Tag: #amwriting

Be brave, throw caution to the wind and submit

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Or do you think short stories are dead?

I think there is still a place for them. Flipboard and StumbleUpon are going great guns and so are several other e-magazines. But where does a writer submit? Should we use the machine gun effect and scatter stories everywhere?

Hmm, that’s one way to get my stories out fast.

I’ll admit a couple of years ago I submitted a lot of articles and short stories. But this past year not so much. Only one or two, here and there. Why? Because I was busy publishing my books and life interrupted a few times.

However, I continued writing flash fiction and as a result, have a few stories I’d like to submit. So maybe it’s time to start the process again.

Now where to start?

  • Duotrope ($5.00 Mo.) To help you find the perfect match for your piece from thousands of current fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art publishers.
  • The Grinder  (Free) A submission tracker and market database for writers of fiction.
  • Poets & Writers  (Free) Database of over eight hundred literary magazines.
  • The Market List  (Free) The first fully comprehensive writer’s market guidelines index online. Also, offers free advertising for your published books.
  • New Pages  (Free) Provides news, information, and guides to literary magazines, independent publishers, creative writing programs, alternative periodicals, indie bookstores, writing contests.

And of course Google. That’s right you can Google contests, ezines, magazines and find places to submit your story.

Remember to sign up for emails and subscribe to the publication after you submit. Reading the publications will help in future submissions.

Do you have a favorite source or publication you like to send stories to?

Have you submitted anything lately? If not why?

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!”  I’ll leave a light on. 

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Write with confidence when you discover your strength

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell20 Comments

Identify what you’re good at and grow stronger.

That’s right. We stand a little taller and walk with confidence when we’re proud of something. So play to your strong stuff.

It’s also important to think about our weaknesses.

Me, my biggest weakness is tenses. I mix up the present and past tense all the time. Can’t help it so I’ve learned to accept this as a flaw and seek out help from grammar experts. Oh spelling, I’m terrible at spelling. Thank God for spell check.

A strength, imagination. I have a vivid imagination. Some of the crap that pops in my mind would get me committed to a state institution if I shared it all. LOL

But another weakness I have is finishing the damn story.

I’ve dozens of story starts, but like a coon dog with a good nose, I run off every time the wind blows a scent my way. There are dozens of files on my computer and several notebooks lying around with story ideas. Sigh…

So how does knowing all of this help make me a better writer?

We can write to our strengths if we know what they are.

In the article below by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod suggests that once we identify our weaknesses we can find workarounds or get help.

Becoming a writer: Why knowing your strengths and weaknesses MATTERS  by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

She gives a long list to get you started. I’ve shared a couple of my weakness and strengths, now what about you?

After you read her article, let me know what you think.

Did you find a strength or weakness on her list?

What is your writing strength?

Care to confess a weakness?

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!”  I’ll leave a light on. 

PS: If you’re in the McKinney area, stop by. I’d love to meet you.

Seeking Advice – Audio Book Creation

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Thanks to Don Massenzio for asking the question so many writers need to know!

And, big thanks to the wonderful community of writers who answered Don’s call.

Pop over and read: 

Source: Seeking Advice – Audio Book Creation

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!”  I’ll leave a light on. 

Do you want advice help from the great Steven King?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Do you want advice help from the great Steven King? I said it before and I’ll say it again.

Want to write well? Learn from the pros.

One of my all time favorites is Steven King. I mean who doesn’t love getting the bejesus scared out of you just before bedtime? Mr. King knows how to do just that. Anyone read “It?”

Back to what we can learn from the great “King.”

22 lessons from Stephen King on how to be a great writer

Here’s what I gleaned from an article at Business Insider. FYI- #9 and #12 are my favorites.

  1. Turn off the TV and read more.  Okay, no sacrifice there.
  2. Brace yourself.  Sorry, nothing prepares me for disappointment and rejection.
  3. Stop wasting time being a people pleaser.  A good writer is bound to step on some toes.
  4. Write for yourself. (yep.)
  5. Start with the tough stuff first. Hmm, gonna think on this some. There are times it’s all hard going.
  6. Turn off the damn social media. Shut out the world and write.
  7. Don’t write like you’ve got a stick up your ass. Using words readers must look up every third sentence is not a good idea.
  8. Avoid adverbs. Seems I’ve heard that before. And don’t get too long-winded with the paragraphs.
  9. Don’t pick grammar correctness over the story. Love this one!
  10. Description is an art. I do love it when a passage paints a picture.
  11. Keep the background in the back of the story.
  12. Tell it like it is. Write what is real about real people.
  13. Take risks, jump and write like no one is reading.
  14. You don’t need a crutch like booze and pills to be creative. Stay sober and write.
  15. Don’t be a mimic. Be true to yourself.
  16. Write what’s in your head, like telepathy.
  17. If you don’t take your writing seriously, no one else will either.
  18. Write each day. Not sure I agree with this one because sometimes life gets in my way. Just saying. Sorry, Mr. King.
  19. Three drafts in three months! Not in my world. But I could dream.
  20. Finished? Let it rest before going further.
  21. Cut, cut and gut. We’ve all heard how important it is to trim the fat.
  22. Balance! Keep a good balance in your life.

So tell me? What did you get out of Mr. King’s 22 tips?

Which are your favorites?

Do you find reading about other authors helpful?

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!”  I’ll leave a light on. 

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