Focus on writing

Mom’s Vigil

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

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MOM’S VIGIL

She stood in the window oblivious to the noise. All her focus on the street and the big clock on the wall, as minutes ticked away. When the call came, in the middle of the night, she thought the worst. It’s what every mother did. Late night calls never bring good news, except this time. Unable to go back to sleep, she’d been cleaning, dusting, changing linen, and baking all her favorite things.

Would she really come? She toyed with the pearls hanging around her neck and glanced at the clock.

“No later than 11 o’clock, I promise, mom.” The clock said 10:45am. A feeling of dread began to move up slowly from the pit of her soul. Her chest tightened as tears of disappointment began pushing upward. She glanced at the clock one last time, 11:30. Her hands trembled as she reached up to pull the curtain closed when the knock on the door came.

Online Legacy

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

This newbie published her first short story. This wasn’t my first publication. In 1989, working as a transplant coordinator for the American Red Cross, I published a professional article, “How Do I Ask?” in Nursing ’89.  It was on the serious and touchy topic of  tissue and organ donation.  (You can read the full article in my pages section).

I remember flipping through the pages of the January issue looking for my article and the excitement of seeing my words and name in print for the first time. The feeling was the same this week whenEvery Writer’s Resource featured my short story, The Rusted Swing Set.

As a writer, I’ve  gotten off to a late start. I wrote that first article some twenty-three years ago and  knew nothing about submitting articles or stories. I simply had a compelling story to tell. Naive in submission guidelines and formatting of manuscripts, without any hesitation or self-doubt about my abilities, I submitted the article. Perhaps, the reason they accepted my article was timing, the topic or my professional experience as an RN, in the field. I’d like to think my voice, as a writer, also came through, giving the topic a personal touch.

Today, getting a magazine or journal to publish your work is harder. You can’t take a shot in the dark as I did in 1989. Following the guidelines, honing in on your genre and understanding what editors want and expect is part of the equation, along with hard work.

I’ve learned a lot since 1989 about submitting and formatting manuscripts, but not enough by a long shot. My work may never reach the New York Times best seller list, but all I can do is try, improve were I can, and push the send button. Here’s a few things I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been writing.

  • Check your ego at the door or when you hit the send button.
  • Understand the rights you’re giving up once your work leaves your hands. If you’re unsure, ask.
  • Research the best place to submit. Zillions of opportunities for regular updates on contests and feeds from magazines seeking submissions are available. A great place to start would be the Writer’s Resource, Top 50 Literary Magazines.
  • Educate yourself. READ, READ, READ.
    Don’t take rejections personally. Learn from them.
    Keep on writing and submitting. Practice makes perfect.

Who knows what life holds in store for us. I won’t always get things right, I’m sure, but perhaps,  I’ll live long enough to leave a legacy of published works to make my children and grandchildren proud. I hope so.

The article I wrote twenty-three years ago is still being used as a resource,incorporated into training manuals all the way to California, cited by authors, and in, at least, one legal case. Imagine my surprise.

This week my short story hit the Internet highway. Who is to say what the next twenty-three years will bring, where my stories will be or who they may touch.Writing is a journey for this newbie. My final legacy is in God’s hands, but it’s comforting to realize, after all this time, my words were not forgotten. They touched people’s lives and long after I’m gone they’ll be there for someone to read. I think my kids will be proud.

Keep writing. Our words are our legacy.

Returning to the Cow Pasture

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 1 Comment

As a newbie, I’m finding writing to be much more difficult than just putting ‘pen to paper’. Sometimes, I long for the simplicity of writing on ruled notebook paper, in the cow pasture by the stream. No phones, TV’s, dogs, or people to interfere. Just me, my thoughts, and my imagination.

I remember the words flowing easily, no thought of censoring what I was writing. They were my words, my ideas, my stories, and I never gave a moments thought to anything other than would my pencil and paper last or would I have to leave the pasture, and go home for more.

Funny, how when we’re younger our inhibitions are so few. They tell me  as we age, we lose our inhibitions again, or so I hear.  I can’t wait.

I must admit, over the years I’ve had my moments of ‘free thinking’. In fact, I can remember a time, not too long ago,  I very vocally took the stance of “Screw it” to just about everyone and everything. After  they got my hormones straightened out, I returned to being a civil human being, unfortunately inhibitions intact. Damn, I kinda liked being without them.

There is something to be said for being able to say what you mean without fear or hesitation or how others are going to receive it. Kids do it all the time, and we love it. There is nothing we like more, deep down, than unadulterated honesty. At times, truth be known as adults, we probably envy children. “Damn, wish I could have said that, and gotten away with it.”

As a writer, it’s even harder to get a way with it, especially if you’re a newbie. Words spoken can be denied. “I never said that”.  It is your word against theirs, but words on paper are well, they are there for all to read.  Evidence, with your name attached in bold letters.

“What will people think?”; “Are you sure you want to write that?”; “I don’t know…”; That doesn’t speak to me”; “What you write reflects on you”.

And, so it goes.

I still have so much to learn about the skill of writing, I enjoy it, and I will continue on my journey to learn. Whether I achieve the lofty goal of publication, remains to be seen. But, I am quickly, discovering,  there are as many different writers, with many different skills, more helpful websites and blogs than I can keep up with, and a world of critics.

Sometimes, one needs to just go back to the cow pasture, and focus on writing.

What The Hell Was I Thinking?

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 1 Comment

Okay. I admit I bit off more than I can chew with my 2012 writing resolutions and let’s see…oh, it’s only day four of 2012! I’m so frazzled I had to check a calendar! Four days into the new year and I don’t know what day it is. Perfect. What do you expect? I’m new at this, AND I had this insanely jacked up muse who reappeared after sneaking off with Santa’s helper, for an exotic vacation from who knows where, ready to go.

My God, Mr. Elf has her smiling and oozing energy into the atmosphere. Hell, even I’m tingling. Does he have a brother?

Anyway, I’m not sure now if it was her or the glass ball dropping in Time Square, but the ideas for getting the writing ball rolling (no pun intended) were just bouncing around the room. She squealed with delight as our plan began to take shape, and I ran around going “Yeah, I can do that, sure, sounds great! “After all, I’m retired, piece of cake. 500 words a day, a blog, a short story, one word writing exercises daily, writing prompts, join another writer’s group, hell, seemed easy. Especially with the wine we were consuming.

Well, it was New Year’s Eve. Only problem… life gets in the way of grand schemes.

Little things like husbands – who call right when you sit down to write those 500 words – “Honey, I need you to come pick me up, I’ve left my car at the mechanic’s,” or the dogs that need walking- you can’t very well let them do their business in the house. The laundry- can only pile so high before you have to give in and do it. I tried running loads while writing, but somehow I kept losing focus, I can’t imagine why? And there’s always the unexpected visitor, the dreaded grocery day- I hate grocery day and our children – OMG our children – need I say more?

So, yeah looks as though I might want to reevaluate my resolutions. I might have been a little over zealous in listening to a giggling over satisfied muse back from a romp with her Elf, but for now, I’ll keep pushing myself. I may not reach every goal, but at least I won’t be idle.

Here’s, to achieving our writing goals in 2012!