aroslav: Blog

This is number 154 in the blog series, “My Writing Life.” I encourage you to join my Patreon community to support my writing.

I JUST NEEDED to check the dates of D-Day vs. VE Day. That was two hours ago. Now there are twenty-seven tabs open in my browser. I’ve discovered the names of ranks in the RAF, have a file that won’t finish downloading, have a virus alert and a screen that repeatedly insists I prove I’m not a robot, and I have a video of a P51 Mustang supporting the D-Day invasion at Normandy. Somewhere, The Beatles are singing, “the British army had just won the war.” I now know how much uranium was used in “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima. I have a page on Americans flying for the RAF in WWII, and four different aircraft pages. One tab is about Rhodes Scholars, and another about Hitler’s suicide.

And I forgot what I was searching for in the first place, or why it was important.

That’s called “research,” right?

I still remember how back in college—1968-1972 at Indiana Central College—I spent hours with a notebook sitting in front of the library card catalog, jotting down the names, numbers, and other information for books on a subject I was researching. It’s something we’ve lost in the computer era. Yes, all the same information is available in the computerized card catalogs, but there is something missing.

I could look at my handwritten notes after I’d located the book and found the quote I wanted for my paper. Everything I needed for my footnote and bibliography was there. Now, as soon as I follow the link from the card catalog to the electronic copy of the book, I’ve lost all the bibliographic information I might later need. I have to go back through the same search process again to recover that information.

My current work in progress, My Name Is Vengeance, involves a 10,000-year-old demigod who transmigrates into the body of a 30-year-old scholar/businessman in 1950 Boston. I lived in Indiana and was only born in 1949! I needed to have a clear picture in my mind of Boston in that era in order to write an effective period piece.

I know there are only a few readers who have experience living in Boston at that time, but an amazingly high percentage of them will read my story and comment about how wrong some of my atmospheric statements are if I’m incorrect on any aspect. I know this for a fact just based on the fifty-some comments I received regarding the reach of WLS in Chicago in 1966 in my novel Full Frame. The debate was intense.

So, my research needs are immense.

There’s very little political in this period piece, but the academic environment, business practices, labor disputes, and Mafia involvement in unions are almost overwhelming. Then there are the ordinary things about family and home life.

I chose this period intentionally. The biggest cultural revolution of modern America (IMHO) occurred in the sixties. Prior to that, male and female roles were more rigidly adhered to. Race and class influenced all of social interactions. This was before Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy began his campaign against organized crime and its influence in labor unions.

Moreover, there was little or no concept of personal computers—even in science fiction!—or of cell phones, though Dick Tracy had a two-way wrist radio, upgraded to the two-way wrist TV in 1964. People used payphones for only a nickel. Making a long-distance international phone call from the US to Europe was more expensive than sending a telegram. Commercial airlines were flying propeller aircraft; the first commercial jet went into service in January 1951. Commuter trains and subways ran to all the bedroom communities surrounding a major metropolis.

The tallest building in Boston in 1950 was the Custom House Tower at thirteen stories. It was built in 1915! Legal Sea Foods was established as a family fish market in 1950. It wasn’t a restaurant and had only one location in Cambridge, MA.

MIT had a sailing pavilion and developed a single person sailboat called the Tech Dinghy. Harvard Business School didn’t take over the Radcliffe Training Course in Personnel Administration (for women) until 1954 and didn’t admit women directly to the MBA program until ten years later.

How is a 10,000-year-old demigod supposed to respond to all this?

My Sausage Grinder Patrons have begun reading the unedited first draft of My Name Is Vengeance today with the first three chapters. It will not be available as a pre-release until January of 2027. You can join the adventure by joining my Sausage Grinder Patrons.

On many of my books, I’ve estimated that the first draft requires two to five hours of research for every hour spent drafting the story. I think the record is Nathan Everett’s (Wayzgoose on SOL) The Gutenberg Rubric, which took over twenty years of research before I started writing it. I filled notebooks with research. I wrote training programs on the history of printing. I taught typography and book design.

And talk about rabbit holes! I read a book titled 40 Centuries of Ink. Another called 100 Years of Offset Printing. I read a scholarly paper titled “Non-Destructive Microanalysis of Cultural Heritage Materials.” And dozens more.

I compiled my own analysis of how the Library of Alexandria might not have been utterly destroyed with recorded movements that could lead it to the heart of Turkey and the creation of the monument at Mount Nemrud. I literally printed—on a Gutenberg era printing press—facsimile pages from The Gutenberg Bible at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany.

And all of this was done before I used a computer for more than word processing!

The Gutenberg Rubric by Nathan Everett is available as an eBook from ZBookStore. The 15th anniversary hardcover Signature Edition is available from my Ingram Spark page or most vendors.

All of this is to say that Lewis Carroll’s famous rabbit hole from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1865 is still waiting out there for any adventurer contemplating a journey into the wonderland of historical fiction—even if it is a paranormal transmigration story.

And it’s not all a bad thing.

The most important thing about ‘doing your own research,’ whether for a novel or to prove vaccines cause autism or other fiction, is to maintain an open mind. You can’t just search for things that support an opinion you have already formed—even when you’ve already written part of the story based on it.

I was sure I could have my hero flying a P51 Mustang on D-Day as part of the RAF. I’ve discovered there could be several problems with that premise. So, do I continue insisting that was what he did, or do I change the story a little to be more in line with the historical evidence?

It probably won’t be resolved in the first draft, but now that I know the problem, it will affect how much emphasis I place on something I know will be changed in the next draft.

Now I just have to find the web page where I got that information!

Enjoy!

This is number 153 in the blog series, “My Writing Life.” I encourage you to join my Patreon community to support my writing.

I’VE BEEN STUDYING Chinese short dramas for the past several months. By “studying,” I mean that I’ve watched a few hundred of them on my laptop, tablet, and smartphone. I found them extremely addictive, even though there aren’t more than two dozen plots among them. The themes, plots, and even characters are freely repeated. The voice dubbing is done by AI with only a dozen total voices apparently available, no matter who the character is. Many costume dramas and intense martial arts dramas are AI videos as are most American short dramas, as far as I can tell.

But they are hard to stop watching.

I’ve tried to replicate the effect of these short dramas in my own literary style. As a result, I’ve written three short drama novels. That’s quite a step away from my more common epic style. These three novels are all under 60,000 words, and about 20-25 chapters in length. Here’s what I’ve learned.

My first attempt at a literary equivalent of a short drama was the recently released Just My Luck! It’s a humorous drama in which the main character frequently breaks the fourth wall to take potshots at the author and comment on his own role in the drama. My goal was to apply the principles of a linear plotline with a limited number of characters injected with humor and suspense. I tried to have enough of a hook at the end of each chapter to keep the reader engaged. And most important of all, I tried to adhere to the fundamental principle of shuangju: have it feel good. The heroes are rewarded and the villains are punished. Readers have had this to say:

“I am truly enjoying the story and the way the protagonist's narration is done.”
“Gets better and better as the final reveal hauls into sight!”
“This truly reminds me of Donald Westlake's early books. Hours of comic crime who-done-its. This is great.”
“Excellent. It cut across multiple genres, fast paced and excellent character development, plot and writing. Loved it!”

The serialization of Just My Luck! has finished, so it is now available in its entirety on my website and on SOL. The eBook is available at ZBookStore. Get the Signature Edition paperback at my Ingram Web Store.

My second short drama is Sky’s the Limit. This novel is 24 chapters and just under 60,000 words. My focus in this book is consistent storyline, shorter chapters, compelling hook in each chapter, limited characters, and a shuangju feel good story. Heroes are rewarded. Villains are punished or redeemed.

I felt I was really getting a feeling for the principles of the short drama in this book. It moves along quickly and is filled with tension, secret identity, hidden talent, and martial arts skills. And love with a seemingly impossible hurdle! I was also concerned with adapting the rather extreme Chinese dramas to a less extreme American and Western European taste. While there are some limited martial arts involved, no one gets slapped or unreasonably assaulted.

Sky’s the Limit will begin pre-release serialization for my Sneak Peek Patrons next Sunday, September 6. The pre-release eBook will also be free for Sneak Peek and Sausage Grinder Patrons. It will be released to the public both as an eBook and StoriesOnline serial on Sunday September 20, 2026. Getting pre-release access as a patron costs as little as $5.00 per month. It’s a great time to join my Patreon community!

My newest and final (for now) short drama is called Code Kitty. My Sausage Grinder Patrons ($10 per month) have been following the first draft of this story for the past few weeks, and received the final episodes today! This book won’t be available for either pre-release or public release until November. It's just going into the editing cycle now.

So, what have I learned from this last short drama novel? One of the principles of the short drama vertical videos is that episodes can’t be more than two or three minutes in length. That translates to about 650-700 prose words. Every episode has to drive the story forward with new information, excitement, and a compelling hook to get the reader to move forward with the story. Code Kitty is written in 600-700-word episodes. At fewer than 50,000 words, there are 63 episodes! This book has allowed me to experiment with a paranormal phenomenon, which will be helpful in my next novel as well.

Of course, there's a huge difference between vertical video viewers and book readers. Just before writing this post, I received a comment that the chapters of Just My Luck! are too short. And they are between 2,500 and 3,000 words in length! As novels go, that’s pretty generous in length. But 650 words is definitely too short. So, when I release Code Kitty, it will probably have three or four episodes per chapter. They will, however, determine the pace and rhythm of the story—something I really like.

Code Kitty will continue to be available to Sausage Grinder Patrons until its release in November, just as Sky’s the Limit (formerly known as Sky & Co.) will continue to be available in the first draft form until the pre-release serialization is finished.

But there’s more!

Now that I’ve learned so much from writing three short dramas, it’s time I returned to the longer form I’m known for and apply what I’ve learned. I’ve spent several weeks jotting notes on a new story titled My Name Is Vengeance, about an ancient demigod who transmigrates into the body of a young businessman in 1950. This mid-20th-century period piece will have a continuing rhythm of episodes, slightly longer than the 650-700 word length of Code Kitty. It will have clear plotlines and well-defined characters. It will have tension and release as it explores parallels between family and business rivalries in the 50s with the battles and wars of an ancient civilization that ended in ruin.

Here’s a teaser of what to expect:

The war was over. There was nothing left but ruins and legends. I wasn’t sure which I was. Perhaps both. I’d seen my family, friends, and countrymen slaughtered before me. I’d laid waste to our enemies. I couldn’t save my family, but I could avenge them.

My name is Vengeance.

Of course, I had a common name, I suppose. Like Tom or Bill or John or Sven. It was a long time ago. I don’t remember. I was born for revenge. My father laid that curse upon me.
“Son, the end is near. Be strong. Destroy the one who murders me. Lay waste to his lands and erase his name and his family from the earth.”

I could have lived with that. I was good at destroying. If only he had left it there. If only he had let me rest after I’d done his bidding. But he went on.

“Rise up from the rubble, my son. Find a new land—a new world. Restore your family’s honor. Rebuild our fortune. Take us on to greatness. That is where true vengeance lies.”

I left the devastation of our land. I set sail and followed the sun. I took only the jewel—our family’s token, given to me by my father—and my sword. Out there alone on the high seas, the gods intervened and crushed my dream, my destiny, beneath the waves. A storm raged around me day and night. I fought it with my little boat until my craft was nothing but splinters. Then I fought the waves with the strength of my arms and legs. At last, no matter my effort, I was dragged down to a watery tomb where my spirit continued to struggle, though my eyes and ears and lungs no longer functioned.

My spirit swore vengeance against the unforgiving sea. I defeated the swords and arrows of my enemies only to be conquered by a little water. I lashed out from the depths once more and my spirit found a fresh host. In a similar strait, he clung to the side of a craft with his last breath. He surrendered his body to me, extracting an oath that I would avenge his murder and his family’s abuse.

I agreed.

My name is Vengeance.

Now, don’t you want to join the Sausage Grinders who will see the chapters of this story in their raw unedited form as they develop, months before the public sees them? Join my Patreon community today! I’ll start posting chapters as I write them for Sausage Grinder Patrons next Sunday.

This is just a quick note to acknowledge the conclusion of Just My Luck! as a serial on this platform. It's been a fun ride for me, and I hope you continue to enjoy my stories.

Just My Luck! is the first of three planned short drama novels I'll be releasing. The next one will begin September 20. I'll be posting details of what to expect on Sunday.

Enjoy!

This is number 152 in the blog series, “My Writing Life.” I encourage you to join my Patreon community to support my writing.

IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW, I was a theatre kid. I did both my undergraduate and graduate work in theatre, specializing in design, though I was accepted into a doctorate program in Dramatic Theory, specializing in playwriting.

Well, that didn’t go very far.

What brings this all to mind is that this week, I’ve been in Portland, OR to see a couple of plays and join my friend Angus in polishing a tip rail or two. The plays I saw were Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear performed by Salt and Sage Company at the Artists Repertory Theatre.

Both shows were played on the same set and I had a seat in the front row center. It was a good seat. Sadly, that’s because there were only 40-50 people in the audience in a theatre that could seat at least 150. People missed a good show. It's playing for another week so if you're in Portland, get a ticket!

The setting was versatile and adapted well to both plays. They made use of quite a lot of original music, played and sung by the cast. Good voices. There were fifteen in the cast, and as most repertory companies, the same actors played in both plays. Many traditionally male roles were played by women or non-binary actors. The opposite of what would have been done in Will’s day. Very well staged.

It got me thinking about my own design for King Lear at UIndy, back in 1971. It was considerably different than what I saw in Portland this week. It was the first really big show I got to design and tech direct. (And play the role of Albany. We did everything in those days.)

I knew the director liked lots of levels. When we’d first met to go over the concept he’d drilled that idea into me. Lots of levels. Cast of 40 or 50. It was huge. I did all the usual drafting of floor plans and Prof. Williams approved. So, I built a model. I showed it to the director and he shook his head.

“I like the platforms and levels and steps. It just needs to be more rustic.”

The next model needed to look more ancient. After six models using the same platform design, but with different decoration, Prof. Williams threw his hands in the air and said, “It needs to be more cliffy!”

Bells and whistles went off in my head. I was back in two days with a model that remarkably resembled the finished set. Wish I could show a picture in this blog, but I'm not going to post a link as it would cut the visibility of the post. If you want to see it, ask. "Cliffy" was a magical word, and I developed a construction technique that enabled me to make it ‘cliffy.’

And that has been a phrase that has stuck with me ever since that fall of 1971 college production.

There is a reason I decided to write about this, besides a trip down Memory Lane. When writing, there frequently comes a time when I try several different approaches to a story, often discarding entire drafts. I know the books in The Props Master went through as many as fifteen drafts before I reached one I was happy enough with to publish. The unpublished Book 3, Child of Earth is currently in its sixth or seventh rendition and I’m still not happy with it. (Much to my editor Pixel the Cat’s displeasure.)

I find myself going back to Prof. Williams’s words in that smoky office of his. “It needs to be more cliffy!”

That’s not an instant solution, but it reminds me to look at the problem in a different way. Look for where the inspiration is. Look into the heart of the work and you’ll find where the cliffs are.

I’m far from an expert. I think I’m still learning things about writing every day. And sometimes what I need is simply that old reminder.

Make it cliffy.

This is number 151 in the blog series, “My Writing Life.” I encourage you to join my Patreon community to support my writing.

MITCH TOLD ME I was one of the “good liberals” because I didn’t keep trying to change him. I knew there was no chance of ever changing him, so I didn’t try. In fact, that made me a very bad liberal, not a good one. I went about trying to mitigate the damage he did instead—through my writing and my votes. In fact, I voted just this week.

And Mitch wasn’t a bad person. He bought all my books, for example—not to read, but so he would have an autographed copy in case I got famous one day. To Mitch, everything was based on the payback he could at least potentially get from it. Don praised him and that behavior as being a great businessman. Profit motivated.

Mitch and I agreed on many fundamental concepts. Courtesy was good. Rudeness was bad. But our general principle could be overturned. For example, Mitch drove from Eastern Washington to Seattle. He exercised common courtesy on the road. Someone signaled to change lanes, so he slowed a little to let them in. Common courtesy. But when he signaled to change lanes, a driver sped up and cut him off.

“If that’s the way they’re going to drive here, then hell if I’ll let them in!”

From that point on, no Seattle driver deserved his courtesy. He did not consider that he had become part of the problem.

In Nathan Everett’s (Wayzgoose on SOL) duology, City Limits and Wild Woods, I explored these moral dilemmas from a different perspective. Gee Evars, a man without a memory, struggled to determine what would make him a better man, and his high school work crew often engaged in conversations with him. On one occasion, he overheard the boys talking about an upcoming basketball game.

“Those guys are mean on the court. And the refs give up and stop calling them on the fouls. I hate having to play them in the first game after we get back to school.”
“What are we going to do?” Jim asked. He was another of the basketball players who had joined the crew.
“I say we give it right back to them,” Lonnie said. “I’m tired of getting kicked around the court by them.”
“I agree,” Barrett said. “I’m not going to put up with it. They play nasty, we play nastier.”

Gee stepped into the conversation and asked if they considered themselves to be ‘nasty’ players. If not, why would they let someone else control the way they played? It was a point they hadn’t considered. Were they no longer clean players because their opponents were nasty?

At another point, Gee witnessed his nemesis, who opposed him at every opportunity, miss a turn on icy roads and crash into a freezing river. At considerable risk to himself, Gee went into the river and rescued the unconscious man from his flooding car.

“Why would you save his life when God put him in a river to drown?” Trevor asked.
“Would I be a better person if I let him drown?” Gee responded.

Surprisingly, many conservative readers responded to the chapter saying, “Yes! He would.” Gee was not convinced.

City Limits and Wild Woods are available as eBooks from ZBookStore and the paperbacks are also available online. City Limits is this month’s free Patrons Edition eBook for my Patreon members.

To Mitch and the observable conservatives in our government, the good principles we profess to adhere to—like courtesy, kindness, and aid—should be freely given to those who deserve it. To liberals, those good principles should be freely given to all.

That in a few sentences, is what I consider the difference between conservatives and liberals.

NOT ALL CONSERVATIVES! And certainly not all liberals. And not all men. And not all white people. And not all of anyone else. Just enough to make it observable.

I am convinced, for example, there are many conservative congressmen and senators disguised as liberals. They’ve decided being called a Democrat defines them as a liberal, even though they live and vote for the benefit of those they consider deserve it, or from whom they can realize a profit.

That might be good business. It’s poor government. In fact, it is poor humanity.

Even though this post is short, I won’t dilute it by adding other characteristics or examples. Don’t look at me as if I consider myself a good liberal. I do what I think I can, and it often shows up in the behavior of characters in my novels. I’m frequently accused of being too political. I don’t consider it political. I try to be realistic and humane. I don’t see an end to that.