Busy Writing...

When life gets the best of you, find a quiet place in nature. 

Hug a tree and it just might hug you back. 

A long over due visit to California's Redwood Forest in 2015.

Sharon M. Himsl

Published: Evernight Teen 

The Shells of Mersing

Happy New Year: IWSG Question and Writer's Prayer for 2019

My thanks to Alex and the Insecure Writer’s Support Group in giving writers an opportunity to express their fears and insecurities. A great way to offer encouragement too. Anyone can join. Just click on the tab above and sign up. Postings are the first Wednesday of every month. Members are encouraged to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. 

The awesome co-hosts today are Patricia Lynne, Lisa Buie-Collard, Kim Lajevardi, and Fundy Blue!


Today’s optional question for discussion: "What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?"

Since moving to a new community in 2014, an hour from any major city, I rarely see other writers. I miss being asked about my writing and never minded their interest or questions. We were in the same boat and usually shared similar struggles.

Word did eventually spread when my novel was published here in 2017. As I am shy about sharing my writing life, my new neighbors were surprised when they learned about my book in a local newspaper. There is a definite disconnect between being an introverted writer and the requirement I promote my writing in an extroverted fashion. It's a strange disconnect for me. Am I alone in this? I therefore felt terribly out of my comfort zone and probably blew it by not setting up some community book signing. I've only had one. 

Awkward questions about my next book followed, which of course made sense if I wanted more readers. And then there was that unspoken question....that if I was a writer, well....why hadn't I published anything else yet? I guess I satisfied their curiosity by publishing garden articles over the summer in the newspaper, but I wish I wasn't such a slow writer. 

As for daily goals, my husband gave me a miniature timer for 4 daily events. Thinking about this, I listed some practical have-to events. I know I can fit in other things I love like reading, gardening and cooking, as these require little motivation.

1- Blog & other social media -1 hour or less daily as needed

2- Write daily - 3 hours or more

3- Exercise daily - at least 30 minutes 

4- Bills, filing, etc. - 1 hour or less daily as needed

So then I felt inspired this morning and wrote a Writer's Prayer for 2019, which I share below....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

  

"A Writer's Prayer for 2019" 

May you walk along the free

sandy shores of discovery. 

May kindness find its way 

to you and yours with the break of day.

May you bask in the warm sun, 

pausing for a bit of fun.

May you find gold amidst the embers

and peace and comfort in the forest firs. 

May words flow like petals from heaven,

soft and pure with healing, again and again.

May words flow with joy, faith, and laughter 

when nothing else matters.

May your writer's pen bless you abundantly, 

and ten-fold more, those who read and see.

~~Sharon Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

Published: Evernight Teen 

The Shells of Mersing

Hide Me Please: Reflective Time Restores the Writer Soul

Credit: FreeImages.com

We all need time to unwind .... and re-wind, especially after a flurry of activity. As life often does, it interrupts, takes you on unexpected paths, sometimes fun detours that give you an abundance of writing material for the future. No regrets. 

Family, friends, and unexpected activities that interrupt take my hand and pull me in various directions for awhile. All good, all good. Helping Mom with an arthritis fare-up. Did you know that wrapping up in an electric heated blanket works wonders? Meeting up with friends recently, talking of old as we always do. Touring a magical Christmas store in Tri-Cities, complete with live reindeer and traditional Christmas music. Shopping online and finishing my Christmas shopping for faraway family, a first to be so early. All good, all good.

But when the dust settles after such activities, there is a part of me that wants to retreat, to hide out for awhile and reflect. I find myself sitting in front of or staring out the window. I revisit a clip board I use to sketch writing ideas. There to my surprise I find a scene I'd written for my novel, forgotten but safely tucked away, waiting for my return. I begin sketching an introduction to a nonfiction book I'm working on and wonder if it would also work as an inspirational talk for young adults. Can I do this? I wonder. Much to think about as always, much to do.

Warm Wishes for a Merry Christmas! And may there be moments of reflection too that nurture your soul along the way in this busy, busy season of life. 

~~Sharon

Sharon M. Himsl

Published: Evernight Teen 

The Shells of Mersing

IWSG: Reflecting on my Writing Life

A supportive, encouraging group for writers. 

Thank you awesome co-hosts for November 7 

posting: Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, 

Ann V. Friend, JQ Rose and Elizabeth Seckman!

How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?

Bear with me. I start with the negatives but end on a positive note. I've been writing for many years now, but only recently was my fiction published. I actually found a publisher (a small press). 

Initially, I was over the moon excited, as only my nonfiction had been published before, and this was the novel I'd spent 10 years rewriting. Out of the gate sales were okay I guess, but then dropped to practically nothing. (It's been 16 months). 

Now I'm wondering what (if anything) I did wrong. The publisher did do some marketing, but most it would seem depended upon my efforts. I hear other writers complain about their low sales and wonder. What are normal sales anyway? I've followed all of the online advice, setting up a Blog, Twitter, FB, Instagram and have spent an enormous amount of time learning the process. 

Allowed to fester, this kind of thinking gets me in a rut. I contemplate silly things like:

--My profile photo online. Should I smile more and look less serious? Maybe a caricature would be better. How about a younger photo?    
--Embarrassment. I committed to doing the NaNo this November, but now I'm so pitifully behind, it's a 'why bother'. 
--Feeling like I'm in a popularity contest. Why did "they" get so many reviews? Why did "they" get so many visits and comments at their blog?  Oh....the road to jealousy is a bad one, folks.
--Blog overhaul. Should I go with a different color? A new theme? Would it be more energizing? Would it generate sales? Do ads even work?

This kind of thinking feels like such a time waster. Feeling sorry for one's self never accomplishes much, other than to rewind and start all over again.Thankfully, I'm too busy to linger long. The best therapy is really to get back to work....whatever the task at hand is. 

Truth is, I enjoy writing. When I wrote a garden column for our local newspaper this summer at zero pay, I didn't mind. I had always wanted to write about gardening. I've gained confidence as a writer over the years. A younger me would have felt unqualified to write for a newspaper. As an academic editor (now retired), I learned the importance of "less is more." Academic writers tend to be overly verbose and I got pretty good at red-inking their manuscripts. If nothing else, I learned that 'rough' drafts are indeed that--they always need work. 

Freelancing with an educational publisher later helped me stay focused on the topic at hand. I tend to wander in my thoughts, easily distracted with the details. I still have a certain editor's voice in my head ("stay on target"/"keep your focus). I learned how to research history too, at the library and online when it was still the wild, wild internet west. We have so much data available today. It's almost scary. I've done quite a bit of pioneer women's history at my blog as a result. 

I'm more reflective these days and find myself wanting to write poetry. 

View of sunset from author's home.

I'm a slow writer but I'm okay with that. I tend to be a perfectionist and like the results. I've been reading a book about happiness. It talks about the importance of the three P's in life: Purpose, Pride and Pleasure. I took a little quiz and I came up short on having enough pleasure in my life. I recently returned to church, which should help, as socialization is key to finding healthy pleasure. I fully understand the other P's. Purpose and Pride in what I do are important to me. Right now, I'm helping my mother write her memoirs and it's taking precedence over my current novel. She's 93 and I love being able to honor her in this way. I'm learning so much about our family too.

Last but not least, I found a better way to connect with the IWSG group. Turns out Facebook is an easy way to connect with other members (as opposed to the blog-o-sphere). Members responded quickly to a question I had asked recently about autographing books. Linking my blog post to FB and IWSG site will help promote this post too. There is always a learning curve isn't there? I'm looking forward to connecting with more writers in this group. I live in a rural community, an hour's drive to any writers' groups. IWSG is starting to fill that void.

Sharon M. Himsl

Published: Evernight Teen 

The Shells of Mersing

So What's Everyone Doing?

Well, I'm reading and probably should be writing but I found a good book and I can't stop reading.

This is Roald Dahl on steroids for adults. Honestly, I had no idea the book existed. And did you know he's Norwegian? Really....now that I should have known. I'm half Norwegian after all.

But seriously, the guy really knows how to write. I discovered 'Going Solo' in a Roald Dahl children's collection I had purchased to divide up among my grandchildren.

I'm embarrassed to admit I have never read the children's books he's most known for. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, to name some.

But if you like memoirs with a sense of humor that focus on the WWII period, flying airplanes, and living in Africa, Going Solo is for you!

Well, I have been typing too.... Not my own work, but my mother's memoir. I love the little miner sitting on the keyboard. He's 'panning for gold' and that's exactly what writing about a life history feels like. Mother is 93 so you can imagine there's quite a bit of life to glean from there.

But I'm back to thinking about writing for myself too, and will use this miner for inspiration. Just 500 words a day someone on Instagram posted today. Now that feels doable. My current novel is around 22k, so I have a ways to go if I'm going to reach 60k.

How about you. What have you been up to?

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Stuck...It's not such a bad thing

Shipwreck freeimages.com/Roger Buser

Shipwrecked, stranded, and especially the word STUCK comes to mind with this image. Ever feel that way when everything you are trying to do in your writing feels frozen? 

IF you're like me you have to set everything aside and focus on something new to get moving again. I've been cleaning house, tossing out old papers in my office, cleaning elsewhere in the home, thinking about painting, and window coverings....baking sourdough breads (my go-to source of comfort lately), but mostly throwing stuff away. 

One example, and boy did it ever feel good, was to throw out a file drawer full of research on a nonfiction book I almost did for an educational publisher years back. I kept thinking this would be great for historical fiction. Most came from hours of copying at a university library.....Why? Because the network was still questionable back then when it came to research. Yet all that work, I kept reasoning.....surely it could be used elsewhere. So I had a serious talk with myself. IF I were to seriously do historical fiction, wouldn't I use online resources after all? Wouldn't I? So into the garbage it all went....volumes worth. And how did I feel afterwards? A sense of freedom.

Now that I'm clearing the plate so to speak, I am beginning to see my office and goals more clearly. This is not to say I'm now unstuck, however. As I'm kneading the dough for sourdough pitas, and letting another batch of dough rise for sourdough crackers, I'm toughening up to start writing again. It's time for the explorer in me to investigate this hunk of junk before me.  

To be honest, that's how my current manuscript feels at the moment. My Na-No experiment awhile back left me with a story that began twisting and turning in strange ways. Was it the creative juices taking over or do I really need to start again? I'm hoping there are treasures to find nonetheless as I investigate. Time to explore! If I come up short, I'll bake more sourdough. 

"Sourdough Pita Bread"

2 cups flour (my favorite combo: 1c whole wheat and 1c spelt)

1 T. sugar

1/2 Tsp. salt

1/2 cup sourdough starter (freshly fed)

1 T. olive oil

3/4 -1 cup water (room temperature)

Mix flour, sugar and salt together. Make well in center and add oil and starter. As you mix, add water 2-3 T. water at a time as needed to make a workable dough. Knead until soft and elastic. Place in greased bowl and cover. Let rise to about double. Punch down. Shape into 8 lemon-size balls (thickness of two tortillas). Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 5 min. Meanwhile, heat up a griddle or skillet to medium heat. Roll dough balls into 6 inch circles and fry in light oil. When the dough puffs up you can flip over for a few seconds to lightly brown. Enjoy!

 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Happy Earth Day, Hello from the Trenches - Still Celebrating the Small Things

Chrysanthemum in a pot

A nice message (below) for Earth Day from Jane Goodall! We have quail on our property. Did you know that the males and females mate for life? About 90 percent of bird species in general are monogamous. Hubby and I enjoy watching the mamas and papas, their head plumes bobbing away in rhythm as they scurry about with their tiny chicks  in tow. So-so cute. One of these days I hope to catch a photo. They move fast when they see me.

I love nature, don't you? I love watching all it has to offer, the honeybees enjoying my crab tree blooms, the robins listening for worms in the ground, the occasional crow (did you know they are as smart as a seven-year-old?), and on and on. I write a garden column for our small newspaper and found myself thinking the other day that aphids have a right to eat too. Ha-ha-ha. I know, I know, but this is how my mind works. 

So I made a batch of homemade insecticide, with Dawn soap, vegetable oil and water. It repels aphids and other insects, but I doubt if it kills them. I'll need to spray the infestation at least a couple more times. My poor snow ball bush was covered. 

But on to the real purpose of this blog....recording my writing journey. You already know about my novel The Shells of Mersing and the long, long road to publishing it. If you haven't had to chance to read, you can find it at Evernight Teen for 25% off this weekend. I urge you to take a look. I am so grateful to this publisher for taking a chance on me. There are many other books there too in different genres. Mine is an adventure mystery, a sailing journey, a sweet romance. 

Our small sailboat, Duet. Friday Harbor, WA

You've seen me in the A-Z April Challenge. I do hope that is going well for everyone. I noticed a huge number didn't participate last year. That said, I will always be grateful for this wonderful blog hop. It got me thinking about topics I had always wanted to explore. People still come to my blog to the read the A-Z posts. 

Learn something new

Dare to be yourself

I've been gardening and thinking about working on a sequel to my novel as I work. Gardening is normally great inspiration for me, as there is time to think, but my novel has been on hold since December when my mother moved into a retirement home. My focus has been on her needs, but I'm trying hard to get back to a more productive writing schedule.  

In this together

 

How has your writing journey been going? 

Let me know in your comments. 

 

http://lexacain.blogspot.com/2015/01/celebrate-small-things.html

Yep, still Celebrating!

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

IWSG: Writing in Different Genres

Sure, I've toyed with the idea of writing in a different genre, but it helps to familiarize yourself with the different genres to see where you fit first. 

I found a list of book types or genres that gives a good idea. 

Science fiction - Nope, never felt I could write in this genre, although I enjoy watching Sci-Fi movies and TV. My one claim to book reading in this genre would be Orson Scott Card's 'Ender' series. What a great series that was!

Satire - Nope, not a Mark Twain writer, which is my definition of satire, although I'm sure writers of satire could define this better.

Drama - I'm more of an action/adventure gal. I think drama involves in depth character sketches. Some writers do this extremely well. I would like to perfect this skill.

Action and Adventure - Yay, my cup of tea! 

Romance - Love it within another genre, but not by itself.  

Mystery - Yes, bring it on! But not the hard boiled detective type. 

Horror - Can't do it. I'm afraid to both watch and read horror, although I admit I have watched Stephen King movies. 

Self help - Hmm....wish I could say I had the expertise to write one. I read my share as a young woman trying to sort out the 'what ifs' and 'whys' of life.   
Health - I've done some on my blog and enjoyed talking about the benefits of adding fruit to our diet. It was fun. I may do one on vegetables next.

Guide - Yes, probably could....but sounds kind of boring.
Travel - I did a little. There's a travel writer in me that never got the chance. Ah, if I were younger and had more time to explore.

Children's - Yes, I have tried. Picture books, but not middle grade, which I am considering. 

And yes, to Young Adult of course. 

Religion, Spirituality, New Age - The subject is fascinating to me, but writing-wise, only as related to research of a character or situation.

Science - Nope, I do not have the education to write, but I did edit food science books and articles in my day job once. Now if gardening is a science, I could write about that!

History - Yes, I could and have done this. I researched 1920 to 1940 for a nonfiction book, and wrote about the Shoshone Indians for another. I've done a number of nonfiction series on my blog on women in history. Wish I could apply to Historical Fiction

Math - Oh dear, not for me.

Anthology - This has become rather popular lately, but have not done - yet. 

Poetry - Yes, but I'm more of a closet poet.

Encyclopedias - I helped a professor prepare and edit a large series of Food Engineering articles for the 'Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems' for the United Nations. Pretty proud of the project and final product.
Dictionaries - Nah, but you know, they need writers for this too.

Comics - Nothing but respect for those who have the talent!

Art - Not my cup of tea, but lots of talent out there!

Cookbooks - Have thought about this, but the world is overrun with cookbooks already. It's more fun to be inventive as you cook. Only problem with this style is you win some, and lose some! 

Diaries - Yes, I have kept three in my life. One as a young teenager. Another in college. A third during my 9 months in Malaysia. I also keep a dream diary (when I remember). I highly recommend diaries. You can discover some real gems for your writing.
Journals - Yes, I sometimes log my writing progress and thoughts. I do as needed to motivate.

Prayer books - I occasionally keep a prayer list. I usually list 10 things and/or people I'm praying for, then cross out when answered. You'd be surprised how many prayers are answered! I don't write out prayers or do devotionals.

Series - I would love to write a series. Lucky are those who find an interesting character or subject that warrants one! I keep thinking about this.
Trilogy - I'm working on a sequel to 'The Shells of Mersing' right now, but it's not likely to be a trilogy.

Biographies - Only as related to some fictional piece I'm working on.
Autobiographies - Yes, tried this once. Boring! But I think you could add Memoirs to this category, which I have tried and like.

Fantasy - Have never tried. I would need to read this genre a lot to feel comfortable. Lots of folks adore this genre, so I keep thinking I should try. If Time Travel works, that would definitely be my choice.

Wow, that's a lot of writing options! I should add I wouldn't mind trying adult fiction. At least two of my first short stories were from a male perspective for the adult market. I felt very comfortable writing in the male voice. Another story was Orwellian in nature about an elderly couple, the strangest thing I have ever written.

Flash fiction is kind of fun too. Again for the adult market. I've never written one to completion, but have had some great beginnings. How about you? Where do you fit in your writing? Are you all over the map like I am?   ~Sharon

Author of The Shells of Mersing

New Review - GoodReads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THANK YOU Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh and co-hosts for the September 6 posting of the IWSG, Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure!!

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

---

Celebrate the Small Things: Setting Goals and Getting Ready for Fall

I don't know about you, but there is something about the onset of Fall that gets my creative juices going. I saw this challenge on Facebook at my publisher's author site and decided this was for me. 

You basically devote 100 days of activity to an artistic/creative endeavor between now and December 31, 2017. Mine is to finish outlining my new novel and actually begin writing chapters. You set the challenge, and ideally plan each day in advance. I plan to commit at least 25 minutes a day (by timer if necessary). I know the time will be longer if I can just put my butt in the chair, but it's how my mind works (I have to trick it into compliance). Of course, everyone does what works best for them. #SHOWUP100

Today was DAY 1. I worked on the synopsis and back stories, and boy did it ever feel good. As this is a sequel, I loved pulling in characters from the first book, deciding who would no longer play a role. It wasn't easy. I wanted to give them all top billing on the novel stage, but alas, some actors no longer fit. Anyway, wish me luck! Have any of you tried this method?

The challenge is necessary. My husband and I just spent the last two weeks painting our home. I haven't been writing at all. We managed to put on one coat, but it was good paint and should get us by till next spring, when we'll apply a second coat. Frankly, it's been too darn hot to accomplish much more, and it's smokier than ever here. VERY tired of the smoke! 

Nonetheless, the signs of Fall are already here. The leaves of our new service berry tree are already beginning to turn. The mums are starting to blossom. We have Fall planting to do as well, but not nearly as much as last year. 

I hope you are doing fine. I've been offline far too long, but had so much stuff to do this summer. I have book reviews piling up that I need to do as well. Eventually, eventually. It all comes together somehow, doesn't it?

Take care everyone. Remember to smile and take deep breaths. I look at the world and have days when all I can do is shake my head in the negative, but we saw some beautiful coming together by all in Houston. Made me proud. Still tough for those folks, but help keeps coming in. I try to remember, it could always be worse, and that celebrating the small things in life is what matters most. 

ALSO Celebrating my novel and reviews. Check it out: 
The Shells of Mersing 

"Come celebrate with us" 

To join "Celebrate the Small Things, visit Lexa Cain's blog

Co-hosts are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Celebrate the Small Things: Summer, Book, and YA News

Hi, I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer! Smoke from the Northwest and Canadian fires has finally cleared and the temperature has dropped to the mid-eighties. ~Breathing a huge sigh of relief~

'SHELLS' Watch. Another week and I haven't written my novel's sequel yet. Ha-ha-ha. I'm still trying to figure out how to promote the first one. Thankfully, sales are up for  The Shells of Mersing. Received my first box of printed copies in the mail and fell in love all over again. Here's another teaser, page 137:


CALLIE MEETS SAM:

"Samuel gives Lucas a high-five and starts to do the same with me, but hesitates. He smiles, a cute half grin, and shakes my hand. My hand melts into his, and his touch is as warm and velvety as any first kiss could ever be. For a moment the room blurs around us.

Irene clears her throat. “Samuel’s homeschooling with us for the summer, while his parents work on assignment in Indonesia.”  

I’m too speechless to say anything relevant in reply. I’d stammer and make a fool of myself if I tried.

Samuel pours himself a lemonade. “So what’s up? Why’s everyone in such a daze?” 

Writers' Conferences: 

• Rivers of Ink 2017 Conference - Kennewick, WA  Aug 18-20 (Sunday is free - Story Structure 1&2)
• Inland Northwest SCBWI Conference - Spokane, WA Sept 16

YOUNG ADULT NEWS: 
Interesting news in the Young Adult genre with the recent publishing of The Black Witch by Laurie Forest. Apparently, this new author is being skewered for being racist. Her stated attempt was to portray a character's transformation after growing up in a close knit prejudiced culture, and apparently she sees the light as an adult. Unfortunately, a critic ranted on Twitter about the racism and what she claims is the book's final effect. The book is 600 pages long, but readers are rejecting the book based on some 500 tweets! 

Here's an example of a quote in the review from pg. 163 in the book: "The Kelts are not a pure race like us. They’re more accepting of intermarriage, and because of this, they’re hopelessly mixed.” Seriously?? This was considered inappropriate? I thought this was fiction. I do not normally read fantasy, but I might make an exception. Perhaps the most compelling point is that the main character's transformation doesn't really begin until halfway through the book. That's a lot of reading with potentially repugnant material. It's possible the author went too far, but still.....

The article states that the tweeted review was  "— a clarion call for YA Twitter, which regularly identifies and denounces books for being problematic (an all-purpose umbrella term for describing texts that engage improperly with race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other marginalizations). Led by a group of influential authors who pull no punches when it comes to calling out their colleagues’ work, and amplified by tens of thousands of teen and young-adult followers for whom online activism is second nature, the campaigns to keep offensive books off shelves are a regular feature in a community that’s as passionate about social justice as it is about reading."

This is not about one bad review. It stirred up a hornet's nest for the publisher as you can imagine. My guess is the brew-ha-ha increased sales, but I'm bothered by the censorship, because the goal was to remove her book from readers and shelves. My question to any author or publisher is: do we really have the right? Parents do this all the time and that's their duty and prerogative. I did this with books (and media) too with my children and would do so again based on age appropriateness, but blackballing an author's hard-earned work riles me up. I may not like everything I read and have the right to express those views, but to embark on a censorship campaign feels just plain wrong. 

What do you think?

Click here for the full articles:  "The Toxic Drama on YA Twitter by Kat Rosenfield and "On Disagreement" by Vicky Smith

Last but not least, it's time to think about Painting the house and Fall Gardening. 

We tend to take on bigger than life projects!!!

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

"Come celebrate with us" 

To join "Celebrate the Small Things, visit Lexa Cain's blog

Co-hosts are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge 

Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog