Gary Lucero Writer

I have been experimenting with Google's NotebookLM, an AI service where you upload sources, which are documents, and then it creates summaries of what it finds. You can then ask NotebookLM to create a podcast based on the sources, and it creates a fun and interesting audio overview where a man and woman talk about the sources. My first podcast, on my book of poetry In Letting Go, is currently live on Facebook, YouTube, and PlayerFM, and should be live on more podcast services over the next week or so.

Here are the links that currently live. I'll update as the podcast becomes more widely available:

PlayerFM
YouTube
Facebook

IHeartRadio

Podchaser

BoomPlay

I am a prolific reader, and I plan on this being the first of many posts on what I'm reading.

The first thing you need to know is I no longer read fiction. I am often disappointed with novels, so after years of reading some great books and plenty of terrible ones, I have given up on them. I almost exclusively read non-fiction, and though I regularly reread Michael Crichton's wonderful Eaters of the Dead, and Philip K. Dick's amazing Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. but the most recent novels I tried to read, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson, and Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson, were both disappointing, especially Eruption.

Right now I'm reading On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King, which is not only entertaining since the man had such an interesting childhood and a struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, but once he finishes explaining his past, he launches into a great introduction on writing, with solid advice on every aspect of how to write a novel. It's rekindled my interest in revisiting my short stories but also provides useful information I can use to write poetry.

I highly recommend the book if you have any interest in writing.

I've been writing poetry for over 45 years, and while I had dreamed of publishing a book for at least a couple of decades, I never felt like anything I wrote was good enough. I just didn't have the confidence to show others what I was doing.

It wasn't until I found myself so frustrated with wanting a meaningful creative outlet that I decided it was important to see if what I was writing was good enough to publish. I no longer was willing to accept poetry as a hobby. I wanted to sell my books to others.

I've now done this, and my first book, In Letting Go, which became available on Amazon.com on October 1st, 2024, while not a hit, is selling and is being reviewed positively. My next book, The Unknown Race, which is slated for release on March 1st, 2025, is an even stronger book, and I think it might find more success.

And while I don't expect to find fame or fortune with my books of poetry, what I hope to achieve is some measure of success. Consistent sales, helpful reviews, and a small but appreciative readership. If I can reach these goals, I'll feel like I've accomplished a great deal.

But how do I go from selling fifty-three copies of my first book in its first 90 days on the market to consistently selling book after book in sufficient quantities that that slowly, over time, I make some kind of name for myself? I don't know, not yet, but I'm willing to continue writing and publishing, focusing on quality and consistency over trying to make a quick buck.

I realize this is going to be a long, hard road, and while I'm not a young man, I hope I have enough good years left in me to find this success, and to die pleased that I was able to share my experiences with others in a form of art that I find satisfying.