Tag: writing tips

What do your readers feel?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell23 Comments

I have a policy. No bad reviews.

Why? Because I would no more tell a writer their book is flawed, than a new mother her baby is ugly.

And I do not plan to give a bad review today. However, I learned something very important this weekend and I wanted to share it with y’all.

I’m sure, you like myself you have an arsenal of “how to” books on writing. Books on the plotting or writing by the seat of your pants. I’ve been reading a lot about structure and plotting but this weekend I figured out something.

I figured out why some books with no structure, less than perfect grammar, without a plot to play in, is often times loved by readers.

After spending the entire weekend reading a long  fiction book, with a lot of 5 star review from Amazon readers. I discovered why some books make it when they are about as structurally sound as a beach house after a hurricane.

This book did not live up to the 5 star hype. About 70% through the book I stopped and wondered why I didn’t care for the book.

  • Story? Nope, I’ve read about abuse and survival before. Subject didn’t bother me.
  • Missing plot? No good plot thread, could see the reflector stripes leading the way.
  • Editing? No problem I could find. Well written.
  • Characters? No, they were 3D easy to picture,  but…

Then it hit me, it was the characters. The characters were not likable! They were sweet, handsome, loving, scary, nasty pick an adjective but I could not root for either of them much less the MC. I even found it hard to hate the nasty, bad guy. By the time I finished the book I was relieved to reach the end. I had no satisfied feeling, no ah ha moment, no happiness for the MC, just glad the ordeal was over.

So my take-away from all of this is the most important thing in a book or story is:

A character the reader can love or hate!

If we love a character we will forgive a bunch of faults. Just like that crazy on Aunt who ruins the holidays, but God life would be boring as hell without her.

It’s important to give our readers someone to love, or hate. But never, For the Love of God, never give the reader someone to feel ambivalent about.

Make the villain so nasty the reader needs to take a shower, the lover so hot the reader is frustrated, the damsel in distress that the reader cries for her. Tough job. Here are some links to help.

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How to Reveal More

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Show vs Tell is something I still struggle with.tell me

Often I find my writing is more telling than showing so I just go with that to get the story down and then I go back and show the scene to make it more revealing to my readers.

Thanks to Writers in the Storm for a great post by Shannon Donnelly – Tell Better; Show More

To show gives a weight of importance.

Telling alerts the reader to something that is unimportant. Love number 3 tip… “3 – Use telling to alert the reader that the character is relatively unimportant. This is where a lot of writers get it wrong by telling too much about the main character, which makes that person seem unimportant.”

To read the entire article click here […]

Here’s mine:

Made me wonder if he was selling Log Cabin Syrup, salvation or inviting me to have sex. Either way, with eyes dark enough to get lost in, and that cute dimple on his right cheek, I was in deep shit. My heart fluttered and my ears buzzed as his words faded into white noise. I fell hard into two deep, smoldering wells.

Your turn! Show me yours!

I love comments, almost as much as I love clicks, so after you pass this on to your Facebook and Twitter pals remember to tell me what you think.
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Do you want to write a killer opening?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

I have rewritten my opening paragraph more times than I like to admit. What about you?

When I begin a new project, story or the opening is the hardest part for me. If I can’t get off to the right start then nothing falls into place. And I’ve been struggling with a particular short story for days. I have the premise in my head but until I can find the right launch the thing will not get off the ground. elmer

That’s why this article by Brian A Klems was especially helpful for me. In it he offered the seven different approaches to writing a killer opening line by writer and WD contributor Jacob M. Appel. I hope the article helps you too. Click on the link to read…

7 Ways to Create a Killer Opening Line For Your Novel by Brian A. Klems 

Here’s mine:

I stared at his lips, and listened, his voice as smooth as one of mama’s favorite crazy TV evangelists.

Now your turn!

I love comments, almost as much as I love clicks, so after you pass this on to your Facebook and Twitter pals remember to tell me what you think.
If you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

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UPDATE-Want to see your e-book at the library?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Wanted to update this morning’s blog. Thanks to Ruth Glover for checking with our local library. Sadly, they can only pull from contracted sites. Sigh…  However, I do see this as a wave of the future. Fingers crossed, Amazon will lead the libraries into the e-century and very soon.

I so glad to see the library won’t be left behind now that self-published e-books is taking the world by storm.

Do you want readers to check out your self published e-book at the local library?

Well now it’s possible!

Thank you Jane Friedman for introducing us to Porter Anderson and his post about Self-e Library Journal.

For all the nitty-gritty click and read:

How Self-Published Authors Can Distribute to Libraries  by

There are no fees for submissions, nor limits on the number of submissions an individual author can make.

I love comments, almost as much as I love clicks, so after you pass this on to your Facebook and Twitter pals remember to tell me what you think.
If you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

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