Do you know how to write texting?

Published on March 2, 2016April 30, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell28 Comments

Texting is here to stay.

At least until Apple comes up with the next best thing.

If our stories are to stay current, we need to discuss texting.

Writers need to stay on top of trends and changes, whether they are permanent or fads. Why? Because it dates the story.

I’m discovering more and more the need for research. You may not be writing a historical or technical book, but the need for research is ever-present.

Children’s book? Need to research games they play, books they read or don’t read. Type of clothes they like, yes, even in kids.

YA? Research required not just in slang terms, but clothing, electronics, TV, social media, peer pressure and that’s only the beginning.

Fiction books require research as do non-fiction.

All that brings me to texting. If you want to write a texting scene in your book, research is a must. Start with your phone, that of your kids etc. However, like with most things in the real world, not all translate on to the written page with ease.

And an article by Rachel Ritchey which arrived just when I needed more insight into what other writers were thinking.

As Rachel mentions, writing “text” messaging into a novel is a new concept. Uncharted territory if you will. As strange as an alien planet.

alien-planet-583719_640 — Pixabay Images

So far, there is no standard.

And I’m not sure there could be, a texting conversation between adults is different from those between teenagers. After all, our in-person conversations are different too.

Young adults use emoji, online jargon and abbreviations. Older people are more likely to write out whole sentences. Yep, more research.

On one point I do agree, whichever way you choose to show a text conversation make sure you stay consistent throughout the novel.

Here is a sample of a chapter I’m working on.

Maybe I should try one more time. I tapped the text icon. Nothing new. My last texts stared at me, unanswered. This wasn’t like her. No calls, no texts, nothing. Not since Saturday night.

The music made talking impossible. My head pounded with the base. Midnight even on a Saturday was too late for me to play sister to Cinderella. I needed sleep. I texted Tiff. Her blond curls popped above the crowd, she waved at me and nodded.

12:01 AM

Headache going hm

😦

T2UT

Disappointment, not anger. That was the last time I saw her, grinding against tall, dark and handsome on the dance floor. My head pounding, I’d gone home.

Next day, awake and feeling better after a long hot shower, I texted her, ready to hear all about the good-looking guy and what happened after I left.

9:50 AM

U up yet?

I’d waited until almost noon before sending another. Even Tiff wouldn’t waste a beautiful Sunday afternoon sleeping.

11:50 AM

CM details on last night

2:00 PM

Tiff WRU?

5:00 PM

CM!! WRU???

8:00 PM

GDI answer UR phone!

I’d tried calling several times. Rolled to voicemail again and again. Not like her.

***

Rachel gives examples of how she thinks texts should be written as well as a link to another good author and his opinion.

Texting Conversations in Writing: What’s the best format? BY RACHAEL RITCHEY

What about you? Have you written a texting scene into a story line yet?

How did you show the texting conversation?

Which way looks best to you?

Are you a late blooming success story?

Published on March 1, 2016February 28, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell16 Comments

Do you think age and experience help with the creative process?

I do!

We’ve all heard the old saying, “Age is just a number.” Usually it’s said by some young, smart ass who doesn’t know a thing about dealing with arthritis, gray hair, forgetting where they left the car keys, or retirement. But hey, one day they’ll understand.

However, writing is one thing that is not regulated to the young. Not like skiing, swing dancing, or any of the other crazy things our knees let us enjoy in our 20’s.

No, writing is only limited by our imagination. I believe age can enhance imagination from interesting to downright bizarre. Not to mention we have more time to write.

I wrote an article about writing advice last week, today I’d like to give my readers, and myself, a piece of advice. As with walking, we place one foot in front of the other to begin a journey. So it is with writing. Placing one word after another we start a journey of words. And…

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Keep writing, just keep writing and don’t stop.

Who knows when you might write that one amazing story that sets the world on fire?

It could be the next time you sit down at your computer. So just keep writing. Even if it’s nonsense. Let the ideas and words pour out and see where they lead.

Thank you C.S. Lakin for the article below.

This post gave me hope, that before I leave this earth I might, just might write something worth reading. All I have to do is keep writing one word at a time.

How Writers Can Take a Lesson from Late-Blooming Writers by author J. M. Orend.

So readers, tell me, has your writing, like fine wine, improved with age?

Leave me a comment and reach out to me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

What is the best advice you ever received?

Published on February 26, 2016February 24, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

To read for pleasure.

I’ve forgotten where I grabbed that bit of sage advice, but every time I hit a dry well, I stop digging and start reading.

The worst advice I’ve ever heard is to just sit down and write. If it were that fucking easy I’d be a Pulitzer prize winner by now. My computer is filled with gibberish from the times I followed that advice. And trust me nothing is more frustrating for this writer than typing gibberish.

If that’s how you feel sometimes then go read something that makes you laugh, or scares the crap out of you.

A good book is like a great vacation.

We all need a good vacation, a break from our muse and the characters that drive us. So take a break and get lost between the pages of the good, the bad and the wonderful tales written by another author.

After you get back all rested, refreshed, and inspired – write!

Read what famous authors have to say about writing advice, click the following article.

Get to Work: On the Best Advice Writers Ever Received By SARAH ANNE JOHNSON

So tell me, what is the best writing advice you ever received?

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

What do you need to win a writing contest?

Published on February 24, 2016February 21, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

If I knew, for certain, I’d be a big winner!

I’ve come close a few times, but sigh… I’m still working on grabbing the brass ring.

It’s another year and contests are starting to crop up again. But, if I’m to jump in those deep waters, I want to give myself the best chance of winning. That brings up the question. How?

What can we do to swing the odds in our favor in the face of fierce competition?

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After you’ve written that story make sure you’ve hit all the basics. If you’re looking for an edge, check out the following tips.

Engage the reader emotionally.
- Give the reader a reason to love or hate the protagonist.
  - Even in a short or flash piece emotions should run hot.
Be unpredictable.
- Don’t be cliché, or if you must put an original twist on an old cliché.
Don’t put the reader to sleep.
- Keep them on the edge of their seat from line one.
  - I’ve been guilty of rambling on and on about something I thought was important but wasn’t.
Give the reader a satisfying ending.
- Don’t leave them hungry.
  - There’s a difference in a cliff hanger and a bad taste.
Lead the reader down a clear path.
- Don’t leave them wondering what the hell just happened?
  - (Oops, just used a cliché.)
Let the reader breathe.
- Fast, slow, short and long, the pacing helps go the distance.
Know the rules.
- And follow them.
  - I must confess, I’ve blown this more than once.

Want to read more about avoiding contest mistakes?

Click and read this post. Do You Make These 7 Big Mistakes When Entering Story Contests? By Dr John Yeoman, PhD, Founder of Writers’ Village

So, do tell. Are you going to enter more or less contests this year?

Are you too busy publishing or writing that great American Novel?

Have you won any writing contests lately?

What was your secret?

Tell us in the comments section and you can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.