The Charles Schulz Philosophy

(I like this a lot. It further underlines my feelings about the importance of being ourselves. Good to remember in our writing and other endeavors. Not always easy to do!!)

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant. 
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. 
These are no second-rate achievers. 
They are the best in their fields. 

But the applause dies . . .
Awards tarnish. 
Achievements are forgotten. 
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: 
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with
the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards. 
They simply are the ones who care the most

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Always be Yourself

Some years back I visited the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton, Oregon. I have never forgotten that afternoon. The institute is one of the best Native American museums I have ever experienced. The museum (actually 3 total) spans 10,000 years of history on the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes. The Living Culture Village was the most memorable, but all of the exhibits were interesting and instructive (I was a student of Native American history at the time). 

On a postcard purchased there, I was drawn to the words of Coyote, a popular mythological character in the legends of many Native American cultures. Coyote is often the playful, mischievous, trickster character in such stories, but he plays an important transformative role as well. I love the wisdom he imparts in the following:

"They call me Ispilyay.

Well we are brothers.

I am the same thing.

The people saw him,

and said, "Oh, another one!

Don't be another one.

Always be yourself."

So why is this important to me? A writer's work is scrutinized under a 'powerful microscope' before being published--by critique partners, agents, and editors, and sometimes our families and friends. I cannot help but wonder, when it is all over with, what is left of mine in the final manuscript. But of course, it is all part of the long polishing process in making one's work better. I am quite blessed to have some very adept and efficient readers who have my best interest in mind and want to see my book published. But when I get discouraged with the process, it helps to remember that I really only need to worry about one thing: being true to the story I wish to tell, which in essence means being true to myself.

Copyright 2012 © Sharon Himsl

Fantasy or Reality?

Clay vases author purchased in 
Kota Bharu, Malaysia

Happy New Year! I wish I could claim credit for the following inspired thoughts. I heard this discussion on talk radio a long time ago, took notes and posted it on my bulletin board. While cleaning up my office recently, I discovered my notes and thought how perfect for the start of the New Year. It goes something like this . . .

There are four stages in the transformation of an idea . . . into reality:

1) Fantasy Stage (dream an idea). This is the soaring stage where you let your imagination go the limit. It sends me running to my computer or notepad to jot down an interesting character, a plot or funny incident before I forget. No editing, nothing pretty--just get it down. Sometimes it's a newspaper clipping, a picture, something someone says, or even a dream I've had that inspires me. 

Enjoy this phase and only share it with fellow dreamers, for only they will understand. This is your creative time.

2) Clay Stage. Ask yourself, what are the things that need to be done to develop your idea? What are the things I can feasibly do today, tomorrow, and this year? Seek the advice of others but only from helpful entrepreneurs. This is hard butt-busting work, but I love this stage. This is where I take a serious look at an idea, expand it into possible chapters and characters, and begin to work out the intricacies of plot, conflict, character development, and theme. I enjoy the research and the process.  

This is where a dream takes shape, like clay in a mold. 

3) Firing Stage. This can be scary. Here your dream is finally put to the test. Be brave and courageous. You may find yourself returning to the clay stage, but always keep your eyes focused on the dream--the ultimate goal. Inch forward (if that is all you can do).  This is where I finally bare my underbelly to fellow writers to check my progress. It is the hardest stage of all for me. Did I do what I intended to do? Do they like what I've written, or is it back to the drawing board to edit, revise and try again? For me the temptation is to stay in the security of the clay stage. 

Don't give up, because the next stage is just around the corner. 

 4) Finishing Stage. The submission stage . . . another challenge for sure, with query letters and finding an agent or a publisher, but this time you have a product in hand!


I'm in the Firing Stage and ready to submit my book to my writers' group for review (next week), but it's not the first time this book has been critiqued. I believe it is close if not ready for submission. I am so close to the Finishing Stage, I can taste it. How about you?
 

Copyright 2012 © Sharon Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Scenes of Christmas

                Copyright 2011 © Sharon Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Focus - Stay the Course

Josiah, Asher and Elisha with Grandma Sharon

I am back from California after spending 2-1/2 weeks with two adorable grandsons, so Mom and Dad could adjust to the birth of son  number three. Looking back when I first took on 'nanny' duty taking care of my daughter's two children for 3 weeks in July (while Mom finished her Master's degree) and my son's boys in Calif. in August for 3 weeks (while Mom was in China), I realized that I had committed over 8 weeks of my time this year to young children. The need was there and I would not change it for the world, but it was more than challenging trying to meet a book goal this fall (i.e., November), added to the fact I also came down with a case of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough.

Huh?--you might say. A year ago I would have told you this is a childhood disease, but so many parents are opting not to vaccinate their kids these days (Washington and Idaho being two of the worst offenders; I live on the WA/ID border), adults are suddenly vulnerable to this serious respiratory disease. Doctors now recommend that adults get the Dtap vaccine, because--guess what? More and more adults are coming down with it, especially those who work with children.

Well, I have no idea how I came down with it (fortunately, my grandchildren didn't succumb). It is a serious disease and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It took weeks to recover, and then on top of it--after feeling better and suddenly getting my energy back, I went bicycling and fell, whereupon I broke an already sore and stretched rib (due to coughing) and added to my recovery (more than 6 weeks!). On top of this, a beloved nephew died suddenly at age 30.

The potential setback in my writing was all there, lining up in perfect order, standing there at the finish line yelling and threatening to stop me in my tracks, but guess what? It didn't happen. My faithful writing coach got me through, encouraging whatever time I could eke out in writing as well as exercise. So, here I am with a completed manuscript (80,000 words) in hand, and except for line edits (2 more weeks to go), it's almost ready for review by the writers' group I belong to. I am now researching agents and publishers. I am so excited, and once again have proven that life events do not have to deter you from your writing (or any goal for that matter).

Focus, it is all about FOCUS. Moreover, I also have greatly enriched my life experience, which continues to be an excellent resource for future character and plot development. I can still hear the pitter-patter of little feet and those precious giggles and untold tears. Will their voices show up in a new book? Who's to say at this point--I don't know. But use what you have been handed, I say, and stay the course, whatever sail you have set. Your writing will soar to new heights--at least that is what appears to be happening to me.

Copyright 2011 © Sharon Himsl

Insight by Diana Greenwood: Book Review

Insight
Author: Diana Greenwood
Publisher: Zondervan, 2011
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Age: 15 up, Young Adult fiction

Until now I have never reviewed a book, but I would like to make an exception with Diana Greenwood's debut young adult novel Insight. I recently met Diana at a writers' conference last spring and just now got around to reading her book. What a delight, I couldn't put it down once I got started. As a history buff, I was tickled to travel down the road in the 1940s in a beat up old truck with the family's main character Elvira on a crowded road trip, complete with campgrounds and a seedy motel, from remote Wisconsin to the shores of California. But it was this young teenager's coming to terms with her father's disappearance in the war that I found so compelling. Added to this mix, Elvira is faced with a distant mother, a cantankerous grandmother, and a little sister who has a strange ability to see the future, along with a kind pastor (their driver) who offers a new perspective on faith. This is published by a Christian publisher, but there are other good reasons to read this coming of age novel. Elvira's struggles in a difficult setting would resonate with young adults anywhere, and there is a heartwarming surprise at the end.


Copyright 2011 © Sharon M. Himsl