editing – Jean's Writing

Do you want to write dialog like a pro?

Published on March 25, 2019March 25, 2019 by Jean M. Cogdell1 Comment

Of course, we all do.

I’ve been a big fan of KRISTEN LAMB and save many of her articles. Here is one of my favorites.

Perspective: Self-Editing Your Dialogue and Characters BY KRISTEN LAMB

She explains how to avoid stilted dialog and shows us how to add dimension to enable the reader to relate to your characters.

Do you need to tweak character dialog?

If so, read Kristen tips to make your character come alive.

Read her article, then go back and read some of your WIP.

Do you see any stilted conversations?

Do you have a tip for adding life to characters?

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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.

Click and read this important post to get it right.

Who Are You Going to Acknowledge in Your Book?

Write Your Book Acknowledgments (Without Stressing Over It)

Tell me…

Do you have an additional tip?

Who did you add to the acknowledgment page of your book?

Who do you think should be acknowledged?

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Great reminder on what not to worry about

Published on August 21, 2018August 20, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

In other words…

I need to use this as my screen saver. A constant reminder that my first draft doesn’t have to be perfect.

I’ve rewritten the same chapter at least five times. Tweaking a comma here, a comma there, putting commas everywhere only to go back rewrite the sentence and throw out all the commas.

That’s just one example of how I worry over small stuff that should wait until the damn book is finished.

Thanks go out to Janice Hardy over at Fiction University for a great reminder in this terrific post on writing first and fixing last.

Things I want to remember about writing…

The novel doesn’t have to be planned and structured to the last detail before I start writing.
Complete the thought and don’t worry about crossing every t and dotting every eye. Time for that later.
Don’t worry about too many characters in a draft. You can delete those who don’t pull their weight later during editing.
Writing a scene where a character has a freak out, don’t worry if’s too over the top. During editing, you can calm her ass down if needed.
About world building… Get the world down in that first draft. You can flesh out and make the world more real during editing.
It’s okay for my first draft to be a mess.
It’s okay that inconsistencies and scattered thoughts fill my first draft. I can yank out anything that doesn’t fit later.
It’s okay to throw everything and anything in my novel. Just like dirty dishes, I can wash, dry and put in proper place later.

Click and read this post by Janice and see if you find a few tips to free your creative writing muse.

It’s a Start: What Not to Worry About in a First Draft

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How to keep all the writing advice in perspective

Published on July 26, 2018July 23, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell12 Comments

Do you feel besieged with advice?

Overwhelmed and unsure where to start? Well, keep reading.

Writing is hard. Writing well is harder.

But cutting the process down to bite-size pieces helps. So, if your feeling a little overwhelmed with the do’s and don’ts of writing, reading this great post by K.M. Allan will help. At least she helped me.

How? What did I get out of her post?

Get the story down first. Fix later.
Not everyone will love my story. So, what.
When editing, take one issue at a time. (bite size)
Listen to the advice that is helpful.
Consider the source of the advice.
Last but not least, take a break and then get back to writing.

You may get something totally different from I did after you read her post. That’s okay. We all see things through different filters. The important thing is to keep writing.