Monday, April 13, 2020

Interview With Humor Author Laverne H. Bardy




 Driving Backwards On a One-Way Street


What inspired you to write a humorous book, Driving Backwards On a One-Way Street?

My first book, HOW THE (BLEEP) DID I GET THIS OLD? was the inspiration to put together this second book. In addition, a number of loyal followers suggested it might be time for another book.  

How does it build on your previous book?

It doesn’t really build on my previous book. It is more like an extension -- a spinoff of my first book. It is seventy-one short, funny, memoir stories that spotlight the humor I extract from ordinary days. While they are all true, they are sprinkled with healthy portions of exaggeration.  

Laverne, what is your newest book about?  
          
Like my first book, it is about finding humor in the aging process which includes deteriorating body parts, sagging boobs, arthritic joint pain, hearing loss, cataracts, knee and hip replacements, pace-makers, pill-box rituals, retirement, and hair sprouting from strange new places.

You say you are a “Savvy Senior.” Why?

I am feisty, playful, and young at heart. I rarely think about my age, and I am not afraid to jump into life with both feet. Even though my mother told me to never speak to strangers, a pleasurable hobby of mine is eavesdropping on conversations I overhear while seated in restaurants and standing in lines. And, often, my nosiness leads to interacting with the strangers I’ve been snooping on. I’ve learned that all I need do is smile and confess what I’ve been doing, and people laugh and are happy to interact and offer further insight into themselves.

How does humor help people understand your viewpoints?

Humor is the common denominator. My personal, often laugh-out-loud, stories help people recognize and accept that they are members of a worldwide club, called AGING. If only subliminally, this causes them to feel less isolated and frightened. With Humor at the helm, they become comfortable in the knowledge that they are not going through this scary transition alone.  

Tell us three things we will feel, learn, or enjoy about your book.

1.    While reading this book a smile, and constant bouts of laughter will remain with you until the last page.
2.    It’s imperative that you always be cognizant of your surroundings, or you will miss so much of what life has to offer.
3.    Being able to extract humor from even the mundane is the key to a happy life.  

What advice do you have for struggling writers?

Struggling writers often believe there is a mysterious set of rules they must follow to become a “real” writer. They are also under the misconception that they are not officially a writer unless they’ve had something published. Neither of those statements is true. If you write, you are a writer. Whether or not your work has yet been accepted for publication doesn’t change that. You are still a writer.

Every writer works differently. Some require the discipline of setting a time for themselves to sit before the computer and write every day – for two to four hours or several thousand words. That is terrific if it works for you. But, I am not disciplined. I do sit at my computer every day, where I drop in on Facebook, check my e-mail, read the news and, eventually hope to produce some creative writing. But my muse has been known to spend a great deal of time in Bermuda; so, I wait patiently, knowing that when she returns I have a shot at being prolific.

Until such time, I have an IDEA folder on my computer’s desktop. It is there that I store random sentences, ideas, paragraphs, thoughts, and observations, with a goal of one day being able to select and build on one or more of them if my muse happens to be on vacation.

I believe that writers can benefit from being part of a Writing Critique Group. The group should consist of between four and six people with different levels and experience. They should meet once or twice a month to evaluate each other’s progress. This only works if critiquing is done with kindness and valid suggestions; never with malice.


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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.

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