Tag: writing tips

What story mistakes are you making?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Understanding what an editor looks for is paramount.

Anne Leigh Parrish a fiction editor for Eclectica Magazine wrote an eye-opening post on how to avoid the same mistakes over and over. She also writes what she looks for in a story.

“… a story itself is a narrative where there must be a change in the reader’s understanding of the events, or in the protagonist’s understanding. You leave a story seeing something you didn’t see at the outset, something that makes sense of what’s come before….”

Mistakes to avoid in Short Story Writing

I hope her article helps you write your best story yet!

Happy writing.
I love reading your comments. Don’t forget to pass this post on to your Facebook and Twitter pals.
If you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Do your readers know you?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

How does your bio read?

Does your about page tell readers who you are? What they can expect?
Every publication  has different rules. But all want to know who you are. Some require a 50 word bio, others want more information, some want it written in 3rd person. Keeping track of what to tell who can be daunting.
So to help, I made Word document with several different bios. Makes it easier to copy and past the right information required by different publications.
The “about me” page gives bloggers more room to be creative and is the first page I read.
Author – Anna Dobritt posted a great article on writing a good bio. Check out her tips and suggestions. Let me know what you think. Click here Author Bios  to read.

Click here to read other author bios, or just Google. 

I’d love to read some of your bios, so put a link below in the comment section. Let’s get to know each other better.
Don’t forget to pass this post on to your Facebook and Twitter pals.
If you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

 

Do you write effective dialog?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Do you like DIY (do it yourself) instructions?

Give me a step-by-step diagram and I’m good.
An email in my inbox, from Janice Hardy from Fiction University, caught my attention. It was part of a How They Do It Series.
Good conversation, and snappy dialog draws us in whether it’s in a movie or in a book. A good comeback, in one-to-one conversation, invokes an emotional response. Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we get mad but we don’t forget the comment.

Something Worth Saying: Writing Effective Dialogue

By Joyce Scarbrough, @JoyceScarbrough 
Read the 5 tips from Ms. Scarbrough. In her first tip she reminds us that dialogue isn’t how people talk in real life.
“Leave out the banalities.
Dialogue isn’t supposed to mimic real conversations. It’s supposed to make them a lot more interesting. Readers don’t want to wade through all the niceties and chit chat people normally engage in to get to the meat of the conversation.”
To read the rest of her insight and tips click on Something Worth Saying: Writing Effective Dialogue.
Practice makes perfect, or at least improvement. In the comments section write a piece (50-150 words) using just dialog to tell what’s happening.

Here’s mine:

“Waiting long?” Mitch asks, staring straight ahead, his eyes on the road.

“I wasn’t waiting.”

“Looked like waiting to me.” He lifted one eyebrow, a smirk played on his lips.

“Well, I wasn’t,” I said, trying not to sound ungrateful. “I was just deciding which way to walk when you stopped.”

“O kay.” His voice rich with sarcasm as he drew out the word. 

“Can I borrow your phone?” I changed the subject. 

Mitch handed me his mobile. “Not sure you’ll get a signal out here.”

“Shit.” I dropped the phone back on the console. He was right.

“Where to?”

I love reading your comments. Don’t forget to pass this post on to your Facebook and Twitter pals.
If you’re not already, please follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Learn how to write emotional scenes

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Want to make your readers feel?

Head over and read how Rylan Lanz explains the…

Make Your Readers Cry: Writing Emotional Scenes.

My excerpt might not make you cry but I hope it makes you smile.
“Thanks,” I said, “I’m lucky you came along.”
I pushed the wet hair from my eyes and looked into his. That crooked grin stopped my heart. I cleared my throat not trusting myself to say anything else, afraid I’d sound like a blubbering idiot.
“Glad to help. Here.” Mitch said, “Not sure how clean it is but I guess it’s better than nothing.”
I took the small towel he offered. Our fingers touched and thoughts of that strong hand wiping the rain from my body sent shivers down my spine.
“T t thanks,” I stammered. God I sounded like a simpering teenager.
Mitch turned the heat up and pulled back on to the highway. I dabbed at my hair with the dirty towel covered in grime and the smell of man. This was one towel I had no intention of returning.  

Give a try at writing something emotional and post it in the comments section. (50-150 words)

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!