10 Gift Suggestions for the Writer

November 23, 2017December 5, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

It’s hard to believe that we are coming up on Thanksgiving and the inevitable Black Friday Christmas rush! Buying for kids and grandkids that already have the latest gadgets is becoming more and more difficult, but I refuse to resort to the dreaded gift card.

Unlike our children, there are lots of great ideas for the writers in our life. So, to help you get a start on the madness, check out these great gift ideas.

My ten top suggestions for the writer in your life.

I would be remiss if I did not plug my own short story collection – Maybe Next Time – available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback.

2. Gift a one-year subscription plus an extra goodie.

3. Available on Amazon:

3d-Rose, Please Do Not Annoy The Writer Black – Two Tone Black Mug, 11.oz

3d- Rose I Write What’s Your Superpower? Two Tone Black Mug, 11 .oz, Black/White

4. The Writer’s Toolbox: Creative Games and Exercises for Inspiring the ‘Write’ Side of Your Brain.

5. Ernest Hemingway Engraved Quote Pen – “In order to write about life, first you must live it.”

6. 5-Pc.Typewriter Coaster Set

7. On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft Special Edition by Stephen King.

8. Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft: A step-by-step guide to a better novel by Janice Hardy.

9. Say What? Second Edition: The Fiction Writer’s Handy Guide to Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage by C. S. Lakin.

10. a must-have collection from Writers Helping Writers. The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, The Urban Setting Thesaurus, The Rural Setting Thesaurus, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

Happy shopping!

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

Four Stories to Share and Pass On

November 13, 2017November 12, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

I realize it has been a bit quiet here at the Cow Pasture, but I haven’t been idle. I have been hard at work completing my first novel, Hello Hell. I’ve also been reading and enjoying the stories of many new authors.

You can follow my progress and read the works of other fine authors at ChapterBuzz.

Stories whether in the short form or a 500 page novel, have always transported me and brought me great pleasure. I am still amazed at the talent of another to move me to laugh or tears with their words. So, without further ado, here are four stories that I hope will move you.

From Atticus Review – Secret by Glen Pourciau.
From the Carve Magazine – the winner of the Fall 2017, Raymond Carver Contest – Richard by David J. Wingrave.
Every Day Fiction brings us, A Grain of Salt by Dianne Majzoub.
And, last but by no means least, one of my favorites: The 3rd place winner of the WOW -Women on Writing’s Spring 2017 contest: Coma, Comma by Maja Malgorzata Zmyslowski.

The weather is finally turning cold. So, curl up in front of the fire with a hot toddy and enjoy a good read. As always if you enjoy them, pass them on for others to enjoy.

Stories to Share

August 31, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 9 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some of my favorite stories. So, without further ado, sit back and enjoy these wonderful and engaging stories.

Up first 2 stories from Every Day Fiction:

From WOW’s Writing Contests:

And, from Scribbles on Cocktail Napkins :

Lovingly He Held Her Head Underwater by Juliet Nubel.

I hope you will enjoy these stories as much as I did and as always, let the authors know.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

Opening Lines- The Good, Bad, and Ugly

August 10, 2017August 22, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

Aw, the elusive, perfect opening line. It’s the most important line of your book. If you can’t grab the reader’s attention from the beginning, all the gnashing of teeth, hair pulling, and hard work you put in writing will have been time wasted; much like watching the news.

Sometimes, your muse whispers the perfect opening line in your ear, and other times it’s as elusive as the winning lottery ticket. Don’t sweat it. All writers struggle with getting it right at some time in their career. Others end up in therapy – kidding.

Wherever you find yourself on the writing continuum, it’s good to know you’re not alone. So, Sit back and enjoy, The Hipster & the Clairvoyant: 6 Bad Openings for Your Book from Dinty W. Moore (Psychology Today).

Do you have a bad opening line, you’d like to share? We’ve love to read it; share it below. In the meantime, I think I’ll head to the kitchen, I’ve suddenly got a hankering for beef stew.

Pretend I’m your therapist, talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears.