Writers – Page 44 – Jean's Writing

How to be a good writer with style? Learn from a successful one.

Published on April 10, 2017April 7, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell16 Comments

Here’s another one on great writers.

Have you found your style?

I’ll confess right up front, I’ve struggled with voice and style since I began writing. Writing as myself, sounding like me and hoping people enjoy it seems at odds. After all, my mind is a mystery to myself, so how in the world could I expect anyone else to understand my thoughts.

Forgive the rambling. Sometimes I get carried away.

Now back to writing with style.

StumbleUpon is becoming one of my favorite places to find great reading on the craft of writing. Once again I stumbled upon an article about Kurt Vonnegut and his tips on writing with style.

Vonnegut: How To Write With Style by Eli James

In this article, Eli James lists seven things to help a writer zero in on their style.

Here are my thoughts:

Find a subject you care about
- Now I care about a lot of stuff. Hmm, gonna have to work on narrowing this down a bit more.
Don’t ramble
- Oops, I have really gotta work on this one. My apologies folks.
KIS
- Simple. Short and sweet. Sometimes I take that too far. Another point to work on.
Cut
- Eli says we must have the guts to cut words and sentences we love. Doesn’t move the story forward, gotta go. No matter how beautiful. Oh well.
Sound like me
- Write like me, not anyone else. Guess, I shouldn’t try and kill that Southern twang I’ve got going.
Say what you mean
- Unless writing fantasy, SF fiction where the language is not of this world use words that readers will understand.
Pity the readers
- Now I admit this one gave me pause. I understand it to mean, write with the reader in mind. Know your audience.

Are you happy with your writing style? Or are you still searching?

Could you learn something from Kurt Vonnegut?

Who do you write like? Click here and find out. I write like…

More reading at the bottom!

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon, on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

Style BY KATHLEEN CALI

Four Different Types of Writing Styles: Syed Hunbbel Meer

Style, Diction, Tone, and Voice Wheaton College

Images courtesy of Pixabay.com

When is the best time to do your taxes?

Published on April 3, 2017March 30, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

Never if you ask me.

But, unfortunately, it’s that time of year!

At least here in the States. April 18th is drawing near and the tax man is waiting. And like dirty laundry a task that cannot be avoided.

If you haven’t filed your taxes maybe you could use a little more information. Thanks to Jane Friedman for sending writers a terrific bunch of tips to make this arduous task a little less painful.

Mine are filed! Whoo hoo!

What did I learn from reading Jane’s post?

I don’t have to make a profit to take deductions.
Expenses for my books and website are just that “expenses.”
I don’t have to have employees to have a business. Just me.
Keep good records. (Glad I use Quicken.)
Amazon will report your royalties, make sure you include them on your returns.

What Every Self-Published Author Needs to Know About Taxes

After you’ve read Jane’s post and tell me…

Have you done your taxes yet?

Did you include your writing profits/losses?

Did you learn something new from Jane’s post?

Tell me, I love reading your comments.

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

When is the best time to use contractions?

Published on March 31, 2017March 30, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell25 Comments

Okay, first things first. If you’ve read any of my post you know…

I’m no expert.

But recently a fellow writer Jena C. Henry, be sure and hop over and check out her blog, posed a question.

When is the best time to use contractions?

I, in turn, agreed to toss the question out to my readers.

However, as this is my blog, here are my thoughts.

No rule says we must use contractions. I don’t want my writing to sound as if I’ve got a stick up my ass. Unless of course one of my characters is actually walking around with a stick, well you know. To me, writing with contractions makes the story and dialog sound less stilted and more inviting.

However, I don’t think a contraction is warranted in every instant. In other words, I believe this is just one of the many tools in a writer’s arsenal. Using them should be part of a writer’s personal preference or style. There are times when using a contraction can sound confusing and may take an extra beat for the reader to figure out what is happening. Any doubt- write it out. Remember, a good rule of thumb is to “write like you talk.”

Click here and grab this cheat sheet of Common Contractions.

Now Jena and I would like to hear your answers.

When should a contraction be used?

Do you use more, or less, contractions in your writing?

Do you think they are overused?

Should writers forgo them for a more formal style?

At the bottom of this post, I’ve linked a few articles with a bit more authority on the subject than me. So keep reading!

Leave me a comment – I love hearing from you!

Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.

Keep reading!

Using Contractions Correctly

Contractions by Neal Whitman, read by Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl

Contractions List: When To Use and When To Avoid by Joe Bunting

What is the first thing you see?

Published on March 22, 2017March 15, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell18 Comments

When you choose which book to read how do you decide?

Me? I look at the name, cover, and the number of reviews. In that order.

Why in that order? Because a name can tell me a lot about a book and sorry, but I do judge a book by its cover. The cover doesn’t have to be a smashing, professional, polished job but the cover must match the name and pique my interest.

As for the number of reviewers, well I want to see how many have read the book and the ratio of star reviews. Because, yes quantity is as important as quality. The reviews need not all be four or five-star reviews, but if there are only a few, they should be glowing, knock it out of the park reviews to grab my attention.

Now I’m ready to see what everyone had to say. This may surprise you, but I read the lowest star review first, not the five-star.