Tag: #amwriting

Do you know how to kill off a character?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

Picking a way to kill off a character is not always easy.

I’m dealing with that now. I’ve got a character that’s got to go and another that may need to make an untimely exit.

http://www.pixabay.com

Hmm, poison might work.

If you’re looking for a nasty poison then you will be as thrilled as I was to find Poisoning People for Fun and Profit by Anne R. Allen.

Anne gives us 25 poisons to choose from in a series of posts.

Want to find a poison for your WIP?

Click and start with her latest, Poisoning People for Fun and Profit: Part 25—Yew, and then work your way through the rest.

Have you ever used poison as a way to rid your story of a character?

Which one did you choose?

Or do you prefer something more violent ?

Leave me a comment – I love 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! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.

What is the first thing you see?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell18 Comments

When you choose which book to read how do you decide?

Me? I look at the name, cover, and the number of reviews. In that order.

Why in that order? Because a name can tell me a lot about a book and sorry, but I do judge a book by its cover. The cover doesn’t have to be a smashing, professional, polished job but the cover must match the name and pique my interest.

As for the number of reviewers, well I want to see how many have read the book and the ratio of star reviews. Because, yes quantity is as important as quality. The reviews need not all be four or five-star reviews, but if there are only a few, they should be glowing, knock it out of the park reviews to grab my attention.

Now I’m ready to see what everyone had to say. This may surprise you, but I read the lowest star review first, not the five-star. 

Why? Because I want to see the reason someone would give a book a low rating.

Often I learn more from them than the high ones. And believe it, or not, the three or four-star reviews have on occasion enticed me to click buy.

So don’t be shy. You picked that book for a reason. Share your reasons for picking it, and reading it.

The author and other readers will be grateful.

How do you choose a book to read?

Do you always leave a review? 

Do you at least click a star review?

Talk to me – I love 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. 

How to fix that cookie banner on your website

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

The EU requires we use the cookie banner pop-up.

If it isn’t one thing, it’s another to keep up with.

But! Hold on, there is a way to ease the disturbance.

Chis, my favorite Ape, comes to the rescue with a fix!

Click and follow his step-by-step to set your banner to time out.

EU Cookie Law Banner Timed Appearance

 

Thanks, Chris it was easy. 

Did it work for y’all? Let me know.

Were you aware of the issue?

Leave me a comment – I love 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! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.

Do you want to know just the right word?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell26 Comments

Happens to me more than I’d like to admit!

I’ve found a tool to help!

I’m on a roll, typing like a maniac. 

Until I stumble over a word.

My writing comes to a screeching halt. A word isn’t right. But I don’t want to stop my progress. After all, I’m a writing maniac. So I use a placeholder, I’ll come back to this section later and figure out the right word or words to convey my thoughts.

However, I’ve now got an itch I can’t scratch. That thought, that missing word or phase will not leave me alone.

Ever happen to you?

My protagonist whispers he can’t work like this, it’s too unprofessional.

Sigh, okay, I cave, save what little progress I’ve made and return to my placeholder. So I…

  • Think, think, think, I’ve got nothing.
  • Look up the placeholder word. Huh? Not even close. What was I thinking?
  • Check thesaurus. What the hell?
  • Ask my protagonist. He’s left for coffee. Hope he gets two because my brain must be asleep.

Oh happy day! I StumbledUpon a great new website!

If y’all used this like forever, keep your gloating to yourself. Let me enjoy my new toy.

 OneLook’s thesaurus / reverse dictionary

This is a cool tool to find the word to match an idea or phrase. Maybe you’ve used the standard search available from the home page, which shows you a list of definition links for any word you type in. However, this is the reverse:

Onelook reverse-

  • Has filters.
    • Starts with, Number of letters, Related to, Rhymes with, Sounds like, etc.
  • A browser link for easy access.
    • Instructions click here
  • A Wildcard option.
  • Generate a group of words on a subject.
    • books, cheese, TV shows, etc…
  • Find answers.
    • longest river in the US, friend of Big Bird on Sesame Street, etc.

Have you been using this reverse dictionary?

Think you might find this useful in the future?

Talk to me – comments are my all time favorite things.

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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