Tidbits and Nuggets – Scenes

July 15, 2018July 23, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

What Makes a Scene?
It takes place in real time.
Have settings – specific locations readers can picture.
Contain some action – something happens.

“You want to draw your readers into the world you’ve created, make them feel a part of it, make them forget where they are. You can’t do this effectively if you tell your readers about your world secondhand – You have to take them there!”

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
Renni Browne & Dave King

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.

Tidbits and Nuggets – Editing

July 2, 2018July 22, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

Editing Tip:

R.U. E

Or, better known by editors as, “Resist the Urge to Explain.”

“It’s best to resist the urge to explain. If the emotion isn’t shown, rewriter the passage so that it is.”

Self-Editing fot Fiction Writers
Renni Browne & Dave King

Competitions – Call for Submissions

June 27, 2018June 27, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

Trying to get through the editing process, perfecting my queries, and the dreaded synopsis (more to come on that) I plan to get back to writing short stories and flash fiction, and then I plan to submit my work to competitions. It’s a great way to get feedback.

The problem with competitions is they are often time restrictive with deadlines that don’t always meet my writing schedule. Thanks to the AutoCrit blog, I have a great list of regular online competitions, both paid and unpaid. Check them out their post, Regular Online Competitions for Writers, along with the pointers on why we should submit, as well as what to watch for.

Writing Competitions Available

FREE ENTRY:

Drue Heinz Literature (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: 150 -300 typed pages; Prize: $15000 and publication.
New Voices Award (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: 1500 words; Prize: $2000 and publication.
W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction (LINK HERE)- Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: Unspecified; Prize: $5000.
Friends of American Writers Chicago Awards (LINK HERE)– Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: Unspecified; Prize: Varies between $500 and $2,000.
Words & Brushes (LINK HERE)– Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: 2000 – 5000 words; Prize: $350 and publication.

ENTRY FEES:

American Short Fiction (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: $17.00; Word Count: 1000 limit; Prize: $1000 and publication.
White review short story (LINK HERE)- Entry Fee: £15; Word Count: 2000 – 7000 words; Prize: £2500 or $3000 and feedback.
ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: $25; Word Count: 2000 – 5000 words; Prize: $7000 and publication.
Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: Varies; Word Count: Varies; Prize: Varies.

And don’t forget one of my favorite competitions:

WOW – Women on Writing – Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest – Entry Fee: $10.00; Word Count: Maximum: 750; Minimum: 250; First Place: $400.00 cash prize; Second Place – $300.00 cash prize; Third Place: $200.00 cash prize; All winners receive: a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing; Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog.
Quarterly Creative Non-fiction Essay Contest – Entry Fee: $12.00; First Place:$500.00 cash prize; Second Place: $300.00 cash prize; Third Place: $200.00 cash prize; All winners receive: Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing; Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog.

So, let’s get those keyboards going, dust off an old story and spruce it up, or let your muse run wild! Good luck and happy submissions.

Some Hard Truths About Blogging

June 22, 2018June 22, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 20 Comments

When I began blogging, I will admit I had no idea what I was getting into. I just wanted to write.

I discovered a few things along the way:

Blogging is hard work.
It takes time, lots of time.
Blogging and writing my novel was a difficult balance.

P. S. Hoffman has written a great article on this very subject. 5 Ways an Author Blog Could Kill Your Writing (and What to Do Instead). Here are some highlights.

Blogging is a huge investment in time and effort.
It robs you of valuable writing time.
If you want to write a novel, blogging teaches the wrong skills.
Blogging is “information heavy and story light.”
If you want to build your storytelling skills – write stories. Readers want to read your stories.
Author blogs don’t sell books.
To blog well, you must love blogging.

I enjoy sharing with my readers my stories and the tips or resources I come across as I strive to learn the craft of writing. I discovered, however, that to focus on my novel, I had to put my blog on the back burner.

At first, I felt guilty for abandoning my readers, even if for a short while; but, I had to decide – Did I want to be a writer or a blogger? The answer was clear, I wanted to write. I set aside the focus on my blog and for more than three months, turned my attention to my novel. It is now complete and out to beta readers and editors.

For now, I can focus on sharing some of what I learned during the process of completing my novel and what happens as I go through the process from draft to publication.

The question is still an important one to ask? What’s your goal? Writer? Blogger?

Check out P. S. Hoffman’s post, 5 Ways an Author Blog Could Kill Your Writing (and What to Do Instead)and let me know what you think.