The Gift of Another Day

December 16, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 26 Comments

Millie stood at the window and stared into the early morning mist. This was her favorite time of the day when the quiet awakening of the world enveloped her like a soft blanket of hope.

She smiled as the sun began its rise over the distant hills. As if from the hand of God, prism like tentacles of light stretched through her window and brushed her cheek.

Renewed in spirit and strength, she ran a hand over her bald head, felt the first hint of new growth, and said a prayer of thanks for another day.

You Asked: Can You Explain Backstory?

December 11, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

phineasandferb.wikia.com

Welcome to another, You Asked, the Experts Answer, segment. This week ‘s question is: Can You Explain Backstory?

Well, I can’t, as I’ve been as confused about this topic as you have. I’m in the process of writing my first novel and how or when to use backstory has been as clear as mud to me, until now. So, let me introduce the expert.

Lisa Cron is the author of Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence.

At Writer Unboxed, Lisa discusses the topic of backstory, in her article, “What We’ve Been Taught About Backstory . . . and Why It’s Wrong.”

I won’t repeat everything she said, you’ll want to visit Writer Unboxed yourself and trust me, you’ll want to read this article. I will, however, share a few highlights. I’ll let Lisa give you the details.

Top 5 Highlights

“Backstory is the fundamental “why” people do the things they do.
Our own life experiences are backstory.
The backstory and the present should be layered as if you’re making a great dish of lasagna.
Think of Newton’s Law: “For every action there is an equal and/or opposite reaction.” We make choices based on our experiences and so do our characters.
“Backstory is the first half of your story” and guides your character as clearly as a roadmap.

Lisa does a great job explaining what backstory is, how to use it and when to use it. Her examples make the issue crystal clear. So, check out her article, and let me know what you think. Did it help?

I’d love to hear your comments. Tell me your story. And as always, you can find me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Contently,
and Twitter@sheilagood. Say hello and pass it on.

Stories to Share

December 7, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

Photo courtesy of :
theeducatedprocastinator.com

I may not have gotten much writing done this month, but I’ve had plenty of time to read. There are so many wonderful books and stories available, it’s difficult to choose, but here are three I’d like to pass on.

The Williams Women by Rosemary Jarrell – The first place winner of WOW’s 2015 Winter Flash Fiction Contest.

The Church Meeting by Jeannie Waldridge – Second place winner of WOW’s 2015 Winter Flash Fiction Contest.

Hot Springs by David Guterson – Narrative Magazine, story of the week.

Every author wants to know people are enjoying their stories. So, if you’ve read a particular engaging story, share it and pass it on.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Let’s have a conversation. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Well, Hells Bells

December 6, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 14 Comments

If you’ve noticed I haven’t been as active in the Cow Pasture the last few weeks and the only excuse I can give you is, it’s been one heck of a month.

October arrived and my muse took a hike. Halloween brought enough candy to put my whole street in a sugar coma. And, right before I spent three straight days cooking a Thanksgiving meal, for twenty plus people, I broke my toe.

I gotta tell you, lugging around a big black orthopedic boot is a pain (no pun intended). It’ll throw your hip outta whack in a skinny minute! Not to mention screw with your holiday attire. There’s just no way to look sexy wearing a one-legged, open-toed, platform, orthopedic, boot.

This time of year brings no rest for the wicked, infirmed, or plain ole’ tired and writing always takes a hit. Whoever decided to have #NaNoWriMo during the month of November, is as crazy as the people camping out for 12 hours, in the cold, at Toys r’ Us on Black Thursday. I mean, really?

For the record, I didn’t take part in the Black Thursday-Friday madness. Limping around in an orthopedic boot in a mass of crazed shoppers was as appealing as water torture.

Something’s gotta be wrong with people leaving a table spread with goodies to join a bunch of crazy shoppers. What’s wrong with staying home, lingering at the table (with a glass of wine or two) and engaging in conversation with each other? There’s a novel thought.

Of course, I’ll admit it’s easy for me to say this year; I’m ahead of the curve. Every last Christmas present is purchased and ready to go under the tree. Ebates and Amazon are my new best friends. As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, a broken toe leads to online shopping. I may never step foot into a store, again. But, seriously can’t we slow down this speeding train of time and just talk? The world might be a better place if we did.

But, who am I kidding? The art of conversation has gone out the window with bell bottom jeans and hippy hair. Talking? What’s that?

Speaking of which, I sent my daughter a lovely message the other night (yeah, via text). Conversing is too taxing for her. The holidays sometimes put me in a reflective mood. So, I sent her a note expressing my love and pride for all she’s accomplished.

Her response? “Is this a suicide text? Well, it’s rude to send a suicide letter via text. Handwritten is preferred.”

The world has gone crazy, indeed.

Perhaps, the best I can do this year is to be thankful for the little things in life – a good laugh, orthopedic boots, and my iPhone.

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.