Seems Like a Hodgepodge

Only recently, after thirteen years of writing, did I made a curious discovery. On the surface and without reflection, it had seemed as if I was just ‘writing to write.’ Never mind that the exercise produced very satisfying results. I would jump from one idea to the next without focus or direction. Or so I thought.

But after pounding out twelve novels, an investment guide, a serialized novella, a children’s book, four screenplays, fourteen plays (four of which have been produced), and over six hundred blogs, I slowly began to recognize a vague yet discernable pattern to this writing madness of mine.

This realization crept into my consciousness a couple of weeks ago as I was knee-deep in leaves and yard waste. Amid deep breaths of my out-of-shape workout, I realized there was inspiration for everything I’ve written thus far. Most of the time, it was neatly hidden beneath events, circumstances and seemingly innocent happenstance. But then I realized that a direct inspiration and results could be found in almost every story I’ve told.

I’ve often mentioned that my first ventures into storytelling began with the writing of two western novels on my trusty old L.C. Smith typewriter. Back in the early Seventies, we were living in Reisterstown, Maryland and I was working at the Maryland Center for Public Broadcasting. I decided to try my hand at storytelling one of my favorite topics; the American West.

Fast-forward almost forty years later and ‘Apache Death Wind; the trilogy’ and ‘Apache Blue Eyes’ were re-born out of that first pass at writing.

My second writing marathon was a semi-autobiographical novel set in the mid-Sixties. The novel pretty accurately followed my own storyline, minus time spent in Vietnam and not getting the girl in the end. Otherwise, it had all the same pathos, angst, heartbreak and redemption of your typical ‘coming-of-age’ (sort of) novel.

Fast-forward to the present and I wrote a serialized novella called ‘Agnes, Memories of First Love.’ It was also set in the mid-Sixties and chronicled my first job after returning from Europe and my first steps toward a career in television production and distribution. Oh, and a love affair that never happened…but could have.

Palm Springs has defined our second lifestyle for over twelve years now, not counting the initial eight, when we were first visitors there. In homage to that world-famous Candy Land of hope and illusion, I wanted to write a soap opera centered on some of the real and fictional people who live there. I’ve met a number of the characters it seems to attract and the ‘almost anything goes’ vibe, that is a part of the landscape.  Hence the ‘Debris trilogy’ was born.

My fourth play ‘Polly’s Amorous Adventures’ was also produced in Palm Springs and spoke to the uniqueness of the place. It certainly isn’t Mayberry.

Before ‘Polly,’ I had three plays produced in Minnesota. The first was an offering to a new theatrical troupe called Second Act Players and made up of senior actors. ‘Riot at Sage Corner’ was followed by ‘Club Two Ten’ which was reminiscent of my own home room in high school. ‘The Last Sentinel’ reflected advancing age that many of my friends and I were facing.

Departing from my novel, play, screenplay routine, I thought an easy-to-read reference book on real estate might be interesting to write. My apartment management book was a ‘how-to,’ ‘don’t to this’ reference book on the trials and tribulations of managing multi-unit apartment buildings.

I always wanted to try my hand at writing a mystery novel. My first attempt at writing a suspense thriller was an almost six hundred page novel that took me traveling around the world. A YA (Young Adult) version called ‘Chasing Ophelia’ followed soon after. Someplace in that mix of time and new material, I also managed to write four screenplays.

Recently I revisited the mystery genre with ‘Playground for the Devil’ which incorporated a sassy companion and more sexual references. Maturity on my part, I’m not sure, but it was a fun story to imagine and write.

One of my six new plays, ready to be produced, has gone through an interesting metamorphosis. PTV started out as a straightforward stage play about the transitional period in public television when it evolved from instructional television to public television. That seemed to go nowhere so I added eight new songs and a different approach to my storytelling. When that also seemed to stall out, I happened upon the play ‘Spamalot’ and found a brand new approach that I hope might be the catalyst for the winning format that has eluded me thus far.

Waleed, the skinny hippo was a children’s story I wrote almost fifteen years ago. It finally found a home last winter with a wonderful illustrator out of Bangladesh and a Swahili translator out of Kenya, South Africa. Now two more translations into Hmong and Spanish are in the works.

My newest venture, if I can get it off the ground, is a comic strip based on the real and imagined lives of my five grandchildren (at a younger age). ‘Sweet pea and the Gang’ has all the hallmarks of another fun venture I’m anxious to begin. Like everything else I write, its outcome is never guaranteed and marketing success always a challenge.

But I’m confident that if I can keep mining that vast field of my past memories, images, and what-ifs; I can keep coming up with new writing projects. These last seventy-nine years on the planet have fueled a cauldron of great plots, people, and places to write about.