fiction – Page 40 – Jean's Writing

A 4.5 Star Review for the weekend

Published on May 15, 2015May 15, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

No middle ground with this book.

Determining how many stars to rate The Contradiction of Solitude was difficult.

YA is my favorite genre. My grandchildren keep me abreast of what’s trending. It’s great to share their enthusiasm for good reading.

This is one of my granddaughter raved and raved about until I downloaded it. She and I will have to agree to disagree. The Contradiction of Solitude is one of her favorites but not mine.

After finishing the book several days ago I’m still haunted by the words.

I predict you’ll either love it or hate it but you will feel something. The writing is very good and very disturbing. The author gives a peek into the disturbed mind of a young person and her serial killer parent. This book left me shell-shocked.

As I mentioned above, YA is my favorite genre, however I didn’t care much for this story. Ms. Walters writes a dark and twisted tale. It’s been days since I finished and I’m still thinking about the characters.

And isn’t that the definition of good writing?

Words that haunt the reader days after reading “the end.”

The Contradiction of Solitude does just that, love or hate it, I’m bet you won’t forget it. This one gets 4.5 stars from me.

The Contradiction of Solitude [Kindle Edition] by A. Meredith Walters

Print List Price:	$14.48
Kindle Price:	$2.99
You Save:	$11.49 (79%)

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Want a 5 star sizzle for your weekend?

Published on May 8, 2015May 6, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

By now I guess you’ve discovered, I will read almost any genre.

There are few books I won’t crack open and give a peak. The exception being True Crime. But that’s a post for another day.

Today’s 5 star review is by Linda Barlow, a USA Today bestselling author.

Ms. Barlow has written in various genres, including historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, New Adult romance, family sagas, and general mainstream fiction.

Looking for a steamy, intense, touching romance?

Then check out The Dangerous Hero. This New Adult Romance about love, trust and second chances introduces the reader to the world of BDSM with a just a little kinky, fantasy fun. The only blushing you’ll do is from the heat in the room.

It’s available to read for free through Kindle Unlimited. This is my first Linda Barlow book, but I’ve already downloaded a couple of others.

Put a little sizzle in your weekend and read The Dangerous Hero by Linda Barlow. You’ll be glad you did.

The Dangerous Hero [Kindle Edition] by Linda Barlow

Kindle Price:	$2.99
Kindle Unlimited:	Free

Writing with Expression

Published on May 7, 2015May 6, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell1 Comment

Want to give life to your writing?

In an earlier post I discussed Tropes and their technical writing terms. After reading Kristen Lamb’s post on story structure I became fascinated with their use and a link she provided to tvtropes.org.

Full Definition of TROPE

a word or expression used in a figurative sense: figure of speech
a common or overused theme or device: cliché
The use of a word or expression in a different sense from that which properly belongs to it; the use of a word or expression as changed from the original signification to another, for the sake of giving life or emphasis to an idea; a figure of speech.

Tvtropes.org explains – a trope can be a plot trick, a setup, a narrative structure, a character type, a linguistic idiom… you know it when you see it. Tropes are not inherently disruptive to a story; however, when the trope itself becomes intrusive, distracting the viewer rather than serving as shorthand, it has become a cliché.

Who knew tropes could be so helpful with scenes?

Need help with a story arc? A scene situation?

Find some puzzle pieces to help you flesh out the picture.

Your only limited by your imagination.

This is a fascinating, fun website that provides tips and help with story arcs in every genre a writer can think of. Careful, don’t get lost.

Who knew there were so many types of love scenes?

Thanks Kristen for the link. I hope you’ll have as much fun as I did exploring how to give life to your writing.

I love comments, tell me what’s happening with you and if you’re not already, please follow @jeancogdell on Twitter!

Anatomy of a Best-Selling Story—Structure Part One

Published on May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

Prose is not a novel. Kristen Lamb explains why we can write lovely vignettes but fall short completing a 80-100,000 word novel. Can’t wait for the next helpful post.

Kristen Lamb's Blog

Structure Matters

Writers must understand structure if they hope to be successful. Yes, it might take five years to finish the first novel, but if we land a three book deal, we don’t have 15 years to turn in our books. Also, in the new paradigm of publishing, writers who produce more content have greater odds of making money at this writing thing.

Understanding structure helps us become faster, cleaner, better writers. Structure is essential to all stories, from screenplays to novels to epic space operas.

Plotters tend to do better with structure, but even pantsers (those writers who write by the seat of their pants) NEED to understand structure or revisions will be HELL. Structure is one of those boring topics like finance or taxes. It isn’t nearly as glamorous as creating characters or reading about ways to unleash our creative energy.