Writing

Competitions – Call for Submissions

/ 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:

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.

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.

Some Hard Truths About Blogging

/ 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.

 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.

  1. Blogging is a huge investment in time and effort.
  2. It robs you of valuable writing time.
  3. If you want to write a novel, blogging teaches the wrong skills.
  4. Blogging is “information heavy and story light.”
  5. If you want to build your storytelling skills – write stories. Readers want to read your stories.
  6. Author blogs don’t sell books.
  7. 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  post,  5 Ways an Author Blog Could Kill Your Writing (and What to Do Instead)and let me know what you think.

 

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.

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How to Deal With Manuscript Critiques

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 1 Comment

ANNABEL SMITH

I have my manuscript out to my first beta readers and am anxiously awaiting their feedback and critiques. I’ll admit, it’s nerve-wracking. Will they like it? Were my characters well-developed? Was the plot cohesive? Was the story compelling? 

I really want to hear what they have to say. I want honest opinions, but how do I handle the comments and critiques? What if it simply wasn’t their favorite genre? What if I disagree? What if, what if, what if…

Janice Hardy gives us 8 tips in her post, 8 Tips for Reviewing a Manuscript Critique.

  1. Here’s a sneak peek:
  2. Take comments seriously
  3. If you agree, change it; if you don’t agree, don’t.
  4. Not sure? Give it consideration. Why did the reviewer think or make that comment?
  5. Grammar or punctuation – look it up. The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
  6. If something is confusing, fix it. Clarity is essential to the story.
  7. Do what makes your story the best.
  8. Be objective.

Janice covers each of these in more details and provides additional resources. So, stop by and check out her post,
8 Tips for Reviewing a Manuscript Critique.

 

 

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.

 

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Words Worth Repeating

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

 

“American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful, but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and lies are the worst. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. It is as simple as that.”    Edward R. Murrow

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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.