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How to find the right motivation to finish

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Not all motivators are created equal.

Recently a friend shared with me how she stayed motivated to finish her novel. She joined a group that encouraged and offered her positive feedback. Results, she finished! Congrats to her.

So, I decided to follow suit. I joined, signed in and began the challenge to write 10,000 words in 30 days. This sounded just like what I needed. I was ready to rock n roll.

The first day, in pops email, reminding me to write and post the number of words on the website. Okay, done. Next day, in pops another email… Don’t forget! Post words.

Alright already, I stop what I’m doing which by the way was paying bills and log in to update word count. By day five, I was yelling at the website to leave me alone. On day six, I gave them the finger, closed my computer and didn’t write for 3 days.

I guess you see where I’m going with this. Instead of encouraging me to write, I felt as if I had my own personal nagging tormentor.

Needless to say, I now ignore all incoming emails from the website. I’ll remove myself from membership when I get a minute.

However maybe you, like my friend,  enjoy the nagging encouragement to finish your book or project. So down below I’ve added a few links to help or drive you crazy.

I’m sure there are many more out in the world-wide-web, so do share any I’ve missed.

Do you have a favorite that encourages you to write more and faster?

Do you enjoy being accountable to someone other than yourself?

What motivator works best for you?

Or are you like me, hate the pressure of a ticking clock?

Chapter Buzz

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins in November 

NaNo Rebels

EBookWriMo

A Round Of Words In 80 Days

Continuous Creation Challenge 

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How to make finding just the right title fun

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Do you write the story to fit the title or the title to fit the story?

Image result for quotes about book titles

I find it easier to write the story to fit a title. The title for me is a bit of a springboard.

But, my newest work-in-progress, I began writing the story without an inkling of the title. I do have a working title but nothing has jelled for me.

Has this ever happen to you?

Do you discover the right titles easy?

No matter which you do first, have a little fun playing with the words of a title and see where it takes you.

To help, check out these quirky generators. Although you may not find the perfect title for your story, the process may trigger your muse.

Book Title Generators by Tara Sparkling

Book Title Generator by Reedsy

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The Memory String by [Bunting, Eve]The Worst Class Trip Ever by [Barry, Dave]

 

Know how to put the magic in words?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Style Baby! All Style.

Magic is not in the content but in the style of the words.

How a story or speech is presented determines how the audience perceives the style.

So, just how do we add style and swag to the story?

Try these…

  1. Adverbs. (less is better.)
  2. Put the rhyme in order. (put the word you had to force to rhyme in the first line, and the good rhyme in second.)
  3. Long sentences are not good. (pepper short sentences among the few long.)
  4. Spellchecker is your friend. (use them.)
  5. Consistency is paramount.
  6. Tongue tangled sentence, (rephrase.)
  7. Be brave. (forgo the highlights and exclamations.)
  8. Do not fear short paragraphs.

Bonus #9: Sometimes you need to break a rule. If you love it, write and rules be damned.

For a more detailed explanation of the 8 rules, read 8 Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing Style from the Oxford-Royale Academy 

What do you think? Is style as important as the story?

Will people enjoy reading a story with a little more swagger and style?

 

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How to improve your writing with these simple rules

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Do you feel like rules stifle your creativity?

That too many rules, like cooks, ruin the outcome?

Well, following the rules need not be confusing. Thanks to Barbara Delinsky boils down the rules of writing to 5 easy to understand and follow.

  1. Homework.
    • Research will help you write about everything. Thank goodness for Google. Personally, I love researching a new topic. Too bad I get lost in all the cool info.
  2. Likable characters.
    • Everyone loves to cheer on the heroine and boo the villain. Don’t overdo their attributes.
  3. Scene purpose.
    • Write scenes that don’t distract or slow down your story.
  4. Move it, move it.
    • Keep the pace moving forward. Readers prefer heart-stopping speed to eloquent prose.
  5. Edit, and edit some more.
    • Edit everything. Edit typos, flow, context, inconsistencies, repetition, and boredom.

There you have it, my take on How to Write Like Delinsky: Five Rules Of Writing by Barbara Delinsky

Head over and read Barbara’s post and let me know what you think.

Do you follow her rules?

Have one of your own to add?

Are you a rule breaker or follower?

 

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