fiction – Page 31 – Jean's Writing

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.

What makes your blog float to the top?

Published on January 14, 2016January 13, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell14 Comments

Is it a catchy title, fancy SEO or what?

Anyone know where to order a website life jacket?

Do you know what an SEO is?

This writer hasn’t a clue!

Learning to market and use SEOs is just one of the many things writers are faced with everyday.

In fact the more I write, the more I discover writers need to wear many hats.

Writers need to market what we write, whether it’s a blog post, a children’s book or a 600 page novel. If we want people to buy it, we have to sell it. It seems writing is also a business of sorts.

Writers have to be editors, before we send it to a proper editor. Writers have to be illustrators before we hire someone who can draw. And the list goes on.

Neil Patel said, “Your content marketing campaign will fail unless you integrate SEO.”
Read more at Business2Business. At his blog, Kissmetrics.com, he explains that marketing your blog is like having a conversation between two people. SEO meets Content. Their conversation gets Google’s attention.

Nope, still don’t understand.

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Branding?? Nope, no longer done in Texas. The cattle here are bar tagged just like everything at Walmart.

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Hey, but the Cowboys still look just as hot.

Steve Masters lists 5 Ways To Come Up With Original Blog Post Ideas Over at the business 2 business community blog.

So SEO and Branding are two jobs I’m just going to let dust cover for now. These two things are just way over my head.

How about you guys? Any of you pros at this SEO and Branding stuff?

Did this help? Anyone? Anyone still there?

All this info made my head hurt. I need a glass of Merlot. I’m going to go find something to do now that will let my brain rest. Maybe watch Judge Judy.

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.

This year, make your opinion heard, it’s very valuable

Published on January 7, 2016January 6, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

That’s right your opinion is important!

To me, and every writer out there!

So share it!

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock in an internet dead zone you’ve probably read a few posts recently about writing book reviews. Here on my blog too.

Why, because without reviews a book will die a slow death.

This was something I didn’t understand until after I’d written and published my first book. An author doesn’t just spend time typing a few thousand words on a computer, magically transform it into a book, and then sit back waiting for the sales to pour in. We have to keep giving that baby CPR every day or it withers on the bookshelf vine as surely as grapes during a California drought.

The writer puts a little bit of their soul into each chapter and verse. They lay themselves bare for critique by family, friends and strangers alike. Willing to accept what comes to set free their muse and see their art come to life.

When you, the reader selects our book, that in and of itself is a high compliment, even if you don’t care much for the story. The fact that you take the time to read the book speaks volumes.

Since you’ve already invested the time to read the book, why not take a few more minutes and let the author know what you thought, gently and honestly of course.

I’ve heard many excuses, but the main one is “I haven’t the time.” Well Amazon makes it easy with multiple choice. Here is a breakdown.

So just how long does it take?

Go to Amazon.com and click on book – 15 seconds
Click on book – write a review – 5 seconds
How is the author’s writing? Click on choice – 2 seconds
Is there violence? Click on choice – 2 seconds
Is there sexual content? Click on choice – 2 seconds
How is the story narrated? Click on choice – 2 seconds
Click on the Stars – 2 seconds

For a grand total of 30 seconds.

Now sure I’m pretty fast on the keyboard and so lets double that and stretch it a bit to 45 seconds. That’s still less than a minute to give a review to someone who has spent months writing the book that gave you hours of pleasure or misery.

Of course, if you want, you can go a step further and write a sentence or two describing what you like about the book or characters. Even the book I don’t care for, I try to find something good to say. Still, all in all it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes. Unless, of course, you are like me and begin to shop on Amazon.com for another good book. But that’s another problem. LOL

Click this link and go over to Cow Pasture Chronicles and get more tips on how easy it is to rate a book you’ve read.

The author will be eternally grateful that you took one minute out of your busy day, and I do understand you are as busy as the rest of us, to leave your opinion. If you’re unsure what to write, read some of the other reviews for ideas. If you don’t want to write anything, just click through the multiple choice.

Because believe it or not, your opinion does matter to us.

Have you read a book recently?

Did you leave a review?

If not, why?

Do you find writing a review hard?

If so, just click on the stars?

Take a few seconds now and leave a review for that book you just finished or even one you couldn’t finish.

The author will thank you!

Look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com! And don’t forget, pay it forward with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Need a good read for the weekend?

Published on November 12, 2015November 11, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Well, I’ve got two for you!

First up, I received an advance copy of this book and boy am I glad.

The Knowing by Ninie Hammon is a hold on to your seat, gripping story that will give you nightmares.

She is the author of one of my all time favorite books, The Memorie Closet. Her new release The Knowing is just as amazing. Can’t wait for the next one.

Page one and I was hooked! Ripped from the headlines, this book is every parents nightmare, Shooter on campus of elementary school. The impact of the shooting on the characters will give any reader pause. Lives are changed as everyone searches for answers.

I’m not a big believer in angels or demons and so I rarely read books on the subject. But, I could not put down The Knowing. The writing and her ability to weave a remarkable story, kept me reading. Move over Stephen King there’s a new bestseller in town.

Congrats! To Ninie Hammon, she hit this one out of the park.

My next recommendation is-

Take Off Your Pants – Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker.

If you are like me, you’ve more “how to” books than you’ll ever read. But this is one you must add to your library. She makes planning your book simple.

Don’t like to outline? No problem.

Prefer to write by the seat of your pants? No problem.

This book gives a plan for combining the best of both writers.

Plus, Ms. Hawker explains “character arc” in terms even a kid can understand. For the first time ever, I “got it.”

This book changed my entire thought process on mapping out a book.

If you’ve had trouble with outlines and characters, I recommend you read Take off Your Pants!

So there you have it, two books for your weekend reading pleasure.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think, read any good books lately? And please join me @jeancogdell on Twitter and jean.cogdell on Facebook!
Don’t forget, pay it forward with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

PS:

Coming soon! My children’s book Tryouts for Ben!