H.B. Berlow's Blog, page 7

TIME

It was Benjamin Franklin who said “Lost time is never found again.” I have felt this way for quite a while. Money can always be earned, recovered, found, even stolen. Love, perhaps harder, depending on what kind you are looking for. But Time cannot be replaced. It is a most precious and valuable commodity.

Alas, this post is not about getting older and looking through one’s life, etc. When I am retired, I will expound on what slight bits of wisdom I have been able to glean by simply waking up and going through life every day.

Instead, I am referencing the dreariness of time management. Writers, those not currently retired, must consider their employment and their relationships and their accommodations. I have to devote time to getting up and preparing for work, going through the work day, and then coming home. I am no longer a young child but as a homeowner I must consider mowing the lawn, going grocery shopping, and other occasional bits of maintenance. I certainly can’t take for granted my wife of twenty-six years; spending time with her keeps me focused on one of the reasons for engaging in this creative process.

Twenty-four hours in a day. 168 in a week. You can create a pie chart, a graph, or any other mathematical symbol to indicate how many hours you may have available to you in total AFTER considering all the required elements. You can find an appropriate app. Whatever you do, if you want to continue as a writer, you must not complain about what you do not have in terms of ideal time but how you can make the most of what you do have.

Golda Meir said “I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” Therein lies the contemporary dilemma. Our modern lives are tied into the ever-present clock, whether it is the annoying tick of a plastic wall clock or the little one at the bottom right of your computer screen. Industry today, all kinds, are guided by the factor of time in schedules, increments, and expectations.

I am not going to sit here and outline any specific plan or proposal. My life is likely vastly different than yours. However, I refuse to acquiesce when I know my passion for writing will not be plowed under by a second hand. Some ten years ago I worked with a young man who was also a writer. He was twenty years younger than me and complained about not having enough time to write. While I could appreciate his sentiment, I mentally threw his argument out the window.

He lived in an apartment with very little maintenance; I was a homeowner. At the time, he was with the third girlfriend since I started at the job; I was married and had been for some time. We both worked full-time. The problem was while I was fitting my writing into the parameters of my life, he was busy playing role-playing games until the wee hours of the morning. I had two novels published; he was still working on the first draft of his 180,000-word fantasy novel which he was hesitant to edit.

So be it.

Time is a precious and valuable commodity. When I’m retired and can look back on several years of living, I want to be able to say I made time to write because it was important to me and fed my soul.

DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED WRITINGS

Ever since the publication of “Ark City Confidential” in early 2017, I have been firmly grounded in historical crime fiction. There has been research into all aspects of police work and everyday life from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s. I’ve scoured maps and photos and magazine articles, bought books on local and regional history, and even looked up real names in the Polk Directory of the time periods in question.

Within the parameters of fiction, I have done what I could to recreate a historical milieu that is true and plausible and as real as possible. After all, it only makes sense, right?

Yet, when my mind wanders to those “What if?” queries regarding OTHER things to write, I do not simply run parallel to another character in a slightly different time period, perhaps a comparable profession, or something more suspenseful and dramatic. Rather, my focus is to return to a couple of old works-in-progress. One is a Transgressive tale and the other a wildly experimental metafiction. Both of those are so far removed from what I do now as to be almost ironical.

I liken this, as I do many things, to a culinary example. Suppose you were to have a dinner of smoked pork, barbecued chicken, hot links, and some wickedly salty French fries. The savory aspects of your meal, the spice, would just about turn your palette toward a sugary confection to finish off the repast. You might not have the stomach capacity for chocolate cake but a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream would be a nice finishing touch.

My creative mind works in the same fashion. If I had the time and wherewithal to work on another project contemporaneously with my historical crime fiction series, it feels as though I would want a separation in terms of creative style. The detailed analysis and meticulous research of the former would need the freedom and almost anarchy of the latter. (Not to imply there is not discipline required for both, mind you.)

My cooking runs in the same trend. The menu I prepare for dinners at home might include something Mexican, something Asian, something Italian. I do not purposely vary things nor do I prevent myself from making chicken tacos one night followed by pork enchiladas the next. In order to remain engaged in cooking, I ensure that I am mixing things up. This mindset rings true for writing.

The primary difference is I eat every night of the week. I only write one book at a time. Ah, just wait until retirement!

WHAT’S JUST BEYOND MY REACH

My history/development/journey as a writer has been well documented in the pages of this blog. At times, reading those posts and contemplating the stories seem as though they are about someone else. The thing I consider most is who and what I am today. Then again, this forum becomes a platform for my current works: latest books being published; podcast episodes; adventures with other writers.

What I haven’t discussed or perhaps even contemplated is what exists just beyond my reach of this moment in time. I plan to retire a little over three years from now. This is the time when I will give up full-time employment and turn my attention toward….

Well, that’s just it, isn’t it? I realize there are some folks who have no notion of what they would do in retirement. Still others enjoy their job/work so much they couldn’t think of the idea of giving it up. I have a whole slew of ideas from part-time work in something more suitable to my temperament. (While being in customer service has fueled my crime fiction, it has also been spiritually draining.) I can think of several places to volunteer that would be fulfilling. Of course, there will be writing and perhaps an expansion of what I am doing now.

The one thing I have at this moment is a schedule, a routine. That which guides you tends to bind you. And vice versa. Whether I like this routine, enjoy it, or find value in it is irrelevant. It exists. It has created parameters for the better part of my adult life. When one retires in their sixties, for example, they have considerably less time to form new habits. I imagine running amok, willy-nilly, an almost frantic daze overwhelming me.

Perhaps writing will be the thing that provides focus. Certainly, I would continue on with my current series. Perhaps a new genre or new series will come to mind. Exploration on theatrical pieces. Re-establishing a connection with poetry. Anything associated with the written word is not going to be out of the question.

There’s also the idea of “radio dramas” which could see their way into the current podcast. Or a new one. Maybe a salon-type group, akin to something from the Bohemian 20s. Might I even return to film-making?

Two primary images come to mind. I’m either one of the kids who was invited to Willy Wonka’s factory and am overwhelmed by everything there is to see and do. Or, I’m the captain of the Poseidon just as the tidal wave comes crashing through the bridge.

Certainly, you can plan, make arrangements, have ideas and thoughts and notions. But until you get there, to that very moment in time, when everyone at work wishes you well, says goodbye, and you log off for your last time, there is no real way to know what lies beyond.

I’d like to write that story for myself. I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see.

TIKIMAN – THE BACK STORY

You are currently reading a post on the blog entitled “The Tikiman Says…” Perhaps you’ve listened to a couple of episodes of the podcast Tikiman and The Viking. If you live in Wichita, KS, you might even have seen an orange Chevy Spark with the license plate TIKIMAN.

But unless you’ve known me for a while, you probably do not know how TIKIMAN came about. Here’s the back story.

On a lark, many years ago, I started buying Hawaiian shirts from thrift stores. They were mostly $4.99 or $5.99. When I was feeling daring, I’d pay $6.99. I thought they were cool. I was working at a large telecommunications company (I can’t say which because they like to sue) and tried to get my supervisor to initiate Wicky Wacky Friday (my expression). It was to be a day when all the people in my office would wear Hawaiian shirts. No go. I guess they were all a bunch of stuffed shirts. (Yeah, pun intended!)

One Christmas, my wife bought me a shirt from Hilo Hattie, one of the finest purveyors of Aloha shirts at the time. Needless to say, they were far more than $4.99, $5.99, or even $6.99. However, the quality and styles were vastly superior. Despite the higher prices, I acquiesced.

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For some reason, I transitioned to Maui Shirts because their styles were different. The problem was they often did not have my size for the shirts I was truly interested in. I had to depart from my patronage.

From a BBQ magazine (of all places), I found High Seas Trading and found my sartorial home. I even went so far as to friend the owner on Facebook. Amazing quality, excellent customer service, and a vast array of styles that changed and evolved.

During this time, my wife and family members would buy Wicky Wackys for me at Christmas and my birthday. My collection was starting to grow. I made choices based on color and style. “I need more orange and yellow,” I would ponder. “I’ve got enough cocktail shirts. I need more floral patterns.” Also, during this same time period, I was listening to a lot of lounge music, especially from the Ultra Lounge series. I received as gifts or bought Moai and Tiki signs and had Tiki masks adorning our spa hut.

Tikiman was born.

I soon realized it was more than just shirts, music, cocktails, and paraphernalia. Tikiman was a state of mind. The notion of “chill” was predominant (accentuated by my ordination as a Dudeist minister – but that’s a story for another time.) I don’t swim but, boy, did the notion of a beach sound appealing. The sound of waves, the feel of warm breezes, the smell of tropical flowers. Come on. Who wouldn’t get lulled into that world?

I have often joked the reason I write crime fiction is because I have had a long career in Customer Service. Yet, the notion of Tiki is a sustaining influence, a calming factor amid the stress of everyday life. Listening to Frank or Dean or Martin Denny or Les Baxter, making an Old Fashioned or a Negroni or a Gin Martini, unwinding after a long week and thinking about nothing important.

I have embraced Tikiman, not as a persona or a way of life, but as an idea of something fun and non-threatening. A colorful gent with a smile and a warm greeting. A character that doesn’t take himself too seriously, can laugh at himself, and isn’t afraid of naysayers.

But, let’s be honest – The shirts look GREAT!

TIKIMAN AND THE VIKING ON THE ROAD:

THE OBLIGATORY POST-CONFERENCE RECAP

OWFI 2024

This was the first opportunity for me and Brian Johnson (aka Tikiman and the Viking) to extend our scope beyond the realm of our podcast. Given that I had been a more frequent attendee in recent years and he hadn’t been for a while, I figured it was a chance to show others what we had been up to since the show started in July 2023.

As is typical, we were welcomed and treated well and encouraged to be as outgoing as possible for the benefit of new participants. Certainly, that was our intention all along. Additionally, however, attending sessions of significance to us individual was important. I needed to pay my respects to Rhonda Penders, the editor-in-chief of The Wild Rose Press. After all, they ARE the publisher who has been responsible for my last five books and a forthcoming sixth.

Brian was fortunate enough to pitch with Alicia Dean and, from what I’ve been told, there was some interest. It is a testament to the benefits of a writer’s conference, especially when you are sitting at your personal space, disconnected from anyone human who can appreciate your work.

We both had the opportunity to be on a panel called Dining With Death. This focused on crime, thrillers, horror, and just all-around nastiness. We sat with: thriller writer Dianne McCartney; The Sirens, hosts of a true crime podcast; folklorist and collector of spooky stories Jeff Provine; and Andrew E Kaufman who writes psychological thrillers. The diverse group, if I say so myself, was both informative and entertaining.

Now, this is the point where I stop being rote and giving a recap and name-dropping. This is where I reflect on what going meant to me and Brian individually as well as to our podcast. When you skip a year of going to a conference and, at a minimum, a dozen people tell you how they missed you last year, you get the impression you are somehow meaningful. Brian is a great story-teller and dazzled many folks he had met for the first time. Our sessions were well attended, giving me to believe we presented popular subjects.

We had fun. We learned some things. We connected with experienced writers and newer ones. We just might have added to our listeners. We talked intently on the drive home, making plans that we would need to weave into our real lives. But we validated that what we are doing as writers and bloggers and podcasters is on the right track.

So, follow the adventures of Tikiman and the Viking and be the first to hear where we may take the show on the road next time.

WRITING IN A VACUUM

The title of this post is a fallacy. It does not exist.

Sure, there are those who would point out Emily Dickinson, scribbling away for the majority of her adult life, having a scant ten poems published during her lifetime with the bulk of 1800 discovered, collated, and presented to the world long after her death. Or, perhaps we could reference the reclusive J.D. Salinger or Thomas Pynchon, giants of 20th century fiction, who chose to stay hidden and force the world to focus on their craft rather than their persona.

Let’s face it: how many writers do you know are any of these talents? True, someone may lurk out there with a prodigious ability that we have yet to learn about. But the majority of us who call ourselves ‘writers’ know others who are of the same ilk, in the same boat, hoping to put out not necessarily a work of art but a decent story.

Therefore, you cannot write in a vacuum. As shy as you may be, as doubtful as you are regarding your skills, you have to encounter and discover others who would view your work. Not in the context of who you are personally but how that work holds up to criticism and commentary.

While you are still of an age where education is significant in your life, taking creative writing classes is ideal. Beyond those years, where to next? Certainly, entering contests is a viable option but the feedback there is limited. Joining a writer’s group is significantly better. While there may be varying degrees of experience and success, at the very least you will be around other writers, some of whom may provide ideas and notions for a direction for you to follow.

My first group was the Kansas Writers Association right here in Wichita, KS. I was surprised to see how many were in their ranks when I first attended a meeting around 2008. I eventually served a brief term as president.

From such groups, it is feasible to establish a critique group. Two or three others with whom you can regularly share a Work In Progress to get regular feedback. I was in one group with two other writers, both of whom wrote in the fantasy genre. One of those was Brian Johnson who has been a long-time friend and my current co-host on Tikiman and The Viking podcast. My next critique group was with two women, one of whom was primarily a poet. From each of these groups, I got the widest array of feedback. Stepping outside your comfort zone will do that for you.

The next step is a writers’ conference. This is where you go beyond your local level and connect with an even wider group of people to expand your knowledge and experience. Additionally, many of these conferences feature industry representatives with whom you may potentially get a book published. I met the Editor-in-Chief of The Wild Rose Press and have been fortunate enough to have five of my books published with them.

I was the last president of Kansas Writers Association to put on a conference for that organization in Wichita in 2012. I attended the Kansas Authors Club conference in 2013 and participated as a speaker in 2019. I have regularly attended the OWFI Conference since 2012, was a remote speaker for the conference in 2021, and will be, along with Brian, a speaker again in 2024.

I believe I have had five books published between 2017 and 2023 because of “stepping up to the plate”, so to speak. Writing, learning from your mistakes, listening to critique groups and editors, informs your craft. By being around other writers, your abilities increase exponentially. It is because I choose NOT to be Emily Dickinson or J.D. Salinger or Thomas Pynchon that I reach out with the desire to grow.

If you are already planning to attend the OWFI Conference, Brian and I look forward to visiting with you. You can be sure we will provide you with additional encouragement on your journey.

THE JEW IN THE TRENCHCOAT, PART 2

With the first book published and book two now in the editing stage after a signed contract, I have become immersed in the world of Harold Bergman. WW II veteran with a limp. Former policeman. Private detective. And Jew. He may be like me in certain sensibilities but we are of different ages and from different generations. Yet, we are both Jewish.

It is one thing to infuse a work of fiction with Old Testament and Talmudic quotations for the benefit of identifying a state of mind relative to a character’s theological beliefs. What is more significant (and more important) are the actions of said character because of those beliefs.

The original post already laid the foundation for both Jewish detectives as main characters as well as philosophical works embedded within the crime and mystery genre. This continuing series has allowed for both a literary development of the character as well as a more personal development within myself. We are symbiotic in nature without being able to become the other.

Starting with “The Day of Calamity”, there has been an understanding of the unique approach within Judaism to relationships with other human beings as well as with Adonai, the clarity of purpose and responsibility. The main character, Harold Bergman, finds himself no longer able to simply follow the rules established by the judicial and legal systems despite their intentions of law and order after experiencing the devastating toll of war. Nor can he simply fall back upon his religious upbringing as a matter of resolving the tragedies of the human condition and fulfill his father’s desire that he become a rabbi.

While becoming a private detective does not seem a readily obvious approach to his moral dilemma, he has the opportunity to seek justice on both a societal and moral level. This is a stepping stone to his future character development. For me, I get the chance to grow as well, perhaps providing Harold with words I might say given the chance in similar situations. Obviously, the respect he has for his father, his consideration of friends, his relationships with former co-workers, and the contemplative need to understand what makes people tick are traits I get to share with him, primarily by virtue of the fact I created him as a writer.

The most important thing is having a character with a moral center, not simply a code such as Philip Marlowe exhibited, or professional integrity as you could find in either the Continental Op or Sam Spade. I am concerned the character not be the largely macho brute as one would find in Mike Hammer. My hope is that Harold Bergman be a real human being with conscious decisions to make regarding his future after undergoing severe trauma. For the moment, he is no more or no less than a Jew in a trenchcoat.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

I am absolutely thrilled to announce I have just signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for “The End of the Treachery, Vol. 2 of The Wichita Chronicles.” This will allow me to continue the story of Harold Bergman, Jewish private detective and WWII veteran searching to find meaning after the events of the war.

This will be my sixth contract with this amazing publisher and fifth time working with the enormously talented editor, Judi Mobley. While never having met her in person, I have come to know her as a dedicated professional and a terrific human being. She has helped to shape these works so that my truest voice as a writer comes out.

After completing the Ark City Confidential Chronicles, my search for a new character and a new series has been previously documented. With “The Day of Calamity” , I introduced readers, and even myself, to a man whose sense of law and order and justice came from two distinct aspects: his former profession as a police officer and his upbringing as a Jew.

This series does not follow the typical tropes of hardboiled crime fiction: the cheap whiskey, the endless cigarettes, the gunplay. Yet it is detective fiction and not just the search for a perpetrator but also the search for the truth. It is an arduous journey but one well worth savoring.

It should be no surprise that I am working on the third book even as I know how much work is ahead of me. My editor is tough but considerate. I expect nothing less. I will be sharing more about this as time goes on. In the meantime, I hope you will continue to follow me and the journey of Harold Bergman.

SIMPLICITY

Ever since I got my KitchenAid Stand Mixer, my baking has become far more proficient. My ever-growing-arthritic hands are being saved wear and tear. Breads have always been a joy to make, and now the integration of the yeast more fully yields more buoyant loaves.

I came across this recipe for a rustic crusty bread as my first attempt with the new mixer. It came out fabulous: truly crusty on the outside yet fluffy and light inside. Great as toast or to make a gourmet sandwich. What I noticed from this and other recipes were the minimal ingredients required. I mean, look at the recipe: flour, water, yeast, salt. Sure, you get them out and ready, then you make your bread, and you eat it. After a couple of times, you have to marvel at the fact there are only four ingredients required. Certainly, you have the mixing and the rising and then the baking. There are ministrations to go through to get to the end result. Beyond that, you need only four ingredients.

What do I need as a writer? Perhaps some education would be useful, if not an abundance of experience. A computer of some sort to work on, unless you’re old-fashioned and prefer a typewriter. Maybe you have books for research and review or simply use the internet. The bottom, line, however, is you only really need: creativity, imagination, words, and desire.

As with the bread, there may be plotting or character development. There is certainly a great amount of editing required. We don’t need to mention finding an agent or publisher and then marketing because that would be like asking yourself what to do with the bread you just baked. No, I’m talking about the process. Craft comes later. What kind of flour? How long do I proof the yeast? Table salt or kosher salt? Subplot. Description. Dialogue.

Perhaps, if you’ve been writing long enough, you wind up feeling a need to search for something beyond what you have been doing, a different manner in which to do it. There might be a sense you are simply churning out a product. This causes you take on more than is required all because you can no longer accept the simplicity of what is required.

From Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, Book 2, Verse 9: “This thou must always bear in mind, what is the nature of the whole and what is my nature.” I do not believe it is on our nature to unnaturally add upon a system or practice so many layers as to separate us from the basics of what is required. Go ahead if you want to make a multi-grain fruit and nut loaf. I’ll stick with my rustic crusty bread.

WHERE TO NEXT?

Some people plan. Some people go with the flow. In this regard, I am not referring to Plotters vs. Pantsers as it relates to writing. I’m talking about Life, the one with the capital L.

My wife and I knew we needed to downsize. Our beautiful 2500 sq ft Victorian home in midtown Wichita, KS had been a joy to live in for 25 years. But it was far too big and would be unwieldy to live in as we headed toward retirement. Not to mention too costly from a utilities standpoint. We searched for eighteen months before finding the ideal house in terms of size and manageability.

Check.

We are frugal without being cheap but understood what it took to develop a financial plan to aid us with retirement. That word, for both of us, meant simply not punching the clock. Both of us are impassioned and energetic with interests beyond employment. We’ve been working with a financial advisor for a number of years and have most of our ducks in a row. We will be prepared to leave our respective jobs at age 65, which, for me, is barely over three years away.

Check.

I’m writing, more now than ever before. That has never been an issue. The first book of a new series is out, the second in the hands of an editor, the third being written. I have been co-hosting a podcast, Tikiman and The Viking since July 2023. And the two of us will be speakers at the OWFI Conference in May.

That’s all Now. That’s ongoing. But to quote the classic line from any job interview “Where do you see yourself five years from now?”

As much as I plan things (just ask my wife when it comes to a menu and a shopping list!), I can’t project as much with regard to Writing in the future. Not that I have any intention of stopping. After fifty + years, it makes no sense. I mean, it’s NOT a job as much as it is a rewarding avocation. But do I simply sit down for four hours a day and write more books? Maybe a couple of extra hours on social media? Research other writers’ conferences regionally? Get a teaching certificate?

I have to consider my responsibilities as a husband and homeowner first. By the same token, I can’t overlook the possibilities that exist when I don’t have a specific time to wake up, a designated time for lunch, and commuting to and from a place of employment. Then again, devoting a massive amount of time to creative endeavors could put me in a position of burnout.

Perhaps I’m worrying too much about “how things will be” before I even get there. The Adult in me is concerned about planning, just as he did with downsizing and finances. The Creative aspect is perfectly willing to figure things out and move along in the same general direction as now.

Eventually, I’ll figure it out.