Category: Writing

Do you need to advertise your book?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

I don’t know.

I love writing. Whether, it’s on my blog, short story, flash fiction or a children’s book, I really love writing. Marketing my books, not so much. It always makes me think of bragging. 

With the thousands of books written and published every day, how can I convince someone to read mine?

reading book

Is it because I know so little about the selling and marketing side that I don’t like it?

Could be. But one day, I may have to throw off my insecurities and learn more about how to market my books.

That’s why I was thrilled to read the latest post by . 

His experience with Bookbub’s blog plus the extensive list of links for marketing books will be one I’ll save and read many times. Congrats Nicholas for the recognition he received and thanks for passing on much-needed information.

Hop over and read what happened to Nicholas and the abundance of marketing links on his post. The link is at the bottom of this post. You will want to bookmark his blog!

Tell me are you ready to begin marketing yourself as an author?

Do you hesitate to toot your own horn?

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Is cost what stops you or the process itself?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me onTwitter @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 andFacebook fans.

 That Jaw-dropping Moment when Bookbub Mentions your Blog by . 

 

Related articles

How to say a lot with a little

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Is this one of your biggest issues?

Getting just right the who, where, why and what they are doing. It’s mine.questions-1328465_640Sometimes I get carried away with descriptions. Yet often, like a good perfume, a little goes a long way. A little is divine, too much, yikes. skunk-34149_640

I’m not a visual person so describing situations or scenes is difficult for me. So I’ve invented little tricks to help myself not over think it too much. However, the downside is I end up rewriting a lot. And I do mean a lot. Sigh… I guess there really are no shortcuts.

Things that help me:

  • Look up the word. The dictionary and thesaurus really can be a great source for brainstorming.
  •  Have the character stop and look around. Describe what they see, smell or hear but not what they are doing.
  • Write the scene like a piece of Flash Fiction. This is a good discipline in brevity. It helps me see things in a different light.
  • Remind myself that my readers know what the color purple looks like. I don’t need to go crazy.
  • Reading, reading and reading.

One of the best articles I’ve read lately on this subject written by . Be sure and hop over and read it for inspiration on good descriptions. Link at bottom.

I’m also now reading:

Another good resource is:

7 WAYS TO WRITE VISUALLY (WITHOUT DESCRIBING EVERYTHING) by .

Do you have any tips that can help me with writing good descriptive scenes?

Are you a visual person? Do share!

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.

 

To Grandmother’s House We Go

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

The Daily Post Prompt: Frail

Mom wrapped the warm apple pie in her best kitchen towel before she placed it in the Chiquita banana box. The smell of apples and cinnamon filled the old station wagon. My mouth watered as visions of homemade vanilla ice cream over hot pie danced in my head.

My nose plastered against the window I watched until our house faded in the distance.

“How long before we get to Grandma’s?”

“Geez Mark, we just left,” I said. God little brothers can be so annoying.

“So.”

“Don’t start kids.” Dad caught my eye in the rearview mirror.

“Mark, it’s just a short drive. It won’t take long.” Mom said.

Distance and time are different to adults. Stuck in a car with a six-year-old little brother for even a short drive can seem like an eternity. But eventually Dad turned on to an old road and as if by magic an old farmhouse appeared.

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“Oh, dear.” Mom said.

“Yeah, but she refuses to let me hire anyone to help.”

Dad cut the engine. The four of us sat in silence staring at peeling paint, and a sagging front porch. Cardboard covered one of the window panes to the right of the door.

Was this where my dad grew up? Where were the apple trees he used to climb? My head swiveled toward the barn or what was left of it, fence rails and posts lay on the ground. No cows or chickens ambled to greet us.

“Kids, be on your best behavior. Remember your grandmother is old and I expect you to be respectful. I don’t…

A loud bang interrupted Dad’s lecture. Mom jumped, her hand flew to her chest as if shot. The screen door slammed against the house as Grandma stepped through the doorway.

“You getting out or what?”

Nothing frail about the voice that boomed from the tiny gray-haired woman as she glared at us from the porch.

“Hi, Mom.” Dad waved as he stepped from the car.

Sawdust filled my mouth, no longer watering for the taste of apple pie and ice cream.

 

Prompts are fun!

It’s been a while since I posted a prompt. Hope you enjoyed this one.

Have you written any good prompts lately?

What are your favorite prompt sites?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me onTwitter @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 andFacebook fans.

Do you know all of the rules?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell16 Comments

There are a lot of writing rules. Some good and some open to the writers interpretation.

Me? I think all rules are made to be broken. 

That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

How boring would life be if everyone did everything in the same way? All shades of gray! Every story would read the same!

Individuality is what makes each story, each book and every writer unique and special.

Writing rules are like opinions. Everyone has one or more. But that doesn’t mean those ideas or rules are written on tablets brought down from Mount Sinai.

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This  Latest Blog Post at JaneFriedman.com is a great reminder to follow your heart.

The article written by  gives us 5 pieces of advice to ignore. Of course, I’m sure there are more out there, but 5 is a good place to start.

  1. Weather? Okay!
  2. Dialogue? Get talking!
  3. Backstory? If needed, yes!
  4. Write What You Know? If you love it!
  5. Don’t Ever Follow Any Writing Advice? Only if you know everything!

This is a great post. Click on the link below to read the entire article.

Do you have a “rule” that needs breaking?

Know of a “rule” that is over done?

Do you think writers get caught up in too many rules?

Do share, I want to know. Leave me a comment or 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.

5 Pieces of Writing Advice You Should Ignore by