Whiskey and Writing

 I haven’t been blogging so much because I’ve been writing books instead! I finished a World War 2 book, and started on a western, which I think I’m about halfway through.  Once that’s done I plan on starting work on a spy novel. I’m trying to do some real research on it, so it’s going to take a little while, but I’m really excited about it.  I’m trying my best to do one book in a different genre, I think it keeps things interesting and you’re less likely to be bored if you’re trying something new all the time.

The title kind of speaks for itself doesn’t it? We’re supposed to all these things, and have responsibilities, it just depends on how many you decide to take on for yourself.  And there’s been a lot of change in the last couple of years too.  We’re taking on either more or less, or finding ourselves doing things we didn’t think we’d be doing before. I’ve been spending most of time trying to figure out career changes at forty, and trying to write a few books at the same time, hoping even one will be successful.  I try to take stock of life and see how crazy people are now, and what drives them, and I can’t fathom how people get to the point of sheer madness. I think it’s important to find something that doesn’t drive you to stupidity or hate. For me I try to do a lot of things, because I get bored easily, and I try to find things that give some kind of meaning.  That’s it really. Find something, anything. I’m trying to do some things, and enjoy things because there ar...

 I’ve spent a lot of time working on books recently.  I’m doing two more and I think I might call it quits after that but we’ll see.  I did two already, and I’m not sure how much more I have in me.  But I do like to work on them when I’ve been drinking whiskey.  I dunno why that is.  I usually put on some jazz, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and I’ve been playing BB King quite a bit these days too.  BB King obviously isn’t jazz, but he’s probably my favorite musician, and I think a little booze and the right music will give you the right mood for a book.  I’m not talking about being so drunk you can’t see straight, but a couple of shots just seem to do the trick.  I’ve been drinking several different kinds Jack Daniels, Leadslingers, Jameson, and Johnnie Walker.  I know we all have different backgrounds, different things we want to do in life, but I think the right drink and the right music will give your whatever it is you’re working on...

 So I recently published a novel called Silent.  It means a lot to me, even if its not all that great.  I worked on some of it when I was overseas, and some in America.  There were pieces of it I’ve been working on since I was a teenager, and its nice to finally see it done.  I didn’t put it in the book description, but it has to do with some aspects of the Japanese involvement in World War 2.  I tried to briefly capture what I could about things happening in the aftermath, as well how the main character is involved in all of them.  I know I probably moved a little too quickly on some things, and maybe could’ve found ways to expand the story, but I also tried to leave some things for the reader to figure a few things out too.  I probably have about 2,000 books in my house, and its so weird to see one of my own on a shelf.

 I managed to publish three books in the last couple of months.  This last one was my favorite.  I tried to make it about dealing with the aftermath of wars, murder, and fear.  But I also tried to have a little fun with it.  It took me a year to get the first draft done, and I think it’s a halfway decent story.  I’m happy that I’m at least putting stuff out now, instead of just perpetually working. 

 I think most of us were hoping 2021 would be easier or smoother than 2021.  That’s clearly not the case.  It’s sort of its own dopey little sequel.  I suppose that’s life though.  Everything changes.  At this point though, it seems like things are just...unstable.  Instead of rushing around, we’re staying home more, which is fine for some, but many of us still have to go out and do what we can to make it.  All these lofty ideas we have for ourselves, maybe we can achieve them, maybe we can’t.  All I know now, is that some of the things I wanted to do, I’m not in a hurry for anymore.  I used to want to write thirty books, then it was fifteen, now its maybe four.  It may not be anything more we’re all so busy, but I tend to think its because I re-evaluated some stuff, and got a more realistic look at things.

 With all the craziness of the last several months, 2021 is just as crazy if not more so. I sat out to really try and get more done, both personally and professionally, and its been completely bananas. But maybe its important to recognize that things are up in the air, that they are a little chaotic, and to keep plugging away anyway. Especially in times like this. 

 I’m surprised by how well this one project is going. I literally don’t want to edit any of it. I’m not saying I won’t edit or make changes to something, but so far its been great. It’s a little sci-if project I’ve been working on. It’s really fun for me, and maybe that’s what I need right now. I think my writing’s getting better when I have more fun with it.

I managed to get all the research done for this one book.  It’s actually kinda fun.  I started writing it this week, and I’m a couple of pages into it already.  I’ve been able writing a lot more this year, I think partially to fulfill a lifelong dream, and partly to ignore all the nonsense of 2020.  Its fun that’s for sure. I’m really hoping to publish some things very soon. It’s sort of a continual fight, but it really seems like some things are finally happening.

I’m working on a crime novel. The story is pretty much set, I’m just trying to work out a couple of details. But because it’s a crime, I’m trying to turn my notes and things into a sort of case file. Also the story takes place in a fictional town, so I’ve been trying to build the town using pics and drawings, and small props. It gives me sort of a tangible connection to the world I’m building, the idea of doing all this makes it more realistic I hope, and maybe a better story. I can’t do this for everything I write, but I hope it gives me an edge, and my little nitch or gimmick to make me a better writer. I spent a lot of time trying to do research on this thing too. I read books on investigation, and even have tried to draw on my own experiences as a cop, and really as a person to try and create characters that seemed more real, and not just victims, or witnesses, or background to the story. I even came up with playlists so I’d be in a certain mood for this story, this story I hope ...

I might’ve stumbled across an old formula to write a story. I wrote down a bunch of ideas and figured out how they all came together, and then I put together music playlists for theses dumb little mystery novels I’m writing. Most of the stuff I’m doing isn’t that great, but they’re all I’ve got so I’m doing what I can with them. I’ve been trying for years to write about things I love, but it gets tough. You doubt, you struggle, you change words, and phrases, to try and convey something particular, something good. I’m doing a lot more than I used to, it took me two years to write a novella. I’ve got more projects than ever, but I’m you can’t exist in limbo forever. At some point you want to finish. Locking yourself up in a room, is great if you’re actually working. Otherwise, you’re just sitting in the dark taking naps in between half finished ideas. You don’t always have a lot of time to do things when you’re working all day anyway, so you sort of hit this spiral where you just sink....