Don’t lose the big question!

Published on September 2, 2015August 26, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

Have you lost track of the Big Question?

Tons of little questions just muddying up your story?

I’m bad to get tangled up in a web as I write. But as Heather Jackson over at Write On Sisters all questions, like the roads of the Empire that lead Rome, all questions must lead back to the BIG ONE.

5 Reasons to Track Questions & Answers in Your Novel

So now I’ve got some untangling to do.

Sigh… Where did I put those scissors?

You’ve made it this far so give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share.

Thank you!

If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

All Roads Still Lead to Rome. Pt. II ~ U.S. and its Roman Origins

Avoid these Rookie sins

Published on September 1, 2015September 1, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Don’t let your writing be scarred with a scarlet R, Rookie!

Letter_R
Unto thine own characters be true. Treat each one as a shining star.

Remember, you can’t shrug a word.

Novelist, Chuck Wendig gives important tips on how to avoid Rookie Newbie Moves.

Check out his post.

I SMELL YOUR ROOKIE MOVES, NEW WRITERS

Now I’m gonna slink off and re-edit my last effort. Anyone got some whiteout?

You’ve made it this far so give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share.

Thank you!

If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Writers Block

Are you crying as you write?

Published on August 31, 2015August 26, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Wow! This is, simply put, some of the best writing advice I’ve read in a long time.

Let yourself cry: Jennifer Niven’s inspirational top writing tips

I particularly like #4. No maybe #6 and #7. Wait, no, #9 is good too. Oh, forget it, I can’t pick a favorite. All 12 really hit home for me.

Her advice is simple in its beauty. Sometimes I think we as writers need to be reminded to stop and smell the story. To laugh, cry and fall in love with our story.

You’ve made it this far please give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share.
Thank you!

If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Do you clip for education?

Published on August 29, 2015August 28, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

Well, it’s that time of year again.

School doors across the nation are open and teachers are working hard to educate the youngest of our citizens.

As a mother and grandmother, I’m a coupon clipping machine. I can spot that little red coupon on a product from the far end of the grocery aisle. I’ve been saving and clipping Box Tops for Education (BTE) ever since they came out in 1996.

I don’t even give it a second thought, just clip and stash for the kids.

If I have a choice between two products, one with a coupon and one without, I pick the product with a BTE coupon.

This morning after stuffing yet another coupon in my overflowing jar I began to wonder. Just how much good is the long ingrained habit effecting education?

According to the Box Tops for Education website, each coupon received results in a donation of 10 cents to the school. There you can sign up and find out specific information regarding money paid to the schools.

You can also find out how a specific school ranks with regard to collections, and how much they’ve managed to receive from BTE.

Just plug-in the zip code and voila. According to the website stats, our elementary school reaches for a goal of $2000 per year and over a five-year period received a little over $10,000. Good for them!

BTE boasts they are one of America’s largest school earnings loyalty programs. And distribute earnings to over 80,000 k-8 schools twice a year, in December and April.

Not too shabby for cash strapped schools.

But this still didn’t answer my burning question.

Is this type of marketing a good way to raise money for our schools?

Well, I don’t know if it’s good for our schools, but it must be good for businesses because another program has arrived to the scene.

Shoparoo. Instead of clipping coupons you use your cell phone to snap pictures of receipts. Receipts from any store, big or small, that sells grocery items earn Roo Points (cash donations) for your school. Shoparoo also offers yearly sweepstakes for photos snapped receipts for restaurants and retailers.

What does Shoparoo do with your receipts? They sell the data to major consumer brands, plus information from optional user surveys. All anonymous, of course.

An interesting article in the San Antonio Express-News by Richard A. Marini, ask a different set of questions.

Would it be necessary to diligently clip coupons or snap receipts if our schools were sufficiently funded by taxpayers? Is Box Tops for Education, a good cause or helping Big Foods’ bottom line?

Instead of finding an answer, I’ve just more questions swirling around in my brain.

Why must teachers and schools rely on coupons, or fundraising websites like DonorsChoose.org for help?

Is education just not important to us?

If, BTE website stats are correct, schools receive on average $2,000 per year.

But, isn’t there an easier way?

Why not just give $3.33 per child to the school?

At $3.33 each in a 600 student school the goal would be met at the beginning of each year and not doled out as coupons come in. Plus no paperwork for the already overworked teachers and staff.

That’s $3.33 a year!