H.B. Berlow's Blog, page 4

THE WRITER IN RETIREMENT

Don’t let the title fool you. Unless they are incapacitated, writers do not retire. No, what this is in reference to is someone who works full-time and weaving in their literary pursuits in between the drollness of routines and schedules. Some wake up early, have breakfast, shower, and go to work. Others, like myself, wait until the day has ended and squeeze in creative pursuits wherever and whenever.

I’m not close enough to retirement to be “counting down the days” but I can see that light at the end of the tunnel. Unlike the classic writers of the first half of the 20th century who worked when necessary, I find myself in the position of building up, shall we say, to more fruitful creative endeavors. It will be necessary to fill the gap of time that has become almost a death march for 40+ years. You can say you hate it but it has been so long since you lived without it that you can’t imagine what you would do.

Therein, as the bard says, lies the rub. I will still workout/exercise; cook, bake, make interesting and new dishes; do whatever household chores and maintenance that are required (and that I can still perform); and socialize within my means and desire. I will have more time to sleep without the rigidity of a schedule; look into volunteer or part-time work opportunities; devote myself to the artistic endeavors of others.

Believe it or not, it’s the writing part that I’m worried about. Oh, not that I would ever retire. But I have found the capacity to work in brief bursts. An hour here or there. A quick blog post or some research on an important matter within a story. What would it be like to have a three-hour block of time, all to myself, to sit and write. Perhaps work on one book, or maybe a couple of short stories. Naturally, there would be more time for reading.

Then again, one could fall back into aimless scrolling, watching YouTube videos, or mentally meandering. When there is a fixed time you need to get to bed because something important (though not necessarily desirable) is awaiting the following day, there are definitive starting and stopping points. Take that away and the need to be focused is a prerequisite.

I would suggest to anyone in my position to examine your plans in the same fashion that one plans their finances. Ok, I can see myself for the first week not setting ANY kind of alarm at all (except for cats wanting their breakfast). That feeling is the same as a diver coming up for air or a pardoned prisoner seeing the sun and feeling the breeze. But there has to be a plan. Yes, a new schedule but one that is geared more toward personal artistic freedom.

If there is more time to write, then write more. If vacation day availability at your job limited your ability to attend conferences or weekly/monthly meetings, get out more often. If your personal finances do not allow you to travel for insight and inspiration, then read a greater variety of things.

I’m not at the point of needing to restructure my schedule but it is invaluable to think about it, plan for it. A bored person makes a bad writer. While I look forward to unburdening myself from that “9 to 5” job, I never want to be boring.

EVOLUTION

It is one thing to consider one’s development as a writer, to identify initial inspirations and follow up with training and development. However, when I speak of ‘evolution’, my thoughts turn more toward how I have changed as my progress as a writer has gone forth.

I ‘wrote’ short stories and simplistic poetry prior to going to college. My grandiose desires to go into film-making led me to the University of Miami in 1980 where I majored in that along with screenwriting and creative writing. It was obvious in retrospect that I had strong creative impulses but lacked a definitive plan. In fact, a screenplay I wrote for a class centered on two film students and their trials and tribulations, ending with the screening of a work and notice by someone of Hollywood-style importance. I even stole the final line from ‘Casablanca’ to tie in the whole ‘love of film’ theme. It was derivative of the youth films of the 80’s, nothing entirely original but mostly personal.

Let’s skip several years as I have previously identified my development as a writer in several blog posts. When we move forward to 2014-15, I found myself searching for something new to tackle after having two contemporary crime fiction novels published. When I dove into historical crime fiction, it was based on a love of history and research. The first book was initially a standalone until it developed into a series (at the suggestion of a publisher I spoke with at OWFI). The notion of ‘character development’ extended beyond the story arc of one novel. In that series, the time span is from 1934 to 1954. I learned how to tap my own feelings of aging within such a time frame.

Moving forward, I developed a new series with a new character, one demonstrably closer to me and my sentiments. In “The Day of Calamity”, Harold Bergman and I share a religion, a birthday, and a capacity for introspection. Unlike him, I am NOT a veteran, nor have I worked for any law enforcement agency. He is just short of 30; I was 62 when that book was published.

However, this is a different sort of historical crime fiction. There is not a lot of gunplay, no excessive amount of smoking, and no cheap bottle of rye in a desk drawer. From the perspective of not wanting to be derivative, that made sense. But there is a lot more to it than that.

I have to consider where I’ve come as both a writer and a person. By definition, ‘evolution’ does not automatically imply ‘maturity’, although that may occur. To have a deeper affinity with one’s writing does not by nature indicate a better writer, although that is the hope. What I believe can occur in this symbiosis of person and creative effort is a stronger understanding of self. This certainly has happened in writing a series but I believe this is true also for any writer who continues to focus on the work as more than just something to eventually be published. Perhaps a natural extension of that inner being as an instrument is an extension of the soul of the musician.

People will go on pilgrimages during their lives, at times not even being aware they are doing so. Moving forward is a way to respect the building blocks of the past, to reach toward a higher objective, yet as well to stop on the road and appreciate the ‘place’ where one stands.

There may be more in the rear-view mirror than there is in the windshield. I know the journey still continues.

ORNITHOLOGY

In the early 1990’s, two artistic notions captured my attention: poetry and Charlie Parker. I was living in Boston at the time, immersed in an arts scene that was wide ranging and expansive. Poets, slam poets, musicians, actors, writers of all kinds, were flowing like the Nile. Small press periodicals contained articles ranging from art to social issues and everything in between. Poets who could afford to would print up chapbooks at Kinkos, the pre-cursor to FedEx. Musicians would offer their work on cassette tapes. Open mikes allowed freedom of expression and a showcase for the potentially talented.

Contiguous with all of this was my discovery of Charlie Parker and be-bop. I came across a four-disc set of Parker’s complete work on Dial Records, including the classic rendition of “Lover Man”. I bought other music, ran down to the Boston Public Library and checked out Celebrating Bird by Gary Giddens, and printed up articles from newspapers and magazines.

To me, the notion of spontaneous creation, musical improvisation, was the epitome of creativity. Yet, behind it was constant practice as Bird tried to reach beyond the notes, beyond the chords. My mind tried to grasp the notion of something within music that was beyond it. Similarly, was there a way to achieve something within poetry that was beyond words?

That notion, that concept, eventually became the longest sustained poetic work I have ever created, “Ornithology.” The concept was simple: three characters, three voices. There were direct quotes from Parker as it related to the music he created and what it meant to him. There was the Documentarian, the one reciting the litany of Parker’s journey with names of venues and cities and dates. And, finally, there was the voice of the Poet, the one who was fascinated by the work of the musician.

Don’t tell me about a life crammed

into thirty-four years

or how I should separate the man

from the music.

I know all about that.

I want to know about the legend,

the myths, the tales,

even the fabrications.

The complete work runs sixteen pages. It was a prodigious effort for a poet struggling to find his own voice. Perhaps that was my peak because in the years to come I would venture away from poetry and embrace fiction, a different and more elaborate form of story-telling.

The work was recited in parts as a Work in Progress on a college radio station, performed live in front of an audience at a poetry venue, and finally recorded on analog four-track (eventually converted to CD). It is a unique work in that the vibe of the pieces differs between reading, listening to a recitation, and listening to a performance of one kind or another.

The live performance was on July 17, 1994. Over thirty years have passed and it still retains fond memories for me. I don’t know too many writers that can consider the works of their past with any degree of relevance or praise. While I am no longer at that stage to be able to create something of poetic importance, it is gratifying to know I did at one time.

PODCASTING: THE DIGITAL SALON

Beside going to college to study film-making and creative writing, my greatest period of literary development was the early 1990s. I was living in Boston and had met several artists of all disciplines. You would have to have been blind NOT to meet musicians or painters or writers. The city has always been a magnet for such types.

I was fortunate to land in a spot with a burgeoning poetry scene, mostly centered around poetry slams. My interests in poetry revolved around traditional forms: sonnets, sestinas. Villanelles, etc. I read about metrics, beats, and accents. The thought I had while writing was of the lyrical nature of poetry and how it came closer to music than most other written forms.

I attended readings all over the city as often as I could. I entered poetry slams largely out of bravado and personality than out an intention to win. And I met and became friends with many others who reveled in this literary form. The running joke was that some poets could only afford a cup of coffee; the ones with jobs could a loaf of bread. But only if it was then end of the day markdown!

Given our financial limitations, this was as close as I got to the salon experiences of Europe in the 1920s. Perhaps each generation has their own version. Anytime artists gather and openly discuss without fear of being dressed down regarding their work or ideas, you find yourself in an emboldened environment. This is not to say the repartee did not seem close to the Algonquin Round Table. But, at the very least, you didn’t feel alone with your thoughts.

So many things have happened over the last decade to alter even those social time periods. Blogs became the new tool to disseminate ideas and accept feedback and discussion. What I find invigorating these days is my involvement as co-host of a podcast, Tikiman and The Viking. Brian Johnson and I have known each other for a couple of decades and have periodically gotten together for one literary reason or another. Attendance at the same writer’s conference. A critique group. An informal gathering of local writers for brief social outings.

We started talking seriously about doing a podcast about two years. After various discussions, our podcast launched in July 2023. Our first episodes were almost like a two-person salon. We discussed: worldbuilding, the hero’s journey, editing, etc. It was when we finally did our first interview that it felt expanded. It wasn’t just two writers, two friends, sharing their feelings about craft. Now, it was hearing what other writers did and felt about theirs.

Now, while I would very much wish we were back in Boston in the 1990s, I know the passage of time brings us greater opportunities to be part of the artistic experience in perhaps a broader sense than every possible before. The only requirement is a willingness to follow the course.

That being said, the forthcoming year promises to expand on what we started. More interviews, whether local or via Zoom. Roundtable discussions. A live broadcast (place and circumstances still to be decided). Despite working in vastly different genres, we have found that most creatives share stories of inspiration, process, and exhibition/publishing. While the classic salons or even my experiences from 30 + years was contained, we are using the technology available to promote others as well as ourselves and invite feedback and engagement.

I can’t tell if this is the same Me with newer technology or a more developed Me…with newer technology. In either case, the bottom line of the Art of Creation is still a fascinating subject.

THERE ARE NO RESOLUTIONS

Complete something.

Finish the year. Get through your work day. Write a first draft. Bake a batch of cookies. It’s too easy to say “The cookies were burnt around the edges” or “That first drafted sucked” or “My work day was hell” or “Oh my — What a year it was!”

But you have to start somewhere. You have to have something to work with, to revise, to learn from, to improve. The silent emptiness is a stagnant hole; the worst effort is, at the very least, a beginning.

Consider this monumental quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

When you are of a younger age, you constantly look forward. When you are of an older age, you tend to look backwards. To do either in excess puts a cloud upon the very day in which you exist, live and breathe and work.

This is not a Transcendentalist commentary nor a Stoicist one. This is just a man who values his life and the many things that surround him. There are no resolutions other than to live up to the principals which my late parents instilled upon me. They include: fairness and courtesy to others, especially those who are unlike you; laughter, especially at oneself; learning, whether by book or by experience; and keeping at bay those who would undermine your peace and serenity, but rather sharing your precious time with those who appreciate you for who you are.

I have found, for the most part, that treating people as human beings rather than demographics brings us closer together. I am most comfortable when I am in the act of creation, whether it is writing or cooking and baking. I’ve discovered a need for solitude and quiet time, just reading a book or sitting outside doing nothing of importance. I hope to be able to continue to do those things.

No, there are no resolutions. Only resolve.

IT’S NOT A YEAR IN REVIEW

I’ve been getting several emails from various social media aspects offering to show me my WRAPPED. You know, like a wrap party at the end of filming a movie or the run of a play. There seems to be a finality to it that is not inherent in A YEAR IN REVIEW. That expression contains some degree of nostalgia. Be that as it may, allow me to present to you some of what happened in 2024.

I spent the first half of the year editing The End of the Treachery, Volume 2 of The Wichita Chronicles with my editor from The Wild Rose Press while waiting on a release date and planning some kind of marketing strategy. Concurrent with that, I was completing the first draft of Book Three, going through four revisions, and then setting it aside to present to the publisher early next year.

But, as it goes with writers, my brain kept churning out ideas. I outlined Book Four and started writing it. On top of that, I got a wild idea for a concept for Book Five. Suffice it to say this series has sunk its claws in me.

Tikiman and The Viking Podcast celebrated one year in July. We ended 2024 with our 34th episode. My co-host Brian Johnson got his book accepted by the same publisher. He and I were brainstorming episodes and new folks to interview next year. We did eleven this year.

As Tikiman and The Viking, we were presenters at the OWFI Conference in Oklahoma City doing separate presentations on Blogging and Podcasting as well as being on a mystery/horror/crime panel. The short guy and the tall guy, both with impressive beards, seemed to make a splash.

I was fortunate to be interviewed for the Tornado Alley Mystery Writers Podcast. It was interesting to be on the other side of the microphone, so to speak. These folks have a wonderful organization worth checking out.

Of course, life is not solely about writing and artistic pursuits, despite our desires. My wife and I settled into the new house we moved into, unpacked, decorate, reorganized, renovated, and basically found a new rhythm to life. I continued to cook and bake and make sausages. The cats, Sir PounceAlot and Lady Mittens, have found their groove as well and are decidedly pleased being characters in my new series.

If you were looking for fireworks from this report, I am sorry to disappoint you. I turned 62 and have two and a half years toward retirement. Maintaining my home, continuing with my creative and culinary endeavors, and finding some sense of balance may not yield a vast amount of excitement but it does lend itself to a tranquility that is often hard to find.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A BOOK RELEASE

I have encountered many writers during my life. All ages and genders and genres and degrees of success. Go to a writers’ conference and there is a palpable energy flowing throughout. Attend a book signing and witness the eagerness of those standing in line to have their new purchase signed.

There are far too many styles of writing, too many notions of the ideal way to write. All of them are valid. The important thing is to find the one right for you. Regardless of the step-by-step process you go through, some aspects of writing a book are consistent.

First, there is the idea, the spark that becomes a story. This is followed by the actual writing process. Whether it is outlined completely, a dry erase board or post-it notes cover the writing room, or scraps of wadded up paper litter the floor, the writer must complete the draft. This is followed by revisions and editing, elaboration or refinement, chopping or adding. Eventually, at some point, the manuscript is ready.

There is either an agent or publisher next, then contracts, then cover design and final galley. Like a bunch of dough that is kneaded to form an impressive looking loaf, the original story has gone through the proverbial ringer. And when its all done, there is a release date. Oh, it’s not as immediate as you would think or as the author would desire. This is a business decision on the part of the publisher.

It would be far too easy to use the analogy of the birth of a child, from conception to pregnancy to labor to delivery. It is, however, a different concept. A human is made of tangible elements, DNA creating a living breathing entity. A work of art (for it can be no less) is purely a product of one’s imagination and intellect. How long it lives is a matter for marketing and popular taste.

Which is why the release day is so important, so significant for a writer. I have watched countless videos of writers opening the box of books they received, gingerly plucking out a pristine copy of their latest work, and holding it to the camera, showing it off with a great deal of pride. The initial spark that created the story, the heavy burden of completing a draft and editing, all are forgotten. At that very moment, on that specific day, the idea has become real.

Yesterday was the release of “The End of the Treachery, Volume 2 of The Wichita Chronicles.” I’m thrilled largely because I have been able to expand upon the character of Harold Bergman that was created in “The Day of Calamity” and add depth to someone who has become very close to me. Book Three is in a final editing stage before presenting to the publisher. I have begun writing Book Four. And, out of the blue, an idea for Book five has sprung up.

In essence, a book release not only represents the work and dedication of the past but a connection toward the future. It’s a brief stopping point to consider all that is involved in writing. Those writers at the conferences understand as they have been through it, likely countless times. For the reader, the only wish is they find pleasure in the story and yearn for the next book’s release.

DO YOU KNOW WHO YOUR READERS ARE?

               I suppose it seems like a simple enough question. You’re a writer. You take a long time to write and edit a book, work with your publisher, and get the book to market. Then, it is incumbent upon you to promote it, in essence, carry the burden of selling it. Your publisher may have some of their own tools (website, blog, etc.), but for the most part it’s all on you.

               Ok, so you know your genre and that is one aspect. You find groups of other writers for that genre and network. Except they, too, are looking for their readers, their own market. There are cons you can attend as long as they fall within the scope of your genre. Organizations of historians are less likely to be interested in fiction than in unearthing true tales of times past. Accordingly, there are really no cons a writer of historical crime fiction attends.

               If there is not a built-in market or one that is accessible, you go back to the original question: Who are my readers? (Or, if you run a podcast: Who are my listeners?) The surprising thing is they are literally all around you. Your co-workers, your neighbors, the people who come to your home for maintenance, the new people you meet at social gatherings.

               Now, the quickest way to turn someone off is to come out declare “HEY, I’M A WRITER. ISN’T THAT INTERESTING?” As I have discussed before (and reiterated with co-host Brian Johnson on Tikiman and The Viking Podcast) you sell yourself before you sell your books.

               A former co-worker whose name was perfect for a hard-boiled femme fatale was one of my earliest advocates. I then started using the names (or variation thereof) of other co-workers rather than, for example, go through the phone book. This method of engagement revealed new readers.

               My wife was at a small birthday celebration in early June. The honored guest and his wife were friends but others attending were mostly their neighbors. I found a way to “let it slip” I was a writer and then the conversations took off from there, with some people making sure they knew how to spell my name.

               The two young guys who did the renovation on our kitchen were intrigued by the podcast and actually looked it up right in front of me. The young man from Roto Rooter who helped clear a basement floor drain was also a musician and intrigued by the subject matter of my books.

               We assume a certain demographic for our creative projects and actively pursue those avenues. However, there are countless people all around you in everyday life who read and don’t post their opinions or listen to podcasts while commuting or on business trips. The almost lost art of conversation has put many people behind the eight ball, to quote a phrase, by not allowing normal human interaction to reveal further possibilities.

PROCESS VS. CRAFT

There is a significant difference between the Craft of Writing and an individual writer’s Process.

If you consider any athletic endeavor, there is an awareness of the structure of the competition, the so-called Xs and Os, perhaps even the history of the sport and its evolution. Offense and defense. Pitching and hitting. Physical conditioning. That, to me, is the craft.

Each athlete, however, goes through a different regimen in order to achieve whatever level of success is available to them. There are well-known stories of Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs who notoriously ate nothing but chicken during the baseball season. Tom Brady’s culinary peculiarities seem something well beyond the scope (and perhaps dedication) of other football players. This is understandably their process.

For my last five books, I have been working with the same editor through my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. Though we have never met face to face, I know her quite well on a personal level as we have shared stories and anecdotes about our respective lives. Her guidance has been nothing short of miraculous in terms of helping a pretty decent writer mold a good tale with some strong dialogue into well-constructed books, the kind that are necessary in a burgeoning market.

Nearly thirty years ago, I was associated with a wide variety of very intelligent and conscientious poets whose styles influenced me, We were able to discuss at length our beliefs of how a poem should function and what it’s ultimate impact should be. None of them were educators but rather artists intensely immersed in verse.

My college education was in film-making with emphasis on screen writing. The visual aspects were always of prime concern when making a movie. With regard to the writing, however, character development and the flow of the story were vastly more important. I had enough classes to understand that.

So, for better than 40 years, I have taken special note of the Craft of Writing as it related to each discipline I attempted. How I went about putting all of that to use relates to personal circumstances, lifestyles, living arrangements, and relationships as just about anything else.

I enjoy reading of the methods and rituals of famous writers of the past. Early on, I thought those were the guidelines without once considering what Faulkner was doing at the time or who Hemingway might have been married to. For the majority of his adult life, Cornell Woolrich lived in hotels with his mother. It finally occurred to me these are anecdotes and nothing more.

I have not been in a position to declare I will wake up at a certain time, write for so many hours, and then start my so-called normal day. I am currently employed full-time, as I have been for the better part of my adult life. I am married to a wife who encourages my endeavors. Beyond the love provided there is the understanding I have responsibilities that demand attention.

As I get older, staying up late is no longer an option nor a desire. Time is a mitigating factor in contemplating any creative process. I don’t listen to music when I write as I know many writers do. I don’t have a special wardrobe that magically invites inspiration. I do, however, prefer to be in a room filled with books, which is why I don’t grab my laptop and head to the local coffeehouse.

All of these minor details, like the description of a character, go into the process that I have been a part of for a decidedly long time. Perhaps an hour or two of an evening. Casual writing does not require the office door to be closed; intense writing does. I tolerate interruptions but they are rare because of the understanding I will be “in the office” after dinner.

I try to wrap up with enough time to decompress from the day, both the employment part and the intensity of the creative part. It is akin to an ancient Sybil immersing myself in the depths of some deep trance, then slowly working my way back to consciousness. Departing is enlightening; returning is necessary.

The room, the time of day, the door open or shut – none of that relates to creating dialogue or character development. Rather it is the ambience that is manifested through my own process which allows me to focus completely on the craft.

***

My new book, The End of the Treachery, Volume 2 of The Wichita Chronicles, will be released on December 9, 2024.

The book trailer

It’s like a flashback to the University of Miami in the early 1980’s when I was studying filmmaking. Of course, in those days, we actually shot on FILM.

Book trailers have become an integral part of the marketing for my books. They allow me to express a certain sensibility in both images and music.

Here is the link for the latest trailer for The End of the Treachery, Volume 2 of the Wichita Chronicles. The worldwide release date is December 9, 2024.

*****

Harold Bergman, a Jewish private detective and World War II veteran, is approached to locate a missing girl. Little does he know, this seemingly routine case plunges him into a labyrinth of deceit, entwined with a looming threat to national security. Meanwhile, a distraught woman challenges the official narrative surrounding her husband’s death, convinced that a vengeful client orchestrated his demise. As he delves deeper into these cases, he uncovers layers of hidden truths and personal agendas, where every step reveals a new layer of treachery. Determined to unravel the web of lies, Harold must navigate through a maze of danger and deception, drawing upon his resilience and faith to unearth the sinister truth that threatens to unravel everything he holds dear.