JeansWriting – Page 3 – Jean's Writing

Choosing a Genre—Anatomy of a Best-Selling Story Part 7

Published on May 25, 2015May 25, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

How serendipitous (I know-big word) the timing. I don’t believe I could have ordered a better follow-up for my last post. Thank you Kristen, I know my readers will enjoy your latest post at Warrior Writers.

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Kristen Lamb's Blog

Understanding structure helps us write cleaner and faster. Whether we plan every detail ahead of time or just intuitively have the architecture in our head, structure makes the difference between a workable first draft and a nightmare beyond salvage.

I know a lot of you are chomping at the bit right now to get writing. All in due time. Today we are going to talk genre and why it is important to pick one.

Understanding what genre you are writing will help guide you when it comes to plotting your novel. How? Each genre has its own set of general rules and expectations.

If we don’t pick or we get too weird, we will confuse agents and readers because there is no clear idea of where this sucker should be shelved. It will also make plotting more than problematic.

Fifteen years ago, when I first got this brilliant idea to…

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How to discover your writing genre

Published on May 24, 2015May 23, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell14 Comments

What genre is your writing?

Thanks to Ryan over at A Writer’s Path for mentioning Literary Rejections.

The post explaining in detail the definition of each genre, is just one of the many posts over at Literary Rejections with a wealth of information for writers.

Hop over and find out which genre is right for you.

Hmm, so much to read, so little time.

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

Stepping out of my comfort zone

Published on May 22, 2015May 22, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Today I’m taking a giant leap way, way out of my comfort zone.

Gulp…

I’m so glad it’s audio, and not video. No one wants to watch me sweat bullets or chug water to wash away the dust of fear.

Not sure how this will go but…

if you’d like to hear what this Southern lady sounds like, head on over to Blog Talk Radio at 12:30pm PT, or 2:30pm CT (Texas Time) and listen in to:

Empowering and Inspiring Women Globally with Dianna Bellerose

I can’t begin to say how delighted and flattered I am that Dianna Bellerose opened her radio forum to me. Just hope ya’ll won’t be disappointed. The internet and self publishing have empowered writers everywhere to let their voice be heard. So guess time for me to speak up too.

Now if I can just keep my foot out of my mouth I might get through the hour.

I hope you can give the show a listen, and do let me know what you think because as always…

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

Heart wrenching YA 4.5 Star Read

Published on May 22, 2015May 18, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Note to self:

Once again, remember when 2790 readers rate a book 4.5 stars, it’s gonna be worth my time.

Why I’m ever skeptical is beyond me.

Who doesn’t love Cinderella?

Rebecca Donovan writes a unique, sick, and twisted Cinderella story in Reason to Breathe. What an imagination. She keeps the reader on edge waiting for a happy ending. As I was sucked into the unbelievable cruelty of the life of Emma and I gladly overlooked any editing issues as I rooted for her survival. Just when I thought things could not get worse, they did and the pace quickened giving my nerves no time to relax.

I guess it’s true, a good story trumps all. I can see why young adults love Rebecca Donovan.

Why, you might ask if I liked it so much, did I give the book only 4.5 stars?

Because of the ending.

The ending left me wanting.

I understand this is book one of a three book series and cliffhangers are essential for a series, however I still prefer a more satisfying ending.

The ending left me distraught, and confused, so much so that I immediately downloaded the second book. A success for Ms. Donovan.

For me the Prologue of book two, Barely Breathing, would’ve been a perfect Epilogue for book one. I could’ve slept well that evening and savored the first book before launching into the next one.

Reason To Breathe (The Breathing Series, Book 1) by Rebecca Donovan

(2,790 customer reviews)

Print List Price: $9.99Kindle

Price: $2.99

Kindle Unlimited: Free

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