
DATE: Wednesday, April 9, 1997              TAG: 9704090042

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  106 lines

TOM BIRD: WRITING GURU HAS INSPIRED MANY FLEDGLING AUTHORS TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS

TOM BIRD, a self-made writing guru, is bringing his act to Norfolk for a series of lectures at Old Dominion University this weekend.

Spreading a unique writing strategy, the Pennsylvanian has helped several aspiring authors place their dreams between dust jackets.

His four seminars at ODU will cover all the bases from the creative process to marketing the final product.

Many of his success stories have been here in Hampton Roads.

Kathleen Brehony swears by him.

``I'd read every book on writing,'' said Brehony, a clinical psychologist with a practice in Virginia Beach and author of ``Awakening at Midlife,'' a philosophy-tinged ode to the over-40 set.

``I'd gone to workshops,'' she continued, ``and bought tapes. Then I saw this Tom Bird was lecturing at ODU.''

She went and was so impressed that she became one of his private students. And in an office packed with books - and in the company of her yellow labrador retriever - she wrote a book.

``Tom has the ability to understand blocks and how to proceed writing,'' Brehony said. ``And there are certain rules to getting published - I guess it's a protocol. Unless you're an insider, you never know what it is.''

Brehony is under contract to produce a follow-up for her publisher, Riverview Books, a subsidiary of industry giant Putnam. She's also working on a novel.

And she only keeps office hours three days a week.

Fellow Bird student Karen Jones, a weather anchor and reporter for WVEC-TV news, achieved her lifelong dream of publishing a book. ``Kingdom of Hearts,'' a romance novel following the exploits of a vivacious maiden named Catherine, landed in book stores last year.

``With me, he worked on hitting me over the head,'' said Jones. ``I knew I could write and write well, but the idea of writing a whole novel, then getting it published - that's something you just don't know how to do.''

Bird guided her as she wrapped up a novel three years in the making, and he helped her land an agent. A small Canadian publishing company bought her book.

Brehony, Jones and other Tom Bird proteges meet monthly in Virginia Beach. Bird has his own newsletter and a computed program based on his how-to books. He also plans to organize a national company to disseminate his teachings to hopeful writers.

For a price, of course.

It's a business that seems like a far, lucrative cry from his beginnings as a public affairs man for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had literary aspirations and literary frustrations. Much like the folks he now teaches, he'd tried it all to no avail.

He developed his own system, and by the time he turned 25, he published his first book on baseball great Willie Stargell. He had a big-time publishing house in Harper and Row. More books followed, including a string of how-to-write books that are also the foundation of an interactive computer program and his lecture series. The later books and the computer program were put out by Sojourn Inc., which is his company.

He has lectured at universities across the nation.

``The only thing I always wanted was to be an author,'' Bird said. ``After becoming an author, I thought it would be nice to have a small stable of students I work with.''

Among his growing stable of writers is Alfred L. How, who has three books under his belt and is working on No. 4. None of them has been published yet, but the 35-year-old Virginia Beach resident still counts himself among the Bird faithful.

How is an Old Dominion graduate with an M.B.A. from UCLA.

He quit his job three years ago to begin an action-adventure novel, which evolved into an introspective trilogy. The husband of a school psychologist, How said he is fulfilling a dream that will hopefully result in writing screenplays for a living.

He met Bird nearly five years ago.

``After the second class, we sat around and talked about the creative process,'' How said.

``Tom said if you know what you're doing, you can train yourself to get in that groove, that state to open yourself up creatively.''

Three-and-a-half novels later, How is hunting for an agent. For a writer who didn't see himself even completing a work for another decade, maybe two, that in itself is a victory.

Bird's energy, according to his charges, is infectious.

Karen Jones has at least 10 books in her head, not to mention a few projects already in the works.

Her eclectically decorated Virginia Beach apartment is shared with antiques, house plants and a pair of felines.

In her office, she keeps notes, photos and decorations from a surprise party members of her writing group threw for her when her book came out. One prominently displayed item is a Burger King paper crown, which was placed on her head at the party.

She finds inspiration everywhere she looks, including in an old painting hanging by her stereo.

``Look at that,'' she said, gazing into painted waves being plowed by a ship. ``There's a woman on that ship. She's the captain.''

She smiled and said, ``That's a novel.'' MEMO: ``How To Get Published'' is Friday evening. Saturday seminars are

``Start Writing Now,'' ``Let Ideas and Inspirations Flow'' and ``Your

52-Week Game Plan.'' Admission cost is $38 for each, or $135 for all

four classes.

For more information, call Old Dominion at 683-4423. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Color photo

KAREN JONES