Blog – Page 5 – Jean's Writing

How to add wonder to your writing

Published on July 12, 2017July 11, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell9 Comments

I wonder what will happen next.

The dream of every writer is to make the reader question and wonder about everything happening to your characters.

But how to give readers that sense of awe, curiosity, or admiration?

And more than that why do we want to achieve this lofty goal?

Because…

A sense of wonder will keep readers turning pages.

I loved this post by Janice Hardy.

Janice put a different twist on the usual questions writers ask. And a different twist for me means a new twist for my readers.

Remember:

don’t be predictable
- delicious or poison
- dead-end or right destination
make the reader worry
- success and failure,
- secrets and truths
- a clean the kitchen or a bloody mess
a hook in the beginning and triggers throughout
- good fisherman plays with the fish, so does a good writer

When the reader needs to catch their breath is the time to relax the tension. After all, no ones want to hang on a cliff forever.

Now head over and read her post. Tell me what tips did you get from Janice Hardy?

Whether you are an outliner, or fly by the seat of your pants, this post will give you a new look at old questions.

What Do You Want Readers to Wonder About? by Janice Hardy

I’m wondering, did her tips help you?

I’d love to hear how you apply wonder to a current WIP. Do share.

Leave me a comment. I love talking to Y’all.

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 know how to break through that barrier?

Published on July 5, 2017July 4, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Have you found a way to break that writer’s block?

To break through whatever is holding you back?

I did, and right in the middle of a holiday.

Writer’s block is banished and hope to hell it stays gone at least for few months. LOL

It was wonderful to sit and write not stop. Not even a bathroom break before I passed 1000 words! Here lately, that’s quite an accomplishment.

What changed? Me.

I relaxed for a few days. Watched TV, read a couple of good books, started a couple of bad books, and read a few great blog posts. Plus I kept my notebook close by. Yep, you read that right. Old fashioned pen and paper. It seemed that by letting myself off the hook, my mind felt free and the dam burst.

I’d jotted down whatever popped into my head. Later I’d free write or micro-plot from my notes. Nothing more, no pressure to do more than that. Then after a few days, I looked over those messy notes. Those scribbles made about as much sense as a drunk giving directions to the next best bar in town.

But odd as this may sound, I spotted a common thread that began to make sense. I almost flew to my computer.

And write, I did.

Writing is an escape for me. So I miss it when I can’t take a trip. I miss visiting with crazy characters. I even miss writing and deleting the rubbish no one else will read.

If you need a little encouragement. Read this post by author Roxie Cooper guest post on BlondeWriteMore. Ms. Cooper will help you realize you’re not alone. Click and read!

10 Things I learned about Writing a Novel

Do you have a tip for breaking through?

How do you unscramble your thoughts?

What have you learned about writing free?

Leave me a comment. I love talking to Y’all.

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

What do you think, is it really never too late?

Published on July 3, 2017July 1, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Only if you’re dead.

Even if you’ve published that book a year ago, as I did. Go ahead and register that copyright. Better safe, than sorry.

A big shout out to CHRIS THE STORY READING APE’S BLOG for always pointing us to important and relevant information.

This week it’s about Copyrighting. Chris hooked us up with Susan Spann who dispels seven myths about the process. She explains everything in simple easy to understand terms. Even I got it!

So use the clicker on your computer and read how to protect your hard written words.

The Truth Behind Popular Copyright Myths by Susan Spann on Writer Unboxed site.

Have you registered your books?

Did you find the process easy?

Will you register them now after reading this article?

I’m waiting for your comments, love to hear from you.

And don’t forget to go 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.

When was the last time you backed up your website?

Published on June 21, 2017June 20, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell26 Comments

We all back up our computers, either to the “cloud” or to an external hard drive. But what about your blog?

Have you thought about backing up your blog?

What would happen if your blog content vanished? Years of hard work gone in the blink of an eye. How could that happen? WordPress has been around for eons! Ever heard of MySpace? Haven’t? There is a reason.

What would I do should WordPress suddenly vanish into web space?

Cry, eat Bluebell Ice cream and drink Margaritas. Not in any particular order. Then I’d sit down and begin to vent. I mean, write.

Of course, the best thing would be to avoid such a catastrophe.

Here is today’s no excuse, public service announcement, brought to you by Suzanne Bowditch.

Click and read Suzanne’s terrific step-by-step instructions on how to backup your website. Don’t lose that amazing website you’ve slaved over for months.