Writer
Potts Pages - Meet Harriet
July 22, 2016
This week I want to introduce you to my friend Harriet Michael. She has a wide variety of life experiences that she brings to her writing. She has a beautiful smile and a beautiful heart. Let’s get to know Harriet and hear about her new book.
Tell us about yourself. You are a missionary kid, right?
That’s right. I was born in Joinkrama, Nigeria. Joinkrama is located in the Niger River Delta, in the small part of Nigeria within in the tropical rainforest. There really were monkeys swinging in the trees outside of my house when I was a baby. But my parents were moved to the town of Ogbomoso in another part of Nigeria when I was three. It was not in the jungle, like my birthplace. All of my childhood memories are from Ogbomoso. I left there at age 10, but to quote an MK friend “Africa is like malaria; once it’s in your blood, it never gets out.”
We left Nigeria primarily because of the Biafran war. My family settled in Bluefield, WV. I graduated from high school in West Virginia. I met my husband in college, and he moved me to Louisville, his hometown. I’ve been in Louisville for 33 years.
When and why did you start writing and what kind of writing do you do?
In high school, I discovered a love of writing, but I could not spell or punctuate–at all. I punctuated written pieces like some people sprinkle salt and pepper on their food; I just sort of sprinkled commas around in my written pieces, or so it appeared. I grew tired of all the red marks so when college came, I majored in nursing.
Though I did have a few successes, even in high school. My senior year, 1976, our nation celebrated its bicentennial anniversary, and my community held a writing competition. Students from several area high schools were asked to write short essays called “Bicentennial Minutes.” I participated because I had to—it was a required assignment in my English class. A few weeks later, a reporter and a photographer from the local newspaper walked into my high school and interviewed me. Why? Because I had won the competition!
Another spring a year or two earlier, at my high school’s awards ceremony, my name was called as a “Laurel Leaf” winner. This award was given to a written piece, which I had submitted because, again, it was required in my English class. In other words, I had to. No one was more surprised that I won than me!
But for the most part, I was too discouraged with my poor writing mechanics, and I did not pursue it.
Several years ago, someone I loved struggled severely, and I struggled alongside of her. I longed to be able to pray more effectively for this person. I began a personal study of prayer, journaling as I gained insights. After a few years, my loved-one was better, and I had a manuscript written. I discovered I loved writing, now that we have computers!
A few summers ago, I read about an upcoming writer’s conference in my area. I longed to attend, but I was not a writer, at least not a published writer. I showed the article to my husband, sheepishly confessing my new silly dream of becoming a writer. He encouraged me to attend. I laughed as I made plans to attend. I decided I would simply declare myself a writer. The conference was wonderful! The speakers were great. I came back greatly encouraged and more excited than ever about writing. In one of the sessions, I learned about writing small pieces like magazine articles and devotions, as well as how to find magazines in need of articles and how to write query letters.
I came home and tried it and to my surprise, I began getting contracts for my submissions. The money I spent on the conference was earned back and turned a small profit in the first year. And now, though no one saw it coming, I turned out to be a writer after all.
Tell us about your first book that you co-authored.
My first book is a small, seasonal devotional that I co-wrote with my childhood friend, Shirley Crowder. Shirley grew up in Ogbomoso too and lived across the dirt road from me. She is my age. We called each other’s parents “aunt” and “uncle” and we played together every day.
She is a Biblical Counselor as well as a great writer. A few years ago we decided to write a devotional book together. We had a great time doing it! The book contains six weeks of devotions that cover from mid-November through the new year. Many of the devotions contain stories from our childhood days in Africa. The name of the book is, “Glimpses of the Savior” and can be found on my author page.
You also have a new book out on prayer. Why the topic of prayer?
I touched on my reasons for writing about prayer when I answered an earlier question. I had a period of time in my life when I was very concerned about someone close to me, someone I love dearly. She struggled, and I prayed and wanted to know more about how to pray affectively. So I did a search of the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation trying to find out everything I could about prayer. I spent four years searching and writing and at the end of that time I had a manuscript written. That manuscript was a finalist in the 2011 “Women of Faith” unpublished manuscript contest and now finally has been published as a book by Pix-N-Pens Publishing.
How can we purchase your books?
My books are listed on Amazon and can also be found on my author page. The Kindle version is not available yet, but it shouldn’t be too much longer before its available too.
What are you working on now?
Well, I am prone towards doing a dozen things at the same time, and my writing is no different. I constantly search out freelance opportunities and currently have a story out in the recently released Chicken Soup’s “The Spirit of America”, had ten days of devotions in “Open Windows” (Lifeway) last month, a couple articles in SEEK both last month and this month, a devotion in “The Secret Place” and one coming up in the September / October issue of “The Upper Room.”
I also have finished my first novel—a fiction-based-on-fact that is in the publishing stage. It is based on my parents’ lives, their love, and their sense of calling to missions. And I am also beginning to work on a collection of nonfiction stories about prayer to be a follow up to my book on prayer. But that book will not be ready for another year or more.
In addition, my friend Shirley, who co-wrote the seasonal devotional with me, is helping me put together a workbook that will go with the book on prayer so that people can use it in a group Bible study setting and she and I are in the early stages of writing a second devotional book; this one on prayer.
As we close our talk today, do you have a favorite scripture that you can share with us?
I have so many favorite scriptures! It’s hard to pic a favorite, But the one I sign in books when I autograph them is, Psalm 113:3, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” Thank you, Harriet, for sharing your writing journey so far. We will be watching for great things to come for you. Please check out both of Harriet’s books and watch for her upcoming projects. Sue
Tell us about yourself. You are a missionary kid, right?
That’s right. I was born in Joinkrama, Nigeria. Joinkrama is located in the Niger River Delta, in the small part of Nigeria within in the tropical rainforest. There really were monkeys swinging in the trees outside of my house when I was a baby. But my parents were moved to the town of Ogbomoso in another part of Nigeria when I was three. It was not in the jungle, like my birthplace. All of my childhood memories are from Ogbomoso. I left there at age 10, but to quote an MK friend “Africa is like malaria; once it’s in your blood, it never gets out.”
We left Nigeria primarily because of the Biafran war. My family settled in Bluefield, WV. I graduated from high school in West Virginia. I met my husband in college, and he moved me to Louisville, his hometown. I’ve been in Louisville for 33 years.
When and why did you start writing and what kind of writing do you do?
In high school, I discovered a love of writing, but I could not spell or punctuate–at all. I punctuated written pieces like some people sprinkle salt and pepper on their food; I just sort of sprinkled commas around in my written pieces, or so it appeared. I grew tired of all the red marks so when college came, I majored in nursing.
Though I did have a few successes, even in high school. My senior year, 1976, our nation celebrated its bicentennial anniversary, and my community held a writing competition. Students from several area high schools were asked to write short essays called “Bicentennial Minutes.” I participated because I had to—it was a required assignment in my English class. A few weeks later, a reporter and a photographer from the local newspaper walked into my high school and interviewed me. Why? Because I had won the competition!
Another spring a year or two earlier, at my high school’s awards ceremony, my name was called as a “Laurel Leaf” winner. This award was given to a written piece, which I had submitted because, again, it was required in my English class. In other words, I had to. No one was more surprised that I won than me!
But for the most part, I was too discouraged with my poor writing mechanics, and I did not pursue it.
Several years ago, someone I loved struggled severely, and I struggled alongside of her. I longed to be able to pray more effectively for this person. I began a personal study of prayer, journaling as I gained insights. After a few years, my loved-one was better, and I had a manuscript written. I discovered I loved writing, now that we have computers!
A few summers ago, I read about an upcoming writer’s conference in my area. I longed to attend, but I was not a writer, at least not a published writer. I showed the article to my husband, sheepishly confessing my new silly dream of becoming a writer. He encouraged me to attend. I laughed as I made plans to attend. I decided I would simply declare myself a writer. The conference was wonderful! The speakers were great. I came back greatly encouraged and more excited than ever about writing. In one of the sessions, I learned about writing small pieces like magazine articles and devotions, as well as how to find magazines in need of articles and how to write query letters.
I came home and tried it and to my surprise, I began getting contracts for my submissions. The money I spent on the conference was earned back and turned a small profit in the first year. And now, though no one saw it coming, I turned out to be a writer after all.
Tell us about your first book that you co-authored.
My first book is a small, seasonal devotional that I co-wrote with my childhood friend, Shirley Crowder. Shirley grew up in Ogbomoso too and lived across the dirt road from me. She is my age. We called each other’s parents “aunt” and “uncle” and we played together every day.
She is a Biblical Counselor as well as a great writer. A few years ago we decided to write a devotional book together. We had a great time doing it! The book contains six weeks of devotions that cover from mid-November through the new year. Many of the devotions contain stories from our childhood days in Africa. The name of the book is, “Glimpses of the Savior” and can be found on my author page.
You also have a new book out on prayer. Why the topic of prayer?
I touched on my reasons for writing about prayer when I answered an earlier question. I had a period of time in my life when I was very concerned about someone close to me, someone I love dearly. She struggled, and I prayed and wanted to know more about how to pray affectively. So I did a search of the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation trying to find out everything I could about prayer. I spent four years searching and writing and at the end of that time I had a manuscript written. That manuscript was a finalist in the 2011 “Women of Faith” unpublished manuscript contest and now finally has been published as a book by Pix-N-Pens Publishing.
How can we purchase your books?
My books are listed on Amazon and can also be found on my author page. The Kindle version is not available yet, but it shouldn’t be too much longer before its available too.
What are you working on now?
Well, I am prone towards doing a dozen things at the same time, and my writing is no different. I constantly search out freelance opportunities and currently have a story out in the recently released Chicken Soup’s “The Spirit of America”, had ten days of devotions in “Open Windows” (Lifeway) last month, a couple articles in SEEK both last month and this month, a devotion in “The Secret Place” and one coming up in the September / October issue of “The Upper Room.”
I also have finished my first novel—a fiction-based-on-fact that is in the publishing stage. It is based on my parents’ lives, their love, and their sense of calling to missions. And I am also beginning to work on a collection of nonfiction stories about prayer to be a follow up to my book on prayer. But that book will not be ready for another year or more.
In addition, my friend Shirley, who co-wrote the seasonal devotional with me, is helping me put together a workbook that will go with the book on prayer so that people can use it in a group Bible study setting and she and I are in the early stages of writing a second devotional book; this one on prayer.
As we close our talk today, do you have a favorite scripture that you can share with us?
I have so many favorite scriptures! It’s hard to pic a favorite, But the one I sign in books when I autograph them is, Psalm 113:3, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” Thank you, Harriet, for sharing your writing journey so far. We will be watching for great things to come for you. Please check out both of Harriet’s books and watch for her upcoming projects. Sue
Sue
|
Comments:
Post a Comment