Blog 2 Book in Minutes

Published on September 12, 2014 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Do you want to make a book?

Do you want to preserve your blogs?

Maybe I’m slower than molasses, because I’m sure everyone and their dog already knows how to do this, but I’m still super stoked. Today I discovered a great website. Blog2print!

For $7.95 I downloaded my blog in a digital book format. Does it look professional and ready to sell on Amazon? No, but now I have this little eBook of all my posts and writings tucked away safe. I mean who knows anything could happen. My blog could get deleted or God forbid the internet could disintegrate.

Their website has several options for soft and hardback books for a little more. You can upload pictures to put on the covers and select which posts to keep.

Check it out, Blog2Print works for WordPress, Blogspot, Tumblr and Typepad. Let me know what you think.

Do you have too many emails?

Published on July 22, 2014July 22, 2014 by Jean M. Cogdell1 Comment

How many new emails did you get today?

100, 200, more?

Do you subscribe to more blogs and newsletters than you can read? Me too.

Let’s not forget the time we spend checking Twitter, and Facebook, which leads to cute videos (I mean educational videos) or photos.

I’ve started applying the one in, one out system. It’s something I used with my kids to keep them from accumulating tons of junk. Sound familiar?

You can try my system.

One in – One out.

If I subscribe to a new blog or newsletter I must unsubscribe to one.

If I save an email, I delete an old saved email. (You know the emails with the little colored stars, check marks or whatever by them)

What tricks do you use to find quality over quantity?
How do you purge your inbox?

I may have to begin a new system soon: One in – Two out.

Sigh, still have too many unread emails.

Share your secrets to a clean inbox in the comments section.

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A dream come true

Published on July 11, 2014 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

This week’s writing challenge from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt: Pages

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

Below is my contribution from a WIP:

From the moment she’d lost that first tooth, Lizbeth believed in faeries. Now, the proof lay open in her lap, its pages glowing with letters that shimmered and drawings that sparkled. The air hummed, alive, electric like the coming of a storm. She continued to whisper, watching in awe as the magical words breathed life into the enchanted fey.

One by one their wings fluttered, and unfolding as Monarchs from a flower they stretched lifting from the page.

(excerpt from a WIP)

Do you procrastinate?

Published on April 8, 2013April 8, 2013 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

It’s Monday and I’ve accomplished nothing. Read emails, and played on my computer putting off the things I need to do. I’m close to finishing my first novel and here I sit twiddling my thumbs. I take Saturday and Sundays to relax and read for pleasure. But getting back to writing on Monday is not easy.

In my defense I did read a couple of blogs about writing. Does that count? I’m in a funk and trying to pull out of it. My WIP (work in progress) is stalled too. I need to throw something wild in the story line to jar both myself and my characters.

How do you overcome the Monday blues? How do you overcome the desire to just veg instead of pushing the characters in your WIP? How do you motivate yourself when your WIP is stalled.

Now that I’ve wasted the morning with my whining I’ll go fix lunch. Maybe something to eat will get the juices flowing. Ooh this website looks interesting, think I’ll read this first. http://www.creative-writing-now.com/writers-block.html