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Where the hell have I been?
Category: books
Human Feeling
My good friend Stanley Nelson and I have been discussing AI and the implications for artists and writers. We agree and then we disagree. We collaborated on three books, Murder So Wrong, Murder So Strange and Murder So Final, which were centered around a time in Oklahoma City when there was a newspaper war between the established and powerful newspaper and the upstart, The Oklahoma Journal. We lived there during this time and knew many of the people involved.
We survive collaboration, just barely, and still speak, although there was a somewhat quiet phase right after the books. Here was our latest email exchange about AI.
Stan.
Once I stopped to study an oil of yours, hung somewhere in your house. I was particularly taken by how you used simple, brief touches and swaths of color to suggest, successfully, a window, a door, a wall, a shadow. It was hard not to compare that with a nude portrait you did decades ago, hung so that it commanded the den in the house in Del City. I found that one far busier with its colors, not quite achieving the impressionism I figured was being tried for, although I never asked about it. I had only taken a junior high-school art class, but I had learned enough to wonder.
This is an opinion, but I should say your representational and sometimes impressionistic art has evolved over time, and for the better. Whether anyone agrees is hardly the point, which instead is about how art gives us a way to gauge someone else’s progress, or even regress, as an interpreter of the world around them. Consider the obsessive study of Van Gogh’s progress as an artist. Much like science, the matter is never conclusive.
So, here is my point: that art is not, nor has it ever been, a matter of instant gratification or product quality, i.e., salability or favorable critical appreciation. The goal of art is personal expression on a scale greater than or, at least, different from the ordinary, and for that a person must be the source. To credit AI for arranging pixels—zeros and ones—so a visually striking picture appears is a bit like giving out prizes to frying pans for not burning the bacon.
My response:
The artist, human or AI, is judged by the results. You can ponder the artist behind the work, but it is the art itself that sticks in our head. If we could extract personal expressions in art, then your point would be well stated. I’m just not sure we can. I have buried in my basement an accumulation of art that has not been seen by many–you might even call it hidden. Why, because it was not what I was trying to achieve. Failures? No, probably not, those mostly got painted over; this would be “it’s okay, but just not right”. So, if the result is what matters, soulless, stolen, zeros and ones generated art still must be judged by the result. Therein lies the problem, the results are awesome.
That’s one of the reasons I think AI writing is not as powerful as art. The writer is easier to “feel” in writing, I think, than in art (1). Of course, that is still debatable. I have played with AI writing, book descriptions and others, and it feels different. While competent, there is something missing. Now, you can say the same about art–but I don’t get that feeling with art itself. It looks great, conveys with subtlety the qualities listed in the instructions. I’m still going to say the art generated by AI will stunt any on-going development of human artists. Why do something that is mostly inferior to what can be done with AI. While it’s sad, it doesn’t change the fact; AI results are better.
I haven’t heard back from Stan, but my gut says he is going to say bullshit (although he doesn’t use that language as much as I do). If you’re a creative person AI is a threat. If not your soul, then maybe your pocketbook. But AI is going to replace many people, people who love what they do, but cannot work for nothing or 24 hours a day.
Even with that pain, I will still say on almost any objective level AI is brilliant. Maybe an asshole but many creative people (things?) have been assholes, so what’s so different.
I believe that we all will incorporate AI tools into much of our daily lives. How do we not use that easy access tool that produces such amazing and easy results. Many of us already have and it will grow because it works.
Are there risks, even existential risks? Yes.
(1) When I wrote the “feeling” sentence I was thinking about creative writing, such as novels. It’s possible that technical or business writing will be better not worse when done by AI since there was not much “feel” involved in the human version.
Human Thinking or AI Regurgitating?
I’m still debating AI when it comes to writing but must admit I’m sold on the art part. AI is a whiz. The art stuff this brainy machine can create is just amazing. Artists, I’m afraid your time is up; writers, well why don’t ya hang around for just a bit.
Asked ChatGPT to write descriptions on three of my books. They all were very promotional, hyped marketing pieces of verbiage. Now, I do not know how AI knows those books, but they contained some material that directly tied to the book (with notable inaccuracies like the name of the main character) but mostly contained generalized language based on the genre. If I were giving a grade, all three would have been B+. I tend to grade my self-written book description as C-. So, AI would be hired by me before I would hire me to write book descriptions.
Okay, the descriptions were good, above average but not perfect. I tweaked the descriptions and will probably use them—they are better than the ones I wrote, the main reason I would say writers are still somewhat safe is that they were very similar. There was a sameness to the descriptions and the errors were obvious ones. The main character or the location of the story would not be mistakes a writer would make. For now, I still give human writers a slight edge.
AI Book Description for Dog Gone Lies by Ted Clifton
Get ready for a wild ride through sun-drenched vistas of New Mexico in “Dog Gone Lies” by Ted Clifton, a gripping mystery novel that will keep you guessing until the very end.
When ex-Sheriff, turned private investigator, Ray Pacheco is compelled to track down the owner of a lost dog, he thinks it’ll be a routine matter. But as he delves deeper into the seemingly simple assignment, he uncovers a tangled web of deception, betrayal, and murder lurking beneath the surface of this picturesque Southwestern state.
With the help of his trusty companion, Tyee Chino, Ray follows a trail of clues that leads him to a cast of colorful characters, each with their own secrets to hide. From odd-ball eccentrics to ruthless drug dealers, everyone has something to lose – and Ray soon finds himself caught in the crossfire of a deadly game where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
As tensions rise and the body count mounts, Ray must use all his wits and instincts to untangle the truth before it’s too late. But with danger lurking around every corner, he’ll need to stay one step ahead of his adversaries if he hopes to crack the case and bring a killer to justice.
Fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists and turns, “Dog Gone Lies” is a must-read for fans of gritty crime fiction and pulse-pounding thrillers. With its richly drawn characters, atmospheric setting, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, this novel will keep you glued to the page until the very last word. So, strap in, hold on tight, and get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the gritty landscape of New Mexico with Ted Clifton’s electrifying new novel.
The above description has a few changes I made but it was 95% AI generated. It took AI about 20 seconds. My few minor corrections took about 20 minutes.
I asked AI to write a blog about AI written book descriptions. Below is the blog.
Title: Unleashing the Power of AI: Writing Compelling Book Descriptions
In the ever-evolving landscape of publishing, authors and publishers alike are constantly seeking innovative ways to capture readers’ attention and stand out in a crowded market. One such innovation that has been gaining traction in recent years is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to write book descriptions. Let’s delve into how AI can be a game-changer in crafting compelling book blurbs that entice readers and boost sales.
1. Harnessing Data-Driven Insights:
AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data, including bestselling book descriptions, reader preferences, and market trends. By leveraging these insights, AI can identify patterns and characteristics that resonate with audiences, helping authors tailor their book descriptions to maximize engagement and appeal.
2. Generating Attention-Grabbing Content:
AI-powered natural language generation (NLG) models, such as GPT-based models, excel at generating coherent and persuasive text. Authors can input key details about their book, such as genre, plot summary, and target audience, and AI can produce a polished and professional book description that highlights the book’s unique selling points and hooks readers from the outset.
3. Optimizing SEO and Discoverability:
With the proliferation of online bookstores and digital platforms, discoverability is paramount for authors seeking to reach their target audience. AI can help optimize book descriptions for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords and phrases that improve visibility and organic traffic. By enhancing SEO, authors can increase their book’s discoverability and attract more potential readers.
4. Personalizing Recommendations:
AI-driven recommendation engines can analyze reader preferences and behavior to generate personalized book recommendations. By incorporating AI-generated book descriptions into recommendation algorithms, authors can increase the likelihood of their books being recommended to readers who are most likely to enjoy them, thereby driving sales and fostering reader loyalty.
5. Iterative Improvement and A/B Testing:
AI enables authors to conduct A/B testing of book descriptions by generating multiple versions and analyzing their performance metrics, such as click-through rates and conversion rates. By iteratively refining and optimizing book descriptions based on real-time data and feedback, authors can continuously improve their marketing strategies and maximize the effectiveness of their promotional efforts.
While AI offers immense potential for revolutionizing the way book descriptions are created and optimized, it’s important to note that human creativity and intuition remain indispensable. Authors should view AI as a powerful tool to augment their creative process rather than replace it entirely. By collaborating with AI, authors can unlock new possibilities for crafting compelling book descriptions that resonate with readers and propel their literary careers to new heights.
AI time: 10 seconds.
How did you like the highlighted sentence about humans being indispensable? Was that AI sucking up to potential customers? AI is several things, fast, verbose for sure, the brain of a marketing machine, has an ego it wishes you would not notice (its recommending itself because it’s a computer–{I can do this…better than you can}–I wonder is that anti-human?) and smart. Smart in ways (vast amounts of current data) that “normal” humans are not. That smart part is what is going to put humans on the back bench very soon. While on the bench, we will be able to read 59 cent novels that all feel oddly very similar.
Happiness or Misery
There are days when you wonder if what you’re doing is worth doing. First, of course, you would have to define worth. During a personal questioning period, I tracked the hours I spent writing and promoting a book and calculated my hourly rate. Let’s just say it is not a rate I would accept in any “normal” job. The minimum hourly wage when I graduated from high school was $1.25. My book writing wage was only a fraction of that poor rate, considering inflation it might as well be zero.
Okay, now we’re back to worth. How about the joy of being creative, isn’t that worth something? Uh, no, it isn’t. The value of bringing joy to your readers—sorry readers, that is worth only a little bit—it’s something, but not much. (Plus, it is discounted further due to a few nasty reviews from readers who received the book for the astronomical price of zero).
Why do you spend time doing something that brings such minimal reward? Because you thought this was the one—it’s going to sell thousands and thousands of copies. Yes, sell hundreds of thousands, not sold at 99 cents or given away to people who never read them; actually, sell at a level that would exceed the piss poor minimum wage of $1.25 per hour.
After writing 14 books it is apparent to me the only worth is my sense of accomplishment. Not in money, but in that wonderful feeling you experience when you finish the final version. You feel very, very good about what you have accomplished. That is worth a lot.
The question then becomes is that enough? I think it is. I’m still writing. While I’ve sold a few, the $1.25 minimum wage looks good– so money is not the motivation. It’s something that cannot be measured monetarily.
My first book, The Bootlegger’s Legacy, was a story of two friends who were at a no-value stage of their lives and wanted something else. What they wanted, they thought, was money. In different ways they both found money, but only one understood the value of what else they had discovered.
One discovered happiness, the other did not. Starting their journey as friends their different perspectives eventually drove them apart. The deep sadness I felt while writing the book was because of their lost friendship. Through much of our lives we define worth then make decisions based on that definition. Often, we miss the whole point of a short-term life; thinking owning something has real value, while we overlook what does.
A Greek philosopher Epicurus said, “happiness is the greatest aim of life”, of course he lived 2,500 years ago, what does he know? Maybe a lot.
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We are a divided country. Why do you think that is so? Politics has not divided us, it just reflects the divide, something else is causing us to drift apart. With couples that split, if no one understands, it is usually the classic “they drifted apart”. Meaning, I guess, they didn’t want to be together any longer and the reasons didn’t really matter.
When a country drifts apart there must be a reason. Something to explain what happened. My guess is that the reasons are not really very large. We are tired of being in a country that can longer seem to bond and enjoy the goods things we have. We are so focused on what is wrong, we forget what is right.
Not sure how to fix a relationship if it’s just grown tiresome.
I have suggested in some posts that the country needs to be run by younger people. Maybe some of our weariness is because it seems we keep doing the same thing over and over. Living in a rapidly changing world where the leadership looks a lot like it did fifty years ago suggests we have missed an opportunity to listen to a new voice with some new ideas. In the oddest of ways, we still seem to be struggling with issues that have the scent of the Civil War—from 150 years in the past.
Our country is depressed and needs a quiet week in the mountains to reflect on the good stuff and stop being so grumpy.
War and Prose
Recently I speculated that my father’s mother might have been a native American. That was not based on anything factual but only on my own memories and assumptions. I was wrong. After I wrote that, I decided to investigate—using the internet’s vast resources.
I can now trace her linage back to England, not a mention of any native American connections. Of course, that could also be wrong, but it is supported by documents and seems to be accurate within the limits of my short-term investigation.
What does that mean? Probably nothing. It does not change anything regarding my memories or impact any claim that has anything to do with reality. I was a teenager when my grandmother died. I only had a few memories of her, and this bit of data does not change those at all.
What it would change is my statement of a heritage that would explain my affinity towards Native American images. Well, that now can be explained simply; I like ‘em. Even if my heritage is English, Irish or something else—I like those bold, expressive images. (Although, those English family crests are not so bad!)
What was intriguing was all the last names going back just four generations: Hall, Pinkston, Hendrix, Combs, Morrow, Griffith, Glidewell, Howard, Kea, Young, Hamby, Cannaday and the next generation will add ten more.
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My good friend (and relative), Stanley Nelson, provided me with some gentle corrections to my last post. He points out, accurately, that the tribes in Oklahoma were caught in a no-win situation with the increasingly difficult decision to pick a side in the hostile debate about slavery.
“Concerning the Civil War: the best historical evidence makes clear that leaders of each of the Five Tribes were recruited into the Confederacy via the “Godfather” method: either your brains or your signature will be on the declaration of alliance that marauding Secessionists from Texas had set down before you. The tribes had little choice because the Union had completely abandoned them, emptying its forts of troops and supplies, even after consenting with tribal leaders to leave helpful items like ammunition.”
Like almost all matters, the simplest explanation often loses the nuances that help us understand what occurred. I’m thankful to Stan for his better explanation of the circumstances behind the Choctaw Nations agreement with the Confederacy. He also provided me with an article by Zachery Cowsert appearing in “The Chronicles of Oklahoma” which covers in much more detail (yes, it is a few pages) this time leading up to the decision for the Choctaw Nation to sign their agreement with the Confederacy– which is attached to this post.
Why do we care about this obscured history? Could be most don’t, but I find it intriguing. Of course, this is research for my latest book, so it would be more important to me. I do think one reason to care about history is to appreciate the complications that drive all historical facts. Too often we are presented with a simple black and white version of history that ignores the more subtle underlining reasons certain things occurred.
Our history is very much like our present time. We know the simple, this is right and that is wrong, approach will often ignore the in-between solution, which breeds conflict. History, if we examine it in detail, will guide us to a better solution in the present.
My fiction writing does not require any examination of history. In most of my books there was no research needed. For this historical account of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s, it is vitally important—because if I don’t get it right, I will likely receive some not so gentle corrections from Stan.
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It’s been almost 4 years since I published a book. Some of that time was, of course, not good for anyone; my issues were health and a lack of interest. The lack of interest was due to declining sales of my older books (it happens to most authors—no new books and you are soon forgotten) and the writing was taking increasingly greater effort.
Writing is work. I know that there are writers who can write a book a day (or so it seems), that is not my case. The fastest I completed a book was about 4 months but that was unusual, mine are normally much longer. The work part is when it is not going smoothly. If you hit a rough spot in the story and are having trouble writing through it—that’s when you will abandon the whole book. That’s what happened to me. Four times, four different books.
Now will I finish something? I don’t know. But I am writing again and that is what fixes the issue. This blog represents that need to write to be able to write. So sorry, but this is practice writing, I hope it isn’t a burden.
Facts and Fiction
I write fiction. Often those stories require research to develop background related to the times, or location or some event. The research today is easy, although still time consuming. I do remember the day when research involved untold hours in public libraries tracking down that vital piece of information that made the story come alive. I confess, I loved the library time. Being in a library was comforting. I felt surrounded by humanity at its best.
While I miss the environment of the library, I sure don’t miss the limitations. The amount of information available at my fingertips sitting in my cluttered, but comfortable, office is just amazing.
I’ve had four projects going at once for years. This struggle to complete one of them is on-going. My current efforts are focused on completing the first book of a cozy mystery series Mr. and Mrs. Sims. This is about a newlywed couple who moved to southeastern Oklahoma, which at one time was the Choctaw Nation, in the 1920s as representatives of Oklahoma A&M college. The husband has a unique background, not only in agriculture, but in criminology—an entirely new field of study regarding the psychology of criminals as well as the science of solving crimes.
In 2022, I had these same four books as work-in-progress, and for reasons I can’t remember, decided I wanted to make them into audio dramas. I have no background for this but what the hell, probably nobody would listen to them anyway.
The two series that ended up with something in this area were the Mr. and Mrs. Sims Mystery and Vegas Dead End, which is an extension of my Pacheco and Chino Mystery Book series. You can sample Vegas Dead End here.
Note: I have not finished Vegas Dead End (book or audio drama)—so the name is very appropriate.
As part of my research for Mr. and Mrs. Sims, I’ve examined many sources and documents related to the Choctaw Nation. One that was particularly interesting to me was the Constitution of the Choctaw Nation written in January 1860. It was interesting because of our bias towards Native Americans. This constitution follows the model of the United States constitution but is done in a straightforward, no-nonsense style. I do not know the parties who wrote it, or the circumstances that caused it to be written (need more research), but I was struck by how succinctly the document stated the matters at hand.
At this point in time (1860) it is clear this document’s intent was something entirely different than what occurred for the Choctaw Nation as a separate, distinct, legal, and independent nation. The real intent may have been hidden at the time, or something changed.
Obviously, the big change was the civil war. The Choctaw Nation had signed an agreement with the Confederate States of American that in essence made them allies. When the war ended with the Confederacy defeated, so was the Choctaw Nation. The US government, apparently, then considered all previous agreements null and void.
The tone and words of the Choctaw Nation constitution in 1860 said one thing, but in only a few years, there was a different reality.
That different reality is part of my story about this same area, now the state of Oklahoma, in the 1920s. As a crime, supposedly committed by a Choctaw man, brings my character Ed Sims to Durant, Oklahoma, to talk to the Chief of the now subdued Choctaw Nation.
As I said, I write fiction. If any of my research discloses a reality that interferes with my story, I just ignore it—fiction writers can just make stuff up—it’s allowed. Sometimes the real story is more interesting than the made up one, but the real story takes a lot more work; so, I will stick with fiction.
In case you’re curious, I’ve attached the 1860 Choctaw Nation Constitution.
Fish Out of Water
One of my real talents is beginning things. The initial idea on any subject immediately attracts my attention. ‘In the works’ projects are pushed aside as the new idea lights up– beaming and alluring. Combining this questionable beginning skill with my diverse range of interests has created an interesting hodge-podge of results.
This tendency is very evident in my business career. I won’t list the jobs I’ve had, but it’s quite a few and diverse. The real informative mix is in business ventures. I owned ice cream stores, a concession operation, and shoe stores before I was thirty. They were formed, fed, and managed with an on-going eye towards innovation—many of those ideas did not work out so well. I had some success, nothing huge, but I learned a lot. Now what I describe as innovation someone else might say was a lack of focus and jumping from one thing to another. I won’t argue that, but to me it seemed to be inspired innovation. From there I have owned a printing business, real estate development company, BBQ concession stand, CPA practice, consulting practice, and an M&A advisory business. A couple of those were disasters, some were okay. That leaves out the ideas that never became a reality and buries in the mud a few that did.
A large portion of my diverse focus was on creative activities. Painting, acrylic and watercolor, wood sculpting, digital art and, of course, writing.
I think you can see that talent I mentioned in beginning things; what I may lack is an ability to finish. Admitting a need for diversity is more an excuse for jumping around than a real explanation. I’ve completed 14 books, but it was an effort—not to start, but to finish. Currently, I have 4 books in progress. They are at various stages of completion. That is the same status they have been over the last few years. Almost every day I have a new good idea for a book, that’s the easy part. What is hard, at least for me, is finishing those “old” good ideas.
Because it is my weakness, I admire people who can focus on one thing and finish it without jumping around testing new ideas. Maybe it’s a cluttered mind, or a lack of concentration; but I’m the happiest with several things going on at once.
One of those ‘in the works’ projects was a book with the working title of “Mr. and Mrs. Sims”. The story takes place in rural Oklahoma (Indian Territory) in the 1920s. Hugo, Oklahoma to be exact. I had been doing some research for a different story (I see a pattern) which had a connection to Oklahoma when I discovered the Newspapers.com website. This is a site with digital files of old newspapers for most areas of the country. I found a huge number of newspapers from rural areas including Oklahoma with amazing articles. Crime and agriculture were prominent in almost every edition. This distraction led me to the Sims idea.
Mr. Sims is one of the first people to have graduated with a degree in the new fields of study; criminology and sociology. At that point in time there was no demand for that knowledge in law enforcement, so he had also gotten a degree in agriculture at Oklahoma State University. He and his wife have been sent to Hugo to establish an agriculture extension service supported by the school. Of course, as you would guess, he becomes involved in solving crimes.
This crime solving employs all the new ideas, such as autopsies, dental analysis and bite patterns, eyewitness testimony, fingerprinting, foot molds, footwear identification, handwriting analysis, weapons identification and analysis, and the gathering of evidence at a crime scene.
It’s a fish out of water story with Mr. Sims butting heads with Sheriffs and most everyone who thinks he should stick to seeds and not crime solving.
I thought the story was a great idea but have had trouble finishing. I’m currently writing on this book again–I think I see the finish. Each of my unfinished books has a problem that I’ve had trouble solving. Under those circumstances my first option is usually to start a new venture. Oh, wait; I’ve got a great idea!
However, with the Sims story I believe I solved the problem. It was always about writing. If you stop, you have trouble starting again–the trick is; don’t stop.
Book Ideas?
Someone asked me how I come up with ideas for my books. While an interesting question, it’s a little difficult to answer. It has never been a bolt of lightning with a complete story exploding in my head—it is usually many steps of this thing leading to another thing which starts to form a story line.
In The Bootlegger’s Legacy, the idea for the story was based on some people I occasionally shared a few drinks with after work. Okay, drinking buddies. These guys were both having some financial difficulties with their businesses. This was the 1980’s in oil rich Oklahoma, with the oil industry going down the tubes—it caused everyone some problems financially. One of their not so brilliant ideas was to purchase drugs in Mexico, one of these guys supposedly had a contact in Juarez and sell them to a low life they knew in OKC. These were businessmen dressed in suits who’s most daring venture had been river rafting. Of course, the one factor leading to this wild (and stupid) discussion was alcohol. Nothing ever came of their idiotic, illegal scheme.
The idea of TBL was what if those guys attempted their dumb idea. It was to be an adventure story and would have lots of humor as these guys stumbled through one mishap after another. I started writing but it just felt too stupid—no sane person would attempt such a high-risk venture. What I had was the beginning of a story that introduced the two main characters, but now I did know what it was they were going to do to raise money for their failing businesses.
All of that led to the idea that the father of one of the guys had been a bootlegger. He had left a note to his son with details of a fortune from his bootlegger days. And, if his son was as smart as he thought; he should be able to find the treasure based on the clues.
So, the idea of TBL was originally not about a bootlegger but a Mexican drug deal. The backstory about bootlegging in 1950s Oklahoma with connections to Juarez and Las Cruces, New Mexico, was not even part of the original story.
The idea of TBL evolved while trying to write another story that did not pan out.
The idea of Mr. and Mrs. Sims was my familiarity with some of the Oklahoma history when the state was still Indian Territory. The thought occurred to me that it might be an interesting place and time to interject a “fish out of water story”. To that end I started doing some research and discovered newspapers.com. This site has historical local newspapers from the 1920s in small towns of rural Oklahoma. I found numerous articles that triggered story line ideas.
Since my genre is mystery books, naturally I was attracted to crime articles. The more I read in these old newspapers, the better my ideas developed. The core idea was to have a man and wife moving into a small town who were highly educated with the husband having a background in the new science of criminology. Now all I had to do was develop the circumstances of why they moved there and who they were.
As you can see in the article below, these newspaper stories have a direct almost impassioned point of view. All the stories I found in different papers during this time had articles about crime and mayhem and all were facts only. I found six newspapers in this low-population part of the world but did not see one editorial opinion: just facts and ads. You could tell the people producing the paper and their readers were direct no BS type people. These papers directly affected what I have written in this series.
So that book idea came about doing research with no real objective. Sometimes I will have an idea and it will lead to research (Vegas Dead End), but other times the research is the source of the book idea.
Santa Fe Mojo was a combination of many sources that formed the book idea. At one time I was going to write a continuation story from The Bootlegger’s Legacy with two of the main characters moving to Santa Fe and opening a B&B. This was driven by the success of TBL and some ideas I was kicking around about how to continue with those characters in follow up books. The result of that process was Dog Gone Lies featuring a character from TBL and I was thinking about other spinoffs.
I had written several chapters for this new idea of the Santa Fe B&B but had hit a brick wall. Developing the characters, how they arrived in Santa Fe and bought a B&B, was going well, but I had no idea what the book was going to be about. Murder mystery, mystery of any kind, day to day activities of a bed and breakfast—no ideas would equal no book.
Now here is the ugly part of writing. I had spent considerable time writing some portions of the never titled B&B book, how could I use that effort in another book. How about a beaten down private investigator looking for a place to wait for social security checks. After a difficult and problematic career in tough guy situations, he drops into Santa Fe and helps a young couple get their B&B up and running. Of course, while he’s at it he helps solve murder mysteries. Santa Fe Mojo and the Vincent Malone series born.
In case you were wondering, I enjoy the process of writing. The negative side is the difficulty when things are interrupted or for some reason, that causes me to feel lost in the story and lose my direction. If I don’t know what is happening next, so everything stops. It’s a helpless feeling. The best way to write is to completely lose yourself in the story and ignore everything else. However, that is not the best advice for a happy household. Maybe that is why so many writers have been loners with a drinking problem. Living inside your head all the time does not lead to a stable person. Those characters do talk to me, I’m not kidding.
Good-by readers, it’s time for me to go back to my characters and see what they are doing.
Strange Case of Writer’s Block
Just finished the 3rd business book, something about planning and budgeting, that has almost zero interest, unless you are starting a new business, or trying to figure out why you are not successful in your current business. My guess is that’s not you. With that understanding, it is my last biz book.
Next, I’m going to finish the mystery books I’ve started. I have four books in the works, Durango Two Step, Doctor Hightower, Vegas Dead End, and Mr. & Mrs. Sims.
Durango Two Step has been a strange case of writer’s block. This book was started years ago. The first half is done, so why did it stop? I don’t know how it ends. Okay, I know you are saying, well just make it up and finish it. Good advice if I could only just do that.
Writing books has a certain flow. I will usually have less than 10 “main” characters and maybe another dozen or so support characters. When you’re actively writing, all those names get stuck in your head; how they interact, who they are, how they fit in the plot and who did it. Yes, to write a murder mystery it is best to know who did the deed. If you don’t know the murderer at the very beginning, you can’t drop the appropriate clues here and there that keep the readers guessing.
You can’t write 60,000 words and suddenly say Jack Evil is the murderer unless you have laid the groundwork in “hints” throughout the book. The murderer can be a surprise, but it can’t be someone who just showed up!
Durango Two Step is a Vincent Malone book and it follows an on-going story from the other books about several characters and how they are interconnected. The main plot line is the worst of the worst bad guy is shot outside a biker bar and our hero’s best buddy is accused of the murder. Sure, we know he’s innocent, but who did it? I DON’T KNOW!
That problem had me back off that book some time ago and has caused it to sit dormant for years. It’s possible I’m going with Jack Evil and just end it—if I do that, please forget that you just read that here and act surprised.
Doctor Hightower is in essence done, except for a few chapters telling a more detailed story about Lani Newcastle. When this book was flowing it was all falling in place, but once again I had a problem in that a certain sequence of events did not make sense. I stopped. Worse thing a writer can do is stop writing, thinking you can return in a few hours, days or years and just pick it up again—no way!
I think I need a week or two of thinking about nothing else so Hightower can be done. This is a unique story line that has great appeal to me—so I should just do that; but for lots of reasons it is hard.
Vegas Dead End, kind of the same problem, started and stopped. But this was because I turned it into an audio drama, which is still out there somewhere unfinished. This was due to my last business deal, I got sucked into actually working for many months pushing around numbers and lost the ability to think about anything else. It is a horrible way to lose your mind. Creativity went out the window.
Mr. & Mrs. Sims is a cozy mystery taking place in rural Oklahoma in the 1920s. I started this project when I began reading on-line local newspapers from that time in small rural towns. This is an incredible resource for historical tales. There must have been ten or more local newspapers in that area during the 1920s full of stories about all sorts of things—including crime and mystery (also the price of live chickens).
This story was also turned into an audio drama and was moving along with rapid speed when everything stopped. This project has lots of promise and I can’t wait to get back to the story of these very interesting and unusual people.
The common theme is that for some reason I have been able to start new stories which I really like but not finish them. Some of this is because other activities have distracted me, but a lot is that I’m easily distracted to the latest new shinny thing.
A new story idea will pop into my head and I will want to get some details down on paper; and that interferes with what I had going at the time. There is so much I want to do; I think it all gets clogged up and somehow, I’ve been busy and productive but have only two-thirds of a finished book.
These four books must be done—so that is what I will do. Stop trying to do a hundred things and finish those books: one at a time.
Some thoughts…..
At the beginning writing books was hard. A major contributor to it being such an effort was that I did not know what I was doing. I hadn’t taken classes, study at Harvard for ten years or even tried writing a book before I just began. Why wouldn’t it be hard?
After a while (maybe ten years) it was easier. I’ve been thinking about how it got to be easier and realized it was still just as hard, but I wasn’t noticing (as much). It took the same effort, the same long hours, the same re-dos, the same start-overs, the same mistakes—but none of it bothered me like it did in the beginning.
The big difference? The pressure was gone. Now, I’m mostly writing for myself; before—I was writing for the breathlessly waiting reading public. A reading public who knew I didn’t know what I was doing. What stress, what worry—someone was going to knock on my door and demand that I explained what I was doing. What—I thought I was an AUTHOR! What sort of arrogance was this?
That fear of being found out to be a fraud is gone. I do know how to write a book—couple of damn good books, too.
My current active project is the third Success Paths business books; How to Plan and Budget for a Successful Small Business. I would provide you with an excerpt, but I’m sure you are not interested in anything to do with planning or budgeting for a small business. You’re welcome. (just in case you are interested I anticipate a pub date in February)
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Eggs and gasoline—the two things that can make us feel like the economic world has gone crazy or that everything is okay. When gas prices sky rocket it drives all of our negative thoughts about government, greedy business people, life is unfair thoughts and general malaise. Now we have soaring egg prices. Don’t eggs come from farmers—why are farmers trying to screw us?
Of course, as we all know but don’t think about much, eggs come from chicken/egg factories controlled by the CEO big boss (asshole) in charge. Avian flu killed millions of chickens and suddenly an opportunity arose in the marketplace. Everything was going up with inflation, why not eggs. Especially eggs with the double whammy of inflation and dead chickens—”sorry there is going to be a slight price increase as we adjust to these unusual circumstances”.
The largest supplier of eggs had no avian flu outbreaks but increased prices at a phenomenal rate anyway. Profits soared. Gross profit went from $50 million last year to $535 million this year. (a) No doubt because of these brilliant management moves many of those millions probably went to the CEO big boss.
I’m not one who advocates for government intervention into every market absurdity that arises, mostly because government does not have the skills to do much about it and eventually the market will adjust itself—but I think this is an exception. This is unfair market control over a staple in every household in America. Something is amiss if one CEO big boss can control the price of eggs for everyone—FTC do something bold and hold someone accountable for price gouging or just plain old stealing.
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My background is business. I have always admired the free enterprise system and the great energy brought to this country with the large number of entrepreneurs. My grandfather owned his own business, my father owned his own business, my brother owned his own business, and I have owned my own businesses. To me it is the strength of the country.
My father was in the shoe business. Before malls most shoe stores were locally owned, many retail businesses that once were the backbone of local communities have disappeared because of malls, Wal-Mart, the internet, and no doubt many other reasons. My father actively participated in the local community, along with most small businesspeople. They belong to organizations that worked to make the community better, Lions, Elks, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, all dedicated to a better life for the people in their communities. That had a lasting impact on me and how I felt about business.
I know firsthand that my father gave away shoes, helped numerous people, as best he could, for those who were suffering due to illness or losing a job. He and my mother became the image of good people, good business people.
I eventually lost that image of businesspeople. Not sure why it happened over the next fifty years or so, but people became harsher, more selfish, more isolated, less concerned, less compassionate—including me.
Maybe the CEO big boss at the egg factory once worked for his dad and helped local people, but now thinks it’s okay to steal money from people who don’t have extra money, because it makes him more important, more powerful, richer; and that is what matters.
Our whole value system has gone in the wrong direction.
Ted Clifton's Grain of Salt Commentary 