10 Ways to Improve Your Online Connections

September 16, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 5 Comments

My 100-word story, Connections, posted on the 10th seemed to resonate with many of my readers. I’m glad it did because it got me to thinking.

In this fast-paced world where nearly everyone talks in short bursts via text or Twitter, are we really connecting with each other or just going through the motions?

Connection Defined:

In the online world, these definitions take on a whole new meaning.

A relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else. Think social media or blogging.
The action of linking one thing with another. Hyperlinks and Pingbacks come to mind.
People with whom one has social or professional contact or to whom one is related, especially those with influence and able to offer one help. Perhaps, online writing groups, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Twitter is an excellent example. For a moment, me and the person on the other end, connect via 140 characters or less. Within minutes, it becomes a tidal way of tweets, retweets, mentions, and favors. But, how much do you really know about each individual behind those tweets? Do you take the time to visit each link? Or, do you skim over them, making notes to revisit later?

Blogs are different, at least for me. The pace is slower and more purposeful. Readers who comment provide specific feedback leading to further interaction and, hopefully, a genuine and lasting connection. I love hearing from my readers, venturing over to their blogs, putting a face to the name, and finding our common threads.

No matter how fast-paced our lives get, we all crave person-to-person contact. So, with all the social media how do we improve those connections?

10 Ways to Improve Online Connections

Don’t make the conversation one-sided. See something you like? Interact, even if it’s in 140 characters or less.
Listen to what is shared and respond accordingly.
Explore common interests and topics.
Make sure your content contributes to the conversation.
Search for Twitter chats or blogs relevant to your interest.
Make it personal when you comment or tweet.
Be selective. Don’t follow for the sake of following – look for common interest that brings you together.
Make sure what you’re sharing is relevant and thought provoking.
When content resonates with you, share it.
Don’t turn your online presence into a numbers game. It’s about connecting with people, not the number of followers.

So, what about you? Are you really connected?

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.

Access Denied!

September 14, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 34 Comments

None of us like to talk about the end of life issues, but Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “Nothing is certain but death and taxes,” is true and sooner or later, someone will be dealing with things we’ve left behind.

It seems like yesterday, sassy, opinionated and in the prime of my life, I thought the world was my oyster. But, I blinked and time slipped away faster than water through a sieve.

Now, when I open the paper, friends and acquaintances from high school look back at me from the obituary page. It gives you pause, especially when you notice their ages are within striking distance.

I lost my best friend of 37 years, almost six years ago. She died suddenly and too young. Afterwards, I made a point of getting things ready for my family. My last Will & Testament is in place, and arrangements made, right down to the last detail.

However, I wasn’t aware these plans should include digital content, all of it. Photos, stories, blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to name a few.

What’s Included in Digital Content?

Email accounts
Online Searches
Digital Manuscripts
Facebook
Yahoo
Google
Microsoft
Apple
YouTube
Twitter
Blogs
Any other accounts where you have an online presence (too many to mention)
Fiction and non-fiction featured in online magazines and journals.

What Do You Want to Happen in the Event of Your Death?

Information to remain private?
Information and/or accounts deleted?
Surviving family members to have access to data?

Unless I specify who has access to these accounts, no one will.

What Can You Do?

Put your wishes in writing.
Google: Go to your account and create an “Inactive Account Manager. Without this, family members will, typically, need a court order to access.
Facebook: You can choose to set up a temporary or a permanent online memorial or delete all content from the social network after you die. However, a legacy contact most be designated for access. Refer to security/legacy settings.
Yahoo: Based on the privacy terms each user signs, Yahoo will not disclose files and all inactive accounts deleted.
Microsoft: Deletes inactive Outlook/Hotmail accounts; however, data may be released with a request or a court order.
Twitter: Does not provide anyone access. Your account is deleted upon notification of death.

These steps are not difficult to complete. I took care of my Google and Facebook accounts in a couple of minutes. I would recommend if you haven’t completed a Will, consider it. Not ready to make those plans? At least write your wishes in a statement, sign, date it, attach a list of all the sites you want included, and put it in a safe place. And the last thing, talk to your family and make your wishes known.

Talking about these issues are never pleasant, but when the time comes, I want my family to have access and/or a legal right to my words and images. What are your wishes?

What do you think? Have you made arrangements?

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.