including my brother-in-law.
The other two were dressed in slick business suits and only spoke in generalizations, while my brother-in-law dressed in jeans and quietly observed everything like a hawk.
They came to one room, and he said, “So, this place is going to be remodeled?” “Yes.” “Alright, let’s open a well.” “Why?” the owner asked. “You do not need to do that,” one contractor remarked. “Look, I need to see what’s in here. You have to get rid of all the drywall anyway. Right?” “Umm, I suppose,” answered the owner. Quick as lightning, my brother-in-law whips out a utility knife and slices a ten-foot-wide cut into the drywall. He peeled it away, and it came crashing down. Everybody is stunned.
“Kind of what I expected. Look, this wiring all needs to go. But that is not the worst part. You have a pipe going through a load-bearing wall.” “Is that a problem?” the owner asked. “If other rooms are like this, it will cost you double.” The other contractors were stunned. “This is going to be a massive job. I have seen all I need to see in this room. Let’s look at the elevators.” “Why?” another contractor asked. “I am betting they need to be replaced.”
They went to the elevator room, and my brother-in-law said, “Yup, as I suspected. You need to install brand-new elevators. Because this is a sixteen-floor building, five million each.” “What!!! Is he right?” the owner asked one contractor. “Oh, well, umm, you need to have an elevator expert come in to do a proper inspection. It’s probably a minor upgrade to pass code.”
The owner did not know what to think, and my brother-in-law said, “Now, let’s talk about the biggest expense, the entryway. It does not have a wheelchair ramp. To put one in, you need to move the load-bearing columns. Twenty million.” “What!!!!! Is he right?” One contractor responded, “Oh, we can put in one of those wheelchair elevators. No big deal. A grand or two.” “That would stick out into the public sidewalk. The city does not allow that.” “That cannot be,” the smug contractor said. “Trust me, it is. Twenty million bucks, minimum.”
The owner did not know who to believe. My brother-in-law submitted an estimate three times more than the competitors, including many other issues he spotted but did not discuss.
The other contractors submitted bids, including “unexpected code issue” clauses. So, the owner called a professional building inspector who spent a week pointing out what my brother-in-law said and other issues.
Why did I write so much about this side tangent? My mother insisted the work begin without “opening the walls” despite my brother-in-law’s objections. The demolition took three times longer than expected and uncovered many issues. The renovation took two months longer than expected and cost four times more. Still, he did a fantastic job with a new kitchen, new (cheap) appliances, wood floors, good lighting, consistent paint, and working outlets. Yet, some building material was left over, and he stored it there (foreshadowing).
Last year, I forced another renovation. The main bedroom shower had broken tile at the bottom, leaking water into the wall. This caused dry rot and black mold. Because my brother-in-law is now employed, my mother called a contractor who insisted on a two-phase project: the demolition (opening the walls) and the rebuild. In the process, he found termites.
The contractor oversaw a massive remodel of the main bathroom, the outside wall, and part of the kitchen. The termite company had to drill holes in the concrete to inject poison. The contractor tiled the outside concrete to cover all the holes and painted the garage floor. All this construction left piles of extra building material (more foreshadowing).
My parent’s health has recently declined, and they decided to sell the condo. So, they found a real estate salesperson who did not show up at the appointment time or return their calls. They contacted another who was eager to help.
My wife and I wanted to take a last trip to the condo and decided that three weeks ago was perfect. We planned to have a relaxing vacation and take some of the things we brought there. I offered to do some minor cleaning, but the plan was for my mother and sister to do the bulk of the work.
The day before our relaxing trip, my mother dropped a bombshell. They wanted to put the condo on the market this month and asked us to prepare it for sale. My mother had a long list of things to clean/fix and items to bring to her. Yikes!
My wife and I spent Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning cleaning, collecting trash, and packing my pickup truck. There was so much junk: old phone books, broken appliances, two remodels worth of building materials, and overflow from their house.
What is “overflow?” My parents were both teachers, and they ran a mail-order company for many years. The condo became a storage locker for these activities. One closet had boxes full of old mimeographed lessons and blank business invoices. In addition, there were falling apart silk plants loaded with dust, old food, broken kitchen appliances, and over a hundred sheets/pillowcases.
The worst part was the basic cleaning because my parents have a dog which left hair everywhere. We brought a few Clorox Clean-Ups but needed to buy two more containers, resulting in three trash bags of paper towels and Clean-Ups. Even the oven, which only saw limited use, was loaded with burned food. It had dog hair in it. How did it get there?
The biggest problem was disposing of the trash because the condo lacked a big dumpster. So, I drove around town looking for a place to get rid of it. I quickly learned from the big warning signs it is illegal to dump trash in dumpsters behind buildings. So, I spent 30 minutes driving until I found a big dumpster without a sign. I am such a scamp.
By Sunday morning, we had done a great job preparing the place for sale. The real estate person came and toured the condo. Unfortunately, we had no time left to work on the plants or clean the garage. He was impressed with our work.
As I drove away, my truck was overloaded with stuff, and I took a huge pile to my parent’s house. I ended up with some useful items, but the majority was bulky trash I could not take to the dumpster. It took three weeks to break it down and load it into my trash bin.
Why am I telling you this? Since I have become a writer, my perspective has changed. I thought a lot about what I was doing for the entire weekend. I was clearing away one family’s memories for another to take over. The old school papers brought back memories of my mother’s teaching. Then there were the hours and hours my father spent preparing items for customers. It made me wonder what the people purchasing the condo did for a living.
Another aspect was all the choices my parents made. Why this particular set of glasses? Why white furniture and not brown? Everything reflected my parent’s personality, goals, and fashion sense.
Now, I need to take another side tangent. Palm Springs is a retirement destination, plus many wealthy people live there. This makes it an odd driving combination of ultra-conservative/nearly blind slow-pokes and entitled rich brats in flashy cars. Red lights are “a low priority suggestion” and expect to be cut off.
Because retired people pass away, something has to happen with their possessions. Plus, rich people die or want to get rid of their junk. This inspired several consignment stores, and I enjoy window shopping. They are loaded with artwork, jewelry, furniture, antiques, and household stuff. If you get a chance, check out the artwork.
Going further down this tangent. Let’s think about these people who recently passed away and the stuff ending up at the consignment store. They were born between 1930 and 1960, which means they lived through the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
Take me as an example. My childhood was in the 1970s and 1980s, meaning this was my favorite clothing era, music style, and culture. Duran Duran, Maimi Vice, salmon pink clothes, hair gel, Nakamchi tape players, Amiga computers… But for these people, the list is vastly different: doo-wop music, 1957 Chevy, patchouli oil, macrame, fly collars, Dual record players, shag carpet, mood rings, go-go boots, the Beatles, bell bottoms…
At these consignment stores, I see what people purchased at the height of their big spending. The artwork has a distinctive 60s, 70s and 80s style. The paintings are in the Patrick Nagel style, The Summer of Love, the Peace Movement, Stick It to the Man, or 80s flash with bold colors. Then there are the 80s fitness machines, 70s appliances, and random 60s art-deco things. It is like I am walking through a time machine.
What was the condo style? My parents purchased it in the early 90s, and the southwestern style was popular. So they bought new beechwood furniture with cactus themes and Native American patterns. Everything else was old stuff they brought from their house, including a load of 80s appliances, tube televisions, dual VHS player, wireless phones, an answering machine, an old mixer in a faded box, Puma shoes, a boom box, and board games.
They were comfortable with this and wanted the place to have this style. So, as I cleaned, it was like going back in time to when my parents were younger and purchasing what was hip.
Of course, this makes me think about my daughter going through my piles of junk and what my stuff would look like at the consignment stores. A good example is my CD collection. I knew all about CD players in high school but could not afford one. By college, they were less expensive, and I got one. My CD collection was about 20 at the time due to my lack of funds. Unfortunately, this did not change when I graduated due to the lousy economy. It took two years to get a job, but something drastically changed.
Napster came along, and I could get all the MP3s I wanted, so there was no need to purchase the bulky CDs. At this time, I had about 40 in padded Case Logic boxes. It was so cool. So, I put the cases in a closet and forgot about them.
Over the years, my income gained, and I wanted to fulfill a minor goal. In college, I admired my friend Matt’s CD collection, and eight years ago, I decided to build my ultimate CD collection. I spent great effort going to thrift stores, the swap meet, eBay, and the site ImportCD. To date, I have 555 CDs, which are all cataloged in a detailed Excel spreadsheet. Yeah… Such a geek.
Today, I am missing five, but they never come up for sale, so it is unlikely I will ever get them. I am writing about this because someday, my daughter must do something with my collection. By then, CDs might come back into fashion, but it is more likely that all my hard work will get tossed in the trash.
What does a big pile of CDs say about me? That is what I thought as I boxed up things at the condo. The CDs represent my exact musical taste and are something I cherish. IE, “This is what Bill is into.”
Right now, my daughter is building her pile of junk. Did you know that exotic erasers are popular with kids? They are, and my daughter has a collection of various styles and colors. Hello Kitty erasers? You bet. Someday, my daughter’s children will be cleaning out her house and have to decide what to do with a pile of once-cherished erasers.
You’re the best -Bill
March 26, 2025
March 19, 2025
Ad Reporter (A Failed Startup)
I have tried starting businesses since I was a kid and took my first leap right after college. 1994 was a bleak time for new graduates, and because of my strong interest in audio, I decided to develop a digital audio mixing board for recording studios. (A mixing board is the device that combines all the microphone inputs into the two-track stereo like you would hear on a CD.)
I did not have enough money to make it happen, so I sought out investors, which required a business plan. I like to think that the year I spent learning to write one was an unofficial MBA. Then, I spent my life savings developing a partial prototype. Nobody was interested, and I admitted defeat.
So, I liked my wounds, found a job, and schemed up business ideas in my spare time. Since that first attempt, I have tried three more times, and this is the story of my most expensive failure.
In 2010, I worked for Northrup and became friends with a logistics coworker, John. One day, he told me about the business he was starting. It had something to do with advertising and the internet. I thought the overall concept sounded interesting and offered my ideas.
We talked every few days, but John was not keen on a partnership. Then, there was a massive shakeup at Northrop. The F35 project was completed, and upper management laid off the development team of 1500 people. I was a contractor on an unrelated project, and upper management laid off all contractors because it would look bad if long-time workers were laid off while contractors kept their jobs. While I did not like this decision, I understood it. Side note: My boss submitted my name and three others to the president of Northrop to remain on staff. How cool is that?
I lost track of John during this chaotic time, but fate intervened. A subcontractor Northrop worked with offered me a part-time job. It was not exciting, but it paid a few bills. One day, I attended a Northrop meeting, ran into John on the sidewalk between buildings, and got his contact info.
We chatted over email about his project, and he decided to bring me in. This did not go over well with his two friends, who were already on the project. I picked up on the rumblings but did not think it was a big deal. Authors call this foreshadowing.
John was not new to starting a business. He used to run a successful charity that brought together big business, government, and people in need. (Side note: Why was he not still there if it was successful?) He also started a movie company that produced two films. His wife got part of this business in the divorce, which contradicts our conversations.
Before I joined, John set up a corporation with stock certificates and kept 51% of the shares to retain complete control. I felt this was reasonable because I had seen other startups fail due to bickering. It did not dawn on me that this was too much responsibility. Wow, we are loading up the foreshadowing bus.
John had studied internet advertising for years and noticed a big problem. During an advertising campaign, a business could pay big $$ but not see the relationship between their advertising money and the additional profit generated. This is called Return On Investment, ROI. So, he cobbled together a method to determine this correlation. Side note: he was unable to explain it to me.
John submitted a preliminary patent for his idea and brought in two friends to help. The first was Jennifer, who would do the marketing. Her role was to identify a company like Google and show them how the service would improve customer satisfaction. John then brought in Jo, who would run the corporation, fill out the paperwork, and coordinate the teams.
As things became more organized, the foundation for a solid company began forming. This is when John made his big discovery. If you do a web search, this will yield search results, including advertisements. This might be a map of nearby businesses, a graphic (banner) advertisement, or, most importantly, the “contextual advertisements.” This is a text-based (not graphical) pitch related to your search. For example, searching for bread recipes might get text describing cookbooks or a cooking website.
John had discovered what everybody had missed. Contextual advertisements were (and still are) deeply flawed. Why? The people developing search engines are not advertisers; they are programmers. All advertisements need the four Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. John created a system to generate an advertisement with four text lines for each P. A place example would be: “This cookbook is available at a bookstore three blocks from your location.” Brilliant!
The team was preparing to approach a company at the stage I joined. I would be a technical helper but would not get any stock until I had proven myself. No problem. I threw myself into understanding advertising and hit a roadblock. I could not understand John’s patent. We spent hundreds of hours over the phone/email/documents until I had a moment of clarity. Then, the main issue was obvious.
John had put the horse behind the cart. This was not an advertisement reporting system but a new marketing technique/database with a reporting back end. So, I began rearranging, simplifying, adding, clarifying, and deleting unnecessary junk from the patent. The result was a clean advertising system that an expert could understand.
With this system, users (people/companies that place contextual advertisements) would enter data for their advertisement, choose where the advertisements get placed, see the real-time result, how the advertisement affected their bottom line, and better target their audience. Brilliant!
John gave me stock with the patent improvement, and I paid for more. This would be a billion-dollar company, so I felt it was a wise investment. But… What were Jennifer and Jo doing at this time? From John’s perspective, being a pain. I ignored the situation because I was on the technical side. That was a big mistake.
I must take a side track. Since becoming a writer, my perspective has changed, making me wonder what Jennifer and Jo thought about me. Until writing this very sentence, it had not occurred to me to give the matter some thought. (Note: This happened in 2010, and I have spent a lot of effort trying to forget this failure.) So, I noodled the matter and felt they were upset about me jumping in and hogging the spotlight. My work proved they were not ready to approach a company because the work done so far in marketing was flawed. Jennifer had followed John’s marketing direction based on a backward idea. Now that we had a proper direction, the actual marketing work began.
Jo was probably just as upset because I came in and shook things up. Until then, she was the right-hand person who ran the business while John took care of the technical details. When I took over the technical side, John focused on the business parts. I imagine Jo was upset with me for delaying the point where we would make money, and it was clear she was upset with John for micromanaging her.
What was John feeling? He was excited that a talented and hard-working person had joined the team. I now see John’s sadistic side. He took pleasure in challenging and belittling Jennifer and Jo. Until writing this sentence, I did not put that together.
Why did Jennifer and Jo stick around? (Writers call this character motivation.) They saw that the company was on the verge of making billions, and they had stock. So, they put up with him. Money is always a strong motivation.
John and I burned the midnight oil to submit the first patent, and the team began the next phase of the operation, approaching a company. We sought investors to build the software database and program the web interface. But… Were we really doing that? In retrospect, our goals were all over the place despite having direction. We had Monday night Skype meetings, which lacked focus, and this led to arguments about the direction we were taking.
This lack of direction frustrated me, and I offered to develop the next phase, which was taking the 4P system to other platforms (beyond search engines) and different advertisement types. This included graphical banners, television, video games, and print. Plus, I got way deep into defining exactly how the website and database worked. The result was a giant (foreshadowing) patent.
Out of the blue, John wanted to bring in three new people. Jo, Jennifer, and I were not keen on the idea, but because of the 51%, we were not part of the discussion. What were these three people going to do? Their role was utterly undefined, but the joke was on John. They all wanted to stock up front, or they would not participate. John did not like this attitude, and we never heard from them again. Reading that sentence still makes me laugh all these years later.
While I spent every free moment working on the second patent, John, Jo, and Jennifer were butting heads. I chose to bow out of the feud and now see that I should have stopped all work and acted as a mediator. Things rapidly spun out of control, and John became verbally abusive.
A good example of this conflict was developing the “tri-fold.” This two-sided piece of paper folds in three, resulting in six columns. The single document quickly breaks down what our company was about and what we were looking for. John insisted on having a tri-fold, and we all put in tremendous effort to create one. The problem was that we each had different ideas of what to focus on, and the exact wording was a huge issue. The arguments became heated, and something that should have taken a week took over two months.
What were Jo and Jennifer doing that was so bad? Their assigned jobs. Jennifer’s role was marketing, and she was fantastic at it. She was bright and had a solid plan. Instead, John wanted total control, but his plan changed daily, and he could not communicate his ideas to Jennifer.
Meanwhile, Jo wanted to define the corporation and assist with the marketing. I was happy she was there and liked her ideas. Or was I? I now see the first big crack of failure as the friction between Jo and the rest of the team. I foolishly took John’s side, agreeing that Jo had become a liability. I should have acted like a neutral party and supported her role. Next was the battle between Jennifer and John. She offered solid practical ideas while John shot for the moon. The arguments got so bad that we stopped the weekly meetings.
During this time, I had worked hard on the second patent, which involved talking to John every night about the technology ideas. During our conversations, he was convinced Jo and Jennifer were out to take over or sabotage the company. I regret to say that I agreed with John’s misgivings. So, he hatched a plan. The company needed (I do not recall the exact amount) twenty thousand dollars to continue, which would come from the stockholders. The idea was that if one of the stockholders could not pay, they would be voted out of the company. I have since checked, and it does not work that way, so this was a foolish plan.
I recall Jo had about 10%, Jennifer about 15%, and I had been given or purchased about 24%. So, this meant Jo had to pay (I recall) $2,000. Her income came from her catering company, which made little money. So, this was a big ask. Well, she paid, which torpedoed John’s plan. He was furious.
Where were we at this point? We had a patent in review, another patent ready to be submitted, a trifold brochure, business cards, a PowerPoint presentation, printed stationery, a business plan, a technical description, and corporation-issued stock. The entire business rested on the first patent in my name and John’s, not Jo and Jennifer’s. Yes, this was intentional and should have been a big red flag. Plus, I do not think they ever saw the patent or the technical description, which was also deliberate and another big red flag.
The weekly meeting had stopped, and John and I began to argue about the company’s direction. John took over the marketing by sending out poorly written introduction letters (I think this included the tri-fold) to Google, Amazon, Yahoo, and Facebook. And WOW! Facebook was interested!!!! Yay! We made it! Success!
Let’s get going! Crickets… Hey John. Let’s get going! I kept leaving voice mails with John, and he refused to respond. Then, a new trend occurred. John figured out how to leave voicemails without the phone ringing. He sent me incoherent rants about Jo and Jennifer. “Get your people under control!” I had no idea how to respond and left kindly worded voice mails asking him to explain and reengage the company. Jo, Jennifer, and I were ready and willing to proceed despite all the negatives. Why? It was a solid idea worth billions.
At this point, John had stopped all communications, and I reconnected with Jennifer. It was then I learned how caustic John had been to her. Jo had been speaking with her and revealed the verbal attacks were much worse. I should have contacted Jo to get her side of the story. This was a mistake, but “mistake” is not the right word. This was a moral failure.
Then, Jo sent out a group text message. She had been hiking with her boyfriend, and they got lost. It was a harrowing situation, and, in the process, their dog died. She asked for a donation to some dog foundation. I sarcastically texted John, “Why is she asking us for a donation?” You know how life works. Yes, I texted the group and realized I permanently destroyed my friendship with Jo. We have not spoken since.
I tried to get John to reengage, but he remained silent. Meanwhile, I re-established a good working relationship with Jennifer. We felt John had lost control, and I offered to take over until he was ready to continue. Jennifer and I went to a lawyer to make this happen, who explained that suing John would be expensive. His solution was to write a strongly worded letter advising John to communicate with me. At this point, I still felt the company was worth saving, but John needed to step aside.
The letter worked, and he called me. We had a long conversation in which he blamed Jo and Jennifer for everything. I asked him to take a break while I got things back on track. He wanted no part of that.
I thought about suing John with the idea of him turning over his stock shares but decided a lawsuit would not work because he had no money and would never turn over the company. What about the money the three of us invested in the company? The majority was still in the company bank account. Until then, we only spent money on printer ink, business cards, and stationery. I never got a dime back.
My last course of action was a blocking one. I submitted the second patent under my name to prevent John from doing so. I feared he would sell both patents, but the joke was on me.
Over the next five years, little happened. I learned that John had shut down the corporation, and the patent office rejected the first patent because it contained example names like Microsoft and Yahoo, which are trademarked. The problem was the patent did not have the TM logo after the names. This would take about five minutes to fix and a day to resubmit. The patent office sent John the notice, and he did not respond. Thus, the patent was rejected.
The patent office rejected the second patent because it was too broad. I had the option to break up the single patent into eight patents but did not because it would be too much work. I later learned that if I had spent the effort, all eight patents would have been rejected because they would have been based on a rejected patent.
Out of the blue, I got a call from somebody researching patents. They had all kinds of questions, but I told them that the patents were in the public domain and she did not have to ask my permission to use the information. The lady wanted to use me as a consultant, but I never heard back.
Now, I must take a side track and think of your perspective. Again, my writing side is poking through. You are probably thinking, “You know, I am glad you failed. The last thing I need is more advertising cluttering up my search. Jerk!” I almost agree, but let me tell you about last night.
I watched Rick and Morty (for the millionth time) on the streaming service Hulu. It automatically inserts commercials, and the same three kept appearing in the same order. Some skin care drug, Progressive Insurance, and a car dealership from a city I do not live in. But at least Progressive had several commercials to choose from. Nope, I got the same worthless one.
This repetition got me all worked up. If there was only some way I could communicate this frustration. This is what Ad Reporter did. It was the feedback loop that got quality advertisements in front of people.
Is this good for you? You are undoubtedly unaware of products and services that can improve your life, meaning that advertisements could be less annoying and possibly helpful. Imagine such a world.
One would think that big internet companies would have snapped up this idea. After all, the patent is in the public domain. The problem is the same one that existed before the patent. People in big internet are not marketing types, so they cannot see the value. This is still a multi-billion-dollar idea but remains a historical internet footnote.
What did I get out of all of this? I learned all about how to write patents, how to form a corporation, and how to start a business. I also learned about people and how to coordinate a team better. My big takeaway was what not to do.
What was the big failure? My best guess is that John had a nervous breakdown. He tried to do everything himself and refused to let us do our assigned role. I think the idea of succeeding scared him to the core.
How could I have known that John had this significant flaw? It was all there. The pompous attitude, the smug comments… I should have put more effort into discussing a proper partnership and defining our roles initially. Doing so would have revealed the problem. Why? John would have insisted on “me, me, me” for who would do what. Then I would have said, “But you are one person. You cannot do everything.” That would have angered him, and the partnership would have stopped immediately.
Should I have joined this venture? Here is the problem. From my perspective, I did everything correctly. Initially, I assessed that John was the right person to lead the venture. His idea was rock solid, and so was the plan to make it happen. John had assembled a good team, and we were all on the same page. This should have worked. Yeah, no.
My big problem was misjudging John. It is now clear that he was an overcompensating person. His plan to succeed was to fake it, meaning he convinced himself that he knew more than the big internet companies. So, when it came time for him to shine, he folded. The results were 100% predictable.
To answer the question, I wish I had passed on this project. Yes, I learned a lot, but there was never a chance of success. Sure, John worked hard, but he worked on the wrong things. His failings gave him a shaky foundation to build anything. Success needs every team member to focus, which applies the most to the team leader.
What about his idea? It was as brilliant as it was not thought out. Remember that ROI? John indeed identified the problem, but his solution had no merit. I was the one who located the issues, established the solutions, and documented everything.
What advice do I have for people looking to start a business? “When selecting a business partner, do so with more effort than selecting a spouse.” This means you will be joined at the hip. Will they step up to the plate when times are tough? Often, one partner ends up doing all the hard work. This turned out to be Jennifer and I. I advise asking many questions, developing roles for everybody, writing everything down, and ensuring everybody is committed. Then, keep the lines of communication open and start down the list of tasks. Everybody should know what the other is doing, offer their help/support, and agree on the plan moving forward. When an obstacle arises, immediately handle it as a team.
It was a painful experience to work so hard on something and be powerless to prevent it from failing. Some things cannot be fixed, and a person who fakes confidence is one example.
I cannot end this story without admitting to my failures. My first problem was not understanding Jennifer and Jo’s roles. They worked hard, and I should have contacted them to learn what they were doing and offer my assistance. The second failure was being more protective of Jennifer and Jo. John became a monster, and I should have stood by their side.
And then there was my arrogant text message. One could argue that it was inappropriate for Jo to have sent something inappropriate. That is not true. Jo was in pain, so she reached out to her friends. I was not understanding or supportive. I still have deep regrets about that moment. All I can say is that I will try harder in the future.
Why tell you all of this? Two reasons. One, seeing somebody else fail is entertaining. Second, I still contend that this is budget therapy. Thanks for reading!
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2...
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2...
You’re the best -Bill
March 19, 2025
I did not have enough money to make it happen, so I sought out investors, which required a business plan. I like to think that the year I spent learning to write one was an unofficial MBA. Then, I spent my life savings developing a partial prototype. Nobody was interested, and I admitted defeat.
So, I liked my wounds, found a job, and schemed up business ideas in my spare time. Since that first attempt, I have tried three more times, and this is the story of my most expensive failure.
In 2010, I worked for Northrup and became friends with a logistics coworker, John. One day, he told me about the business he was starting. It had something to do with advertising and the internet. I thought the overall concept sounded interesting and offered my ideas.
We talked every few days, but John was not keen on a partnership. Then, there was a massive shakeup at Northrop. The F35 project was completed, and upper management laid off the development team of 1500 people. I was a contractor on an unrelated project, and upper management laid off all contractors because it would look bad if long-time workers were laid off while contractors kept their jobs. While I did not like this decision, I understood it. Side note: My boss submitted my name and three others to the president of Northrop to remain on staff. How cool is that?
I lost track of John during this chaotic time, but fate intervened. A subcontractor Northrop worked with offered me a part-time job. It was not exciting, but it paid a few bills. One day, I attended a Northrop meeting, ran into John on the sidewalk between buildings, and got his contact info.
We chatted over email about his project, and he decided to bring me in. This did not go over well with his two friends, who were already on the project. I picked up on the rumblings but did not think it was a big deal. Authors call this foreshadowing.
John was not new to starting a business. He used to run a successful charity that brought together big business, government, and people in need. (Side note: Why was he not still there if it was successful?) He also started a movie company that produced two films. His wife got part of this business in the divorce, which contradicts our conversations.
Before I joined, John set up a corporation with stock certificates and kept 51% of the shares to retain complete control. I felt this was reasonable because I had seen other startups fail due to bickering. It did not dawn on me that this was too much responsibility. Wow, we are loading up the foreshadowing bus.
John had studied internet advertising for years and noticed a big problem. During an advertising campaign, a business could pay big $$ but not see the relationship between their advertising money and the additional profit generated. This is called Return On Investment, ROI. So, he cobbled together a method to determine this correlation. Side note: he was unable to explain it to me.
John submitted a preliminary patent for his idea and brought in two friends to help. The first was Jennifer, who would do the marketing. Her role was to identify a company like Google and show them how the service would improve customer satisfaction. John then brought in Jo, who would run the corporation, fill out the paperwork, and coordinate the teams.
As things became more organized, the foundation for a solid company began forming. This is when John made his big discovery. If you do a web search, this will yield search results, including advertisements. This might be a map of nearby businesses, a graphic (banner) advertisement, or, most importantly, the “contextual advertisements.” This is a text-based (not graphical) pitch related to your search. For example, searching for bread recipes might get text describing cookbooks or a cooking website.
John had discovered what everybody had missed. Contextual advertisements were (and still are) deeply flawed. Why? The people developing search engines are not advertisers; they are programmers. All advertisements need the four Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. John created a system to generate an advertisement with four text lines for each P. A place example would be: “This cookbook is available at a bookstore three blocks from your location.” Brilliant!
The team was preparing to approach a company at the stage I joined. I would be a technical helper but would not get any stock until I had proven myself. No problem. I threw myself into understanding advertising and hit a roadblock. I could not understand John’s patent. We spent hundreds of hours over the phone/email/documents until I had a moment of clarity. Then, the main issue was obvious.
John had put the horse behind the cart. This was not an advertisement reporting system but a new marketing technique/database with a reporting back end. So, I began rearranging, simplifying, adding, clarifying, and deleting unnecessary junk from the patent. The result was a clean advertising system that an expert could understand.
With this system, users (people/companies that place contextual advertisements) would enter data for their advertisement, choose where the advertisements get placed, see the real-time result, how the advertisement affected their bottom line, and better target their audience. Brilliant!
John gave me stock with the patent improvement, and I paid for more. This would be a billion-dollar company, so I felt it was a wise investment. But… What were Jennifer and Jo doing at this time? From John’s perspective, being a pain. I ignored the situation because I was on the technical side. That was a big mistake.
I must take a side track. Since becoming a writer, my perspective has changed, making me wonder what Jennifer and Jo thought about me. Until writing this very sentence, it had not occurred to me to give the matter some thought. (Note: This happened in 2010, and I have spent a lot of effort trying to forget this failure.) So, I noodled the matter and felt they were upset about me jumping in and hogging the spotlight. My work proved they were not ready to approach a company because the work done so far in marketing was flawed. Jennifer had followed John’s marketing direction based on a backward idea. Now that we had a proper direction, the actual marketing work began.
Jo was probably just as upset because I came in and shook things up. Until then, she was the right-hand person who ran the business while John took care of the technical details. When I took over the technical side, John focused on the business parts. I imagine Jo was upset with me for delaying the point where we would make money, and it was clear she was upset with John for micromanaging her.
What was John feeling? He was excited that a talented and hard-working person had joined the team. I now see John’s sadistic side. He took pleasure in challenging and belittling Jennifer and Jo. Until writing this sentence, I did not put that together.
Why did Jennifer and Jo stick around? (Writers call this character motivation.) They saw that the company was on the verge of making billions, and they had stock. So, they put up with him. Money is always a strong motivation.
John and I burned the midnight oil to submit the first patent, and the team began the next phase of the operation, approaching a company. We sought investors to build the software database and program the web interface. But… Were we really doing that? In retrospect, our goals were all over the place despite having direction. We had Monday night Skype meetings, which lacked focus, and this led to arguments about the direction we were taking.
This lack of direction frustrated me, and I offered to develop the next phase, which was taking the 4P system to other platforms (beyond search engines) and different advertisement types. This included graphical banners, television, video games, and print. Plus, I got way deep into defining exactly how the website and database worked. The result was a giant (foreshadowing) patent.
Out of the blue, John wanted to bring in three new people. Jo, Jennifer, and I were not keen on the idea, but because of the 51%, we were not part of the discussion. What were these three people going to do? Their role was utterly undefined, but the joke was on John. They all wanted to stock up front, or they would not participate. John did not like this attitude, and we never heard from them again. Reading that sentence still makes me laugh all these years later.
While I spent every free moment working on the second patent, John, Jo, and Jennifer were butting heads. I chose to bow out of the feud and now see that I should have stopped all work and acted as a mediator. Things rapidly spun out of control, and John became verbally abusive.
A good example of this conflict was developing the “tri-fold.” This two-sided piece of paper folds in three, resulting in six columns. The single document quickly breaks down what our company was about and what we were looking for. John insisted on having a tri-fold, and we all put in tremendous effort to create one. The problem was that we each had different ideas of what to focus on, and the exact wording was a huge issue. The arguments became heated, and something that should have taken a week took over two months.
What were Jo and Jennifer doing that was so bad? Their assigned jobs. Jennifer’s role was marketing, and she was fantastic at it. She was bright and had a solid plan. Instead, John wanted total control, but his plan changed daily, and he could not communicate his ideas to Jennifer.
Meanwhile, Jo wanted to define the corporation and assist with the marketing. I was happy she was there and liked her ideas. Or was I? I now see the first big crack of failure as the friction between Jo and the rest of the team. I foolishly took John’s side, agreeing that Jo had become a liability. I should have acted like a neutral party and supported her role. Next was the battle between Jennifer and John. She offered solid practical ideas while John shot for the moon. The arguments got so bad that we stopped the weekly meetings.
During this time, I had worked hard on the second patent, which involved talking to John every night about the technology ideas. During our conversations, he was convinced Jo and Jennifer were out to take over or sabotage the company. I regret to say that I agreed with John’s misgivings. So, he hatched a plan. The company needed (I do not recall the exact amount) twenty thousand dollars to continue, which would come from the stockholders. The idea was that if one of the stockholders could not pay, they would be voted out of the company. I have since checked, and it does not work that way, so this was a foolish plan.
I recall Jo had about 10%, Jennifer about 15%, and I had been given or purchased about 24%. So, this meant Jo had to pay (I recall) $2,000. Her income came from her catering company, which made little money. So, this was a big ask. Well, she paid, which torpedoed John’s plan. He was furious.
Where were we at this point? We had a patent in review, another patent ready to be submitted, a trifold brochure, business cards, a PowerPoint presentation, printed stationery, a business plan, a technical description, and corporation-issued stock. The entire business rested on the first patent in my name and John’s, not Jo and Jennifer’s. Yes, this was intentional and should have been a big red flag. Plus, I do not think they ever saw the patent or the technical description, which was also deliberate and another big red flag.
The weekly meeting had stopped, and John and I began to argue about the company’s direction. John took over the marketing by sending out poorly written introduction letters (I think this included the tri-fold) to Google, Amazon, Yahoo, and Facebook. And WOW! Facebook was interested!!!! Yay! We made it! Success!
Let’s get going! Crickets… Hey John. Let’s get going! I kept leaving voice mails with John, and he refused to respond. Then, a new trend occurred. John figured out how to leave voicemails without the phone ringing. He sent me incoherent rants about Jo and Jennifer. “Get your people under control!” I had no idea how to respond and left kindly worded voice mails asking him to explain and reengage the company. Jo, Jennifer, and I were ready and willing to proceed despite all the negatives. Why? It was a solid idea worth billions.
At this point, John had stopped all communications, and I reconnected with Jennifer. It was then I learned how caustic John had been to her. Jo had been speaking with her and revealed the verbal attacks were much worse. I should have contacted Jo to get her side of the story. This was a mistake, but “mistake” is not the right word. This was a moral failure.
Then, Jo sent out a group text message. She had been hiking with her boyfriend, and they got lost. It was a harrowing situation, and, in the process, their dog died. She asked for a donation to some dog foundation. I sarcastically texted John, “Why is she asking us for a donation?” You know how life works. Yes, I texted the group and realized I permanently destroyed my friendship with Jo. We have not spoken since.
I tried to get John to reengage, but he remained silent. Meanwhile, I re-established a good working relationship with Jennifer. We felt John had lost control, and I offered to take over until he was ready to continue. Jennifer and I went to a lawyer to make this happen, who explained that suing John would be expensive. His solution was to write a strongly worded letter advising John to communicate with me. At this point, I still felt the company was worth saving, but John needed to step aside.
The letter worked, and he called me. We had a long conversation in which he blamed Jo and Jennifer for everything. I asked him to take a break while I got things back on track. He wanted no part of that.
I thought about suing John with the idea of him turning over his stock shares but decided a lawsuit would not work because he had no money and would never turn over the company. What about the money the three of us invested in the company? The majority was still in the company bank account. Until then, we only spent money on printer ink, business cards, and stationery. I never got a dime back.
My last course of action was a blocking one. I submitted the second patent under my name to prevent John from doing so. I feared he would sell both patents, but the joke was on me.
Over the next five years, little happened. I learned that John had shut down the corporation, and the patent office rejected the first patent because it contained example names like Microsoft and Yahoo, which are trademarked. The problem was the patent did not have the TM logo after the names. This would take about five minutes to fix and a day to resubmit. The patent office sent John the notice, and he did not respond. Thus, the patent was rejected.
The patent office rejected the second patent because it was too broad. I had the option to break up the single patent into eight patents but did not because it would be too much work. I later learned that if I had spent the effort, all eight patents would have been rejected because they would have been based on a rejected patent.
Out of the blue, I got a call from somebody researching patents. They had all kinds of questions, but I told them that the patents were in the public domain and she did not have to ask my permission to use the information. The lady wanted to use me as a consultant, but I never heard back.
Now, I must take a side track and think of your perspective. Again, my writing side is poking through. You are probably thinking, “You know, I am glad you failed. The last thing I need is more advertising cluttering up my search. Jerk!” I almost agree, but let me tell you about last night.
I watched Rick and Morty (for the millionth time) on the streaming service Hulu. It automatically inserts commercials, and the same three kept appearing in the same order. Some skin care drug, Progressive Insurance, and a car dealership from a city I do not live in. But at least Progressive had several commercials to choose from. Nope, I got the same worthless one.
This repetition got me all worked up. If there was only some way I could communicate this frustration. This is what Ad Reporter did. It was the feedback loop that got quality advertisements in front of people.
Is this good for you? You are undoubtedly unaware of products and services that can improve your life, meaning that advertisements could be less annoying and possibly helpful. Imagine such a world.
One would think that big internet companies would have snapped up this idea. After all, the patent is in the public domain. The problem is the same one that existed before the patent. People in big internet are not marketing types, so they cannot see the value. This is still a multi-billion-dollar idea but remains a historical internet footnote.
What did I get out of all of this? I learned all about how to write patents, how to form a corporation, and how to start a business. I also learned about people and how to coordinate a team better. My big takeaway was what not to do.
What was the big failure? My best guess is that John had a nervous breakdown. He tried to do everything himself and refused to let us do our assigned role. I think the idea of succeeding scared him to the core.
How could I have known that John had this significant flaw? It was all there. The pompous attitude, the smug comments… I should have put more effort into discussing a proper partnership and defining our roles initially. Doing so would have revealed the problem. Why? John would have insisted on “me, me, me” for who would do what. Then I would have said, “But you are one person. You cannot do everything.” That would have angered him, and the partnership would have stopped immediately.
Should I have joined this venture? Here is the problem. From my perspective, I did everything correctly. Initially, I assessed that John was the right person to lead the venture. His idea was rock solid, and so was the plan to make it happen. John had assembled a good team, and we were all on the same page. This should have worked. Yeah, no.
My big problem was misjudging John. It is now clear that he was an overcompensating person. His plan to succeed was to fake it, meaning he convinced himself that he knew more than the big internet companies. So, when it came time for him to shine, he folded. The results were 100% predictable.
To answer the question, I wish I had passed on this project. Yes, I learned a lot, but there was never a chance of success. Sure, John worked hard, but he worked on the wrong things. His failings gave him a shaky foundation to build anything. Success needs every team member to focus, which applies the most to the team leader.
What about his idea? It was as brilliant as it was not thought out. Remember that ROI? John indeed identified the problem, but his solution had no merit. I was the one who located the issues, established the solutions, and documented everything.
What advice do I have for people looking to start a business? “When selecting a business partner, do so with more effort than selecting a spouse.” This means you will be joined at the hip. Will they step up to the plate when times are tough? Often, one partner ends up doing all the hard work. This turned out to be Jennifer and I. I advise asking many questions, developing roles for everybody, writing everything down, and ensuring everybody is committed. Then, keep the lines of communication open and start down the list of tasks. Everybody should know what the other is doing, offer their help/support, and agree on the plan moving forward. When an obstacle arises, immediately handle it as a team.
It was a painful experience to work so hard on something and be powerless to prevent it from failing. Some things cannot be fixed, and a person who fakes confidence is one example.
I cannot end this story without admitting to my failures. My first problem was not understanding Jennifer and Jo’s roles. They worked hard, and I should have contacted them to learn what they were doing and offer my assistance. The second failure was being more protective of Jennifer and Jo. John became a monster, and I should have stood by their side.
And then there was my arrogant text message. One could argue that it was inappropriate for Jo to have sent something inappropriate. That is not true. Jo was in pain, so she reached out to her friends. I was not understanding or supportive. I still have deep regrets about that moment. All I can say is that I will try harder in the future.
Why tell you all of this? Two reasons. One, seeing somebody else fail is entertaining. Second, I still contend that this is budget therapy. Thanks for reading!
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2...
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2...
You’re the best -Bill
March 19, 2025
March 12, 2025
Writers Cannot Make an Honest Mistake
Readers have evolved into bright individuals who do not tolerate errors, upsetting content, or poor English. This enlightened community will leave scathing reviews by the truckload for timid infractions. However, authors are humans, and humans make mistakes all the time. Do readers know this fact? They are a fickle bunch that demands perfection.
Wait a minute. Am I stating that an author must know everything and use this infinite knowledge base to create perfect works? Yep. But what about an honest mistake?
A good example is racial slurs. Sadistic people have been inventing them since humans started speaking, and we now have an extensive list that grows every day. An upstanding writer might not be aware of a recently created slur and offend readers. Did you know the word Apple is a slur? It is that easy. The damage is done once the eagle-eyed reader spots the problem, and the bad reviews will flow.
Should readers be more forgiving? No, because they know that writers have a trick up their sleeve. They have all the time in the world to edit their creations. Good writers always search for grammar, spelling, continuity, logic, plot, historical accuracy, offensive elements, structure, pacing, flow, character development, descriptions, layout, style, consistency, and content mistakes. A writer can even decide not to publish because their creation is not up to their standards. We also have tools like Grammarly, Microsoft Word, ProWritingAid, and ChatGPT. There is no excuse for an obvious mistake.
That is true, but an excellent writer can edit to their heart’s content but still miss a glaring mistake. As proof, I found one this morning. “I did this because of Nicholas’s strict instructions , which intended to keep me out of jail.” Did you see the extra space before the comma? Well, I did not for ten editing passes. Even Microsoft Word points this out with a big glaring red underline. Nope, I still missed it.
Is that tiny error that big of a deal? After all, if a writer perfectly transcribed the way we all talk, there would be loads of grammatically wacky junk that would not make sense in written form. True, but writers are held to a higher standard.
Here is an awful example that must never occur, “Bob said she was ready to be picked up.” That was an innocent he/she mistake. It was an honest error, and I admit it. So, we are good? Right?
Today, the topic of gender is more significant than ever. It might be the most discussed topic in popular media. The attention to this topic has resulted in new laws, massive public campaigns, mega shifts in entertainment, companies losing billions, and drastic societal changes.
The problem is that female readers and viewers know the topic’s importance well. So, when they read my timid sentences, they will think, “Did Bill just lump me in with a man? How rude!” And men are in the same camp. “Did Bill just call Bob a woman? What the heck? Jerk!” I can feel readers typing angry thoughts right now. And I do not blame them. Reading this glaring error would tick me off, and I would probably leave an angry comment.
What is going on in the reader’s mind? After all, readers are writers too. They send emails, text messages, and write documents. They are not perfect, and they know this fact. Here is my opinion. That is all fine until they pay for something. Just like a driver expects their car to work, a reader expects their book to be free from obvious errors. “Hey, my car will not start.” “World War II began September 1, 1989. That sentence did not contain an innocent mistake; it was a glaring error.
What are writers to do? “Edit until your hands bleed.” “Use every available resource.” “Try your best.” “Go with the flow.” “Ignore the bad reviews.” It seems like bad advice, but it is the only advice I have to offer.
You’re the best -Bill
March 12, 2025
Wait a minute. Am I stating that an author must know everything and use this infinite knowledge base to create perfect works? Yep. But what about an honest mistake?
A good example is racial slurs. Sadistic people have been inventing them since humans started speaking, and we now have an extensive list that grows every day. An upstanding writer might not be aware of a recently created slur and offend readers. Did you know the word Apple is a slur? It is that easy. The damage is done once the eagle-eyed reader spots the problem, and the bad reviews will flow.
Should readers be more forgiving? No, because they know that writers have a trick up their sleeve. They have all the time in the world to edit their creations. Good writers always search for grammar, spelling, continuity, logic, plot, historical accuracy, offensive elements, structure, pacing, flow, character development, descriptions, layout, style, consistency, and content mistakes. A writer can even decide not to publish because their creation is not up to their standards. We also have tools like Grammarly, Microsoft Word, ProWritingAid, and ChatGPT. There is no excuse for an obvious mistake.
That is true, but an excellent writer can edit to their heart’s content but still miss a glaring mistake. As proof, I found one this morning. “I did this because of Nicholas’s strict instructions , which intended to keep me out of jail.” Did you see the extra space before the comma? Well, I did not for ten editing passes. Even Microsoft Word points this out with a big glaring red underline. Nope, I still missed it.
Is that tiny error that big of a deal? After all, if a writer perfectly transcribed the way we all talk, there would be loads of grammatically wacky junk that would not make sense in written form. True, but writers are held to a higher standard.
Here is an awful example that must never occur, “Bob said she was ready to be picked up.” That was an innocent he/she mistake. It was an honest error, and I admit it. So, we are good? Right?
Today, the topic of gender is more significant than ever. It might be the most discussed topic in popular media. The attention to this topic has resulted in new laws, massive public campaigns, mega shifts in entertainment, companies losing billions, and drastic societal changes.
The problem is that female readers and viewers know the topic’s importance well. So, when they read my timid sentences, they will think, “Did Bill just lump me in with a man? How rude!” And men are in the same camp. “Did Bill just call Bob a woman? What the heck? Jerk!” I can feel readers typing angry thoughts right now. And I do not blame them. Reading this glaring error would tick me off, and I would probably leave an angry comment.
What is going on in the reader’s mind? After all, readers are writers too. They send emails, text messages, and write documents. They are not perfect, and they know this fact. Here is my opinion. That is all fine until they pay for something. Just like a driver expects their car to work, a reader expects their book to be free from obvious errors. “Hey, my car will not start.” “World War II began September 1, 1989. That sentence did not contain an innocent mistake; it was a glaring error.
What are writers to do? “Edit until your hands bleed.” “Use every available resource.” “Try your best.” “Go with the flow.” “Ignore the bad reviews.” It seems like bad advice, but it is the only advice I have to offer.
You’re the best -Bill
March 12, 2025
March 5, 2025
My Writing Aspirations
A friend recently asked me what I hope to achieve by writing books. I told him my goal had changed from making an incredible profit to breaking even with my editing costs. Yet, there must be more to it. Do I desire fame, recognition, and respect, or do I want to put something on my resume? I noodled this for a day and thought it would be interesting to share my bonkers thoughts.
I did not start writing to become famous. I want the opposite. People running up to me asking for an autograph would freak me out. I am a normal guy who does normal things and prefer that my work speaks for me. For example, I designed many electrical products that are still being used by thousands of people. That success is my quiet reward, and I hope my books fall into this category.
As much as I hate to admit this to myself, I already know I will not be a mega-author. My books have had enough exposure that buzz should have been created. And I am good with this fact.
Instead, I anticipate my success will be a slow burn, meaning that more readers will discover me over time. Hopefully, they will leave some good reviews, and I might sell enough to at least come close to breaking even.
What about something to put on my resume? I have resume entries for my books, but I am not looking for a fiction writing job. Raw creativity is complex, and writing every day can be very stressful. So, why the entry? Hey, anything to put me ahead of the competition?
What about my legacy? I do not think authors do not leave much of a legacy unless they are in the top 0.001%. In their day, they get mildly noticed while they keep publishing. There is less interest when they pass, and their books end up in landfills. I strongly suspect I will end up in this category.
Still, it thrills me when I see my books for sale or read a good review. I take pride in my creations, and it is comforting to know that I have achieved my goal of publishing.
My answer is that I enjoy writing and continue because of this enjoyment. But what if my books took off? Then, my worst fears would come true. I would not be able to haggle at the swap meet. “How much do you want for this rusty wrench?” “Hey, you are that famous author. $100.” “Dang!”
You’re the best -Bill
March 05, 2025
I did not start writing to become famous. I want the opposite. People running up to me asking for an autograph would freak me out. I am a normal guy who does normal things and prefer that my work speaks for me. For example, I designed many electrical products that are still being used by thousands of people. That success is my quiet reward, and I hope my books fall into this category.
As much as I hate to admit this to myself, I already know I will not be a mega-author. My books have had enough exposure that buzz should have been created. And I am good with this fact.
Instead, I anticipate my success will be a slow burn, meaning that more readers will discover me over time. Hopefully, they will leave some good reviews, and I might sell enough to at least come close to breaking even.
What about something to put on my resume? I have resume entries for my books, but I am not looking for a fiction writing job. Raw creativity is complex, and writing every day can be very stressful. So, why the entry? Hey, anything to put me ahead of the competition?
What about my legacy? I do not think authors do not leave much of a legacy unless they are in the top 0.001%. In their day, they get mildly noticed while they keep publishing. There is less interest when they pass, and their books end up in landfills. I strongly suspect I will end up in this category.
Still, it thrills me when I see my books for sale or read a good review. I take pride in my creations, and it is comforting to know that I have achieved my goal of publishing.
My answer is that I enjoy writing and continue because of this enjoyment. But what if my books took off? Then, my worst fears would come true. I would not be able to haggle at the swap meet. “How much do you want for this rusty wrench?” “Hey, you are that famous author. $100.” “Dang!”
You’re the best -Bill
March 05, 2025
February 26, 2025
Run What You Brung
One of my core traits is hoarding junk and using it creatively to solve problems inexpensively. I have been doing this since I could walk, and a good example is my fishing tackle box. It was a birthday gift when I was eight, and I packed it with tiny light bulbs. When I needed one, I would open my carefully organized box and select the perfect bulb for an electronics project.
Around age fifteen, we took a driving trip, and I packed my tackle box with candy to select the perfect sweet for each location. Later, I used this box for screws and then switches. By high school, this box was falling apart, and I needed to use a screw to hold it shut. By then, I had a new interest in technical drawings, and I packed this box with templates, erasers, pens, mechanical pencils, lead, ink, and colored pencils.
I do all my technical work on a computer, but these drawing tools are still contained and organized in that same fishing tackle box, ready for immediate use. This core hoarding value is improving with age as I constantly find new uses for my junk.
This value also extends to writing, and I rely upon life experiences, English knowledge, and what I see around me to create engaging stories. My trait reminds me of a phrase that violates some grammar rules, “Run What You Brung.” It means do your best with what you have, and I rely on all my wisdom to write.
An example is a scene I created in my second book, where I described what it was like to be in a relationship. I have had three long ones and recalled the most relevant moments from each to create the following paragraph:
“Good relationships are hard, really hard,” Gabe continued. “They require a lot of effort just to stay at a normal level, never mind being happy with the person you’re with. In the beginning, everything is wonderful, new, and exciting. I know when I am in love because every song on the radio is the best one ever. But those feeling fades. A long-term relationship involves commitment, hard work, sacrifice, and adapting yourself to your partner. Also, dating a person and living with a person are completely different. For example, the first time I slept with my girlfriend, I knocked her out of bed, reaching for the darn alarm clock.”
That paragraph was honest, direct, and amusing, but that is not quite what I wanted to discuss. It is the humble word “run.” What is so special about that word? It’s simple with three letters, super-easy to pronounce and understand.
It turns out that the word has multiple meanings and uses. This article claims the words to be the most complex word in the English language, with 645 Oxford English Dictionary definitions:
https://www.onlygoodnewsdaily.com/pos...
That article was eye-opening, and I looked up the word run for myself:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/run
Not quite 645 definitions, but a staggering 143 definitions. I had no idea there were so many, but I knew that more than one usage was possible. Like running a program, running late, a runny nose, run a business, runny eggs, run out of fuel, engine stopped running, and a movie runs for an hour. Yet there were many more.
From dictionary.com: The salmon are running, the ship ran aground, let the water run before you drink it, the river ran into the sea, wax ran down the burning candle, materials that run when washed, cars run on gasoline, the well ran dry, the bill ran to $100, the easement runs with the land, shelves ran from floor to ceiling, a thought ran through his mind, she ran her fingers over the keyboard, run an errand, he ran out of breath, run home in my car, run guns across the border, ran the presses 24 hours, run the car motor, run the water for a bath, he ran a large monthly tab, run a line through a word, this watch runs $30, the car repair will run you a couple of hundred, she took a five-minute run, to take a run up to New York, the plane took a strafing run, a long run on Broadway, a run of salmon, to run through a fortune, she ran into an old friend at the party, his speech ran over the time limit, please run off 500 copies, run along, my watch has run down, he ran away from home three times, running up huge debts, and he ran off with the money.
Wow, so many uses that I was unaware of. What is the tie-in? The word is a perfect example of gaining and storing writing knowledge for future applications. I can now apply the word run better, resulting in improved sentences with fewer mistakes. So, I guess what I am saying is, “I brung more to the party.”
You’re the best -Bill
February 26, 2025
Around age fifteen, we took a driving trip, and I packed my tackle box with candy to select the perfect sweet for each location. Later, I used this box for screws and then switches. By high school, this box was falling apart, and I needed to use a screw to hold it shut. By then, I had a new interest in technical drawings, and I packed this box with templates, erasers, pens, mechanical pencils, lead, ink, and colored pencils.
I do all my technical work on a computer, but these drawing tools are still contained and organized in that same fishing tackle box, ready for immediate use. This core hoarding value is improving with age as I constantly find new uses for my junk.
This value also extends to writing, and I rely upon life experiences, English knowledge, and what I see around me to create engaging stories. My trait reminds me of a phrase that violates some grammar rules, “Run What You Brung.” It means do your best with what you have, and I rely on all my wisdom to write.
An example is a scene I created in my second book, where I described what it was like to be in a relationship. I have had three long ones and recalled the most relevant moments from each to create the following paragraph:
“Good relationships are hard, really hard,” Gabe continued. “They require a lot of effort just to stay at a normal level, never mind being happy with the person you’re with. In the beginning, everything is wonderful, new, and exciting. I know when I am in love because every song on the radio is the best one ever. But those feeling fades. A long-term relationship involves commitment, hard work, sacrifice, and adapting yourself to your partner. Also, dating a person and living with a person are completely different. For example, the first time I slept with my girlfriend, I knocked her out of bed, reaching for the darn alarm clock.”
That paragraph was honest, direct, and amusing, but that is not quite what I wanted to discuss. It is the humble word “run.” What is so special about that word? It’s simple with three letters, super-easy to pronounce and understand.
It turns out that the word has multiple meanings and uses. This article claims the words to be the most complex word in the English language, with 645 Oxford English Dictionary definitions:
https://www.onlygoodnewsdaily.com/pos...
That article was eye-opening, and I looked up the word run for myself:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/run
Not quite 645 definitions, but a staggering 143 definitions. I had no idea there were so many, but I knew that more than one usage was possible. Like running a program, running late, a runny nose, run a business, runny eggs, run out of fuel, engine stopped running, and a movie runs for an hour. Yet there were many more.
From dictionary.com: The salmon are running, the ship ran aground, let the water run before you drink it, the river ran into the sea, wax ran down the burning candle, materials that run when washed, cars run on gasoline, the well ran dry, the bill ran to $100, the easement runs with the land, shelves ran from floor to ceiling, a thought ran through his mind, she ran her fingers over the keyboard, run an errand, he ran out of breath, run home in my car, run guns across the border, ran the presses 24 hours, run the car motor, run the water for a bath, he ran a large monthly tab, run a line through a word, this watch runs $30, the car repair will run you a couple of hundred, she took a five-minute run, to take a run up to New York, the plane took a strafing run, a long run on Broadway, a run of salmon, to run through a fortune, she ran into an old friend at the party, his speech ran over the time limit, please run off 500 copies, run along, my watch has run down, he ran away from home three times, running up huge debts, and he ran off with the money.
Wow, so many uses that I was unaware of. What is the tie-in? The word is a perfect example of gaining and storing writing knowledge for future applications. I can now apply the word run better, resulting in improved sentences with fewer mistakes. So, I guess what I am saying is, “I brung more to the party.”
You’re the best -Bill
February 26, 2025
February 19, 2025
Me in My Writing or My Writing in Me?
Yesterday, my wife and I were at a supermarket and witnessed a disagreement between the cashier and a customer. The cashier refused to accept the price marked on the item’s side. Suddenly, the female customer became deadly calm and picked up her phone. The cashier asked who she was calling. “The president of the company.” Frightened, the cashier signaled to the local manager, and they entered the correct price.
In the parking lot, I told my wife, “Wow, that reminds me of how Lydia handled problems.” “Who’s Lydia?” It turns out she is a minor character in my second book. Lydia has a dominant problem-solving personality that never backs down. I loosely created her from memories of my high school friend Tara.
I explained this to my wife, and we both laughed. However, this brings up a question. How much of me is in my books, and how much of my books are in me?
To answer this, I must first address the elephant in my room. In my second book, I modeled one main character after myself. Thus, the answer for that book is that many of me are contained within those pages. I now understand this was a big mistake because a good author needs detachment so their character can grow beyond their petty existence.
For example, writing a story about the mayor of a large city. I have never been elected to office, and imagining myself becoming a mayor would vastly limit the character’s range. Thus, it is best to start with a blank slate. “This is Sally, the mayor of Boston.” I can work with that.
I learned a lesson, but what about my other books and articles? My morals, traits, locations, ethics, and education limit me. In addition, my life has only had modest accomplishments and timid experiences compared to famous people. Plus, I do not have a rich fantasy mind. Harry Potter and magic? Not for me. Star Trek Vulcans and blue guys in Avatar? That is a bridge too far. Alternate realities? Not in my books.
Still, I use my available resources and knowledge to develop stories, scenes, and characters. My process begins with an idea, which I turn into an outline, and I create a first draft. I have learned to make sure during planning, writing, and editing for too much of my own life. This makes for a better story and prevents people from comparing me to my work.
Taking a highly impartial view of my creations, I believe that the written result contains many of my experiences, observations, personality, and values. If you were to twist my arm for an answer, I would say 40% of myself is within my books. However, I do not think readers would have this conclusion because I am now much better at distancing myself.
What would my friends or family say? I estimate their answers range from 20% to 60%. They know me and my traits, and it is natural for peers to make connections. Does this mean I am one of those delusional authors who cannot separate their reality from the story? No, I know that my creations are simply extensions of my imagination.
What about the flip side? How much do my creations influence my thoughts? I catch myself mistaking my stories for real life a few times per week. This typically occurs when I think about something unrelated and make a connection. When this happens, I laugh it off. I recall calling my daughter Kim the main character in my second book.
Such mistakes are a side effect of being an author. The same could be said of a butcher not enjoying a steak dinner without carefully examining the cut of beef or an auto mechanic inspecting a rental car before driving.
Taking a high-level view. How much influence does my writing affect my daily thoughts? Again, twisting my arm, my answer is less than 5%. This is by design because of the separation I place between my life and my characters, and I am fully aware that my characters are fictional creations. Still, I find it amusing when my character pokes into my life.
The level of influence is quite different from my articles. These short creations are a mix of opinion, research, and facts. My topics are usually writing-related, often about self-improvement. Thus, my articles contain a huge part of my opinions, personality, and personal facts.
The research, conclusions, and recommendations have influenced many parts of my life, especially my writing, which is intentional. I encourage myself to apply what I have written in my articles, look at old articles, and think about how to use my discoveries.
Outside of writing, what influences are there? My articles served as a foundation of knowledge that applies to broad parts of my life that are not always obvious. I have often stated that my articles are “low-budget therapy.”
A good example was my article about the different types of creativity. Until I wrote it, I was completely unaware of how my mind worked in this area. Now, I am much more aware of the mechanics of being creative. Again, if you were to twist my arm, I would say that 60% of my articles directly influence my daily thoughts.
It is natural for a writer to create something close to their heart and for this passion to influence other parts of their lives. Yet, in my wildest dreams, when I began writing, I never imagined I would accidentally call my daughter Kim.
You’re the best -Bill
February 19, 2025
Hey, book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:
Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.
Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.
Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.
Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.
These books are available in softcover on Amazon and in eBook format everywhere.
In the parking lot, I told my wife, “Wow, that reminds me of how Lydia handled problems.” “Who’s Lydia?” It turns out she is a minor character in my second book. Lydia has a dominant problem-solving personality that never backs down. I loosely created her from memories of my high school friend Tara.
I explained this to my wife, and we both laughed. However, this brings up a question. How much of me is in my books, and how much of my books are in me?
To answer this, I must first address the elephant in my room. In my second book, I modeled one main character after myself. Thus, the answer for that book is that many of me are contained within those pages. I now understand this was a big mistake because a good author needs detachment so their character can grow beyond their petty existence.
For example, writing a story about the mayor of a large city. I have never been elected to office, and imagining myself becoming a mayor would vastly limit the character’s range. Thus, it is best to start with a blank slate. “This is Sally, the mayor of Boston.” I can work with that.
I learned a lesson, but what about my other books and articles? My morals, traits, locations, ethics, and education limit me. In addition, my life has only had modest accomplishments and timid experiences compared to famous people. Plus, I do not have a rich fantasy mind. Harry Potter and magic? Not for me. Star Trek Vulcans and blue guys in Avatar? That is a bridge too far. Alternate realities? Not in my books.
Still, I use my available resources and knowledge to develop stories, scenes, and characters. My process begins with an idea, which I turn into an outline, and I create a first draft. I have learned to make sure during planning, writing, and editing for too much of my own life. This makes for a better story and prevents people from comparing me to my work.
Taking a highly impartial view of my creations, I believe that the written result contains many of my experiences, observations, personality, and values. If you were to twist my arm for an answer, I would say 40% of myself is within my books. However, I do not think readers would have this conclusion because I am now much better at distancing myself.
What would my friends or family say? I estimate their answers range from 20% to 60%. They know me and my traits, and it is natural for peers to make connections. Does this mean I am one of those delusional authors who cannot separate their reality from the story? No, I know that my creations are simply extensions of my imagination.
What about the flip side? How much do my creations influence my thoughts? I catch myself mistaking my stories for real life a few times per week. This typically occurs when I think about something unrelated and make a connection. When this happens, I laugh it off. I recall calling my daughter Kim the main character in my second book.
Such mistakes are a side effect of being an author. The same could be said of a butcher not enjoying a steak dinner without carefully examining the cut of beef or an auto mechanic inspecting a rental car before driving.
Taking a high-level view. How much influence does my writing affect my daily thoughts? Again, twisting my arm, my answer is less than 5%. This is by design because of the separation I place between my life and my characters, and I am fully aware that my characters are fictional creations. Still, I find it amusing when my character pokes into my life.
The level of influence is quite different from my articles. These short creations are a mix of opinion, research, and facts. My topics are usually writing-related, often about self-improvement. Thus, my articles contain a huge part of my opinions, personality, and personal facts.
The research, conclusions, and recommendations have influenced many parts of my life, especially my writing, which is intentional. I encourage myself to apply what I have written in my articles, look at old articles, and think about how to use my discoveries.
Outside of writing, what influences are there? My articles served as a foundation of knowledge that applies to broad parts of my life that are not always obvious. I have often stated that my articles are “low-budget therapy.”
A good example was my article about the different types of creativity. Until I wrote it, I was completely unaware of how my mind worked in this area. Now, I am much more aware of the mechanics of being creative. Again, if you were to twist my arm, I would say that 60% of my articles directly influence my daily thoughts.
It is natural for a writer to create something close to their heart and for this passion to influence other parts of their lives. Yet, in my wildest dreams, when I began writing, I never imagined I would accidentally call my daughter Kim.
You’re the best -Bill
February 19, 2025
Hey, book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:
Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.
Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.
Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.
Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.
These books are available in softcover on Amazon and in eBook format everywhere.
