Best Season Ever

The long-revered Palm Springs winter season has gone by the wayside. The pandemic put a nail into the plethora of activities and gatherings that usually occurred each season. But even before that, the ‘usual winter season’ was changing. Twelve years ago, when Sharon and I first began coming out to the desert, it was always ‘4:00 in the afternoon’ someplace and outdoor activities kept us mixing and mingling most days.

It's been a slow recovery after COVID for a lot of folks; us included. This season was one of the rainiest, coldest and windiest seasons we’ve ever experienced here. We did a lot less entertaining. I’ve spent little time hiking mountain trails and even less time bike riding and swimming. Health issues prevented us from going to Florida for Sharon’s brother’s wedding reception in February.  On the other hand, we were so lucky to have the kids out here on several occasions.

Family and friends gathered here to celebrate my newest play ‘Widow’s Waltz’ which was performed last November.

Both families came out for Christmas. Several months later, Brian, Melanie and I celebrated my 80^th birthday with a spectacular road trip down the PSH from San Francisco to San Diego.

Then in April, Melanie and family came out here to celebrate spring break. So, the social part of our time spent in the desert was a mixed bag; family time was great, seeing lots of friends, not so much. Now on the flip side of that altered season, in terms of writing, it was a veritable bonanza. It was the most prolific writing season I’ve ever experienced.

When I began my new writing career, I had no idea where it would lead me. My first two books proved a very satisfying experience. I was off to the races and learning the craft of writing.

Then I experimented with playwriting. That also proved a worthwhile endeavor. So much so, that I’ve written eighteen plays thus far and have had five of them produced both in Minnesota and California.

Fast-forward almost fifteen years and my writing desk is overflowing with projects. It includes novels, novella’s, plays, children’s stories, blogs, poetry, screen-writing, a comic strip and still-stumbling songwriting. My writing is like a pinball bouncing off of one genre to the next.

After premiering ‘Widow’s Waltz’ in California last fall, I wrote a second play dealing with local issues relevant to the desert, some very complex characters and several intriguing plotlines all situated down ‘By the Salton Sea.’

‘Broken Down Palace’ is a new book of my poetry which will be published in the near future. I have over thirty photographs which my editor has stylized to add another layer of mystery to the poems.

A second book in the ‘Waleed, the Skinny Hippo’ children’s series has been written. The theme is ‘being afraid’ and I hope to have it illustrated soon. ‘Sweet Pea & the Gang’ has proven to be a real challenge. It needs to find an audience before it can advance.

‘Playground for the Devil’ is my latest novel which has been placed in several book stores with limited success. It needs better marketing and more hustle on my part. Juggling writing with marketing has always been a tough road for me to travel.

‘Agnes; Memories of First Love’ is my first novella on the Amazon Vella platform. Feedback has been very positive but it hasn’t broken through the other novellas piling up there yet.

Three of my plays, written during the pandemic, are still searching for the right venue to be performed. ‘Tangled Roots,’ ‘PTV’ and ‘Wake; the Musical’ all need musical accompaniment and more fine-tuning before they’re ready for the stage.

‘Frenchy’s Eats,’ was a very special play for me to write. It is a personal narrative of my parents' back story and my early childhood and its repercussions on me and my family today.

‘Habitat for Humility,’ is a new movie script in development. The storyline deals with a mutual attraction between a divorcee and the proverbial shooting star who has just crashed into reality. There is simmering sexual tension, conflicting class status, a jealous boyfriend, an abusive ex-husband and a scheming but well-intentioned sister. Writing the screenplay will be a piece of cake compared to the complexity I will have to face navigating the world of movie-making – if – it comes to that.

So overall, I’ve got enough on my plate to keep me writing and editing for a very long time. And the ideas keep bouncing around inside my head. Like I said, it was the worst of times but, boy, was it the best of times too.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ is an expression coming out of the world of theater. In most modern theater design, a room will consist of three physical walls, as well as an imaginary fourth that serves to separate the world of the characters from that of the audience. An accomplished actor can break through that fourth wall and draw the audience into his or her world, forgetting about the fourth wall there. Artists of every ilk seek to do the very same thing to reach their audience.

‘Behind the Music’ was a series on MTV a while back. The television series covered a number of famous bands and how they originated. Most had been honing their skills in three-two bars and the dance hall circuits for years before some well-written song or lucky coincidence was the break-through they needed to make it to the big time.

Across the board with almost every band was the image of a group of individuals with a fire in their respective bellies. Musicians so dedicated to their craft that they would let nothing get in their way of making music.

Musicians are certainly not alone in that endeavor. The actor, Dustin Hoffman, labored for ten years in Off-Broadway plays before hitting it big with ‘The Graduate.’ Jennifer Lawrence ran the same race.

This quest for recognition and success got me to reflecting why it is that some individuals can talk forever about doing something while others simply do it. Some curb jumpers think about running a marathon but never get past their wishful thinking. Then there are others who begin with a walk, then a jog, a short run and finally begin putting on the mileage.

There are hundreds of thousands of wannabe writers who can’t get past a blank sheet of paper or empty screen. Then there are others who toil for years trying to write something worthwhile but can’t get past the first page. There are only a relatively few who can sit down and write a play or novel or screenplay while so many others never complete that first sentence. What is the difference here?

I certainly don’t have an answer as to why some folks stoke this ‘fire in their belly’ while the majority of dreamers simply wallow in wishful thinking. Yet all of this mindful meandering begs much larger questions as to why do artists or athletes do it in the first place? What drives them to toil in the trenches of an athletic field or in front of a keyboard? Why are they different from the rest of the populous? Can they help themselves or do they want to help themselves? What internal needs are they trying to answer or satisfy?

Passion might be another word for their collective ‘fire in the belly.’ But where does that passion come from? It’s a question that has tugged at my consciousness for a long time and yet never reached a solid conclusion. As such it’s a mystery that has permeated much of my writing.

Not surprisingly the protagonists in most of my novels, male and female, wear a cloak of in-security tempered by blind determination that torments their very souls. One of the phrases that I used to describe my protagonist in “Love in the A Shau” was: ‘Daniel was born hungry.’ The same moniker could be used to describe Robert, my other protagonist in the ‘Debris’ trilogy.

I liked that handle because it so clearly defines the person as a seeker. He or she on their own vision quest. It was what drove them to extraordinary action in Vietnam; it meant traversing the barren and dangerous mountains of Western Arizona or leading a ghostly expedition through the canyons outside of Palm Springs. My heroes had become what they strove to believe in the first place.

For some of us this ‘real world’ vision quest gets tempered with time but never loses its urgency. For a select number of youngsters my age it’s become our age of truth and reason. It is a way of finding ourselves through our art. This quest for authenticity came to me almost by accident. A cessation of my business and a refusal to embrace the acceptable terms of retirement caused me to reflect on that next stage of my life. Writing seemed the next logical step for me.

Now in retrospect I seem to be picking up where I left off at the end of the ‘60s before I got married, settled down and became distracted by life and family and kids. It means forgetting about the miles traveled and shaking aside society’s prejudice, expectations, standards and assumptions. It means recognizing that those were labels and confinements put on us as kids by naïve parents.

This personal quest is about finding your freedom wherever it may be while recognizing it’s a different time, different place, different you that is the seeker. Yet beneath the wrinkles and glasses it is the same mental ramblings, inquiries, and occasionally discoveries. It is a journey I’ve chosen because I didn’t know what else to do with my life. I’m guessing the same can be said of most other artists too.

As a writer, retired folks are a category that intrigues me a lot now. Unlike the legendary ‘old men of the coffee shop’ so many retirees have decided that retirement is their time to slow down and enjoy the fruits of their years of labor. While on the surface this seems to make perfect sense, I can’t help but feel it might also one big step in the wrong direction. ‘Riot at Sage Corner’ was an attempt to explore this dichotomy. What to do with the rest of your life when nothing is not an option.

One of my goals in attempting to define ambition is to light a fire under my grandchildren. I don’t care where their interests or passion or focus goes, just so it goes someplace. I want to be there to encourage them to follow their dream whatever it might be. I can’t do it for them but I certainly offer my help.

A life in pursuit of something is far more satisfying than a life just lived.

Branding Wheel

They now have a new name for your personal style. The kings and queens of marketing have identified a new moniker that is supposed to define who you are, what you represent, what you’ve accomplished and ultimately what you’re selling. It’s now called your brand.

Branding was probably born in your standard public relations cubicle then took on a life of its own. It’s the newest prescription tailored to distinguish your marketing efforts from a divergent field of competitors and in turn help you claim some individuality in a world of uniformity and conformity.

Businesses are now into branding big time. Apple wants to be known for its simple yet elegant design work. Netflix has mastered the art of digital streaming movies. Disney tells its investors that it has mastered the art of the movie franchise. Each business is claiming to be unique with its own individual brand.

Branding can be found in consumer products…think Coke, Toyota and a bevy of ‘must have’ or ‘gonna get’ items we can’t live without. Retailers scramble to inject their best image into the minds of consumers and fill store shelves and the airwaves with recognizable products and services.

Over the last several years, the publishing world has changed radically. Gone are the days when unknown authors might be picked up by a publisher and given a marketing budget to get the word out on him or her. Nowadays even if you’re lucky enough to be picked up by the publisher, most of the promotional work is still left up to the author unless you’re a proven entity like Steven King or Nicholas Sparks.

So what can a writer to do to promote, advertise and market him or herself? Most writers would rather walk on hot coals than get in front of a group of people, even potential readers, to talk about themselves. Writers, at least most of them, are uncomfortable with the whole marketing and promotion routine. Many of them don’t understand and in fact hate the process…let me repeat that for emphasis…hate the process and are lost in what to do. Add to that the fact that many writers are introverts and it’s one heck of a challenge to even think about promoting one’s own work.

I’m no different. While I understand the fundamentals of marketing and promotion, I also know that the world has changed radically since I wanted to be a copywriter back in the ‘Mad Men’ era of advertising. Knowing of the new rules of the game doesn’t make it any easier for me or any other author.

Nowadays, you’ve got social media, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and so forth. There are book clubs to approach and speaking engagements to connect with your audience. There are giveaways suggested and even paying for book reviews.

You also have a plethora of wonderful opportunities to spend a fortune in designing, editing, and promoting your book without any guarantee of success. I’ve actually read articles in writing magazines that claim a new author must spend between $5000 and $10,000 per book just to get it ready for publication. Baloney. Think about it for a moment. What would your break-even be if you spent that kind of money up front before your first sale?

DenisJLaComb.com

Facebook Author Page

So what is the answer? You most definitely need to have a good editor to edit your work. I think the book design is important as is the cover and back cover blurb about its contents. In other words, create a good product to sell but don’t spend a fortune to get there. You should have a good web site and a presence on Facebook and other relevant author web sites.

I’ll admit I’ve been seduced by the hype and need to promote myself in some manner. So in an effort to play to my strengths and compensate for my weaknesses I’ve created my own roadmap to breaking out of the mold and trying to distinguish myself from other self-published writers. While I don’t have marketing answers for other writers I’ve found this guide works for me. I call it my branding wheel.

Let me repeat that this isn’t necessarily a roadmap for other writers. It was designed with my personality, limitations, ambitions and goals in mind. It suits what I want to accomplish and my comfort level in getting there. That is precisely why it works for me. Let me explain.

I have many shortcomings as a writer not the least of which is a short attention span. I can’t focus on any one subject for extended periods of time. So how do I deal with that short attention span?

My solution is to focus on my writing for two or three hours in the morning until my attention span drops off the preverbal cliff.  I consider any concentrated time over several hours to be very successful. If I can do the same in the evening, it’s been a very good day.

Often times I’m not sure what to write about although I know I’m not going to stick to just one genre. So I forget about trends and write about any subject matter that interests me. I always have multiple projects going on at the same time;  blogs, plays, marketing, etc. A lot of different subject matter all at the same time. It might be a western, a suspense thriller, a historical action/adventure/romance novel or issues around aging. My blogs cover the gamut of various subject matters of interest to me.

I have no intention of just writing in one format such as novels or non-fiction pieces. So I don’t and instead let the subject matter dictate what format my storyline might follow. I have written novels, non-fiction pieces, blogs, plays, screenplays, articles, and I’m still very interested in starting up a comic strip series featuring my grandchildren. And I’d also like to write some music for some of my plays.

I occasionally have a hard time staying motivated. If I have an off day or can’t concentrate I simply walk away. I can’t force myself to sit at the desk and stare at a blank screen because if I do nothing will happen.

Usually that isn’t much of a problem for me though. Writing has become my new positive addition. Much like running which I did for over 40 years, I am now addicted to writing. If I don’t write for a period of time, I get antsy and irritable.

My branding wheel is a roadmap that allows me to reference, sometimes, on a daily basis my progress made. It allows me the flexibility and ability to shift from one genre, one topic, one subject matter or current interest without halting or hindering the output or flow of information in and out of my brain. I can try to match up speaking engagements with book fairs or book clubs. I can cross pollinate exposure in the newspapers with appearances at events. I can advertise events on multiple levels and platforms.

I can continue to write no matter the topic or format. I can talk about what I want to talk about and write whatever I want to write. It provides constant input and output without feeling I have to work at it.

Simply put, it’s a roadmap to guide me along the way of the writer….and most importantly, it works for me.

Phoenician Day Traders

They’re modern day voyagers. Like those ancient Phoenician seafaring explorers these folks are searching for that holiest of holy; the grail of a life well-lived and a glimpse of eternal satisfaction. They’re living their lives in search of that as-yet unknown person they want to morph into while always keeping their possibilities open.

I didn’t have my own ‘ah-ha’ moment until recently. But the more I thought about it the more convinced I am that these folks have found their fountain of youth...or are well traveled in their journey toward it. While summering away from the Coachella Valley I miss their interest in the arts, their dedication to the craft of writing, and a willingness to exchange ideas and storylines. Yet it is their focus on improving themselves and honing whatever talent they might have that I applaud the most. Embracing life with its endless possibilities is what it’s all about.

In the land of tailored green space and the infamous cocktail hour these folks have found an oasis of creativity and a youthful elixir to stymie the aging process. It’s a continuing quest to explore one’s world, one’s mind and one’s soul. None of them are resting on their laurels and there are plenty of laurels to go around. They’re an interesting breed of folks; trading each day for a better one tomorrow. Always seeking, always searching, and always opening themselves up to new experiences. In one past blog I labeled them my den of thieves. Today I would label them modern-day Phoenician Day Traders.

Like those merchants of old, these captains of personal commerce are willing to trade their daily lives for the unknown. They’ve adapted that ancient 2000 year-old Chinese philosophy which espouses breaking comfortable patterns of behavior for the sheer terror of new experiences. *

Humans are, by their very nature, messy creatures, full of contradictions and anxieties, petty jealousies, complicated feelings, ambitions, hopes, longings, and fears. Our lives are composed almost entirely of the relationships we have with those around us. So, not surprisingly, we fall into predictable patterns of behavior.

But when we define who we are, we are all too often labeling ourselves according to these passive patterns, unhealthy ruts, and automatic rote reactions. The more a person consciously engages in such moments, the more he or she trains themselves not to always act true to themselves, in order to behave better.

By focusing on what a person is good at, they end up inadvertently doing something else, that is, they train themselves to cut out other things that could lead them in all sorts of unprecedented, unpredictable directions. In short, they are playing it safe and closing off opportunities for new experiences.

Meet the Author Presentation

Chinese philosophy would encourage us to pay attention to interests we have no time for or to choose experiences precisely because they are not what or who we see ourselves as. The whole point here is to get into the habit of expanding one’s perspective and expanding our life experiences. In short, trading each day for a newer experience than the last one. As you cultivate the ability to break from yourself, you will continue to grow and change.

Writers are, by their very nature and genetic makeup, thieves. They steal snatches of conver-sations everywhere they go. In their minds eye, they paint a tapestry of scenarios happening all around them and store that material in their memory bank. They grasp fleeting emotions that they’ve have seen, felt, heard or observed. They peruse life swirling around them with a relish and create their own life stories about people they don’t even know. They abscond with the memories of relatives, parents, friends, lovers, associates and all kinds of fleeting friendships. They are chameleons and that proverbial fly on the wall.

It’s different from the Paris crowd that gathered around Hemingway’s table for drinks and song. It’s different from Ginsberg’s eccentric group that gathered most San Francisco evenings for a salon laced along the ragged edges of drugs, sex and booze. Or my own Snow White and the Seven Seekers all gathered around a breakfast table in Brussels, exchanging cigarettes, small talk and grand expectations for the life ahead. This is a more subtle crowd that does most of its exploration alone or in small hunter-gatherer groups. They are literary-bound wanderers seeking answers instead of redemption.

Desert Writers Expo

Paramount in my quest for learning from these modern day Phoenician Day Traders will be groups like the Palm Springs Writers Guild, the Senior Theater group in Rosemount and the Desert Writers Expo. There are a ton of very talented folks in Minnesota and California. Not just retirees from the west coast or ex-pats from the east coast. There are also a lot of skill wordsmiths and artistic craftsmen from all over the country who have found a safe and comfortable haven in our community here. There are playwrights to stage a meeting and songwriters to share a chorus with.

They’re all this wonderful diverse eclectic crowd of artists who might be seen as a bit strange anyplace else but are right at home here in the desert. Musicians, song-writers, novelists, screen writers and playwrights that I want to hang out with. Like those ancient ones, they are all seekers.

Philosopher Carl Jung captured it best...

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

I’m still trying to figure that one out but having a wonderful time getting there.

*Many of the comments on Chinese philosophy were taken from an article by Michael Puett entitled: “Philosophers can teach us about the Good Life.”

My Nemesis Called RBF

Who would think this mild-mannered fellow could be hiding such a surly character flaw?  Unbeknownst to him and millions of other souls like him, his sinister façade seemed to surface at the most inopportune times and usually undetected by its carrier. Here I was a victim and didn’t even know it…until now.

Many women feel superior because they always know what their husbands or significant others are thinking.  They can pin-point their partner’s moods, frustrations and the thought patterns...or at least they think they can. But sometimes it’s just RBF raising its ugly facade. I have this handicap…probably have had it all my life.

Awhile back, an over-eager TSA guard didn’t recognize it while I was going through security at the airport.  His subsequent report had me pigeon-holed as a suspicious character.  Consequently my bags were inspected for over four years before the government finally concluded I wasn’t a threat to national security.  A simple stare was all it took to land me in governmental hot water.

With this handicap, group interactions can be the most challenging.  If I’m pensive people tell me I sometimes look sad or angry. If I’m thoughtful they might think I’m miserable. People have misread my expressions, my moods and my thoughts most of my life. Now I find out it isn’t my fault or theirs for that matter. I have RBF; a pervasive, seemingly permanent sour look on ones face.

My mother, sister Marlene, and Me

It would be very easy to blame genetics.  My mother always seemed to look sad or angry or a bit of both. I could explain that it’s my facial muscles or congenital frown lines that betray my true feelings. Who knew that a pensive look could be so misunderstood?

RBF has been described as having a mouth that might curl slightly downward.  Maybe the brows are furrowed, the lips a bit pursed and the eyes aimed forward in a deadpan stare. It’s called a ‘resting bitch face’ and it’s for real. It’s like a permanent frown you don’t even know you have until called out on it.

Normally I would ask others not to judge me by my looks.  Yet there is one exception that I have to guard against. Sharon would be the first to advise me against playing poker, skip-bo or any other card game for that matter. A poker face I do not have. Feelings, emotions, attitudes, prejudices and the likes all seem to wash over my face without my ever being aware of it. It’s like a rich tapestry of emotions revealed for the entire world to see.

If there were a silver lining to that cloud that passes for my normal expression it would be the flip side of RBF.  I’ve been told there is intensity about me when I speak on any subject I’m passionate about. It speaks volumes of the interest, enthusiasm, and passion I feel for my subject matter.

Recently I gave a presentation about my writing to a large audience.  My RBF came across as true passion for storytelling and the craft of writing. The audience loved it. Any place else outside of that speech they might have wanted to lock me up as a threat.

So RBF is a fact of life.  As I get older and wrinkles slowly slide across my face I guess there will be even more frown lines to contend with. I could Botox my problem lines away but that’s not the answer. I could practice ‘downward face’ which is defined as restorative facial yoga. This exercise is supposed to deliver more blood flow into your face to stimulate the muscles. Then it is supposed to relax the face through the use of focused attention. I could also play mind-games to focus on the positive in my life. A continuous positive attitude would help but I’ve got enough on my plate without having to mind-set my way through each day.

Maybe the answer lies in pondering life’s challenges in private and practice awareness in public.  It could be a more conscious effort to put on a happy face or at least not let my true emotions reveal themselves.

Or perhaps I could just be myself.  I’ve lived with me for so many years I’ve gotten used this old mug staring back at me each morning. It’s neither a bad face nor a sad one. I’ve just got a lot on my mind and more I want to stuff in there on a daily basis.

Awareness is probably the best answer along with a more conscious effort to smile even if it means feeling strange most of the time.  Those pesky nuns could have been on to something way back in grade school. They said to “Turn that frown upside down.” Sounds like maybe they had it right after all. Who knew?