Sherry Briscoe's Blog

The morning light feels softer this time of year — a little slower, a little more sacred. The air carries the scent of woodsmoke and memory. November has a way of making us pause.

It’s the season of reflection — a time when gratitude rises to the surface like sunlight breaking through clouds. And among the many blessings we count, one stands eternal: the freedom we wake to every morning.

Freedom — that quiet, steady miracle we sometimes forget to notice — has never been free. It was earned in the dust and distance of foreign lands, on ships and bases and battlegrounds where brave souls stood between us and the dark.

Our Veterans — men and women of every generation — carried that burden so we could live in the light. They’ve missed birthdays and holidays, laughter and home-cooked meals, so we could wake to a world where our dreams are our own to chase.

To every Veteran, I say this with all my heart: thank you. 

Thank you for your courage, your discipline, and your faith in what this country can be.
Thank you for protecting not just our borders, but our everyday moments — our morning coffee, our books, our laughter, our chance to build something better.

As we gather with family and friends this season, may we do so with reverence. Let’s lift our glasses not just in celebration, but in remembrance — for every soldier who served, every family who waited, and every freedom we hold because of them.

Gratitude is more than a feeling. It’s a way of living — a choice to remember the cost of the peace we enjoy.

So today, as the flag ripples in the autumn wind, I whisper a prayer of thanks — for the hands that saluted it, the hearts that defended it, and the spirits that keep its promise alive.

To all Veterans — you are the guardians of our tomorrows.
And for that, we are forever thankful.

As a Veteran myself, I can only say I am humbled and honored to have given a part of my life to the freedoms we love.

There’s a shift in the air this time of year—the first whisper of autumn as the mornings grow crisp, evenings fall sooner, and the leaves begin their fiery transformation. For readers, this season feels like a personal invitation to curl up with a blanket, a steaming cup of tea, and a book that sweeps you away. For writers, it’s a call to lean into the mood of mystery, suspense, and reflection that autumn so naturally brings.

The chill of autumn is more than just weather—it’s atmosphere. It’s the creak of floorboards in an old house as the wind rattles outside. It’s the thrill of stepping into a story where the unknown waits in shadow. It’s the perfect time to lose ourselves in stories that invite goosebumps, whether they come from a heart-racing twist or a hauntingly beautiful line of prose.

Readers, this is your season to devour novels that match the changing skies: cozy mysteries, gothic romances, eerie ghost stories, or heartwarming tales set against golden leaves and pumpkin harvests. Writers, this is your season to lean into mood—let the shortening days and lengthening nights color your imagination. Ask yourself: What secrets are buried beneath the fallen leaves? What voices are carried on the cold wind?

Autumn is a reminder that stories, like seasons, shift and cycle. Some endings are inevitable, but every falling leaf hints at the promise of renewal.

So grab a book, light a candle, and let the chill of autumn wrap you in its storytelling spell. Whether you’re writing or reading, this is the season where imagination feels most alive.

When a company sees a decline, or even just a static year in business, they look for a strategy to improve.

Strategic planning is the first step to take you from where you are to where you want to be.

Use these 5 steps from The Book of Five Rings to improve any part of your life.

Keep in mind, if you’ve read the book (which I highly recommend) these are my interpretations, using the 5 strategic points given in the book.

It’s always good to look at something from a new perspective. Ask, ‘what if’ and ‘how else can I interpret this?’

Way (ground)

This is your starting point. What are your current strengths and weaknesses? This is where you stand right now.

Strategy (water)

Think of diving into a pool. You need to know how to swim. You should have a plan of where you’re swimming to and how long you want to be in the water. If you’re deep sea diving, you need the proper equipment and to know where you’re going. What possible dangers or pitfalls might lie ahead? Be prepared.

Homage to heaven (fire)

Respect those who have gone before you. Learn from other’s mistakes and successes. Listen to advice, study, research and make smart moves.

God (tradition — wind)

Be inspired, follow your spirit. Let yourself go-with-the-flow when the occasion calls for it. Follow tradition where it makes sense, but let yourself be guided by spirit to break the rules when necessary.

The void (that which is not)

Let go of your doubts and fears. Those are not truths. They are invisible lies that can hold you back, if you let them. You are surrounded by a field of energy at all times. Whether you charge your energy field with negativity or positivity is entirely up to you.

5 steps to achieve success:

Know what your current abilities are. Where to place your focus and what you need to work on.Make a plan. Have a goal. Be prepared.Don’t reinvent the wheel. Learn from what others have done.Listen to your heart and be open to new possibilities.Let go of fear and doubt. Don’t let what doesn’t exist in truth hold you back.

I was a WAC. Not wackadoodle, just WAC — Women’s Army Corps. Then we merged with the regular U.S. Army and I was simply a grunt. That’s what they called us low-ranking people in green.

A million miles from home, I was the Battalion Commander’s personal secretary, of the 71st Maintenance Battalion in Nuremberg, Germany.

But my story really starts one spring morning about a week before Easter. I woke up. The sun was shining brightly into the barracks windows, and I felt awesome.

No reason, I just woke up that morning feeling fantastic. Best mood ever! I got dressed, went to work, and got situated at my desk. The only one to beat me to work that morning was the Colonel’s driver, a young, tall spindly fellow with big ears.

We halted our early morning conversation when a loud rumbling thunder came towards us from the other end of the long hallway.

“Better look out, the Sergeant Major’s in a bad mood,” the driver said with a raised eyebrow.

“The Sergeant Major’s always in a bad mood!” We both chuckled at the truth of that.

CSM Middleton lived to terrorize the troops. It didn’t hurt that he was over six feet tall, built like a refrigerator, and never smiled. I used to think of him as Frankenstein’s monster. The only thing missing was the bolts in his neck.

CSM Middleton screeched to a halt at my desk and glared at me. “Have you made the Colonel’s coffee yet?” He roared.

“Nope, but I will.” I smiled up at him. I had a beautiful smile, too.

I was in a fantastic mood, and no one, not even Command Sergeant Major Middleton, was going to take that away from me.

I stood my ground.

“Have you organized his schedule for today?” Middleton roared even louder.

“Nope, but I will.” I smiled even bigger.

It was a stand-off. Him growling and me smiling.

The Sergeant Major spun around and stormed off to his office. And I got to work doing my duties for the day. Smiling.

The Sergeant Major left the office after that without saying a word to me. Obviously, he didn’t know how to deal with someone like me. Someone who was happy. Someone who stood up to him.

I walked over to the post exchange for lunch and saw a large greeting card with Charlie Brown and Lucy on the front of it. Charlie Brown said to Lucy, “You know what’s wrong with the world?”

Inside the card, Charlie Brown said, “There’s too much apathy.” And Lucy’s response was, “Who cares?” Typical Lucy!

I bought the card, along with a large chocolate bunny, since it was almost Easter, and took them back to the office.

Inside the card, I wrote, “I care, have a wonderful day.” And I signed it. Placed the card and the chocolate bunny on the Sergeant Major’s desk and went back to work.

This was a man who yelled at everyone and only looked for what was wrong. He was a friend to no one, only the terror that everyone feared.

He came back later that afternoon, was in his office for only a few minutes, then gone again. And he didn’t show up again until a week later.

CSM Middleton never acknowledged the card or the bunny. But there was a change in him when he returned the following week.

He may have still been a bully to everyone else, but to me, he was kind. He shared his pictures from his trip with me. He invited me to dinner with him and his wife. He began treating me like a daughter. Apparently, he did have a daughter about my age who was away at college.

And when I left Germany, it was the Command Sergeant Major who threw me a going away party.

I didn’t let him take my happiness away. Instead, I showed him kindness and made a friend.

Stand up for yourself. It might surprise you at what happens when you do.

You DO have a choice!

He rejected happiness as a personal pursuit of pleasure.

Leo Tolstoy, the renowned novelist and philosopher widely known for his masterpieces such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, had a complex and nuanced idea of happiness that evolved throughout his life.

In his early years, Tolstoy believed that happiness came from living a life of pleasure, success, and social status.

However, as he grew older, he became disillusioned with this idea and began to explore deeper philosophical and spiritual concepts.

Later in life, he thought true happiness could only be found in pursuing a meaningful life and work, one dedicated to serving others and living in accordance with nature.

“I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good and who are not accustomed to having it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor — such is my idea of happiness,” Tolstoy said.

Tolstoy advocated for a simpler way of life, free from the distractions of modern society and focused on pursuing spiritual growth.

He believed true happiness could only be achieved by living a simple, virtuous life and helping others.

For Tolstoy, happiness was a way of life.

“Pierre was right when he said that one must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and I now believe in it. Let the dead bury the dead, but while I’m alive, I must live and be happy, Tolstoy said.

His idea of happiness was deeply rooted in his Christian faith and his belief in the power of love and compassion to transform people and society.

Tolstoy’s ideas of happiness were closely tied to his philosophy of nonviolence and his belief in the power of love to overcome hatred and injustice.

He thought love is everything

“Love is the only way to rescue humanity from all ills.”— Leo Tolstoy

Love is the most important thing in life, according to Tolstoy.

It is what gives our lives meaning and purpose, and it is what connects us to others. “People are always happy where there is love, because their happiness in in themselves,” Tolstoy said.

Through his work, Tolstoy emphasized the importance of love in our lives, both in our relationships with others and in our relationship with the world around us.

He believed that love was the key to happiness, fulfillment, and a meaningful existence.

Tolstoy rejected happiness as a personal pursuit of pleasure

In his later years, Tolstoy rejected the idea of happiness as a personal pursuit of pleasure and material gain. Instead, he emphasised the importance of leading a life of virtue, simplicity, and compassion.

He believed in the importance of simplicity and frugality and advocated for a more egalitarian and communal way of life.

He argued that true happiness could only be achieved through serving others and working towards the greater good.

“Joy can only be real if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness,” says Tolstoy.

He thought everyone had a responsibility to contribute to society and to help those in need and that by doing so, we could find true meaning and fulfilment in life.

He emphasised that pursuing happiness was not just a personal goal but a collective one that required us to work together to create a more just and peaceful world.

Live in harmony with nature

“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” — Leo Tolstoy

One of the key elements of Tolstoy’s idea of happiness was the importance of living in harmony with nature.

He observed human beings were meant to live in a state of balance and harmony with the natural world and that a disconnect from nature could lead to feelings of isolation, emptiness, and unhappiness.

Tolstoy was deeply critical of modern civilisation and its disregard for nature. He observed industrialisation and urbanisation had led to a detachment from nature and that this had led to a sense of alienation and emptiness in people’s lives.

He saw the natural world as a source of inspiration, healing, and spiritual renewal and believed that we must protect and nurture it to find true happiness.

Tolstoy thought happiness was closely tied to the pursuit of truth and knowledge. And that true happiness could only be achieved by seeking to understand the world around us and by living in accordance with the laws of nature and the universe.

In summary, Tolstoy’s idea of happiness was rooted in a deep sense of spiritual and moral purpose, a commitment to serving others, living in harmony with nature, and a belief in the power of love to transform individuals and society.

His ideas continue to inspire and challenge us today as we seek to live more meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Finally, remember what Tolstoy said, “If you want to be happy, be.”

 

 

The secret sauce for authors and bloggers, and all who need Email followers.

Follow these 18 steps to success in order to grow your email list.

Add an opt-in form to your website. This asks people who visit your website to sign up for your newsletter. If may also offer an incentive to do so. You can see mine here: sherrybriscoe.com.Share a link to a Pinterest board that tells a visual story about your book (or a character). This is a great way to incorporate colors, locations, moods, themes, etc. bringing your story to life for those visual learners.Write a monthly (or whatever suits you) progress report of your journey. Make it meaningful for your subscribers by sharing lessons learned, inspirational moments, or challenges to be overcome.Surprise your subscribers with more than they were expecting. A bonus chapter, an additional guide, or an extra service.Check your email and blog comments frequently, and answer your readers’ questions, follow-up on their comments. I always make sure to write their name in my response (when it’s given).Include updates on your news, a new book release, book awards, price promotions, book signings and appearances. Your readers want to know the latest!Repackage older, but evergreen posts. Create image quotes with them. I use Canvaand BookBrush. Both of these offer free accounts.Use Reader Magnets. Free downloads of short stories, a sample chapter preview, guides or checklists for subscribers only. When people subscribe to my newsletter, they receive a free download pdf of a short story.Share a review of a book you read and loved that you feel your readers might also enjoy. I post all my book reviews on Bookbub, but also refer to them in my newsletters.Poll your readers and get their opinions on future projects or book cover ideas. I often poll readers for my book titles and cover images. It helps me know what resonates with my readers.Allow subscribers a peek behind the curtain and share a bit more about you. My newsletter has a section titled About the Author, where I try to share something personal from my life. It helps them to know you’re human!Share a list of books or resources that you recommend.Maybe you can offer a free training or mini-course to your subscribers. This is especially great for non-fiction authors.Use an email service to set up autoresponder messages. I use MailerLitefor my newsletters. Aweberis also another great provider. However, there are many providers available. Review the costs, the pros and cons of each before you choose one.Share your manifesto. I recently read Octavia Butler’s manifestoand was blown away! If you don’t have your own manifesto — create one.Offer a promotion code for a discount on your latest book. I run free or 99 cent specials all the time.Insider info. Give your readers exclusives and even ‘reader appreciation gifts’.Share a sneak preview of your next book. Many authors create a special post with the ‘cover reveal’ of an upcoming novel.

Overall, there are many steps to creating and building a valuable email list.

Start with a solid website offering an easy sign-up form.Be consistent in your writing. My newsletters go out once a month.Know your audience and give them what they’re looking for. Specials, inside information, sneak previews, tips for their own business.Reward your followers with Reader Magnets and occasional reader appreciation gifts. I’ve given away amazon.com gift cards and even some Kindle e-readers.Make sure your writing is visual, well-crafted, memorable, relevant, and compelling to your readers. Give them value.

I hope all those who celebrate Mexican culture and heritage on Cinco de Mayo have a wonderful fiesta. This festive fifth day of May has evolved from celebrating a day of victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 in Mexico to honoring the country’s traditions, food, music, and dance.

But Cinco de Mayo isn’t the only reason to celebrate in May. First, of course, was May Day! Especially important to me since that is my grandson’s birthday. It’s celebrated as a day to welcome spring in many parts of the world, with customs like dancing around maypoles and giving May baskets. 

Coming up, we have Mother’s Day. I admit this day is always accompanied by a bittersweet feeling for me. Bitter because my mother, whom I loved so much, is no longer with us. I miss her every day. But, sweet because I am a mother of three beautiful children, although they’re all adults with their own families now. And after my marriage to Darryl, I have three bonus daughters who I get to enjoy.

Lastly, is Memorial Day at the end of the month. A time to fill our souls with all the wonderful memories of those who are no longer with us.

Whatever you celebrate this month, I hope you enjoy with those who mean the most to you. Make wonderful memories to carry forward in your life.

Even as writers, we need a business plan. So, I wanted to share with you the best one for authors. Of course, you could probably apply this to whatever your career field is, maybe with just a few little tweaks.

Start with a Mission statement. I know, that sounds like boring work, but you really do need one. Just define yourself, what you do, and why you do it. This could encompass your goals, your vision, your intentions – everything. This sums up everything that makes you a writer in one succinct little piece. Think of this as YOUR elevator pitch.

who you arewhat you readwhat you writewhat inspires youhow you writewhy you write

Next, think about your brand and style. How do you present yourself and your writing to the world?

Think about your ideal reader.  Here’s a clue – it’s not everyone!

Establish some goals and timelines. This will help you consciously decide to focus your attention where you need it most at this point in time.

Categorize these goals depending on where your priorities are, what the difficulties of the goal are, and how long it will take you to achieve them.

Life timeAnnualQuarterlyMonthly

Make sure they’re the types of goals that set you up for actionable steps and realistic success.

What would you like to accomplish as a writer in the next 12 months?

Examine your work schedule. What will it take for you to reach the goals you have? What is working now, and what needs to change?

Though we hate the word, MARKETING is a big part of our success, whether we’re self-published or traditionally published. We have to get our work out there to the readers. We need to help them find us. Social media and online ads are a big part of that.

Once your plan is complete, stick to it. When yew opportunities come up, see if they fit your plan. It’s important to take advantage of potential windfalls, but only if they further your goals and you have the time.

Is what I’m doing or about to do helping me achieve my goals?

Unleash your creativity with movies for writers.

As an author, I love movies about writers. I connect with the main characters immediately, because I understand the crazy world they live in.

Here’s my list of ‘go-to’ movies for any writer:

Adaptation — comedy/drama

starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper

American Dreamer — romantic comedy

starring Tom Conti, JoBeth Williams, and Giancarlo Ciannini

As Good As It Gets — comedy

starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, and Cuba Gooding Jr.

The Boyfriend School — romantic comedy

starring Shelly Long, Steve Gutenburg

Castle — TV show

starring Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic

Dan In Real Life — comedy

starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, and Emily Blunt

Dead Poets Society -drama

starring Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke

Delirious — comedy

starring John Candy, Mariel Hemingway, and Raymond Burr

Finding Forrester — drama

starring Sean Connery, Rob Brown

Finding Neverland — fantasy

starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet

Funny Farm — comedy

starring Chevy Chase, Madeline Smith Osborne, and Joseph Maher

Her Alibi — comedy

starring Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, James Farentino, and Patrick Wayne

The Ghost Writer — thriller

starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan

The Lost City — comedy

starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Brad Pitt

The Majestic — comedy/drama

starring Jim Carrey, Martin Landau

The Man Who Invented Christmas — comedy/drama

starring Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer

Misery — thriller

starring James Caan, Kathy Bates

Murder She Wrote — TV show

starring Angela Lansbury

Romancing The Stone — romantic comedy

starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito

The Secret Window — thriller

starring Johnny Depp, Maria Bello

Sibling Rivalry — romantic comedy

starring Kirstie Alley, Sam Elliott, Bill Pullman, and Jami Gertz

Stranger Than Fiction — comedy

starring Will Farrell, Emma Thompson, and Dustin Hoffman

This Beautiful Fantastic — comedy

starring Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott, Tom Wilkinson

Throw Mama From the Train — comedy

starring Billy Crystal, Danny DeVito, and Anne Ramsey

Under the Tuscan Sun — romantic comedy

starring Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, and Vincent Riotta

Of course, these are only a few of the amazing movies out there about writers. I would love to hear your favorites that we can add to this list!

Your friend, fellow writer, and lover of all things magical,

Sherry Briscoe

Reader, Writer, Wordsmith Advisor — navigating the universe of fiction and fantasy, sharing words of wisdom and inspiration. Send coffee.

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9 Tips you can use in your novel.

Billy Wilder broke into films as a screenwriter in 1929. After leaving Germany, he emigrated to Paris, then the US. Among Wilder’s most notable films are Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Apartment (1960) (which won him Best Picture and Director Oscars). 

 Use Wilder’s 9 tips to make your writing shine.

Grab your readers by the throat and never let ’em go.

Here Billy explains to get to the meat of the story right away. Open with action. Don’t start out with twenty pages of back story explaining how the main character got to where he is now.

Hook the reader on the first page. Create an unforgettable scene to start your story with.

What does the character want? As Wilder states, “Drama is the story of a character’s struggle toward a goal or objective that he cannot and will not do without. The story starts with that goal being revealed and then opposed.”

2. Develop a clean line of action for your hero.

Know what your through-line is. This is the primary goal of the hero throughout the entire book. He is always chasing this one thing. The through-line can’t change mid-story. If his goal is to get the girl in the beginning, it has to continue to be that throughout the entire book.

Knowing what your character wants is the key.

3. Create a map for your story.

This can be an outline, a bunch of post-it notes with all the main plot points, or beats of the story. Whichever way works for you, knowing where you’re going will help you get there faster and better.

I use a simple outline, and it helps me shape my vision.

A character may or may not get what he wants. But it’s important that he struggles in a clean line toward his goal throughout the book.

4. Hide your plot points subtly.

There’s the surface story (the psychiatrist struggling to treat a child who claims he sees dead people) and the secondary story (the psychiatrist is dead himself).

The better and more elegant you are at disguising the secondary story, the more your readers will feel a sense of participation in uncovering the plot and assembling the puzzle you have laid out.

5. If you have a problem with your third act, then you have a problem with your first act.

The first act of your book establishes everything. The setting, the character, and the dramatic problem. It entices and teases the reader into the story.

The second act, the bulk of the novel, is where these elements get complicated.

Go back and make sure the first act completely establishes the full dimension of the main character and the premise.

6. Let your readers figure out some things on their own.

As Wilder says, “Stories are patterns that follow predictable paradigms, chronology, and logic. When the pattern has a part missing, or a part that does not seem to belong, we instinctively go in search of the missing piece. Our brains try to complete the pattern: we try to figure out the plot.”

Write in a way that lets your readers add up two plus two. 

7. The turning point that triggers the end of the story.

Near the end of the second act, you should have a pivotal point, an event that determines whether or not the hero will achieve what he wants.

This event will decide the character’s fate. 

Past that moment, there is no going back. Volatile things have changed, and the universe has lined up in a certain way from which there is no retreat.

8. The third action is all tension followed by the climax. 

This is the moment that the whole story has been leading the reader to. All questions are answered, and all problems are resolved.

9. Readers are fickle.

Don’t write to market. Write what you love, what moves you, and what you’re passionate about. Write in the genre you love to read. Write for you, not them.

There are millions of valuable writing tips out there, and I’ll share all I can with you. But as always, use what feels right to you, and disregard the rest. 

If you liked this article, you can follow me on Medium for more, https://medium.com/@sherryabriscoe.

Like to read suspense fiction? Tap for your free short story here: www.sherrybriscoe.com

Your friend, fellow writer, and lover of all things magical,

Sherry Briscoe

Reader, Writer, Wordsmith Advisor — navigating the universe of fiction and fantasy, sharing words of wisdom and inspiration. Send coffee.

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