#amwriting – Page 134 – Jean's Writing

How to Manage Scenes in a Novel—Structure Part 8

Published on May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

Read, study this awesome blogger. Kristen is a wealth of information for all of us writers. Here is Part 8 to help with writing the perfect scene.

I love comments, tell me what’s happening with you and if you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Kristen Lamb's Blog

And….ACTION!

As a fiction author, you will often feel like an acrobat spinning plates while standing on your head and juggling fiery chainsaws. There are so many components to keep track of, lest you end up down the Bunny Trail of No Return. Organization is key when it comes to being a successful novelist.

Before we continue, if you want better odds of winning my 20 page critique at the end of the month, I am running a separately drawn contest over on my Dojo Diva blog where I am talking about why everyone (but especially females) needs at least some basic self-defense training. Comments count for one entry. Comments with a hyperlink count for two. And you get to learn about beating up bad people.

Moving on…

We have spent the past few weeks studying the fundamentals of what makes up a novel, and today we are going to discuss…

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Read How To Think Like A Publisher

Published on May 27, 2015May 25, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Hmm, think like a publisher.

Thanks to Writers on the Move for pointing me to the Writings and Opinions of Dean Wesley Smith.

On his website you can read his book Think Like A Publisher 2015, chapter by chapter.

Also, Killing the Top Sacred Cows of Publishing and Indie Publishing.

And this bonus, chapter one of his third book, Killing Even More Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing.

I can’t wait to start reading!

I love comments, tell me what’s happening with you and if you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Writers Submit Your Crime Thriller To New Short Story Competition

Published on May 26, 2015May 25, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Okay, all you crime and thriller writers, dust off those manuscripts until they are bright and shiny.

No Exit Press New Short Story Writing Competition is now open for entries.

Chris over at The Story Reading Ape’s Blog shared a link from Bridget Whelan, Writer’s blog where she explained how Oldcastle Books plans to celebrate it’s 30th birthday. The publisher has set up a new short story competition for its crime fiction imprint, No Exit Press.

So now I’m sharing with my readers. Head over and start entering for a chance to win. Submission period is: 25 May – 22 June.

Do you know of any upcoming contests or submission requests my readers might be interested in? As always, I love your comments, tell me what’s happening with you and if you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Choosing a Genre—Anatomy of a Best-Selling Story Part 7

Published on May 25, 2015May 25, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

How serendipitous (I know-big word) the timing. I don’t believe I could have ordered a better follow-up for my last post. Thank you Kristen, I know my readers will enjoy your latest post at Warrior Writers.

I love comments, tell me what’s happening with you and if you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Kristen Lamb's Blog

Understanding structure helps us write cleaner and faster. Whether we plan every detail ahead of time or just intuitively have the architecture in our head, structure makes the difference between a workable first draft and a nightmare beyond salvage.

I know a lot of you are chomping at the bit right now to get writing. All in due time. Today we are going to talk genre and why it is important to pick one.

Understanding what genre you are writing will help guide you when it comes to plotting your novel. How? Each genre has its own set of general rules and expectations.

If we don’t pick or we get too weird, we will confuse agents and readers because there is no clear idea of where this sucker should be shelved. It will also make plotting more than problematic.

Fifteen years ago, when I first got this brilliant idea to…

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