Jean's Writing

What is the image you want to project?

Published on March 12, 2018April 5, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

Are you being true to your persona?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition:

“the personality that a person (such as an actor or politician) projects in public: image”

In other words your image. Your image as an author.

Learning how to share on social media can help us improve as writers and bloggers. And possibly sell more books. Now, who doesn’t want that?

Donna Galanti wrote an article that talks about how a writer can present a consistent image to readers on social media, and she really got me to thinking about mine.

I’m not sure I’ve hit the mark with my author persona, yet. But I’ll keep trying.

Donna suggests the image doesn’t need to be genre-based unless that is all you want people to know about yourself.

So how can what can we do to help readers know what to expect?

Define and keep up a message that is constant and on target.
Share with your peeps what they can expect to see from you.
What they see is what they get.

What can you expect from my blog?

Whenever I learn or find something exciting about the writing craft, I’ll share here.
I write stories because I love writing. I write a blog post because I love learning and sharing. And I will always try to reflect that love here.
I write on this blog because I want to be a better writer.
Learning from Y’all, has improved my writing. I do my best to thank you each for your knowledge and expertise.
I believe in possibilities, anything can happen and want to encourage other writers with this blog. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll both make the NYT Bestseller list.

According to Donna’s post, I need to update my “about me” page. So that task just got added to my to-do list. Y’all stay tuned and keep an eye out for a new and improved page.

As Shakespear wrote, “This above all: to thine own self be true,…”

Take a gander at Donna’s post and tell me if you’ve hit all the points in her article. Click her link below. And tell me…

Did you see anything to help improve your social media image?

Does your “about me” page tell a story of who you are?

Do your readers know what to expect when they click on your blog?

Do you think that projecting a consistent author persona will help promote your writing and books?

4 Ways to Create Your Author Persona By Donna Galanti

I HOPE YOU TAKE A MINUTE AND FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Pinterest, Stumbleupon

How you can make the most of Social Media

Published on March 9, 2018April 5, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Want to sell more books, grab more readers?

Who doesn’t, right?

Just had to reblog this terrific post by Nicholas C. Rossis. His article is filled with great tips on how to promote your book through social media.

I haven’t tried all of his tips, but I’m working on them. Little by little, and page by page, I’m trying to improve my social media presence.

Fingers crossed I don’t screw up my Facebook page. I’ve been known to mess up in the past.

If any of y’all manage his instructions, do let me know how it works out.

Exciting Times For Facebook Author Pages By Nicholas C. Rossis

Have you maximized your presence on Facebook and other Social Media?

Which tip worked best for you?

Do have another tip to help me expand my presence on Social Media?

I HOPE YOU TAKE A MINUTE AND FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Pinterest, Stumbleupon

Writers, do you know how to overcome that blank page challenge?

Published on March 7, 2018April 5, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

Do you know how to start writing a new chapter?

Sometimes I do. So I was thrilled to find an oldie but goodie article by Darcy Pattison at Fiction Notes.

I recently arrived at chapter 8 of my WIP, and then blank page syndrome (BPS) hit with a vengeance. Even my well thought out outline couldn’t spark inspiration.

But thanks to Darcy, I got my mojo back and I’m plugging right along now. Then it occurred to me, I couldn’t be the only writer to suffer from BPS and that Y’all might have the same issue from time to time. If that’s the case, maybe her simple and practical tips will help you too.

What helped me move past blank page…

Use the senses. When putting myself in the protagonist’s shoes, reach out and think about what he is seeing, smelling, hearing, etc.
Add action. Now that I’ve identified what he senses, move him into an action. For instance, if he is smelling something: Smoke – runs from building or turns off oven.
Start with dialogue. Get conversations going. I can always add something before that later.

Reminders to consider when writing a new chapter…

Waking up. Although this is a basic no-no, again it’s okay to get the juices flowing and can be changed in the final draft.
Backstory. This can get boring but again, I can cut in the end. Just write.
Dull vocabulary. Don’t bore the reader in the first paragraph, after all my goal is to keep them reading through to the next one.

Are you ever intimated when beginning a new chapter?

Does an outline inspire you to start the next chapter?

When hit with a case of BPS, how do you overcome?

Any cure tips you can share for BPS?

Get inspired to turn a blank white page into ribbons of black. Take a minute and read Darcy’s post.

Starting a New chapter: Defeating the Blank Page By Darcy Pattison

Want another good writing article? Keep reading.

8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One By Elizabeth Sims

I HOPE YOU TAKE A MINUTE AND FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

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Need another idea to help you complete that novel?

Published on March 5, 2018April 5, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

Think like a Resource Manager.

Get organized!

Writer, Blogger, Salesperson, Artist, and Publisher are just a few hats we wear. And juggling all of them can be a challenge. I mean where do we find the time to have a life?

We juggle and multi-task every day. Kids and dogs need feeding, bills must be paid (if you want the lights to stay on), and laundry, let’s not forget clean clothes. Wearing the same sweats all week gets nasty. And this list doesn’t even cover the stuff you juggle at the office.

Whew! I’m tired and ready for a nap after typing all this. Didn’t realize how much I did in a day.

Maybe it’s time to consider applying those same management skills to storytelling.

Organizing helps, but maybe the missing key is in resource management.

Chuck Wendig, explains how storytelling needs management just as much as everything else you juggle.

For instance,

We get kids to school and ourselves to work, making sure everyone is where they should be and for the most part, on time. Our imaginary characters need the same thing.
Chapters, characters, and events need to be in the right order, in the right place and at the right time.

However, Chuck does point out, getting everything in perfect order isn’t what makes a story great. No, the life you breathe into a story is what makes it great.

Fingers crossed, I’ll write faster and better thinking of my story as just one more project that needs good management.

Head over and read his entire post. Maybe you’ll get inspired to corral any wayward characters running amok.