Writers – Page 6 – Jean's Writing

Writers, this is tax info you need

Published on February 18, 2019February 12, 2019 by Jean M. Cogdell

If you’re like me, you break out in a cold sweat this time of year.

I’m not sure about other countries, but here in the USA, taxes are due on April 15th. Yikes, it’s gonna be here before you know it.

However, thanks to Jenny Hansen, I think you may feel a little better. She explains everything you need to know (or pretty darn close) to make filing easier this year. So grab your receipts, or call your accountant after you read Jenny’s article.

Today, instead of breaking down what I gleaned from her blog post, I’m just going to let you click and read for yourself. The subject of taxes is too important for me to screw with it. So please click and read her post. It’s a very informative and a must-read for all writers.

Take it away Jenny…

Easy Tax Guide for Authors by Jenny Hansen

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AND STOP BY JEAN’S WRITING ANYTIME, I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

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How to be more productive as a panster

Published on February 11, 2019 by Jean M. Cogdell1 Comment

Try applying ‘living in the moment’ to your writing.

Sounds easy, right? Well, not for me. But the more I thought about the idea, the more I began to realize that is how I write. I write as my characters interact in their moments. Mindfulness is not just for day-to-day living, but for writing too.

Stay with me. Don’t let your mind wander.

Did you ever try to cram more and more into your day? And at the end feel as though you’d accomplished nothing? Me too.

After reading Writing By the Seat of Your Pants by Karen Bell-Brege, I began to understand how pansters are like improv artists.

Pansters let the characters improvise the flow of their story. We do not hold them to an outline.

What it means to write ‘live in the moment’?

Improv is storytelling. Weave the bold, weird and unusual into the story.
Focus. Focus on the immediate action in the story. Don’t think about anything else but what is happening on your screen.
Say yes. I loved this tip. Stuck? Start the next sentence with yes…
Even the darkest story has humorous moments. Add a little laughter to the tears.
Remember objects, everyday objects and even imaginary objects, add realism to the story. Look around the area your character is in at the moment. Show the reader what you see.
Show movement. Characters move, show your readers what they are doing.
Listen. Listen not just to what your characters are saying, but to the noises around them. Is there a radio, tv, diners, birds, etc.?

These are just a few of the tips I gleaned from Karen’s article. Head over to her post and tell me what you think.

Have you ever wanted to add humor to your story?

Do you stay in the moment with your characters?

Have you ever thought of writing as improv?

PLEASE TAKE ANOTHER MINUTE AND LOOK ME UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKS BELOW.

AND STOP BY JEAN’S WRITING ANYTIME, I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

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Is this why writing is so hard?

Published on February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

To write we must have a clear head. Yikes!

Improving Your Writing Will Improve Your Thinking

Okay…

Which comes first thinking or writing? Writing or thinking? What about ideas first, then writing/thinking???

Ouch, think I just got an idea and my brain hurts.

PLEASE TAKE ANOTHER MINUTE AND LOOK ME UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKS BELOW.

AND STOP BY JEAN’S WRITING ANYTIME, I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

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Do people think you’re weird?

Published on January 28, 2019January 28, 2019 by Jean M. Cogdell13 Comments

Then you might be a writer.

I think this week deserves a little levity. I don’t know about you, but I could use a smile and a bit of encouragement.

My thanks to Jacqui Murray for a light-hearted article for writers.

7 Things Writers Can Do No One Else Can (or Wants to) by JACQUI MURRAY

After reading her post, as a Southerner, I immediately thought of Jeff Foxworthy and his “You might be a Redneck if…” comedy routine. (Don’t click on Jeff’s link if you are easily offended.)

7 quirks that are a writer’s superpower.

If you can invent words no one else can understand… You might be a writer. (Writers invent words and move to our own beat.)
If you eavesdrop on diners and stare, unapologetically at strangers… You might be a writer.
If you dress like a hobo one day and a diva the next… You might be a writer.
If a fire breaks out in your home, the first thing you grab is your Kindle… You might be a writer. (A writer always needs something to read.)
If you go around talking to no one… You might be a writer.
If you drop yourself between the pages of a story… You might be a writer.
If you’ve developed alligator hide from so many rejections… You might be a writer. (No one hears the word NO more than a writer.)