You Asked: What in the Heck are Hashtags?

October 16, 2015November 14, 2015 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 14 Comments

Welcome to the Cow Pasture’s, You Asked, the Experts Answer.

First up, a question from a recent Twitter chat. “What are hashtags and how do I use them? ”

I’m definitely not the expert on Twitter. So, let’s ask the experts.

“The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.”

How to #Hashtags:

Anyone can use a hashtag.
Place the # before a keyword (without spaces) to help categorize Tweets; examples include (#writingcontest, #flashfiction).
To find trending topics and those talking about it, search by the #keyword.
Can be placed anywhere in a Tweet and as a keyword in a blog post.
Use, clear, memorable, and common hashtags (those universally understood).

Advantages of Using Hashtags:

Lead to connections.
A search by #hashtag will help locate everyone who is talking about the topic.
Link’s you to social networks.
Increases traffic to your social sites and blog.
Can help you develop your own brand (#cowpasturechronicles).
People will notice you or your business.

Best Practices:

Don’t spam.
Don’t overuse hashtags, your message will be lost.
Twitter recommends no more than two hashtags per Tweet.
Make sure the hashtags you’re using are relevant and on topic.

There you have it, the run down on #hashtags. I hope I answered your questions, but if not, shoot me a note. Have another burning question? Submit it below in the comments.

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@sheilagood, and Contently.

Forget About Getting Rich

September 27, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 14 Comments

via The Average Earnings of Authors | A Writer’s Path and Guest post contributed by Sara Wolf at the Blooming Twig. The Blooming Twig is an independent publishing house that also produces writing blog posts. For more information, check out the Blooming Twig and A Writer’s Path.

A big thanks to Ryan Lanz and Sara Wolf for bursting my bubble. I’m no Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, but hey, I have aspirations for my still unfinished novel. I imagined my book on the New York Times bestselling list and after selling the movie rights, visions of rolling in money. But, according to a report by the University of London, it ain’t gonna happen.

Photo Courtesy of toonbarn.com and Google

Here are the highlights of the University’s study (based on 2,500 working writers):

54% of traditionally published authors and 80% of self-published authors earn less than $1,000 a year.
In 2013, 17% of authors made no money writing.
Less than 1% of self-published and more than 5% hybrid writers earn more than $100,000 per year. (Hybrid writer -an author who utilizes both the traditional and self-publishing systems in order to retain control of her own work).
According to award-winning author, Phillip Pullman, over the past ten years, publisher’s earnings have remained steady; writers incomes have decreased an average of 29%.
Fiction authors make more money than non-fiction or academic writers.
Women writers make 80% of what male writers make. (What! Who’s surprised?)
The report summed it nicely, “It appears that writing is a profession where only a handful of successful authors make a very good living while most do not.”

There you have it; not many of us will become rich from writing. Most of us write because we love to; it’s part of who we are.

I published my first article in 1989 and the excitement I felt is hard to describe. It’s an accomplishment of which I am still very proud. That first article happened a long time ago, but each time a story or article of mine is published, I get those same feelings. There’s something special about knowing other people are reading and enjoying the words I have written.

What about you? Do you write for fame and riches? Have you earned income from your writing? Share your success. Want to read the full article? You can find it here.

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.

How to be an Effective Critique Partner

September 6, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

I’ve been bogged down this weekend with family and community events. So, I’m sharing an oldie but a goodie (1st published 2013), but 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 provide 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.

Why to Critique Writing

Want to Know How to Write Realistic Internal Dialogue?

September 3, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

Clipart

As a writer, we want our characters to come across as credible and believable. Internal thoughts are part of bringing our characters to life. So, what is the correct way to write what characters are thinking?

Reasons to Use Internal Dialogue:

To make characters real to our readers.
Show vulnerability – to help connect readers to the character.
For dramatic effect – when you want to emphasize something important. Readers tend to remember emphasized moments.
To show the character’s motivation.

Courtesy of Quick & Dirty Tips

Ways to Show Internal Dialogue

Using the tag, “He thought.” I wish Stephen would leave well enough alone, she thought.
Italics: Why can’t Stephen leave well enough alone? Italics are my favored method to show internal dialogue.
Intermingling thoughts with narrative. Claire stared out the window. Why couldn’t Stephen be happy with the status quo? She didn’t have a clue what answer she’d give him this weekend.
Using quotations – for the most part, is not recommended, even single quotations. Because quotations denote dialogue, it can confuse to the reader.

Do you find one method preferable over another? Why?

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, Contently, and Twitter @cofcmom.