Fried Chicken and Sweet Tea Memories to Savor

July 1, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

Day 14

Day 14 of the My 500 Words Challenge. “Tell us about food: what you ate today, your perfect meal, your favorite seasonal foods.”

In the south, where I grew up, everything we ate would be considered comfort food rather than healthy. My mom cooked three meals a day and always had a homemade pie or cake for dessert. But let me tell you, once in a while I’ll catch a whiff of something and I’m transported back in time. My mouth waters as I remember waking up to the aroma of mom’s biscuits and gravy on cold school mornings. Add a fresh slice of cantaloupe and I went to school with a smile on my face. To think of sweet melon draped in a cloak of salty, spicy warmth is a memory worth savoring. Cantaloupe to this day remains a favorite fruit of mine, although now it’s paired with fat-free cottage cheese instead gray. What a shame.

I don’t eat fried foods anymore, save one, fried chicken and not just any fried chicken. I want the southern style with a golden crunchy, crispy crust on the outside seasoned with just the right amount of salt, pepper and spices and a moist center. Man oh man, the Colonel had it right, it is “finger licking good.”

Certain foods evoke strong memories for me to this day. If asked for a last meal request, it would be the same meal I grew up eating every Sunday at my grandmas. I’d want to go out tasting fried chicken, fried okra, cornbread, fresh tomatoes, corn, and cantaloupe. And whatever you do, don’t forget my southern gold, sweet tea. I can go without food before I’d give up my tea. And yes, I put a lemon slice in every glass. I like my tea, sweet, tart and ice-cold.

And no, I’m not overweight (see my profile). But I know a good, satisfying meal when I see one and you have to hand it to us southerners, we know how to cook (ok, most know how to cook). I admit it, cooking isn’t one of my strong points. I tried for years to reproduce mom’s melt in your mouth biscuits and all I accomplished for my efforts was creating a white powdery missile I could throw at my husband.

I’d watch her mix a batch nearly every night for dinner, and let me tell you her method was a work of art. She never measured anything, threw the ingredients together in a stainless steel bowl and her hands worked magic. Her biscuits put Hardee’s to shame. Mom had the knack for cooking and baking and I never found it.

Indulging in my favorite foods isn’t as fun as it used to be. Somewhere between twenty and now, my taste buds quit budding, my appetite waned, and my gut started screaming. I’m more health conscious now and am pretty much a fish, chicken and vegetable kind of woman, but once in a while the smell of fluffy white biscuits call my name. When it does, get out of my way.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood and Twitter @cofcmom.

Stay Calm and Read On

June 30, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

Day 13

Day 13 of the My 500 Words Challenge. “A journal entry, but with a twist: make your day sound interesting.”

Yesterday, day12 of the my500 word challenge, was so much fun. To refresh your memory, here’s the prompt:

“It’s true that honesty is the best policy. It’s just fun to fib now and again. Not in a dirty and deceptive way, but in a way that invokes imagination. Just for today’s challenge, it’s okay to stretch the truth a little. Rewrite history, imagine an alternate reality, or just plain lie.”

I had no desire to “rewrite history,” from my viewpoint, we’ve had enough of rewriting history. Alternate realities are not my thing, although, sometimes I feel as if we’re all living in an alternate reality. But, the last part of the prompt caught my attention, ” just plain lie.”

I have to admit the thought brought a mischievous smile to my face. As Jeff said, “It’s just fun to fib now and again.”

As writer’s we all have plenty of experience with rejections and I’ll admit I turn green with envy when I read of some author achieving instant fame with their very first book. Hearing those stories make me want to toilet paper their house. How in Sam’s hill did they accomplish that? Who did they have to do? Give me a name I’ll call. (Just kidding).

We all want to be recognized, win a contest, or have our work discovered. But, as you know, achieving instant fame is like finding a needle in a haystack or an act of divine Providence.

I don’t want to reveal any spoilers; you can read my prompt by clicking here. The responses I received surprised and delighted me. My sister and fellow writer-in-crime came out of the gate first and called me.

“Omg! That’s wonderful. You have to tell me, who is it?”

Similar responses followed and I dutifully responded to each one. I got a taste, albeit a tiny taste, of what being discovered might feel like, and it was amazing.

Throughout the day, each time my phone pinged, I would find another congrats or “Like” and spent most of the day giggling as if I were a school age girl playing a prank on the teacher. I even received a note from WordPress, “Cow Pasture Chronicles received record Likes today.”

As much fun as I had yesterday, I couldn’t help but wonder. What made my post so credible? I’d given all kinds of clues, the biggest being the title and secondly, I restated the prompt at the top of the post. Yet, it went unregistered.

No one questioned the probability of such an occurrence; they accepted my story as truth. I like to think it was the writing. I wrote it so well, so convincingly, you had to believe it to be true (Please, don’t burst my bubble). The truth is, most people skim when they read, and there are numerous studies to support this, “When you add more verbiage to a page, people will only read 18% of it.” You can read more of these studies, here.

I am a stickler for truth and accuracy, but I had a great deal of fun not only fibbing, but experiencing a hint of what I hope is to come. I mean, Mr. King could get wind of my post and call. Stranger things have happened.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood and Twitter @cofcmom.

Photo courtesy of: sarahmaidofalbion.blogspot.com

How to be an Effective Critique Partner

June 30, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

I’ve been bogged down this weekend with family and community events. So, I’m sharing an oldie but goodie, with a few tweaks and additional information. Enjoy.

Critiques are a part of every writer’s life. Whether it’s a one on one partner, or a group providing feedback. Having another set of eyes on your stories, essays, or novels is essential for growth and success.

Accomplished writers already understand the value of a good critique partner. For newer writers or those who have yet to take part in a group, I’d like to share my critique cheat sheet. I hope you’ll find the information provided here helpful.

A Few Things to Remember:

The format and function may differ from group to group.
Know the rules before joining to ensure the commitment is one you are willing to make.
If you don’t know the group’s process, ask before your first meeting.
Don’t rubber stamp each submission presented with, “I loved it,” without providing further constructive feedback. Doing so is unfair to the author. Those who submitted work want and deserve a genuine response and critique.
Critique groups are not about safeguarding a writer’s feelings. It’s about providing quality feedback.
If this is your first group, familiarize yourself with the terminology groups use. (genre, protagonist, antagonist, point of view (POV), voice, conflict, backstory, info dump, pacing, opening and resolution).

My Cheat Sheet for the Short Story Critique and Things to Consider:

Did you enjoy the story? If not, why.
Could you identify the story’s setting? Or, did you get lost in too much backstory?
Did the story engage you and draw you in? Did you want to keep reading?
What about the opening sentence or paragraph? Did they make you want to read further. If not, why? What made you hesitate?
Was the protagonist clear to you? Did you understand the goals? Did you have enough information about the main character? Did you like the character or care about his/her situation (goals versus conflict).
Were the stakes facing the protagonist, high enough to make you care?
Did you find the dialog believable? Too much internal dialogue?
Were you able to identify the genre?
Did the story progress in a natural flow, or were there places that left you confused? Explain.
Was there a resolution? Did the ending make you happy or, leave too many unanswered questions?
Could you identify the theme?
Explain the things that gave you pause. Make notes in the margins of the submitted piece indicating pertinent information. It could be a wrong word choice, sentence length, credibility, pacing, or something else.

Articulating your impressions provides the author with specific feedback. They can then decide to use or not use the information to strengthen their story. Sometimes, we’re too close to our work to see the flaws. Another set of eyes helps point out the weaknesses or holes in our story.

Good critique partners are an invaluable resource and asset to writers of all levels and I encourage you to find one in your area or online.

Want more information on critique partners and groups? Ryan Lantz gives excellent pointers, in his post, Critique Partners 101: Everything You Need to Know Before Pairing Up.

Interested in starting a group? Janice Hardy, from Fiction University, provides the lowdown on how to start a group, Are You Looking for a Critique Group or Partner?

Here’s to wonderful critique partners.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter @cofcmom, and Contently.

Too Good to be True?

June 29, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

Day 12 of the My 500 Words Challenge! Rewrite history, imagine an alternate reality, or just plain lie.

Day 12

OMG, OMG, OMG! You won’t believe what happened today. I received an email from a favorite author telling me he loved my blog. At first I thought it was a joke, and when I conveyed my unease, he put me in touch with his publisher, so I could verify he was who he said.

I mean, who would have thought little old me would have snagged such an impressive author through my flash stories. Especially given I have more rejections than acceptance letters in my files. As they say, I guess persistence does pay off.

We conversed via email a couple of times and I ask him what caught his attention about my blog. He said, “I loved the dark side of some of your flash fiction. I think a couple of them have great potential.”

OMG! Seriously? I was speechless. He offered to read two of my stories and give me feedback. Well, of course, I jumped on that like white on rice (a southern expression). And to think my family would prefer more Pollyanna type stories; it’s just not in me.

Now, I realize y’all are dying to know which famous author contacted me, but unfortunately for y’all, he’s asked me to keep it confidential. I mean, he’d have everybody and their brother asking for the same; I’m sure you understand.

What I can share with you is general information.

He’s an American author and writes, horror, science fiction, suspense and some fantasy. He’s published more than 54 novels and sold more than 350 million copies. I’m hyperventilating as I think about his accomplishments.

We’ve already had three rather lengthy email conversations and I ask him a few of the questions that have always weighed heavy on my mind. For example, does your family think you’re weird for writing such horrific novels? I think mine does. In fact, one sister said, “You’re warped.”

I’m not warped, but the dark side within us fascinates me. I don’t write horror or fantasy. I write about the what if’s of human nature. Most people tell me, “I would never…” But, you’d be surprised when pushed hard enough; just how far over the line you’d go.

The human psyche fascinates me. What makes one person tick or break makes another strong. There are the psychopaths and sociopaths, which we expect at some time to cross the line and they do usually sooner than later. However, what inspires my stories are the “normal” individuals who cross the line into darkness.

The housewife who murders her husband because he couldn’t handle the disappointments of life as a man and turned into a lazy, drunken liability, The Toast. Or, the young wife who feeds her abusive husband to the alligators as in, The Excursion.

I’ve never published The Toast, one of my first short stories, but Providence has handed me a wonderful opportunity and it’s now in the hands of my new friend. Based on his feedback so far, I am optimistic.

I don’t know why he chose me; I’m not the best writer, but as mama always told me, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” In other words, shut up and be grateful for this gift, and I am.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood and Twitter @cofcmom.