How I got my Bright Idea
In January, 2023, after I fully retired, I decided to learn how to market the three books I had written. As is my usual course of action when I set a goal, I began studying. I chose How to Market Your Book, by Joanna Penn. First, Joanna advised me to have a website and an email list. Yeah, right! I had no idea how to create either.
Then she said I must have a “brand”–a general idea of what my writing was about. I realized that my books were addressed to senior women, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones and express their creativity.
Next, she said I must have a website where I could advertise my books and, perhaps, even, create something called a “blog”–a regular message to my readers.
This was exciting! But how in the world could I create a website? I Googled the question, and discovered “Blue Host,” a website- building service. I paid what I considered to be a reasonable amount of money, and Blue Host did all the technical stuff to create my website: booksbysheilal.com.
Then I enrolled in an online guidance program through Bluehost, to help me design and manage my website– including a blog!
In the middle of the night, I came up with the perfect name: Bright Ideas–Senior Women Create! My logo would be a bright lightbulb; and my motto would be: “Let your little light shine!”
For two years now, I have simply kept my eyes and ears open for creative senior women. It didn’t take me long to realize–we are everywhere!
Thanks to all the women who share their creative ideas and dreams on Bright Ideas–and thanks to those who read our stories and, in that way, join us in saying, You go, girl!
How I Wrote My First Book: "Retired Women- Laughing at Gravity"
I wrote “Retired Women–Laughing at Gravity,” in the glow of my first year of retirement. My husband and I had “downsized” our lifestyle–leaving the acreage, horses, massive gardening, and expense of owning a “real” house, in favor of a double-wide mobile home in a senior mobile home park.
I was only 62 and felt young and free. At last I could fill my life with ongoing friendships instead of time-limited psychotherapy clients. Be assured, working as a therapist was a perfect career for someone with my gregarious, curious and somewhat overly emotional personality, but no matter how close we became, my clients and I always had to say: “I’ll never forget you…but it’s time to move on.”
I wanted to share and care without a “termination” date–except, perhaps, the date of our departure from “God’s Waiting Room”, as senior mobile home parks are sometimes called.
My goal was simply to write a book from start to finish. Like many wanna-be writers, I had started many books–only to have them dribble away into oblivion. This book would be different. It would have a beginning and an end. It would have ten chapters. It would have a message.
I had no intention of publishing it as a “real” book. Of course not–how silly even to think of such a thing.
I’m still amazed when readers tell me they “love” my book. Of course, I love it too. And I love the women who laugh on the pages. But, believe me, I never thought I would write a second book.
How I Wrote My Second Book: "The Language of Italia"
One evening in 2011, I sat on my bed, my computer on my lap, with my Kleenex close at hand to wipe my tears and blow my nose. My heart was shattered!
He left me. My husband of 30 years. The one marriage I was sure would last, just went up in smoke! I had lost the foundation of my happiness. I know … that’s going too far! Even then, in my darkest hour, I knew that I, alone, was the foundation of my happiness.
So, what to do? How to reclaim myself? Oh well, I thought, why not Google the question?
Somehow, my Googling led to my second book: “The Language of Italia–a True Adventure”–the story of my love affair with Italy and the Italian language.
Now, fourteen years later, I’ve made four unforgettable trips to Italy; I’ve studied Italian for years online with Duo Lingo; and I’ve made precious new friends who are fluent in Italian.
“The Language of Italia–a True Adventure” reveals my true self–timid in so many ways, yet infused with a daring that amazes even me.
How I wrote my third book: "Poetry for Women Without Men"
A short time before I began writing poems for my third book: Poetry for Women Without Men, someone at my writing group asked what I was working on and I said, “Nothing, actually. My creativity seems to be fallow.”
I was waiting. I’ve learned through experience–I will write again. To never write another word might, actually, be a relief. But it will never happen. Eventually, some impression, or experience, or something another writer has written, will fill my head and heart, and my thoughts and feelings will just come tumbling out on paper.
I’ve played around with poetry in the past, but to write a book of poetry was the farthest thing from my mind. Suddenly, poetry appeared–in my sleep, when I took my morning walk, interrupting a Netflix experience.
Whenever I write, my understanding confidants seem to be sitting there, waiting. In the case of “Poetry for Women Without Men,” my confidants were the many beautiful, creative, brave, mature, single women, who fill my life these days. Of course, there was no guarantee that women who live without the love and companionship of a man would relate to my poetry. The only guarantee was that I would feel so good when the poems were tucked safely into a little book with a great title and a beautiful cover, and I was ready to ask myself: “What’s next?”