On the Scene in Aberdeen: Book Signing Event at Harbor Square Vendor Mall

The Wind in the Willows

Never read the book, but I'm using the title for this blog post that begins with a wind storm. The second of three.

We have no willows on our lot. In fact the only tree we have is a twig of a lilac. I could sit and contemplate this "tree" from the bay window seat, but what would be the point? It's a twig.

The rain pours down in blowing sheets. The power could give out at any moment. The lights have blinked a few times. And we're not yet into the worst of the storm. I won't go into further detail except to say we could be in for it (then again, maybe not).

There's this story in the Bible about a dude named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus with questions about how to be "saved" and Jesus gives him a somewhat cryptic answer about being "born again." He then goes on to say:

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

And so it is with the "muse" as well. Sometimes there is inspiration and sometimes there is not. (The lights just flickered again.) With that said, there is always wind. It may not be blowing in your favor,but it can be harnessed by you, nonetheless. It's been said like this:

"One ship sails east, the other west, by the selfsame winds they blow; 'tis the set of the sail and not the gail that determines the way they go."

Meaning? It's up to you to move. It's all about how you use what you have. In sailing you can move the direction you choose--even into the wind-- by a technique called beating to the wind.

And it's the same way with writing.

Beating to the wind involves numerous small maneuvers in order to advance into the wind. (There's a lot to it, so if you want to know more look it up on Wikipedia.) In writing you can do much the same. When you can't plow forward by freewriting you can take baby steps.

We've got NaNoWriMo coming up. 

That's National Novel Writing Month; which is November. The goal is to write a "novel" of 50,000 words in length in thirty days. It's mostly a plow-through type of effort, but sometimes you get "stuck" by this thing called writer's block which is really nothing more than not being able to come up with something brilliant to write.

The secret is to write anyway. It doesn't have to be brilliant.

Author Shannon Hale writes: 

“I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.”

And there are a LOT of things you can do to keep "sailing." Techniques for overcoming "writer's block" abound. Begin with a Google search and then try a few until you find what works for you.

And (LOL) I began this post not having ANY idea what I was going to write. I had one word: wind. I took it from there. See what one can do with just a little wind?

HOT, HOT, HOT! News to Bake Your Brain

Boy, is it HOT! Bet you haven't heard that before. LOL

Well, the weather is going to cool down a bit this week. Out here in Aberdeen we'll see a twenty degree dip from the 80's. But we're not here to talk about the weather.

Things are heating up on the home front. We continue to work on the renovation of Harbor House (still quite enough to keep us busy) as well as active promotion. We were in the newspaper this week and last week we were on the radio. There are a few other media things lined up and we're about a month out to open.

We continue to find good deals on some of the furnishings we need. Now we just need 30+ folding chairs, LOL (and a few other things).

In other news:

My lovely wife is getting a book together for publication. And I have a new idea (a book of my poems and Ruth's photos). However, most of my writing (other than ad copy and press releases) has been set aside while we get Harbor House off the ground.

I'm working on a play (39 Steps) at the Driftwood Players Theatre; building sets and working on a lighting effect. That's in my free time. LOL

That be it for now.

If you'd like to know how the IndieGoGo goes you can click here.

Announcing the Harbor House Grand Opening Open House! Come One, Come All

The Story of How I Came to Writing and Why My Wife and I are Starting the Harbor House Writing Center

Scoops Ice Cream and Espresso in Aberdeen, Wash. 2016, really.

Harbor House really is the result of our own journeys as writers. For me it went something like this:

As far back as I can remember I’ve been a storyteller. In grade school I would put on shows that I wrote, or make films I scripted to amuse friends and family. People seemed to like my work and that gave me a great sense of satisfaction.

In time I discovered that I was a decent storyteller, but not a very good master of written English. I lacked grammar and spelling skills and so I received a lot of red ink and little encourage from my teachers in those days. Unfortunately, red ink often earns a lower grade, not to mention parental ire. I felt like a failure and my interests shifted to music and theater.

It wasn’t until I went to university in my thirties that my passion for writing was recognized and encouraged. It was there that I began to actually care about parsing a sentence and communicating well. I graduated from WSU in 1999 with a humanities BA and a Professional Writing Certificate. Then, while pursuing a career in multimedia, I wrote my first book and self-published it in 2005. That felt really good and the book opened many doors for me. Suddenly, I was speaking at conferences across the nation! I wasn’t a failure at writing after all.

One of the things that I learned in college, besides the mechanics of writing, was that it wasn’t those mechanics that made you a valuable writer—it was the ability to engage an audience. Sure, form was important, but no one is ever recognized for having good form. You get recognized for crafting compelling, moving and memorable stories.

Well, after awhile my multimedia career fizzled out and, in 2007, I decided to return to school where I studied more about writing. In 2009, I earned a second BA and then tried to find time to write. There were false starts, episodes of self-doubt and a string of rejections as I labored over three disparate projects, trying to find my niche and voice. I used the time to hone my craft by working in journalism and commercial writing (as well as other odd jobs that my heart was never in).

What I really wanted to do was write my own stuff!

Besides, having Asperger’s—a form of high-performance autism—I was taxed greatly by the social environments that were part of what was expected in the work world. At the end of the day I was mentally spent and found it hard to tackle my own projects.

Finally, in 2012, I set everything aside to boldly pursue writing full-time. I self-published my second book while trying to attract a publisher to other works. The rejections and self-doubt continued, but I didn’t let them tear me down. I found encouragers and supporters—other writers and authors—to cheer me on. And I cheered them on, too!

Four years and ten more books later...

I’ve learned a few things and I am more passionate about writing than ever. And now I want to share the journey and the joy, the encouragement and the experience, the insight and the inspiration with other writers struggling to hone their own skills and find their own voice.

A year ago my wife, who has her Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing, approached me with the idea that we could open a writing center. The idea stuck. How we ended up in Aberdeen, Washington to do that? Well, that's another story.

NEWS: Upcoming Harbor House Radio Interview

I'll be sharing about Harbor House on http://www.kxro.com/ radio, 7:40 a.m., Friday (08/12). 15-20 minute segment.

I'll be joining Kyle Pauley, along with News Director Daniel Hargrove and Pat Anderson for an interview on the Morning News Show.

For those out of the area you can tune in live on the Internet at this link above (play button is at the top, near the the menu bar).

PUMPED: The Newest Harbor House Writing Center News and More!

Hello Friends. Thanks for joining me again. I'm pretty pumped today!

I got a new book in the mail that I've wanted for a long time. Well, I wanted it before it was available. It's newly published and we don't have a bookstore where I live, so I had to order it online. I've read excerpts and just had to have it. It's Hearing God in Conversation by Samuel C. Williamson.

Plus another book just came out I hafta get, it's The Long Journey to Jake Palmer by Christy Award winner James L. Rubart--my favorite author. So, I'm pumped about getting that soon.

Plus, last night my wife and I got the Harbor House website online and it is lookin' gooood. Be sure and check that out. We've been working on that, but we're also working on the physical building. My son and I just finished building a window seat into the bay window and the next step is covering it. Anyway, I am transferring most of the news about that to that blog,

And then there's the fact that...

I got the IndieGoGo campaign for the Harbor House up and running this morning AND we got our first backer contribution! Which means you can go-go there right now and get all the news about this exciting project.

Here's the video (but please, do go to the site and make a pledge--there's lots of cool swag):


Okay, nuff said. Now I'm going to go work on another refinishing project. Sigh. LOL

The HARBOR HOUSE Writing Center Website is Live; IndieGoGo Campaign to Begin Soon

The Harbor House website is now live at: http://harborhousewriters.blogspot.com/ AND we've set the Grand Opening Gala for Sept. 24. Here's the info:

Changes and updates are happening daily. Watch the new website for information.

The New HARBOR HOUSE Swag is Coming!

Right now we're lining up some exclusive HARBOR HOUSE swag and rewards for our IndieGoGo backers that you won't want to pass up. These MUST HAVE GOODIES are just the ticket for you or a writer you know.

Here are just a few of the spiffy items we'll be offering to our generous benefactors:

Our Exclusive Harbor House Bookmark. 1.5" X 7" on 14 lb. glossy UV coated stock w/ rounded corners. Front^.

Bookmark backside^. URL not yet active.

To read what's on the back click to enlarge image.

<Or this: Our exclusive HARBOR HOUSE mug. (Be sure to read the backside.)

Plus, there will be monthly and yearly memberships.

But Wait! There's more!!!

Sure there's some groovy stuff, but what about the BIG STUFF?

Well, check out these great rewards:

• a two hour Personal Coaching Session (on any writing/publishing topics you desire) 
• a Custom Book Trailer 
• a Custom Cover Design
• a Manuscript Analysis
• AND an overnight stay at the Aberdeen Guest House Inn & Suites for two on Sept. 24 + a Cajun dinner for two with Ruth and Greg at the Harbor House prior to the Grand Opening Gala + a breakfast consultation at Denny’s the following morning + a signed copy of Chicken Poop on my Sole + two Harbor House mugs and two Harbor House bookmarks + a pre-publishing package for your completed manuscript which includes editorial services, typesetting and interior layout, a book cover design, and a custom book trailer!

Want to know more?

We urge you to watch this blog for further launch details and how you can acquire these and other rewards.

Your First Look at the Interior of Harbor House

I thought it about time to share our progress on the HARBOR HOUSE. 

As we move toward our anticipated [now] (save this date) September 24 Grand Opening we still have quite a bit to accomplish. And yet, we have also done quite a bit. Up until now a lot of the work has been, primarily, behind the scenes (planning, projecting, research, and promo-tional preparation), but we are working on the physical site as well.

The Library

Here (following) are a few shots of the nearly finished library. There are still a couple final touches to complete (like the wall art and more resources), but you'll get a very good idea for the "feel" of the setting from these photographs. (The next best thing to trying it out for yourself.)

We eventually plan to build a floor to ceiling bookcase on the wall to the left of the French door (first photo) as our collection merits.

Note the comfy-looking wing back chairs, the ceiling fan and natural light. The overhead fixture can also provide lots of bright (LED) light for reading.

We'll also be adding some end tables and a coffee table to complete the furnishings.

The Conference Room

Now, (following) I am going to show you a shot of the primary meeting space which is far from done.

Please bear in mind that there is plenty of work (from paint touch-ups and cleaning to wall art and furnishings) to be done in this space. We'd like to replace the carpet, but that project is lower on our priority list and may not be done right away. Note the period wainscotting and chair rail.

Now note the smaller bay window on the left; we'll be building a relaxing window seat (for curling up with books) into that space. The wall on the left will house several study spaces, and the other bay window at the far end will be a cozy nook (much like the library). Along the right hand wall (out of frame) there will be a beverage and snack bar. Additionally, the room will be able to seat 30-36 persons in a classroom setting.

One other space (besides the restroom), the foyer, also needs work and I'm saving the before picture to show with the after photograph (when it is taken) for a later post.

How YOU Can Help

We'll be beginning an IndieGoGo crowdsourcing campaign in about a week or so to fund further renovation, revitalization and other capitol needs. At that time we'll be asking for your help. As a thank you for your support we'll be offering deep discounts on our services and products as well as some very cool swag.

In the meantime, if you'd like to know more about our services and plans please read this post from an earlier date. And be sure to stay informed and in touch by following this blog.

Local Writer Seeks "Pen Pals"

Well, as many of you know I have relocated from Cannon Beach, Ore. to Aberdeen, Wash. 

Back on Oregon's north coast I had a local network of writers to share with, grow with and commiserate with.

When I lived in Clark County, Wash. that network was even larger. Sure, we all stay in touch electronically, but it's not the same.

Here in the Grays Harbor area I have yet to develop a supportive network. The closest writer's group (that I know of so far) meets a half hour away on the second Saturday of the month. I have not yet been able to attend.

I'd like to meet and network with local writers in the greater Aberdeen/Hoquiam area. If you're a writer or author (or know of any) anywhere near here, please let me know.