Writing – Page 106 – Jean's Writing

Have some of your favorites disappeared?

Published on August 1, 2016July 31, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

Those blogs you looked forward to reading?

Mine had!

Time for a little blog management.

So, thanks to Sue Vincent, that’s how I’m starting my week. With a fresh slate. Can’t wait to read what I’ve missed all these weeks.

Sue explains that for some mysterious reason, WordPress apparently on occasion turns off the email notifications. frog-wow

I must admit to feeling a little relieved. At least this means I’m not completely crazy and that the gremlin inside my computer hasn’t totally taken control. Whew!

Below you’ll find a little self-help video I made that shows how easy it is to check and see if some of your favorite blogs have been turned off.

Now hop over to Sue’s blog post and read her post.

Here we go again… the wonderful Happiness Engineers have been playing. I thought it had gone very quiet… and while I realise that it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the great o… Source: The empty inbox… by Sue Vincent

Okay, clear as mud right?

Did you find any of your favorites turned off?

Do you check this feature regularly?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Do’s and Don’ts of Asking for Reviews

Published on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

I loved, loved, loved the information posted over at comfyreading this morning!

I’ve written a lot about writing book reviews. How to write a good review, who to ask and what should be included in a review. But, I failed you, my friends, when I left out this very important information.

Thank you, Kerrie, for giving us 7 important Do’s and Don’ts.

I especially loved her very first two Do’s:

Do know what the reviewer enjoys reading.

Think about it folks, if the person you are asking to review your book reads historical romance and you ask them to review your latest medical thriller, you lower the odds of a favorable review. Just logical. So do a little homework. Research their website before you ask. Spend a little time getting to know them.

Second, Do send a synopsis of the book.

It helps if they know what your book is about. Also, if your book is already published, send an e-sample through Amazon. By sharing a free book preview or embedding it on a website, anyone can read a sample of this book with just one click – no need for them to sign in or install an app.

I’d like to add one more to her list.

# 8: Don’t be offended if they decline.

On her list was don’t get upset if the reviewer doesn’t like your book. I add, don’t get upset if they decline to review the book. As Kerrie mentioned it might not be their genre. Or there may be other issues such as time. Everyone is busier than ever these days. Deadlines, kids, jobs, and their own stories to write. So be gracious if the person you ask says no. They don’t owe you an explanation.

I hope you will click on the link below and head over to comfyreading and read the entire post. It’s great!

Hello my lovely bookworms! I spend a lot of time talking about what to do in order to GET books to review, but today I wanted to switch gears a little and address authors that want to get their BOO…

Source: Do’s and Don’ts of Asking for Reviews

Can you add another “Do or Don’t” to the list?

What is one of your pet peeves for getting or giving reviews?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

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What will you do when you grow up?

Published on July 27, 2016July 24, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

I’m gonna write epic books!

Books like Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, that take kids on great voyages through time and space on to complete dangerous quests.

Thanks to friend and blogger, Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog for sending me a terrific post by Bryn Donovan.

Bryn lists 15 Great Plots from European Mythology and Ancient Literature and suggests we consider making them our own. To rewrite them with a modern twist, with a different time and place. It’s been done many times, think Romeo and Juliet. And I can’t begin to count how many times Cinderella has been rewritten. glasshighheel-300px

Ever thought about writing a story differently?

A movie, TV show, Bible story, children’s rhyme, murder mystery, or a ghost story?

I love the idea of taking an old idea and making it mine. It’s not as simple as it sounds.

How about you? What type of story would you like to retell?

Be sure and click on the link above to read the entire article. You might just get a great idea for a new book or short story.

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Vancouver production of Romeo and Juliet sparkles with focus on youth

How to add just enough color to the story

Published on July 26, 2016April 15, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell14 Comments

Last week I wrote about saying a lot with little.

That’s great; brevity is needed from time to time. But for a story to be truly beautiful, horrific or memorable, whether short or long, the writer must paint a vivid picture.

So how do we, as writers, paint a picture without adding so many color and descriptions that we end up with a muddy mess?

muddy art pallet Jeans Writing

Anyone?

I admire writers that write with beautiful descriptions dripping from the page like diamonds around the neck of a debutante. But me, I struggle every time I sit down to write. Writing just enough words to make the sky a calm vibrant blue on a warm sunny day or adding clouds, birds, airplanes, light breeze until even I’m tired reading the paragraph. The reader does need more than, “The sky was clear.”

I’m a simple person, so I had to come up with a simple process to overcome. Kinda like any overwhelming project, I take it one piece at a time. In art class, we were taught to block out the subject/scene at first pass. Quick and dirty get the basic dimensions down on paper. Writing is another art form. I try to apply what I learned about drawing and painting to the art of storytelling.

Here are my 2 steps:

Sketch and block out the story. (my version of an outline)

Like an artist sketching out a drawing in charcoal, I write the bare basics first. Just sketch out “what’s to happen.” Giving myself an idea of how many chapters it will take to reach the conclusion.

2. I tackle each scene or chapter one at a time.

I add a layer of shading, and color to the scene, breathing life into the surroundings. Such as, what is important to the character? The sky, weather, buildings…?

Pretending I’m watching and listening to a movie, I let the scene unfold as describe what the character sees, hears, smells and touches, adding these layers of textures a little by little.

Then I go to the next scene and start the process all over again.

How do you decide to add color and description when you write? All at once, as you go, or a little at a time?

Do you have any tips to help me and others with this struggle?

Need more great tips on taking your writing further?

Keep Reading!

Check out the link at the bottom of this post!

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.