Creative writing – Page 6

How to overcome doubt, and procrastination

Published on October 2, 2018October 1, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

Do you procrastinate?

I’ve written several times about letting life get in the way of writing. And uh, no, I haven’t figured out how to shut out the world and write. But, I’ve found a few writers with suggestions to help me with this problem. (Fingers crossed.)

Does doubt dog your writing?

Every damn day. Doubt I will ever finish, doubt no one will read my book, and doubt that anyone will really ever give a damn. Thank God for writers who share their doubts and fears too. I learn something every day. Don’t let doubt kill your dreams.

Do you find excuses to NOT write?

Yep. I sure do. I mean a good movie can help a writer, don’t you think? I just received a new book and can’t wait to read it, 2 days later I’m still engrossed in someone else’s story. Well, I guess it’s time to give up the excuses, again.

“We are so scared of being judged that we look for every excuse to procrastinate.” – Erica Jong

Maybe it’s simply the act of sitting down and starting that is stopping you, not your talent.

Thanks to a few good writers for help in overcoming:

Write even if you don’t want to. (Put writing in the same category as a chore. Someone has to wash the dishes, right?)
Accept writing is not easy. (If it were easy, everyone would write.)
Admit your book may not be the next Great American Novel. (But then again it might.)
Remember no one can write like you. (Thank God, there’s only one of me.)
Don’t worry about what other people think. (They don’t use all their brain anyway.)
A comfort zone is a rut. (Climb out and write your truth.)

Now go read the entire posts (links below) and find a few more tips to help you ‘Get Er Done.’ For those of you who said, get what? Click the video. LOL

HOW TO GET PAST EXCUSES AND FINISH YOUR WRITING! By Bryan Hutchinson

How to stay focused on writing one book By Rob Bignell

Write More Easily: Understanding, Embracing and Moving Beyond Resistance By Ali Luke

Okay, your turn:

What helps you get up and get writing every day?

How do you overcome writer’s doubt?

Share your favorite tip to get things done.

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Do you know how to seize a reader’s curiosity?

Published on September 13, 2018September 12, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

With a breath and a pause.

Have you ever watched a daytime soap-opera? Now I think the shows are referred to as daytime drama. LOL

One of the most memorable moments were the ominous music indicating something had or was about to happen. To find out what, the viewer had to sit through a commercial.

How do I know this? Okay, I confess. As a young sleep-deprived mother, I watched a few daytime dramas. In the afternoon I rocked and begged my baby to take a nap while watching Days of Our Lives.

So you may ask, what does this have to do with my novel?

Use a dramatic pause to hook the reader. Make them want to turn the page and continue reading.

No need to trick a reader. Just drop in a dramatic pause that makes them think, wonder and want to hurry on.

I loved this post by Janice Hardy, Wait For It: Hook Lines and the Dramatic Pause. After reading her post, I rewrote my first page. There were a few places I could add a pause to hint at what was to come.

Have you tried or considered adding such a pause?

Did it help your hook?

Do let me know what you think about the article and the idea. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

PS: The dramatic music always woke her up. So, I spent a lot of time rocking. LOL

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How to know difference in your voice and a characters

Published on September 5, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Sounds hard right?

It did for me. I found myself making the process harder than it needed to be. Between my WIP, blog, and branding I tied myself in knots.

Turns out I just needed to KISS.

NO! Not smooching. Good grief, get your mind out of the gutter.

But KISS as in – keep it simple stupid. I was trying too hard. Complicating the writing in search of my voice, when I had it all along.

After reading the following article, I rewrote the first chapter of WIP and pulled to the forefront, my voice.

What I learned from Lisa Hall-Wilson.

Writers (Authors) voice is how you decide to tell a story and is the same from book to book.
Just as we grow and change over the years, so does an authors voice, because our voice is an extension of ourselves and what is important in a writers life.
Character voices change from book to book. After all your not introducing the same person over and over unless in a series.
Branding is your persona and applies to our writing and not just advertising. Your book branding lets readers know what type of story they will find when they pick up your book. Scary, suspense, romance…

Lisa goes into a lot more detail on her website. Be sure and click the link below and read more.

In the meantime, I’d like to know…

Have you struggled with writer’s voice?

Do you often mix up character and writer voice?

How did you discover your writer’s voice?

Has your voice changed or evolved over the years?

How To Discover Your Author Voice And Why You Probably Already Know It by Lisa Hall-Wilson

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How to honor and say thanks to the right people

Published on August 30, 2018August 29, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell9 Comments

You’re delirious with happiness. You’ve typed The End. But there is more work to do. We need to remember, someone helped us over the top.

On the road to success, who helped you? Who encouraged you? There are a lot of people you need to add to the acknowledgment page.

How to master the acknowledgment page like a pro.

I recently had this very discussion with another writer. So, I was so excited to read a couple of good articles, Who Are You Going to Acknowledge in Your Book? By Judith Briles and Write Your Book Acknowledgments (Without Stressing Over It)By Tucker Max that gives us a good guideline.

What I learned from their articles:

Don’t get sloppy. People are going to read this page too.
Make a list before you start. Hopefully, this will prevent you from forgetting someone.
Important first and be specific as to why you are acknowledging them. What did they do to help you?
There is a difference in a dedication page and an acknowledgment page.
Dedication is short and sweet, usually mentions one or few people. And placed at the front of the book.
Acknowledgment is for everyone who helped you get to the end and is at the back of the book. You can mention, friends, family, beta readers, and all of the professionals that contributed to your book. Like designers, writing groups, even you’re babysitter. If you are grateful to someone for their help, add them here.
Be sincere, your readers can spot fake. But don’t go on and on either.
Unlike the dedication, the acknowledgment section can be as long as you need it to be. You need to find the between style and long-windedness.
However, if you don’t want to list each and every person, for fear of missing someone or not getting it right, you can do a blanket thank all type of acknowledgment. The choice is yours.
With both the Dedication Page and the Acknowledgment Page, make it personal. Make it readable and let your thankfulness shine through.

My two cents:

Unless you are certain they wouldn’t mind. Ask. Ask before you print someone’s name in your book. Even on the acknowledgment page. Better safe than sorry. Plus I think it’s considerate to ask permission.
Also, the Acknowledgment Page is optional, not mandatory. However, remember someone helped you finish and publish that book. Say thanks.