Aging Gracefully From Rags to Riches

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

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Your Number One.”

This prompt from The Daily Post excited me, until I looked up my birthday – yikes!

I’m one of those women who fight aging kicking and screaming and finding out the #1 song in the US on November 27, 1953, was Rags to Riches by Tony Bennett, was sobering.

Jesus, I’m old

How does this song relate to my personality? I’ll try to put a happy spin on this little nugget of truth – It’s all about love, baby.

“I know I’d go from rags to riches
If you would only say you care
And though my pocket may be empty
I’d be a millionaire.”

I’m a romantic at heart and always have been. I’m a sucker for every chick flick that comes out, and to this day, the movie Love Story with Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw brings me to tears. You remember the famous line?

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

Of course, we now know that famous line was a bunch of crock, but you can’t argue with success.

I grew up in a small Southern town in a middle-class home. We didn’t have a lot, but we had what we needed. And although, I’ve had a few heartbreaks along the way, today, I view myself as a very rich woman, not monetarily, but rich in love.

I have a wonderful husband, beautiful home and between the two of us, we have five adult children and eight grandchildren. If that isn’t rich, I don’t know how else to define it. Well, except – I can still do yoga.

Want to find your #1 song? Check here.

As always 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.

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.

Courtesy of zazzle.com

Want more on Formatting Internal Dialogue? Check out Grammar Girl’s, Quick and dirty Tips.com

Daddy’s First Day of School

September 1, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week#165 –… the alarm went off at 6am…

Courtesy of Pixshark.com

Sam slapped blindly at the annoying sound, silencing it. Just a few more minutes, please. The sun fell across his face and he jolted upright. The clock flashed 8:00 am. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Two little faces stood at the foot of his bed. “You’re not supposed to say shif,” his youngest said.

He rubbed his eyes, “Daddy didn’t mean to say it.”

“You said it fwee times.”

Why didn’t he get up when the alarm went off at 6 am?

“Did we mth school?” his daughter asked.

“No,” he said, ruffling their hair, “just making a grand entrance.”

Want a New Amazon Kindle Paperwhite?

August 26, 2015October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

Everyone loves the chance to win prizes and if you like practicing your writing skills through prompts, you’re in luck.

Describli is and I quote, “… an online writing community that uses writing prompts to spark creativity and connect readers and writers.”

Each day you receive four prompts. You can use them yo write poems, short stories or even, collaborate with another member to write. You can find out all the information you, and join by clicking, here.

Now, for the good news. Ever month, Describli will be raffling off a prize to one of the members. This month it is a brand new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. All you have to do is, become a member and invite your friends. Not bad, an opportunity to practice writing, increase visibility, readers and win prizes.

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, Twitter @cofcmom and of course, @ Describli