THE STORY SO FAR: PART 52

“BOOKS ARE ONE OF THE FEW THINGS IN LIFE THAT ARE TIMELESS, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUCTED BY THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK”

The above truly necessary and worthwhile statement was written by an Arizona publisher, Tim Schaffner, and is taken from a piece entitled GOOD BOOKS ARE WORTH THE WAIT published by Publishing Perspectives on June 11 2012. It made me want to cheer.

The pressure on popular authors by traditional publishers to churn out a book a year – to fit their publishing schedules – has had a disastrous effect on the quality of the writing of many authors. Some, who naturally write short books, respond positively to such pressure; but if you are in the Big Thriller business, it is an unrealistic request. Writing a Big Thriller is gruesomely hard; and typically takes—as long as it takes.

Writing a Big Thriller is a mammoth, exhausting, emotionally draining task—which is not well served by a production-line approach. Not only is the quality of the writing damaged, but so is the quality of the author’s life. Such pressure breaks up marriages, leads to children being neglected, and is primarily based upon nothing more than pure greed—both corporate and personal (as in the corporate executives). Authors  conform because they are pressured to. The language used may be indirect but the message is clear: Toe the line, or we will drop you.

Since we authors like to be published, and have to be to earn an income, we have a tendency to conform despite our ideals. One might like to write lofty works illuminating the human condition, but normally simple economic survival comes first. In short, we are human; and most of us bow to pressure; and, privately, many of us are ashamed of it.

Corporatization has been a disaster where publishing is concerned. It has shrunk the number of major publishers to a handful—thus reducing competition--and has instituted an environment where all that counts is the next quarter’s financial results. As a consequence, the careers of many fine writers—and numerous publishing employees—have been destroyed.

Currently, Random House and Penguin and are having talks about merging. If they do, the consequences will be more lost jobs, even less competition, and entirely negative effects as far as authors are concerned.

The one plus? The new name of the new organization will be cute. The name “Random Penguin” does have a certain appeal.

One of the great ironies of free market capitalism is that it invariably strives towards the elimination of the free market, and the institution of monopolies.

There are laws that are supposed to prevent this, but—especially during Republican Administrations—they are rarely adequately enforced.

Year by year, fewer and fewer corporate entities dominate this economy, our political system, and this country; and these corporate entities are, in turn, controlled by a frighteningly small number of people. Clearly such a situation is inconsistent with a healthy democracy--or, indeed any kind of democracy—yet we seem to be doing absolutely nothing about it. Again and again, those who vote (not nearly enough) vote back into office politicians who, primarily, are selected and backed by the Ultra-Rich (or their agents), and who demonstrably pay scant attention to their constituents—a fact which has been substantiated by formal research. This makes the U.S. electoral process little more than theater designed to placate the masses as far as important issue are concerned.

Why is this? Three words come to mind: IGNORANCE; FEAR; and FATALISM.

Ignorance begs the question: Are Americans deliberately being kept ignorant? Where education is concerned, I’m not sure. Where our culture as a whole is concerned, I have no doubt at all that the answer is: “Yes!” Simply put, American social conditioning—which encompasses everything from education to advertising to the media to religion to politics—is so incredibly strong and effective that it mutes both the desire and the ability to think rationally. Instead, it has become the American way to respond to myths with one’s emotions. Facts, if they do not conform to one’s prejudices, are dismissed. Such an approach does not bode well.

Fear plays a much greater role in American life than is generally admitted. This situation exists because this a highly authoritarian culture where most people are dependent on the corporate world, and where the consequences of losing one’s job—in the absence of an adequate social safety net—are severe; and can be catastrophic. In such a fraught environment, fear is an inevitable and pervasive byproduct. The U.S. is the largest consumer of tranquilizers, legal and illegal drugs, and comforting Fast Food for very good reason. Such things help assuage the fear; if only temporarily.

Fatalism follows fear; and fatalism creates a political vacuum which the Ultra-Rich (the 1% if you will) are only delighted to exploit. Check out the figures. Since 1973—nearly forty years—most Americans have seen virtually no increase in real earning power; and it has been in actual decline since the Great Recession. As for the 1%, as the economy has recovered, virtually all the gains have flowed to them.

Years ago, the love of my life and I went for a romantic vacation on Achill Island  That is just off the West Coast of Ireland, in case you are wondering (near Fitzduane country if you have read my books).

Anyway, as we were meandering along after dark looking for a camping spot, we caught a rabbit in our headlights. The poor thing was so terrified it just froze. This was fatalism extended to its ultimate stage. My lover eased herself out of the car, and keeping out of the glare of the main beams, walked up to the rabbit, picked it up in her arms, stroked it—and broke its neck.

I find it hard to describe my reactions at the time. Shock, awe, and lust competed for my attention. The year was 1964 and I was twenty. She was a phenomenal woman and a decade plus older than me; and vastly more experienced. I was not a reluctant pupil. She was my Mrs. Robinson—with one difference. We loved each other.

Later that evening, she gutted it, skinned it, and cooked it for supper in cider—with carrots, onions and potatoes--over our camping stove. It was decidedly tasty.

Where financial matters and the majority of the American public are concerned, the 1% has learned that breaking necks is normally not required; and that gutting and skinning the U.S. populace (financially) is more profitable if carried out while people are still alive. It is also easy if such people are largely ignorant, fearful, and fatalistic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 51

BUT WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A BOOK? COULD IT BE WRITING ONE?EITHER WAY, I LIVE IN HOPES THAT IF THERE IS AN AFTERLIFE, IT IS EQUIPPED WITH AN EXCELLENT LIBRARY, AND A CORNER IN WHICH TO WRITE

I learned to read late-ish; primarily, I suspect, because no one thought of teaching me to read. My mother was careless about such matters, and busy with her social life. I do recall being sent to a convent pre-school prior to being packed off to boarding school several years too young (I was five and a half), but the nuns who ran the pre-school– terrifying creatures in their traditional regalia in those days – seemed more interested in teaching us to tie bows – an essential life skill apparently; and I have no recollection of reading being on the agenda at all. Religion seemed to dominate, but we learned that by rote. We were little Catholic Talibans, so to speak.

Church mass and other ceremonies seemed to be mostly in Latin; which was, as they say, all Greek to me in those days. Mind you, later on I became quite good at Latin just when the Pope was inspired to have religious ceremonies take place in the local language—English in my case. I was ticked off by that, because I rather liked the rhythm of Latin even when I didn’t understand it. Typically, it was chanted in church, and one could doze off quite agreeably to it, and the odor of incense. Later, I was to read Caesar’s Gallic Wars in it; and I have remained a Julius Caesar fan even since.

One of many interesting details about Caesar was that he could maneuver his troops at extraordinary speed, even though most of his troops marched on foot. If he had been in charge of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, he would probably have been there in a week—instead of three. What is more, Caesar normally marched and fought with his men. Would a modern general do as much?

But let me return to my obsession.

True, I do suffer from a form of dyslexia which impedes some of my cognitive processes, but I don’t think it impeded my learning to read; because when my teacher at boarding school, the estimable Miss Johnson, finally discovered (after some months) that I couldn’t read—and was inspired to teach me--I learned with great rapidity; and reading became my passion, my obsession, my all consuming interest. 

Why not, indeed. Boarding school was no fun, as far as I was concerned, particularly because I was the smallest and youngest boy in school so was an easy target and bullied extensively (Eventually, thanks to books, I was to learn to fight back with considerable skill and success—but that is another story).

In short, real life sucked—at least for a time. On the other hand, escape and adventure were as close as the nearest book; so I read everything and everywhere – sometimes to the great distress of those around me. After all, if I was taken to a circus, I should be enjoying the circus, not have my nose buried in a book. Yet, that was just what I would do. Sports—apart from track and cross-country running--left me cold; and where cricket was concerned, I would volunteer to bat last, and then climb into the the coffin-like box that normally held all our gear—and, head resting on a cricket-pad, read. The box shielded me from the chill wind that normally whipped through the valley. My school was in Yorkshire, England, a chilly sort of place, though replete with much beautiful countryside, and an adequate supply of ruined monasteries left as a consequence of Henry VIII’s decision to make himself head of the church, and richer into the bargain. Religion and money have an alarming tendency to congregate together.

But what could be better than a book? I carried one everywhere, and judged clothing by whether a book could be fitted into the jacket pocket. Later, I got a book-bag so I could carry several books and transfer instantly to a new title after finishing my current read. I haven’t changed much in that regard.

Books published during, and shortly after, WWII tended to be fairly short because paper was in short supply. Hard to believe in this age of plenty, but such was the situation. In fact, rationing of some items continued in the UK until the early Fifties. In contrast, Germany, which had lost the war, abolished rationing in 1948.

Having devoured mainly children’s books up to the age of about ten—because those were all I was permitted to read, or could find, I then gravitated to detective stories, westerns, science fiction, historical novels, war books of various types, spy novels, sea adventures; and then finally encountered the Big Thriller. I had arrived at the Promised Land, and I was not to be disappointed.  

True, not all were big – Ian Fleming’s JAMES BOND thrillers were quite slim – but most provided:

• Interesting, and often exotic, settings combined with a feeling of authenticity frequently based upon the author’s actual experiences.
• Well researched context; either a dose of history, current affairs, or both.
• Intriguing, often larger than life, characters who endured extraordinary privations, but normally triumphed in the end.
• Compelling plots, not infrequently inspired by real events.
• Fascinating technical details on just about everything (if you read enough books).
• Enough sex to add a frison to the whole mix (and to intrigue a teenager).
• Plenty of action.
• A high degree of readability. Good thriller authors are particularly good at writing about complexity with clarity (This discovery had a major influence on me).  
• Enough length to keep a fast reader engrossed for a couple of days—or more. Typically, that meant 400 pages plus, though some were longer (which delighted me).

When you come right down to it, Leo Tolstoy’s WAR & PEACE—apart from being a highly acclaimed literary novel, is a Big Thriller; and certainly it contains all the elements I have listed. It is also  extremely readable, though many people are put off by its size. They really shouldn’t be. It’s a highly accessible read. I remember devouring it when I was about thirteen, and being bowled over by it. I thought it was phenomenal; and I still do. And I fell in love with Audrey Hepburn when watching the movie, which I saw, by accident, before reading the book. The year was 1956 and I was twelve at the time.

Big Thrillers were typically written by authors who had considerable experience of life, and had had more than a few adventures themselves. Quite a number were originally well traveled journalists, who came equipped with a network of contacts and who were well practiced in research. Many had experienced combat.

The Big Thriller emerged, at least as far as I was concerned, in the Fifties and Sixties. The following are some notable examples:

• THE DECEIVERS by John Masters (1952)
• SOMETHING OF VALUE by Robert Ruark (1955)
• EXODUS by Leon Uris (1958)
• WHEN THE LION FEEDS by Wilbur Smith (1964)

Little did I know how hard it would be to write such a book, or what I would have to experience first. But, I was lucky enough to succeed—eventually with GAMES OF THE HANGMAN.  A name or two away on the New York Times Best Seller list was that of James Mitchener, author of more than 40 titles including one of my favorite books, THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI. My reaction was that I had probably entered The Twilight Zone.

Such achievements apart – and success has a tendency to be fleeting and to induce complex side effects– the real surprise has stemmed from how much I have learned to enjoy the actual process of writing. Combine the joy of reading with the deep satisfaction that comes from writing; and the cares and confusions of our chaotic world seem minor irritations.

That said, I shall probably howl at the moon if the November 6 2012 elections do not turn out to my satisfaction. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 50

TERRORISM IS AS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE THREAT WE FACE FROM AN ENEMY WITHIN—A PREDATORY FINANCIAL SECTOR THAT HAS DISTORTED OUR ECONOMY AND IS PRETTY MUCH OUT OF CONTROL

I find it ironic that we worked ourselves up into a positive frenzy after 9/11—to the point of thirsting for blood, whereas our reaction to the greatest blow yet inflicted upon the U.S. has primarily been fatalistic acceptance combined with resentment of the new president who was expected to clean up the mess. To be fair to him, he did, albeit imperfectly(I have strong views on this subject), and at the price of vastly increasing the National Debt—as if he had any other choice. For thanks, he has been blamed for increasing the nation’s indebtedness by the very same party which helped to create the problem in the first place. Such behavior raises the arts of hypocrisy and ingratitude to new heights. 

The greatest blow, of course, was THE GREAT RECESSION which inflicted staggering damage on this country on a scale which most of us still do not yet seem to have grasped. It destroyed millions of jobs, gutted savings, created untold misery, and undoubtedly, by way of stress induced illness, caused the death of far more people than were killed on 9/11. It also created a level of debt which will haunt our children for generations, and and contributed to yet more neglect of our already crumbling infrastructure. In terms of significance, it might well be thought of as the economic equivalent THE BLACK DEATH which ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages. It was, and remains, that serious. Its effects continue; and will be felt for generations.

A number of contributing factors led to the Great Recession, but the primary villains are the major banks and related financial institutions which so dominate our economy. Were they prosecuted en masse or attacked with Hellfire missiles fired from drones? Not a bit of it. Instead they were re-financed with taxpayer money--our money—and are now even bigger and more powerful than ever. Beyond that, the Federal Reserve is making unprecedented sums available to the major banks at minimal interest rates – thus ensuring that savers receive minimal interest on their accounts as well. In effect, subsidizing the banks equates to a tax on the average American who has the good sense to put some money aside. And as for the retired, well, they just have to take their lumps--because the typical interest they receive currently is less than inflation. In effect, the real value of their savings is steadily eroding.

The Financialization of our economy (Big Banks) is closely linked to the Corporatization of the economy (Big Business)which, in turn, is connected to the corruption of Congress (Big Bribery), and our political institutions in general, through unprecedented sums of frequently anonymous money.

The net result of all this, apart from democracy becoming little more than a façade, is a lopsided economy where a few – the 1% if you will – get richer and richer (and further corrupt the process) and the vast majority of American see their earnings drop every year. 

The man exaggerates, I hear you cry! Would that I was. Unfortunately, what I am saying is absolutely true – and can easily be checked if you are so inclined. Hedrick Smith’s book WHO STOLE THE AMERICAN DREAM? is a good place to start.

My business is writing thrillers, as you probably know. To that end, years ago I outlined a financial thriller in which a foreign agent set out to undermine the U.S. Economy—as being the best and only way to destroy a country of this size and innate resilience. My working title was GAMES OF BLOOD & GOLD. I may write it yet, though I fear events are overtaking me.

As I examine the figures right now, I see that a foreign agent has not been required. We are doing a pretty good job at destroying the economic viability of this Great Nation – as far as most Americans are concerned -just by ourselves.

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 49

TERRORISM IS TYPICALLY A LONG TERM PHENOMENOM; WHICH REQUIRES LONG TERM SOLUTIONS

Eleven years ago, I attended a lunch given by General Jack Keane, the then Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Such lunches were given to help “the Vice” keep himself informed; and to develop connections outside the largely closed and incestuous world of the Pentagon. I thought they were a thoroughly good idea.

About a dozen of us were present. I was sitting between Jack Keane and General Karl Eikenberry, who went on to become ambassador to Afghanistan. I have rarely met a more intelligent and likeable man.

The conversation was mostly focused on 9/11 and its aftermath. That was scarcely surprising because the attacks had taken place only some weeks before, the damage to the Pentagon was still fresh, and Americans were still coming to terms with the concept that the U.S. mainland was a target.

What struck me about the conversation that enlivened lunch was the general assumption that the perpetrators of 9/11 would soon be caught or killed; and that we were dealing with a short-term situation. Eventually, I couldn’t restrain myself and pointed out the last IRA campaign in Ireland – one of a series, let me add – had lasted thirty years, and I thought it likely that we would be in a similar situation where Al Quaeda was concerned.

There was a sudden silence in the room, and I was met with looks of absolute incredulity. The majority of those assembled were thinking in terms of months at the most – and regarded my statement as ridiculous. Who is that Irish idiot? In turn, I was struck by the apparent ignorance of these assembled experts. Did nobody read? Were they not aware that most terrorists movements were contained, at best, but were rarely eliminated. Instead, either they achieved their objectives, or were—even when savagely suppressed—likely to surface again, frequently in a mutated form.

Now that eleven years have passed with Al Quaeda, albeit damaged, still extremely healthy in many parts of the world, I believe I can reclaim my credibility. However, my bruised ego apart, speaking as someone who has studied the subject for most of his life since his teens—over fifty years, I would like to make some of observations on the matter.

• Most terrorists have a legitimate grievance, which, if left unaddressed, will ensure the terrorist’s organization’s indefinite survival.   
• Most terrorist actions are carried out with publicity in mind. Short of laying their hands on nuclear weapons and other methods of mas destruction, terrorists can rarely inflict significant damage to a nation state.
• Most smart terrorists try and get the government they are attacking to over-react; and most governments oblige them.
• The U.S. has not handled the terrorist threat particularly well. I debate whether we should have ever have tried to occupy Afghanistan; and the invasion of Iraq was a disaster.
• We may be unwilling to accept the fact, but U.S. actions and policies across the globe are at least partially responsible for Al Quaeda and similar movements. We are not blameless.
• The solutions to terrorism are almost invariably political and almost always involve talking to one’s previously demonized enemy and reaching some sort of compromise.

I am making these comments in the light of half a century’s study of terrorism and the experience of writing three stories of High Adventure – all of which feature terrorism. They are: GAMES OF THE HANGMAN, RULES OF THE HUNT and THE DEVIL’S FOOTPRINT.

My next Big Thrillers, THE BLOOD OF GENERATIONS and SATAN’S SMILE, also feature terrorism, but of a different sort.

I loathe terrorism – I lived with it for long enough in Ireland – but think it is important to understand it. However, I don’t think it is the greatest threat we face. I shall write about that tomorrow.

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 48

SOMETIMES I THINK THE ONLY ADJECTIVE THAT REALLY MATTERS (WHERE PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED) IS ‘DECENT.’

My problem with the above statement – which I believe with a passion – is that I am far from sure I can do it adequate justice within the context of a blog. A blog should be a supplement to one’s working day; and not consume it. Of course, there are exceptions to this--if one is a professional blogger—but, for most of us, it is no more than a daily outreach, with the the main work of the day being something else entirely. That means, in effect, that there isn’t the time to to become too philosophical.

When I was a kid--and I’m now 68, so we are mostly talking the Forties and Fifties—when dinosaurs ruled the earth (I’m not quite sure when one stops being a kid) “decent” essentially meant being adequately dressed. The question: “Are you decent?” was constantly asked outside bedroom doors, and so on. It seemed to be mainly asked by aunts. Since my mother was an only child, and my father lost in the mists, “aunt” was an honorary title which I took at face value. Besides, I have never been particularly good at understanding relationships like: “First cousin once removed.” Good grief, my mind said. Life is too short for this. Though I seem to becoming increasingly fond of both my siblings and extended family as I age, I haven’t changed my mind about such complexities.

Later on, I seemed to have encountered the expression “decent” mostly in the context of death. I lived in Ireland in those days and the expression: “He was a decent man” was often uttered about the corpse. Strangely enough, I do not recall it being said about a woman, though I am reliably informed that women die too.

Dictionary definitions of “decent” vary, but miriam-webster.com comments: Conforming to standards of propriety, good taste, modesty etc. as in behavior or speech. The word ‘conforming’ appears frequently in other definitions of  “decent.”

I see the word quite differently. To me, a “decent” individual is someone who is--regardless of superficial faults--essentially empathetic, kind, thoughtful,  sympathetic, supportive, trustworthy, and blessed with integrity and a sense of humor. Do they have to conform to social norms? Absolutely not!

A sense of humor is an absolute must. Virtue, without humor, tends towards the intolerable.

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 47

HOW CAN A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR ENGAGE WITH HIS OR HER READERS?

NEW BOOKS, THIS BLOG, REPLYING TO YOUR E-MAILS, AND MY HUMUNGOUS NEW WEBSITE IS A START.

BUT, WHAT DO I MEAN BY ‘HUMUNGOUS?’ HOW ABOUT OVER 500 PAGES – AND COUNTING?

I have thought about this matter a lot because I know perfectly well that without my readers, I would have scant credibility as an author. They – you – validate my work, reward me financially by buying my books, and – mostly through your e-mails – keep my spirits up during difficult times. I find it impossible to express my gratitude adequately. The operative word is “impossible.” It can’t be done. But, I can try – and perhaps I can come close.

Clearly the best way to try is to write more books. That is what you all want; and that is what I can supply. However, when traditional publishing ruled the roost, I was entirely dependent upon them – publishers – to take my manuscripts and and turn them into printed books. I have written many books since my first three; but they have not been published.

Despite achieving considerable success – both in sales, and in critical acclaim, and in becoming a New York Times Best Selling author – I was dropped by by my leading publisher. In the U.S. Best Selling authors mostly – are made by corporate entities. The reader is relevant, but  only up to a point. Primarily, weight of money wins. As with politicians, candidates for success are backed financially, and sheer weight of money normally punches through. The wishes of the masses scarcely count because it is a simple fact that, with enough money, they can be manipulated.

If you find that depressing, you have my sympathy; but it is important to face up to the reality that advertising, propaganda and and all the other tools of propaganda – work; and work devastatingly well. 

Let’s return to the specifics of my situation: My publisher wanted a mega best selling author, but decided I was not to be that person; so it switched its investments elsewhere. The reasons involved the sacking of my champion inside the firm, financial irregularities in the company’s books, personal chemistry (or the lack thereof), and the fact my editor and I were – to put it politely incompatible. For reason that have never been clear to me, he loathed me from Day One and was – as my then agent so memorably commented: “Not someone you want to have lunch with.” I did not share the same initial animosity, and tried to work with him. Eventually I realized that I was dealing with someone with serious hostility issues, had him removed; and, as a consequence, made an enemy for life. I have never regretted my decision. I had no choice in the matter.

Hell hath no fury like a senior editor scorned. Worse, he soon went on to become a major figure in what had become an overly concentrated publishing industry; and so I was blacklisted. There wasn’t a formal blacklist. Instead, the word was put out that I was a good writer “who did not sell.” I was damned by faint praise. Such a condemnation was highly successful. As with the movies, there is a lemming-like quality about today’s traditional publishing, and if an author is damned by one influential figure in the industry, he is likely to be damned by all. The quality of one’s writing has nothing to do with it. The real point is that backing a controversial author could jeopardize one’s career. True – you could be right; but, more to the point, you could be wrong; and that was – and remains -a career breaker. In a world where there are always fresh manuscripts, and which has become corporate and risk averse, why take risks? Besides, herd instinct is strong.

I might well have given up writing except that I suddenly began to get fan e-mail – and in quantity. My e-mail address hadn’t even been in my first two books (and traditional publishers are notoriously bad at passing on traditional letters). However, I did manage to get my e-mail address into the paperback addition of my third book; and that opened the floodgates.

Suddenly, I was receiving hundreds of an e-mails, and soon it was thousands. All loved my writing; and all wanted more books. How could that be reconciled with the views of publishers? It was academic. No publisher was interested in my fan mail. It counted for nothing as far as they were concerned. To this day I remain shocked by that. Surely one should listen to one’s customers?

I was naïve. Where corporate entities and corporate culture are concerned, group-think wins nearly every time. It does because that keeps your job safe. In effect, fear is what drives and dominates much of corporate culture. It is authoritarian, ruthless, and normally mindless; and one’s constitutional right to freedom of speech does not apply within the corporate environment. In the land of the free and the home of the brave, when you work you are decidedly not free –and very few are brave.

It strikes me that we need to think much more than we do about the institutions that rule our lives. Corporatization, in its present form (an important qualification)  is crushing this country; and many others. I’m not against Capitalism. I just think its excesses need to be smoothed away, because any system based upon unfettered greed just has to be flawed. It is also ridiculous. There is so much more to life. 

In order to put bread upon the table, and because I was motivated by 9/11 and a desire a help my adopted country, I worked on military matters for some years (invaluable research for future books as well) and then Amazon launched the Kindle in late 2007 and changed everything.

I am normally quite perceptive, but I will confess I was slow to understand the full significance of e-books and related matters initially. Then it finally dawned on me. My God! I can publish and market my books myself.

Shame on me for being so slow, but, to be fair, there were reasons; and the transition from author to entrepreneurial author who publishes his own books, and those of others, is no small thing. An author – his personal cares apart – merely has to worry about writing (Heaven as far as I am concerned). An author publisher has a mass of commercial concerns as well. In particular, he has to ensure that the books he publishes sell. They don’t have to be Best Sellers, but they do have to pay the rent.

Such thinking – prompted by many thousands of fan e-mails – led me to examine how I could improve my communication with my readers. This blog is but one example. Next came the idea of sharing the events that had turned me into a writer, and molded my writing, in the form of the kind of web site which you could either dip into for five minutes, or explore for hours – if you were so inclined. It would be written like a long conversation with a friend. Why not, indeed? Most readers write to me as if they know me and somehow think of me as a friend; and I try to write back in exactly that way. Beyond that, virtually all the readers that I have met in person have become my friends. I seem to attract some fascinating people as readers (and am rather proud of that).

The end result is a web site which is over 500 pages long, but carefully indexed through links so you can read as much or as little as you feel inclined. If you like my writing, and have a sense of humor, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

When will it appear? I have learned not to be too precise where computer projects are concerned, but since some exceptionally talented individuals are working on it, I don’t thing it will be too long. I’ll keep you advised through this blog.

Dear Readers: Think of my humungous blog as a humungous “Thank you!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 46

SOME TRUTHS (HARD & OTHERWISE) ABOUT BEING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL AUTHOR

When I think I’m accomplishing nothing (something of an exaggeration even when I am not being as productive as I would like) it is salutary to recall where I was as recently as only six months ago, and see how far both operational matters, and my understanding, of the project have progressed. Nonetheless, some of my friends and readers (and many are both) are decidedly frustrated with me because I seem to be progressing so slowly.

I sympathize with them, but most have no experience of setting up a venture so don’t understand; and I’m not sure excuses contribute much to the debate – even when they are both valid and reasonable.  And reasons sound remarkably like excuses. Sometimes, you only really understand something when you have been through it.

For instance, though I have a vivid imagination and am widely read (a phrase with two meanings), I only really started to understand what it was like to be shot at when I came under fire and had someone killed close by. Just for starters, the control you think you have over your body just isn’t there any more. You might not visibly lose it, but the effect of fear upon one’s system is near overwhelming. Also, it is not just immediate. There tends to be a reaction both soon after the occurrence; and much later - and sometimes it occurs again and again. Post traumatic stress is very real, and still does not get the attention it deserves.

But let me get back to being an entrepreneurial author. The stress is different from being under fire, but it is still stress; worse, it can continue for years; and it can be gut-wrenching. With luck, I’ll stop you becoming an entrepreneurial author with PTSD. Here are some of the fruits of my experience; and no, I am not a pessimist. Perhaps I used to be, but, over time, I have built up a lot of faith that things will work out if you have paid your dues.

1. COUNT ON IT: PEOPLE WILL LOSE FAITH IN YOU; BUT NOT ALL.

2. YOU NEED A SUPPORT SYSTEM, BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE LARGE.

3. IF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALMOST EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.

4. IF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT ADEQUATE RESOURCES, IT WILL SEEM TO TAKE FOR EVER.

5. IF YOU ARE A WRITER, YOU PROBABLY WON’T HAVE ADEQUATE RESOURCES.

6. THE TRANSITION FROM ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEA TO VIABLE BUSINESS VENTURE DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

7. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PLAN – AND YOU SHOULD PLAN -  THINGS WILL GO WRONG. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK OF EVERYTHING; AND YOU PROBABLY WON’T.

8. THINGS ALSO HAVE A HABIT OF WORKING OUT - JUST WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT.

9. DEADLINES ARE SOMETIMES NECESSARY, BUT DOING THE JOB RIGHT IS VASTLY MORE IMPORTANT. CREATIVE WORK SHOULD ALWAYS BE AS GOOD AS YOU CAN MAKE IT (and preferably better).

10. THE HARDEST, YET MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ANY VENTURE IS ASSEMBLING YOUR TEAM. AND EVEN IF YOU ARE A ONE MAN BAND, YOU NEED A TEAM.

11. JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SOLVE A PROBLEM DOESN’T MEAN YOU WON’T. SOME THINGS JUST TAKE TIME, PERSPECTIVE AND SERENDIPITY.

12. THE PACE OF PROGRESS IS RARELY EVEN. THINK OF IT AS LIKE CYCLING ON COBBLES ON A BIKE EQUIPPED WITH IRREGULAR WHEELS; AND THE TIRES ARE FLAT.

13. IT IS A THOROUGHLY GOOD IDEA NEVER TO LOSE YOUR TEMPER. REMEMBER: COOL IS KING.

14. IT CAN BE USEFUL TO BE SELF-CRITICAL; JUST DON’T OVERDO IT. IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF, DON’T EXPECT OTHERS TO BE.

15. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORK, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OFF-DAYS. CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK.

16. PERSEVERE, REGARDLESS OF ANY AND ALL PROBLEMS, AND YOUR ODDS OF SUCCESS ARE GOOD.

17. WHEN YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, AND THE DOUBTING THOMASES START TREATING YOU WITH RESPECT AGAIN - AND THIS MAY TAKE YEARS - CUT THEIR THROATS BE NICE AND SAY NOTHING. IT’S ALWAYS A SHAME TO LOSE A READER.

 

A good friend of mine – and someone who is very much a member of the team (and follows developments in some detail) – recently wrote:

“I see a quickening pace overall and a rollercoaster of ups and down as time and other resources remain in constant demand.

FITS & STARTS, SPRINTS & STOPS - are the order of the day for your immediate future  At the end of each stop, as you gasp for breath, cash or time you will be able to see progress filling in behind you.

You are a content driven enterprise and you have the content by the bucket-full.

Wishing you the very best of luck and success as this venture launches.”

“Fits and starts; sprints & stops!”  The man puts it well, and tells it like it really tends to be.