{"id":9618,"date":"2023-02-13T13:27:44","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T21:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/?p=9618"},"modified":"2023-02-13T13:41:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T21:41:46","slug":"shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Shimmy On The High Seas: Progress Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9619\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/shimmy-seas-cover-web\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=475%2C695&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"475,695\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=205%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=475%2C695&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9619\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?resize=475%2C695&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"695\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 24pt;\">Can You Write a Novel?<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 24pt;\">Challenge Accepted!<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Many years ago, my mum challenged me to create a work of fiction. Of course, I said &#8220;Yes!&#8221; My mom wants to read a non-DIY or History book by her one and only daughter. How could I possibly say no?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9623\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/screen-shot-2018-10-23-at-2-45-49-pm-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-23-at-2.45.49-PM-copy.png?fit=216%2C216&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"216,216\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screen Shot 2018-10-23 at 2.45.49 PM copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-23-at-2.45.49-PM-copy.png?fit=216%2C216&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-23-at-2.45.49-PM-copy.png?fit=216%2C216&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9623\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-10-23-at-2.45.49-PM-copy.png?resize=216%2C216&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"216\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/>We brainstormed together and settled on a few key features for this project. These general parameters were going to inform the shape and scope of the book.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Cozy Mystery<\/strong>.\u00a0 Both mum and I enjoy reading a silly-fun cozy-style mystery.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>&#8220;Write what I know.&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0 I took this excellent advice and set the event at a belly dance festival.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>An Exotic Setting<\/strong>. Let&#8217;s put it on a cruise ship! Many years ago, I attended a belly dance event on a cruise ship.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Shimmy On The High Seas<\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">I bounced the idea around with my co-author and cruise travel buddy Alisha Westerfeld, shown below looking out onto a ship&#8217;s wake with my mum. She gave it two thumbs up and the work began. Between Alisha, my mum, and me, <span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">we came up with the title of our mythical event, &#8220;Shimmy on the High Seas.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">The story takes place on board a 15-day round-trip cruise to Hawaii.\u00a0 The belly dance event, Shimmy on the High Seas would take place on days 1 &#8211; 5, and 11-15.\u00a0 Between the 6 &#8211; 10, the ship visits several ports throughout the Hawaiian islands.\u00a0 But this fun event is interrupted by the tragic death of one of the event instructors!\u00a0 <strong><em>*gasp and clutch pearls here*<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9620\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/shimmy-views\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Views.jpg?fit=802%2C802&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"802,802\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shimmy-Views\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Views.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Views.jpg?fit=580%2C580&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9620\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Views.jpg?resize=580%2C580&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"580\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 24pt;\">NaNoWriMo 2018<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In November, I took on the Nanowrimo (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.awarenessdays.com\/awareness-days-calendar\/national-novel-writing-month-2023-nanowrimo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Novel Writing Month<\/a>) challenge and managed to get nearly 30,000 words of the novel completed. Raw and unedited, it needed plenty of work, but I set it aside in early 2019 to work on the rewrite of Costuming From the Hip, getting it ready for its 30-anniversary rerelease.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9624\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/be-regular-and-orderly-in-your-life-so-that-you-may-be-violent-and-original-in-your-work\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Be-regular-and-orderly-in-your-life-so-that-you-may-be-violent-and-original-in-your-work..png?fit=216%2C216&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"216,216\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Be-regular-and-orderly-in-your-life-so-that-you-may-be-violent-and-original-in-your-work..png?fit=216%2C216&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Be-regular-and-orderly-in-your-life-so-that-you-may-be-violent-and-original-in-your-work..png?fit=216%2C216&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9624\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Be-regular-and-orderly-in-your-life-so-that-you-may-be-violent-and-original-in-your-work..png?resize=216%2C216&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"216\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 24pt;\">Booked a Cruise &amp; Personal Writing Retreat<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In 2019, after much nudging from my mum, I booked a cruise for her and me to set sail from San Diego to Mexico. The mission was to eat a bunch of food and work on Shimmy on the High Seas.\u00a0 We picked our ship, and we bought tickets, for March 2020.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">I don&#8217;t think I need to explain why THAT trip got canceled!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In 2022, mum and I decided to finally book that replacement cruise, so we booked for March 2023. The main mission is to eat a lot of food, see a lot of great entertainment, and make significant progress on the unfinished manuscript for &#8220;Shimmy on the High Seas.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong><em><span style=\"font-size: 18.6667px;\">Let&#8217;s get this book finished in 2023!\u00a0 CHEERS!<br \/>\nDawn Devine ~ Davina<br \/>\nFebruary 13, 2023<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Who Dunnit?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/\"><img width=\"103\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=103%2C150&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft tfe wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-attachment-id=\"9619\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2023\/02\/shimmy-on-the-high-seas-progress-report\/shimmy-seas-cover-web\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=475%2C695&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"475,695\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=205%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=475%2C695&amp;ssl=1\" \/><\/a><p>Can You Write a Novel? Challenge Accepted! Many years ago, my mum challenged me to create a work of fiction. Of course, I said &#8220;Yes!&#8221; My mom wants to read a non-DIY or History book by her one and only daughter. How could I possibly say no? We brainstormed together and settled on a few [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Shimmy-Seas-Cover-Web.png?fit=475%2C695&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2YZtR-2v8","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9618"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9628,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9618\/revisions\/9628"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}