THE STORY SO FAR: PART 42

I ONCE KNEW A DARK AND SECRET PLACE, WHERE ONE COULD DRINK ILLEGALLY AFTER A PERFORMANCE. CONVENIENTLY, IT WAS JUST ACROSS FROM THE GATE THEATER

As I have mentioned previously, my mother was outrageous, charismatic, and unstoppable. As a consequence, whenever we went to the Gate theater, after we had gone back-stage, we would troop across to Groom’s Hotel to have a drink or two. ‘We’ typically consisted of my mother, step-father, my sister Maxine, and myself; and sometimes we had a friend or two along.

I won’t attempt to describe Ireland’s liquor laws in those days, but the gist, as it relates to this story, was that this was illegal for at least two reasons. Firstly, it was after hours; and secondly I was a minor throughout this period; as was Maxine, who is younger than me by nearly two years. On the other hand, the owner of the hotel was the secretary of Ireland’s main political party, and government ministers often drank there. As a consequence, the Gardai (Ireland’s police) rarely raided the place even though they knew perfectly well was was going on. Unlike the U.S., Ireland does not pride itself on being a nation of laws. It is more a nation which understands human nature. It is one of Ireland’s most attractive qualities.

It was legal to drink after hours if you were resident in the hotel. Accordingly, although Grooms only had something like twelve rooms, many dozens of the regulars were technically booked in there – including a useful sprinkling of judges. If all had slept there at the same time, they would have had to have been packed in like anchovies. Looking back on it all, I suspect the rooms were put to other uses. The theatrical life is fueled to no small extent by sex.

I loved Grooms because it was a chance to see all kinds of famous actors close up, and more often than not, one or more would join us at our table; if we could get a table. Sometimes, the place was as crowded as a Tokyo subway car in rush hour – and I speak from first hand experience in both locations.

Not only local actors went there, but visiting actors invariably found their way there too. We had quite a crop of these because we had a movie studios some miles south of Dublin, Ardmore Studies, (it is still very much in action) and there was normally a film being shot there. My favorite, that I can recall, was Robert Mitchum, who came to Ireland on a number of occasions – and spent  considerable time there filming Ryan’s Daughter directed by David Lean of Lawrence of Arabia fame.

Rumor has it, Mitchum once punched someone who was pestering him in the back room of Groom’s Bar, but I fear I missed that particular incident.

They say you should write about what you know. Thanks to my outrageous mother and the theater, I came to know a great deal at quite an early age; and some of it was even legal. That said, I was never tempted to become an actor despite the glitz, and the glamor, and the numerous truly stunning women.

My first serious girlfriend was an actress; but book writing captured me instead. Nonetheless all my published books have been optioned for the movies.

My eldest daughter, Kira O’Reilly, is a successful performance artist, and my eldest son, Christian O’Reilly, is an award winning playwright and one of his works has been filmed. One way or another, show business seems to be in our blood.

The black sheep of the family, my son, Shane O’Reilly, is a banker. Zut alors! What can one say!

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 41

IRELAND HAS AN ASTONISHING LITERARY TRADITION FOR A VERY SMALL NATION

I was sent to boarding school from the age of five (something I regarded at the time as “cruel and unusual punishment” – though I did not yet know the phrase) but there were some compensations – in addition to numerous disadvantages - to being the eldest son of my quite extraordinary mother.

The compensation that came to mind, when I referred to Ireland’s remarkable literary tradition yesterday, was the fact that from an early age – perhaps eight or nine – I was taken to the theater a great deal.

My mother was never an actress, although I suspect she would like to have been, but she loved the theater with a passion, and mixed in theatrical circles as often as possible. There, since she was entertaining, charismatic, and a generous hostess, she was accepted freely. Besides, her theatrical connections were extensive. She had met my step-father in an experimental theater, my sister Maxine was a budding actress, her sister-in-law and her husband, Genevieve Lyons and Godfrey Quigley, were highly successful actors, and she was close friends with Lord and Lady Longford who owned and ran one of Dublin’s leading theaters, the Gate. It was in the Gate, by the way, where Orson Welles, still only in his his early twenties, helped to establish his earlier reputation. He was, to put it mildly, a phenomenon.

I was both fascinated and transported by the theatre in a way that was quite different to the movies. Whereas I love movies, and like nothing more than to relax with a good movie after a long day, the theater has a magic of its own. Just for starters, there is the fact that it is harder work (good exercise for the mind). You have to suspend disbelief, put up with the fact that most sets are clearly artificial, and then accept the reality that many performances are marred by the fact that one or more of the cast are still quite blatantly still learning their trade. Nonetheless, the fact that the theater is live creates a palpable tension in itself; and then there is the exciting discovery that although so much is artifice, one can still be transported by a very special kind of magic.

Has exposure to the theater contributed to my writing? Profoundly, I suspect, because the theater had a decided effect upon my imagination. There I was in an all male, rather grim boarding school for much of the year, whereas my visits to the theater back home in Dublin, Ireland, were occasions of glamor, and color, and excitement. And there were real live women there; and many were exceedingly attractive!

Better yet, since we normally went back-stage after a performance, to congratulate the performers in their dressing-rooms, I often got to see these beautiful creatures in a state of undress.

To understand how exciting that was to a sex-starved teenager, you would have to lock yourself up in an all male boarding school in Yorkshire, England, for months on end, for three terms a year, just when your hormones were at fever pitch.

Ironically, the damn place is now co-ed. My imagination fails at this point. 

But, I digress. My real message is that the theater is a wonder we neglect at our peril; and it informs the human condition to great advantage. All of that apart, it is a social occasion, and a great deal of fun.

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 40

“MADNESS! MADNESS! COULD WRITING BE A DRUG?”

Yesterday, I stopped work about 7.00 pm, which is pretty normal for me, and wandered into the kitchen to see what I might need to buy for supper. There, sitting on the counter, was my uneaten breakfast. I had apparently forgotten – yet again - to eat both breakfast and lunch.

Don’t misunderstand me. I enjoy my breakfast, and get hungry like anyone else; but I enjoy writing more, and, if the words are flowing, I have a very hard time tearing myself away from whatever I am working on.

Similarly, when I get up in the morning, I don’t automatically go to the kitchen to make a mug of tea (as would have been my custom in the past). Instead I go to may computer to check my e-mail and read over my previous days work. Then, the chances are good that – sparked off by something I have read – I will start writing. And the next thing I know, half the day has passed. And I haven’t even had a single mug of tea (I hate cups). As to why I drink tea rather than coffee, I guess this is my Irish blood. We are a tea  (and alcohol) drinking nation. Where writing is concerned, such propensities seem to have served us well. We have an astonishing literary tradition for such a small nation

I don’t know exactly how I learned to focus with quite this intensity, and for such sustained efforts, but I guess it boils down to sheer will-power. For years, I tried to focus, and again and again would be distracted by something or other, and my attention would wander. Next day I would try to focus all over again, and once more would fail. And that wretched cycle of failure would persist for decades – though I still managed to write. Then suddenly I achieved the ability to focus with the intensity that I had always thought writing both deserved, and required; and I was ecstatic. This business of being ‘in the zone,’ as far as writing is concerned, is about as good as it gets. The rush and the peace and the satisfaction and the joy defy adequate description.

It strikes me that writing has an effect beyond the obvious. Though clearly it is primarily concerned with conveying one’s innermost thoughts to words that can be read and understood by others, I have the notion that the effect of this process has enormous, life-enhancing, significance in itself. It improves your cognitive abilities.

“You’re mad!” I hear you say. Could be. By definition, how would I know otherwise? But, if I am, all I can tell you is that there is a great deal to be said for the condition.

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 39

WHAT ARE (SOME OF) THE SECRETS OF PUTTING A NEW VENTURE TOGETHER?

This is a longer blog than normal; but, since the subject is rather important, please bear with me. But how would an author know about such matters? Well, I was in business before I became a writer; and just so you know, book-writing is just about as entrepreneurial as you can get.

I don’t profess to know all the answers to my own question, but as I work away towards getting my books published, I have had a few thoughts on the matter. However, before I elaborate, let me explain a little about my own situation.

I have always been entrepreneurial and creative. I am blessed with what is known as an original mind. Quite why, I don’t understand exactly, but I know that I have always had a vivid imagination, and have been intensely intellectually curious. Part of it is doubtless genetic, but I was also brought up in a creatively stimulating (if over-emotional) home environment. When I was at boarding school (a decidedly less emotional location where histrionics were unacceptable), a rather marvelous math teacher called Father Bede – he was a Benedictine monk - told my mother – during one of her rare visits – that I was both highly intelligent and a dreamer, and he meant it as a compliment. He meant I tended to question the status quo and dreamt of what might be.  He was entirely right; and I haven’t changed in that regard. I will die the dreamer.

Unfortunately, my attributes were offset by certain serious faults. I was impatient; I had a terrible temper; and I lacked what I tend to call emotional resilience. I tended to over-react in the face of setbacks, and to have great difficulty in viewing them calmly and dispassionately. I had not yet learned that matters are rarely as bad as you think they might be; and that most issues can be resolved if you keep your cool and take your time. Easy to say and hard to do, but the truth is: COOL IS KING. Have that tattooed on the inside of your eyeballs. It may be the most important lesson you need to learn.

Suffice to say that my considerable talents were, at least partially, offset by my flaws, so I have been less successful than I otherwise might have been. But, I have had my successes, for all that; and have certainly lived an interesting life. Beyond that, I live in hopes I have learned a few things, and mellowed somewhat; and I’m not dead yet.

A very good friend of mine, Vaughn Forrest to whom my third book THE DEVIL’S FOOTPRINT is dedicated (the fictional character, Cochrane was inspired by him) likes to stress that life is hugely about managing one’s fears. He is entirely right, but he is also saying much the same thing as ‘Cool Is King’ – but, perhaps more elegantly.

So what are (some of) the secrets of putting a new venture together?

• OBJECTIVE: You need a clear objective. Feel free to call it a vision. You may have to modify it a bit in the light of events, but the substance should remain. Where writing is concerned, it may be a story outline. It may be as simple and intangible as an idea which inspires you. Creativity operates in strange and wonderful ways.
• PLAN: A vision is a fine thing, but if you don’t know how to achieve it, you won’t get very far. A plan doesn’t have to be perfect, but you need something; and it is probably best written down. If you are planning to raise funds, you will also need a Business Plan. Books on the latter are widely available. Being a writer, I’m rather biased in favor of the written word and Business Plans, but I will admit that plenty of businesses get started without them. Where a book is concerned, editors like story outlines; but many authors just like to write. If the seed is there, both story and characters have a habit of developing on the page.
• EXECUTION: This boils down to the ability to get things done, and it is a rarer attribute than one might think. Why so? Well, it involves determining priorities, dealing with people, enduring bureaucracies, coping with administration – and much else besides. It is extraordinarily important. Remember ideas are common. It is what you do with them that counts; and the pitfalls are many. It is useful to be a competent executioner. If you are a writer, first and foremost, you execute by writing. True, there is more to writing than that. You have to market your work. But, first you have to write for as many days, weeks, months and years that your work takes.
• PEOPLE: You need people. No one does anything entirely alone (even if they think they do). In business, it is called a management team. Where a writer is concerned, it may be a support system. Either way, we ALL need help. One person – in addition to you - may be enough. It depends upon the situation.
• WEAKNESSES: It is both helpful, and painful – especially to the go - to know yourself really well; and compensate accordingly. This does mean swallowing humble pie, because, no matter how talented you are, you almost certainly have weaknesses too. Best to admit them and compensate for them from the beginning. If you don’t, the stresses of a new venture are likely to expose them. This is why most new ventures operate best when a team is involved. Where writing is concerned, you need solid emotional support, and, most probably a good editor – or at least a few people who can assess your work critically. That said, where creativity is concerned, over time you will discover that you will develop the best guide of all; an inner voice. Learn to trust it. Does that fly in the face of words like ‘team’ and ‘cooperation?’ Yes, it does. But such is the nature of creativity.
• FORTITUDE: You need fortitude. This is a truly marvelous word which the dictionary defines as: Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. If I can guarantee one thing about a new venture, it is that you will run up against adversity. Things will go wrong. People will try and stop you. Keep cool, and keep going regardless of any, and all, obstacles. This can be extraordinarily hard to do; but it is what you must do.
• STOICISM: You need to be prepared to live with lack of encouragement from most other people including some, if not many, of those closest to you. That comes as a shock. But, most people are not entrepreneurial, and work in a reactive job within structured systems. Given that reality, they tend to regard the new (unless it is a new gadget from Apple) as an implied criticism of their ways of life. This is no more than human nature. Don’t take it personally. It is just something you have to expect and live with. And, if you are a writer, or otherwise creative, it is worse still. No regular income. Prospects poor. Spends all day alone (probably) drinking). Clearly a social misfit. Endure – perhaps for years; and keep going.
• PATIENCE: You need patience. Boy, do you need patience! Most people can estimate how long things take because they are doing the same kind of thing all the time. But, where a new venture is concerned, you are pioneering and can only guess; and you will frequently guess wrong. Beyond that, almost everything takes longer than you think – particularly the first time around. Take up Yoga. Take cold showers. Go for long walks. Buy yourself a hammock and chill out. You really do need patience.
• EXPERTISE: You really, truly, and absolutely need expertise. This is hard to be precise about, but I am generally of the view that the more you know about your business the better. Sometimes, of course, you have to learn as you go. Writing a first book is a good example. If I had known what it took to write a big thriller I might never have started GAMES OF THE HANGMAN (I lie) – but I will say that although I had never written a book before, I still had decades of other writing experience under my belt. You need at least some expertise. More is better. Professionalism is really what I am talking about. Watch a  pro at work in virtually any field and it is hard not to feel respect; and more to the point – trust. Trust underpins everything. Understand the concepts of trust and decency and there is not much else left.
• RESOURCES: You need resources. This is a complex issue because there is such a thing as having too many resources. That said, it is hard to progress when you are on the breadline. Trust me on that point: I have been there. The trick is to operate as minimally as you can while having the essentials. For instance, if you are a paratrooper, you do not need a brand new uniform, and shiny jump boots, for your first combat jump; but both a parachute and a weapon are highly advisable. If you doubt me, and feel like experimenting without, be my guest.
• HEALTH: You need your health. Doing anything entrepreneurial requires energy and stamina over the long term – and the long term could be years. Setting up a new venture is hard pounding. I give credit to the Duke of Wellington for that last remark. The man both wrote and spoke with humor, style and elegance. He would be remembered for such qualities, but then he defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, and is primarily recalled as a soldier. It’s a sad fate for a man of such literary talent; not to mention the inventor of the Wellington boot.
• LUCK: Some people believe you make your own luck. I don’t think that is entirely true. Bad things do happen to good people, and vice-versa. What I will say is that the expression: “What goes around, comes around,” seems to have some validity to it – certainly as far as I am concerned. When I have behaved badly – something I have been guilty of more often than I would like – there have been adverse consequences (which I well deserved). Conversely, I have been astonishingly lucky on many occasions; probably more than I deserve. Accordingly, I do believe there is some relationship between one’s behavior and luck. Either way, it is probably a good idea to be a decent human being - just in case.

The above reminds me of one of my favorite new venture jokes. I am supposed to have originated it – I wish I had – but I cannot claim authorship.

“If at first you don’t succeed; well… so much for skydiving!”

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 38

IT IS A SAD THING THAT THE EU – THE EUROPEAN UNION - IS NEITHER ADEQUATELY UNDERSTOOD NOR APPRECIATED IN THE U.S.

WE COULD LEARN A GREAT DEAL FROM IT.

If you relied solely on American media for your knowledge of the EU, you would get the impression that the entire entity is bankrupt, and about to go down the tubes.

It isn’t, and it won’t.

What you are actually witnessing is a relatively recent work-in-progress whose political institutions are still evolving – so it is having some growing pains. Nonetheless, it is still a fact that in most of Northern Europe, much of the population enjoys a higher quality of life than in the U.S. As for the rest of the EU, countries like Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland are going through a difficult period – but they are all better off than they were only a couple of decades ago; and their problems are solvable.

The EU is a mostly successful economic powerhouse consisting of 27 democratic nations containing a total population of 500 million. It’s greatest achievement is in removing the threat of war and dictatorship from a region which, for centuries past, seemed to do, or experience, little else.

As for dictatorships, I will recall going for a walking holiday in Spain in the Sixties and the palpable oppression of the Franco regime. Guardia Civile and troops were everywhere and political freedom added up to zero.

Later on, when I got married, we honeymooned in Portugal (for the record, I am now divorced), and that country was under the thumb of yet another dictator called Salazar. Once again, armed police were everywhere – even in the disco.

Soon after that, Greece, which had suffered terribly in WW II, and had then experienced civil war, became a military dictatorship under the control of the Colonels (who, reportedly, received help from the U.S).

Less than forty years later, the entire EU is democratic and large parts of it are extremely prosperous. In addition, many thorny social issues, which still trouble the U.S., have been substantially resolved. The list is long. It includes:

• Healthcare systems that are largely better than ours; and which cost significantly less.
• Better infrastructure including excellent public transport systems.
• Vastly superior worker rights.
• Much greater harmony between workers and management.
• Paid vacations which European workers actually do take to the great advantage of their health and productivity.
• K12 education that is, generally speaking, better than ours.

The amazing thing is that the EU has been created entirely with soft power, through dialog and negotiation. Meanwhile, we have stumbled from one war to another, at huge cost, and we’ve lost most them. Concurrently, the average Middle Class American has seen his, or her, standard of living decline since about 1973; and it is continuing to decline. Could it be that we have something to learn from the European way of doing things? A reasonable person would think so.

The EU deserves its Nobel Prize.

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 37

NOW HERE IS A CURIOUS THING: HAVING REACHED AN AGE WHERE I HAVE LESS TIME TO DO THINGS THAT I MIGHT LIKE, I HAVE – PARADOXICALLY – BECOME MORE PATIENT!

The above headline has little to do with what I thought I was about to write, yet it was something I wanted to say which I thought was important. Sometimes words seize the page. Resistance is futile.

The truth is that most of us are afraid of aging – and I doubt I am very different – but another truth is that there are decided compensations emanating from the aging process. They are not, I regret to say, permanent. Life is pretty much about ‘meanwhile.’ I came to that conclusion in my late teens. All the pretty girls seemed have boyfriends but, not infrequently they were European and not in evidence because, conveniently, they lived in continental Europe – a whole sea away. Never underestimate the usefulness of moats. This all happened in Ireland where spending some time abroad seemed to be quite the thing for a well brought-up young lady. That led me to advance the concept of: “Meanwhile, can I take you to the movies?” Or something along those lines. 

Since aging is so personal – and varied – I am reluctant to generalize, but I will make a few comments based upon both my personal experience and observation:

• Experience is a great thing, and there are no substitutes for it no matter how young and intelligent you are. But it has to be used to advantage. It is not an end in itself.
• Age brings fear, because you lose your physical abilities to cope as you once did; but it also brings what is generally called ‘wisdom.’ Once again, that has to be used; and it seems to skip a few people.
• Life is hugely – perhaps mostly – about managing fear. Many of us are reluctant to admit such a vulnerability, but it just happens to be true. Does one get better at the task when older? I think so. Practice does yield certain advantages.
• It is absolutely vital to have a purpose in life. There are few sadder people than those who are just waiting to die.
• Being old does not mean you cannot be productive. I am not brave enough to define productive, but you tend to know it when you see it.
• A true writer should never retire, but preferably slump forward at the appropriate time onto his or her keyboard; or fall asleep permanently beside a glass of wine at a nearby bistro. The glass should have been drunk first. It is thoroughly bad form to die leaving a full glass on the table.

I’m prompted to write about such matters because I met a singularly impressive young man on Wednesday; and we have agreed to collaborate on a project; actually two connected projects. Given that I write all day alone, and enjoy it, you may find this odd, but I am really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.

Am I certain this will work out? Certainly not; but what is life without risk!

Damned if I know why I am being so philosophical today. It may be the rain. Seattle gray has returned; and the Winter lies ahead. It is rather exciting.

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 36

COMPUTER, COMPUTER, ON THE BLINK: WHAT SHOULD YOUR REPLACEMENT BE, DO YOU THINK?

You may find it hard to believe, but I was quite good at poetry when at school. Then either prose or puberty struck – or possibly both - and I headed in another direction. Short stories might have been a reasonable compromise – elegant but not too demanding – but, instead madness struck when the moon was full, and I decided to write books instead; big, long things, full of high adventure, much action, and dead people, and exhausting for the computer involved; and I haven’t even mentioned the sex that goes with the story. One, alone, might have been enough; but book followed book after book.

My computer isn’t actually on the blink, as far as I know – one never quite knows where Windows is concerned - but it is more overwhelmed by life, so seems to be determined to vanish into Sturm Und Drang. I think it is upset because it is being asked to do too much. It bargained for my running a database and a word processor – which it will do quite adequately – but then found its owner was adding all kinds of things which just plain overloaded its modest two cores. And so it started to protest, and freeze, and scroll jerkily, and crash – to the great distress of this author.

I don’t multitask, as such. First of all, I’m skeptical of multitasking (and research supports that view) and, secondly, I am of the opinion that writing requires absolute focus. However, I do like to have my two main databases open, my browser available (with rather too many tabs open), Word functional, backup into the Cloud working away, indexing doing its thing, security keeping me safe – so, before I know, I have between five and ten heavyweight programs fully operational simultaneously – and my computer deeply upset. I monitor all this on Task Manager and on an invaluable utility called Cacheman which not only shows memory activity but the activity of each core – all in real time. It is not a pretty picture. One can practically feel my CPU’s exhaustion.

A friend of mine who uses a Windows PC at work, and a Mac at home, tells me that whereas PCs are optimized for speed, Unix based Macs, are superior for multi-tasking. That useful advice apart, what I can say is that virtually all my writer friends who use Macs have had very little trouble, whereas those who use PCs have experienced purgatory while still alive. Beyond that, I note that creative people – whether they be designers, movie makers, or artists, virtually all use Macs.

To be fair, Windows 7 improved the situation significantly and perhaps Windows 8 will be better still; but to me, my next move is clear. It is time to get a Mac with plenty of RAM and a powerful CPU. Mind you, I dread changing, because I’m used to Windows and quite like it (when it is stable), but since a Mac can now run Windows, it seems the logical way to go.

I’ll let you know how it works out.