Creative writing – Page 82

Do you know how important hooks are?

Published on April 9, 2016April 8, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

Extremely. Without hooks, the reader stops reading.

i-flip-flap-184343_640

Today’s letter in the A-Z Challenge is H.

H= Hooks

Hooks are needed throughout the story, not just in the beginning.

Everyone knows about the Opening Hook. That first paragraph that grabs or catches the reader’s attention. Or not. This is your chance to win or lose the reader.

But, that’s just the beginning. Once you have the reader’s attention, you must keep it.

That’s the job of the hooks. Scattered throughout the story or essay, hooks persuade the reader to keep going. Always enticing them to turn the page.

So, just what have y’all taught me about Hooks?

There are several different hooks:

First sentence – hooks the reader to read the first paragraph.
First Paragraph – lures the reader deeper into the chapter.
Dialog – engages the reader in the conversation.
Scene – determines if the reader will read the next chapter.

What is a hook?

A first impression.
Something to propel the story forward.
An unusual detail or startling fact.
A strong statement or opinion.
An engaging question.
An exaggeration or outrageous statement.
A question that begs for an answer.
An anecdote that leads into a scenario.
Foreshadowing trouble.

Be careful!

Don’t fall into the trap of the old “bait & switch.”

The story must live up to the hook. It should capture and express what the reader can expect.

It’s no fun to be drawn into a story only to find out you’ve been misled and that the only thing interesting in the story was the hook. No one likes to be tricked.

How important do you think a hook is?

Do you think hooks should be used throughout the manuscript?

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Want to explore the intricacies of writing hooks? Then click on these links.

How to write dialogue that hooks readers: 10 tips

Writing Hooks (Not Crooks) By Kat Feete

Write Better Fiction: The Scene Hook ~ KRISTINA STANLEY

Why you need a unique Gravatar

Published on April 8, 2016April 7, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell35 Comments

Today’s letter in the A-Z Challenge is G.

G= Gravatar

Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar.

An Avatar is a graphical representation of you or your business. It can be a picture or icon .

In the early years of my blog, I used a generated random icon as my Gravatar. Until, I realized it said nothing about me or my website.

So I created a Gravatar using my photo. It’s about time to upgrade the pic, but hopefully, I will still look like me. I hate having my picture taken. Oh well, time marches on.

A Gravatar represents you, your writing and your blog. With the right Gravatar, you become recognizable at a glance.

I confess some of the weird, or spider looking Gravatar spooked me. It’s like connecting with a masked person. I don’t care for them.

Although usually associated with WordPress, the Gravatar are now widely used and accepted across many platforms.

Seven things I’ve learned about the Gravatar

Everyone needs one.
A Gravatar is your calling card or business card. It introduces you to the world.
Pick one that relates to your genre, website or you. If your blog is about dogs, a dog photo might work. Of course, some readers may think it’s about a blogging dog.
It should be easily recognizable. Remember this is a tiny picture or icon, choose wisely.
Make sure your Gravatar has active links. Where will a reader land if they click on your image?
A Gravatar helps create your branding platform.
WordPress has built-in support for Gravatar that will automatically pulls in yours and attach to your comments.

Want to set up or change your Gravatar? Easy, just go to Gravatar.com and follow the steps.

Want to read more about creating your Gravatar? Read the links below.

Do you use a computer generated Gravatar?

What about a custom Gravatar?

Does it reflect the message you wish others to hear?

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

1 Key to Help People Find Your Blog

Generate your own, unique Gravatar

What is Gravatar and Why You Should Start Using it Right Away

Social Media Optimization Basics

Do you understand what Fair Play means?

Published on April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell14 Comments

F= Fair Play

The letter F for Fair Play is today’s A-Z Challenge .

Fair play means having a respect for the rules or equal treatment of all concerned.

From an early age, many of us had it drummed into our heads that we should treat others how we wished to be treated.

Playing fair is learning the rules and putting them into practice.

Yes, there are rules to blogging on your website.

This is what I’ve learned over the past year from an amazing Web of Writing Bloggers about Editors about playing fair.

Be courteous. If you stop by, say hi. Don’t just you walk by and peek in the windows. Step up, knock and say hello.
Respond to comments. It’s the same as receiving mail. Don’t leave it unanswered.
Abide by copyright laws. Not sure don’t copy. Err on the side of caution.
Don’t Spam. No one enjoys getting tons of emails that shout, “Buy, buy, buy.”
Don’t post rude comments. Remember, you can always find something nice to say. After all you’re a writer.
Delete rude comments that show up on your blog. It’s your blog, the content is at your discretion.
If you read it, share it. Even if the post wasn’t your cup of tea, other people may find it delightful.
Blog awards are lovely, but not all websites accept these awards. They are time-consuming. Check before you submit a writer for one of the many blog awards out there.
Don’t put your followers or readers on the spot. It’s okay to ask for volunteers, beta readers and reviews but ask in a broad request post.
Quote someone? Give them the credit and a link back.

Bottom line, remember your manners.

Do you have any tips about good etiquette on blogging?

What do you think? Does the anonymity of the internet give us a license to be rude?

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Want to read more, check out the links below.

Confessions of a Blogger: The Etiquette Edition

Do you know how to write a Drabble?

Published on April 5, 2016April 5, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell27 Comments

D= Drabble

There were almost too many choices for this letter but I chose Drabble because it’s a fun. But it’s Drabble for today’s A-Z Challange.

Drabble

Here’s what I’ve learned over the past year from an amazing Web of Writing Bloggers about this strange word.

A Drabble is a short work of fiction of one hundred words in length. Exactly 100 words. Not 99 or 101. (Although, due to popularity, some writers/bloggers have expanded this for special challenges to various, specific word counts.)
The purpose is brevity, testing the author’s ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space.
Keep characters to a minimum, one or two work best. More characters require more words.
Avoid heavy prose. Waxing prosaic eats up the word count.
Stuck in the middle of a scene? Write a Drabble to bust through.
A Drabble is still a story, and must have a beginning, middle and end.
Make the reader think with a twist or surprise ending.
A joke is a good example of a Drabble. A good joke that is. You set the scene, something happens and then a surprise ending that gets a laugh from your audience.

Taking a subject, word or idea and writing in a quick sit down helps my brain work. Stories begin to take shape as do characters. It’s like meeting someone at a party, and all the way home all you can do is talk about that brief encounter.

Writing little bits of flash, that capture short moments of time is one of my favorite exercises. Sometimes the tiny paragraph of only 100 words is a diving board for a longer story but most of the time it’s just plain fun.

Give it a try. Check out many of the writing challenges, try fan fiction or just play with the process. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish with just 100 words.

Tell me, is this a new word for you?

Do you take part in 100-word challenges?

Talk to me, comments are now open.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.