Jean M. Cogdell

Is it time to cleanup your writing style?

Published on April 4, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell25 Comments

C = Cleanup

Southerners have a propensity for talk. Ask them how they’re doing and you’ll get a vivid description of their last gallbladder attack. They then segue into Aunt Martha’s bad hip because even God can’t keep that woman off of a ladder. Before you can say, “Okay.” You will know more than you ever wanted about this lovely person, their family, their dog and be invited to stay for dinner. When all along you were expecting a simple, “Fine, thank you.”

Yeah, I like to talk. This can show up in my writing and blog. Which brings me back to the letter C and the A-Z Challange and what I’ve learned over the past year from an amazing Web of Writing Bloggers.

“Cleanup this mess.”

bucket-24300_640

As a child, this was one of my mom’s constant phrases. You’d think I’d atomically apply the concept to everything in my life especially my writing.

But, I didn’t. Not until I began to listen and learn from a Web of amazing Writers. Did I mention I hate housework?

Here are the things you guys taught me about cleaning up my blog and my writing style.

Use headings.
Keep paragraphs and sentences short and concise.
Use clean, crisp phrases. No extraneous adverbs or unnecessary descriptions. In other words, don’t waste the reader’s time.
Avoid dark, bright or garish colors. It distracts from your message and exhausts the reader.
Keep widgets, pictures to a minimum. Readers glance first read second.
Optimize website and book for mobile devices. Funky text, or images that blur when converted to eBooks or mobile devices will have a negative impact.
Remove unnecessary ads. If you use ads on your web, make sure they are related to your brand.
Don’t clutter up your sidebar with award badges. These are cool and a fun way to connect with other writers but put them on a separate page.
White space is your friend. Don’t crowd too much together on your website or in your book.
Watch out for Dead Links, these are frustrating to your readers.
Above the fold. When writing a story or post remember this newspaper term. If the first paragraph doesn’t grab, no one keeps reading.
Produce a friendly, easy to use (or read), and professional product.
Formating is important. Text should be formatted for easy scanning. This is true in eBooks as well as on blogs.

What do you think?

Could your website, eBook or story use a little sprucing up?

Talk to me, comments are now open.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

If you would like more tips on cleaning up chick out the links below.

Write Clearly and Concisely – IEEE Professional Communication Society

Writing Clear, Concise Sentences by Writer’s Handbook

Blog Design: Keep It Clutter-Free and User-Friendly by Jessica Knapp

Spring clean your blog. By Kristie Hill

11 Things to Remove from Your Website (Declutter Your Blog) By Gina Alyse

Good or bad, your book is judged by its cover

Published on April 2, 2016April 1, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell26 Comments

B = Book Cover & Design

Unlike what we learned in kindergarten, books are judged by their covers.

Yes, the first impression of your book cover influences the reader.

Some people are natural at putting forward that just stepped off the runway look, even at the grocery store. And there’s me in the produce aisle in my fluffy slippers. Hey, they’re warm!

I’m not homeless, just a little absent-minded. The lady shopping next to me, in four-inch Jimmy Choo’s, might be a model or she might be a femme fatale. Hmm, I feel a plot coming on.

But, back to the A-Z Challange and what I’ve learned over the past year from an amazing Web of Writing Bloggers.

Backward Six (see #10 below)

If you want someone to pickup, or click on your book, the cover and design better grab. The book cover needs to pull at them, make them want to look inside or at the least, flip it over and read the back.

So although we are taught at a young age not to judge people by their looks, readers do judge a book by how it is presented.

12 things I learned from you guys about book cover and design:

Looks are important. Forget what your mama told you about the inside being the most important part. If no one is drawn to open the book, they won’t read the story.
A book cover must look good as a billboard or thumbnail and everything in-between.
Artwork doesn’t have to be expensive to be good.
Clean and eye-catching is better than cluttered.
Not artistically inclined there is usually someone who can help. The world is as close as my keyboard.
Research other book covers that are similar. Which ones worked and which ones didn’t.
Art, image, and photo software need not be expensive. There are some that are free.
A trendy book cover can work. (This I’m gonna need to remember in the future.)
The book cover should go for an emotional response, then the reader will react.
The eye reads a book cover from top left to bottom right, and across to the left again. (Backward 6.)
The book cover is mine, even if I hire a pro, it presents my hard work to the world so I better make sure I’m happy with the end results.
And last, but not least, I learned that I’m not going to get it right on the first, second or maybe even the third try. But that’s okay.

DIY: How to Design an Indie Book Cover By Alex Palmer

10 Tips for Effective Book Covers By: dmatriccino

5 Tips for a Successful Cover Design

Designing a Book Cover That Tells Christopher Lentz

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Let me know what you think about book and cover design.

Are you a DIY, or did you hire a pro, or do you fall somewhere in-between?

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

A = Assembly Required to write a good story

Published on April 1, 2016April 1, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell18 Comments

All I learned about writing from the village of bloggers.

That’s my theme for this A-Z Challenge.

Well, let’s be truthful. No way could I cover everything this amazing community has taught me since I began this journey. But I’m going to try.

A=Assembly Required

That’s the first thing I learned! Just like that bike at Christmas, or a bookcase from Ikea, or writing a book there is always some assembly required.

How many times have we groaned after seeing those dreaded words on a box?

Also, it pays to follow instructions.

Now if anyone knows me at all, they know I’m more of an eyeball-it type of person. Not a read instructions type of person.

I mean come on, with a good saw and hammer I can make anything fit. Who cares if I’ve got an extra screw or two left?

But I’ll admit writing is a bit different. And thanks to so many good writers and bloggers on the world-wide web, I’m getting better every day.

Yes, I’m still more of a pantster but I’m also learning how to structure my scenes better so that the bookcase won’t be lopsided. Nothing worse than having to shove a block under one edge to keep it upright.

So what did I learn about Assembly required, or in writer’s jargon, Structure required?

Assembling a story does not have to dismiss my spontaneity or pantster style of writing.
It’s okay to sit down and just write the first draft.
That structure can be as rigid or as flexible as I want. After all, I’m the author, this is a world of my creation.
Help is available at the end of my keyboard. Reach out and touch someone.
That I must assemble scenes, multiple story lines, and characters into a mosaic of that become the story.
Then let an editor tear it down because I left out a screw or two and then I must reassemble it all over again.

When and if I’ve a beautiful finished and polished manuscript…..

It’s time to assemble the physical book.

Yes, some assembly required to be a writer.

More reading on story structure.

Story Structure in Short Stories

10 Simple Keys to Effective Plot Structure

The Secrets of Story Structure (Complete Series)

Thanks for stopping by my blog.
You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

How to banish a writers hiccup

Published on March 30, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Don’t you just hate losing stuff?

Me too!

I have files upon files, notes and notes stashed everywhere. And more times than not I can’t find what I need when I need it. Whew, hope that made sense.

So what have I been tearing through paper and computer looking for?

An article that taught me how to clear my mind, to break through writer’s hiccup, and get own with my project.

writers-block

Want to know what it is?

Re-write a favorite poem, opening, segment, or prologue. You can strive to make it better, more relevant to today, make it funny or sad but the goal is to re-write it and make it yours.

When you are finished it should speak to you in a new way.

I do this exercise often but rarely share.

Today, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing a poem that has meant a lot to me over the years. Although poetry is not my strong suit, I still enjoyed the exercise.

The poem I’ve chosen is by MARTIN NIEMÖLLER: “FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE SOCIALISTS…”

Believe it or not, but the inspiration came from an old joke which got my gears turning and let me here. Weird how the mind works. Please be kind.

A Slow Boil

First police patrolled immigrant neighborhoods,

And I did nothing-

Because I didn’t live there.

Then troops manned the streets,

And I did nothing-

Because I was American born.

Then all heretics were registered and monitored,

And I did nothing-

Because I was a Christian.

Then I was questioned, my faith, my family, and my patriotism-

And no one did a thing-

Because there was no one left to help.

So what do you think about the exercise?

Have you ever tried to re-write a favorite passage or poem?

Is it something you might try?

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Also check in with me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.