#amreading – Page 23 – Jean's Writing

Don’t fall into these traps

Published on October 7, 2015October 5, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

Newbie blunders and traps, I’ve fallen into them all.

Yep, at one time or another I’ve used horrible clichés, just to mention one of the traps that shout, Newbie.

Want to avoid these mistakes, then click and read…

Writing Fiction? 10 Common Writing Errors That Make You Look Like a Newbie by Sarah White

Now go forth and write like a pro!

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Do you need an idea?

Published on October 6, 2015October 5, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

Something to write about?

Me too!

Sometimes I stare at my screen as if it just landed here from Mars.

NATASHA ORME gives us 33 AWESOME TIPS FOR WRITING JUST ABOUT ANYTHING

You might want to head over and read her post.

Me, I struggle with #5, it’s hard not to want my story perfect from the git-go.

And #12, waiting for inspiration is how I waste a lot of time.

Not to mention #14, disconnect from the internet. LOL

I hope you get a nudge from one of her 33 tips.

Also check out The Story Starter, this is a fun site.

Happy writing!

thinking-bubbles

Do you know how to convert premise to plot?

Published on October 5, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Don’t know about y’all, but I still struggle with premise vs plot every time I start writing.

Each time I think I’ve got a lock on the difference, and guess what? Turns out I don’t.

I can come up with a lot of ideas (premise) but turning one of those ideas into a full-grown plot more often than not, slips through my mind like water through a sieve.

When I read a good article, book or post on premise and plot, I latch on like a hungry baby with a bottle and reach out to share with y’all.

UpcomingEvents (1) According to Roz Morris, over at Nail Your Novel, I need to take my idea/premise and covert it into events. Events that need a sense of change. The events must matter to the characters be irrevocable, present them with dilemmas and push them out of their comfort zone.

Her explanation puts the concept of premise in a whole different light.

Ms. Morris even gives examples of what type of events, from larger than life, extraordinary earth shattering events to more subtle life choices. Or a mixture of both.

She suggests I treat the premise as an environment, with interesting challenges and an exciting route.

What do these events need to advance the story?

A sense of increasing pressure
A sense of urgency and complication
Events that challenge the characters in uncomfortable ways, revealing their true nature.

Her post helped me see how to advance my premise into a real story.

Hope it helps you guys too. Click on the link and read her entire article.

Self-editing masterclass snapshots – do you have a plot or a premise? by Roz Morris

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Are you sounding like the Little Engine?

Published on September 16, 2015September 15, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell12 Comments

“I think I can, I think I can.”

That’s been my mantra for so long and yet I feel as though I’m writing in circles.

One of my WIP, the story that started it all, is going nowhere. I have so many starts, middles and endings, I can’t make heads or tails of it.

But this little vixen won’t leave my mind. So one day I’m gonna have to wrestle her to the page and get control of her story. Sigh.

Today I read an interesting article. If you know anything at all about me, you know I’m a techie. So this new program caught my eye.

A critic’s second thoughts on robo-writing by Chris Berdik

I use several programs for grammar, spelling, formatting, and reading aloud. But this one has a bit of a different take on editing. WriteLab. After selecting the free trial button, always a go to when trying a new program, I uploaded a selection of my aggravating WIP.

The results were very thought-provoking. For instance WriteLab pointed this out about a couple of words in one sentence.

Coherence

This is an unusual phrase. What relation does innocent have to rhyme? How familiar are readers with this relation? Will they be informed or confused by it? robot-36984_1280

In addition to Coherence, the program checks for Cohesion, Logic, concision, Emphasis, and Elegance.

I don’t any program, no matter how smart will ever replace the imagination and talent of the individual writer.

However, after running this program on a small section, my mind is spinning. Sometimes a fresh, unbiased, logical evaluation can get us unstuck. I think I’m ready to take a crack at this elusive story one more time. Wish me luck.

How about you? Are you struggling with a WIP?

Have you found something to help with that struggle?

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!