#amwriting

Naming Your Characters

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 28 Comments

Day 14: #atozchallenge

When William Shakespeare’s Juliet discovered Romeo bore the name of her enemy, she asked:

NameWordle“What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

 I  respectfully disagree with Juliet. To me, a rose is a rose, is a rose, and I venture to say others feel the same. To call a rose by any another name would be nonsense.

We all have certain mindsets when it comes to names. For example, Billy Bob denotes an image far different than the name Randolph. Naming a child, Elizabeth Marie Kennedy Thornton (fictitious) makes us think privileged.

Names conjure memories both good and bad. Ever time I hear the name Gene I am once again in the 5th grade. Our brothers, sisters, or distance cousins all provide us a mental picture of a person. It’s from life experiences and the individuals that cross our paths in which we draw inspiration for naming the characters in our stories.

Important Points to Remember:

  • Match the name to the character’s personality. Channing is not likely to make readers think of a shy introvert.
  • Don’t get stuck on a letter. Sure it might be easier, but Carol, Cait, and Cami will make the readers head spin trying to tell the characters apart.
  • Assigning cute or unusual names is tricky. When done, the character’s personality must fit the name like a glove. The name, Apple, however, popular in Hollywood, is never going to make me think of anything other than a red delicious.
  • Tread carefully when naming a character based on someone you know. Get too close to the real thing and you might just have a family member on your back.

Helpful Resources for Naming Characters:

It isn’t always easy to come up with the right name, or one we think fits the character, but there are resources.

Naming characters can be fun or frustrating but don’t let it get in the way of telling your story. You can change names anytime, just write the story.

How do you choose the names of your characters?

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Manuscript – Agent and Editors List

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 11 Comments

Day 13:  

Are you ready to find the perfect agent for your manuscript? Then you’ll want to check out the Manuscript Wishlist (MSWL).

With an impressive array of agents and editors, this site is all about helping you get your manuscript into the right hands. It couldn’t be any simpler.

MSWL is your go-to place for up to date:

1. Agent lists
2. Editor lists
3. Genre – name filters (parametric search)
4. Keyword Search
Is your manuscript ready for prime time? Looking for an editor or agent, check out MSWL.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Loglines – What DoThey Do for You?

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 19 Comments

Day 12:   

What in the world is a logline?  A one or two sentence description of what your story is about. Think of it like a five-second sales pitch.

What Does it Do for You? A well-written logline enables you to answer without any hesitation the question, What is your story about?

In addition, it helps you, the author, stay on track and spot problems within the story structure.

Essential elements of a logline:WritingLoglines

  1. The protagonist
  2. The end goal
  3. The stakes

These elements are critical to include, but be concise and use phrasing that creates interest and hooks the reader.

Here’s an  example from my current work in progress: (Be kind, I’m still toying with it)

When Bostonian Claire Nelson (protagonist) is called home after sixteen years to care for her estranged mother (goal), the secrets of her past reveal a darker betrayal (stakes) and she forced make a choice (goal).

Have you written your logline? To learn more check out: How and Why to Write a Logline for Your Story by Becca Puglisi

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Keywords- Why are They Important

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 31 Comments

Day 11:  

All Bloggers are, theoretically, familiar with the term keywords. If you’re like me, understanding what they are and what they do for our blogs is still a mystery. I’ll admit, this is one area of blogging, I haven’t gotten a complete grasp on, yet.
Keywords are words or phrases used in search engines to find the information we’re seeking. For example, place any word or phrase (best is 3-5 words) into Google, Bing, or Yahoo and a list of content reflecting your topic will appear. Keywords are either short tail (one word) or long tail (a phrase). Every article or blog content can be reduced to a few key topics. The trick is to choose your keywords carefully. Common keywords will receive thousands of clicks per day, others a few. As a blogger, you want the find and use the keywords that increase traffic to your site.

How to Find the Right Keywords:images-15

  1. Research keywords.
  2. Keep track of your keywords in a spreadsheet – include the number of clicks per day.
  3. Don’t spam – using keywords arbitrarily.
  4. Write great content that people want to read.
  5. Once you find relevant keywords, place them where they’ll give you the biggest bang.

4 Keyword Mistakes:

  1. Too many keywords – best for search engines to use one per post.
  2. Using exact phrases – Google understands related words and phrases. Don’t be so rigid.
  3. Not using keywords in photos – photo optimization is essential.
  4. You don’t research keywords

Resources for Finding Trending Keywords:

• Hubspot – Download your SEO template to organize keywords
• Google Adwords Keyword Tool
• SEMrush.com & Market samurai – find out what keywords are competitive.
• Keyword Finder

Where to place the keywords:

  1. Title.
  2. Heading and subheadings.
  3. Introduction sentences.
  4.  Concluding paragraphs and meta descriptions.
  5.  Title tag.
  6. In the text, you hyperlink to other pages.
  7. When you use photos, include keywords in the file name
  8. When you reference other links.

Want more information on keywords? Check out these articles:

  1. Blogtyrant : How to Easily Find the Best Keywords to Write About (and How to Activate Them).
  2. Hubspot: How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by  Rachel Sprung | @
  3. Shout Me Loud: The Importance of Keywords in SEO: A Beginner’s Guide by 
  4. Moz: Is Optimizing Photos More Important Than You Think?

So, what about you? Do you have a grasp on keywords?

A2Z-BADGE 2016-smaller_zpslstazvib

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently