I’m Terry C. Misfeldt and I am a writer…pure and simple. Ideas for stories find their way into my head quite often. This is where I intend to share those stories, so enjoy. I have recently added two about photographs I’ve taken when I was a professional photographer.

Some ideas turned into stories become novel length while others end up as short stories,  essays or blog posts. A book of short stories looms as a possibility but other projects are ahead of that publishing project.

I must admit, shorts means those stories are good to read without expanding them into full-length novels.

My first published piece was “Space,” a poem in The World’s Great Contemporary Poems. My first novel, Shevivor was published in April 2020 and remains available on Amazon. I am in the process of editing the sequel, Shevivor Again, with the able help of my beta reader, Twilla.

I grew up in a small German-Polish (95% of my roots) farming community in central Wisconsin where I learned to hunt with my dad, a World War II veteran and milk inspector. Dad loved farm life and was always connected to agriculture in some way. I grew up working on farms and exploring the woodlands around home. I still enjoy being in the forest and hunting with my son or friends. I host a family heritage website for the Misfeldt family. Getting and sharing genealogical information can be challenging when the size of families expands, especially through marriage. I spent months during the early stages of the pandemic creating a family tree for my family connected to that of my bride, Kristine. It’s on Ancestry.

First and foremost, though, I’m a writer. My mother was a kindergarten teacher who taught me to read and write, first printing and then cursive. She inspired my love of reading that resulted in my library of books. Having been diagnosed with a wet AMD condition, I no longer keep track of what I read on Good Reads. I learned to type on a manual typewriter and was fortunate to take a Smith-Corona portable to college. Eventually, I graduated to an IBM Selectric machine and my writing speed improved. Then along came computers and networks. Our system at the U.S. Jaycees, where I edited Future magazine, was a network test site in the 1980s. My life as a writer was enriched beyond measure. Now my typing keeps up with my thought process more readily. And I try to write 1,000 words a day…sometimes 2,000 plus.

My writing career has been blessed by a stint as photojournalist for my home town newspaper. One of my revered images is the sunset taken at the Black River Jam outdoor concert (shown at left) that was popular with those who attended. It was an awesome event put on by my neighbor and friend, Dennis. He was a year older and an adversary until we had a dust up in the halls of our high school before we became friends. I featured him in a work-related photograph that garnered honorable mention in a Manpower photo contest.

My newspaper work gave me the opportunity to blossom into managing editor and editor of Future magazine and director of publications for The United States Jaycees while it was headquartered in Tulsa.

Since moving back to Wisconsin after living in Oklahoma, Michigan, and Illinois, I have written commercials, put together business plans and conducted market research studies for a variety of clients. Now semi-retired, I still dabble with my firm Brand Irons, a consulting firm specializing in market research and feasibility studies. It’s good for business owners to know what they’re getting into before spending money they’ll never get back. That’s the motto of Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan.

Writing remains my passion. My goal: To be a well-read, world-class, creative writer and editor who has a positive impact on the lives of others. And to serve God in His Kingdom. Serving God is my priority, so bless you for reading this far About me.

I belong to the Green Bay Area Writer’s Guild and to Shawano Area Writers. I am also a member of the Wisconsin Writer’s Association. I edited and published the 50th anniversary edition anthology of Shawano Area Writers, also available through Amazon.

I am a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and have been a member for more than 45 years. And I have written lecturer remarks for meetings for more than ten years. I am also active in my parish. I find it ironic that I attended St. Bernard Parish in my home town and have now been a member of St. Bernard Parish in Green Bay since 1990.

• Projects

I have several writing projects in development, and you’ll learn more about those as this website develops and continues to expand. 

One that has been brewing for years is Smokey the Hobo, a children’s book that I collaborated on with Thomas Knaus. The first book is finished and we’re looking for a publisher to get it in print for young adults to enjoy. Any thoughts on this image (left) as the cover? We have considered self-publishing to make it available to readers.

I am also looking at creating a hobo-like character and bringing that lifestyle into the current age. Thoughts?

My first published novel is about a courageous young woman who survives more attacks than most people ever face. Shevivor is in print and the sequel is in progress.

I’m also working on my memoirs and a historical fiction book about my uncle’s service on a mine sweeper in the Pacific during World War Two. I am a founding charter member of the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans. It is worth a visit if you have any interest in the history of that global conflict. Plan on spending several hours, perhaps an extra day learning about WWII.

This image celebrates my family (and extended family) celebrating New Year’s Day 2026. Love ’em all!