How to make writing in first-person easier

Published on August 14, 2018August 12, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell27 Comments

Do you struggle with first-person narratives?

I do. Even though it’s my favorite point of view.

I love writing, and reading, first-person point of view stories. But getting it right can be a struggle. I was thrilled to read a recent post on writing techniques from Bookfox.

Writing in First Person: 4 Tricks and 6 Pitfalls

The article breaks down the simple do’s and don’ts that make writing in first-person simpler and easier. And reminded me, there are some wonderful, famous authors who wrote in first-person. In addition to thousands of classic works of literature. Selecting first-person POV need not be a hindrance to good writing.

How these writing techniques clicked for me.

To find a character’s voice, give them attitude.
Do not let the narrator be dull. Don’t want to put your reader to sleep.
Showcase your character’s blind spot. We all have them and so should a fictional character.
Decide as an author how much your reader can trust your character. Pathological liar or only tells little white lies.
Direct the attention on to another character. The narrator has the power to showcase other characters.
Make the narrator’s faults interesting.
Don’t trap the reader with a one-sided conversation.
Give good strong supporting characters for your narrator.
Remember writing in first-person is like acting. Leave your personality at home and embrace the fictional character.
Avoid filter words. We all know about those.
Create sentences that imply the word “I.” It’s easy to overuse the I.
Don’t get carried away with monologues and introspection. A little goes a long way.
Make obstacles for the narrator, this will encourage you to be more creative.

In addition to several good tips and tricks, the article also explains the different types and techniques for writing in first-person. There is also a cool instructional video.

Okay, now I want to know…

Which POV do you prefer?

Why do you prefer to write in this POV?

Do you enjoy reading books in all POV?

Do click and read more in-depth.

Writing in First Person: 4 Tricks and 6 Pitfalls

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Are you a Facebook fan?

Published on August 9, 2018August 8, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Then you need to check out these cool Facebook Groups for writers.

Writers stand at the ready to help.

20 Facebook Groups for Writers

Are you already a member?

Which ones do you like best? I’d really like to know.

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Which is the best social media for a blogger?

Published on August 2, 2018August 1, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell27 Comments

Which social media do you use to promote your blog?

There are so many personalized reader/news websites, how do we choose? I can’t keep up with all of them. New ones, old ones, coming and going every day. It’s exhausting.

Flipboard, StumbleUpon/Mix, Medium, Feedly, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Linkedin, Reddit, Tumbler, Pocket, Pinterest or…

StumbleUpon. I loved this one until they changed. Every time I added my blog post to their website, I found other great writers. Now that they’ve migrated over to Mix, I’m not so sure. Changes aren’t always for the better. At 40 million users, I can’t help but wonder how many will make the transition.
Flipboard. Another one I like. But, I don’t use it as often as I probably should. I find the format a bit intimidating and that easy to use. With over 100 million users, maybe I need to stick with it.
Medium, ditto to Flipboard. Unless you have a paid subscription, reading the articles is limited.
Google Plus, I’m not sure how much traffic it generates. But with over 2.2 billion users, I hope to get a few.
Pinterest. I’ve just recently started linking more often and I’m pleased with the traffic. So, I’m going to try to continue with this one, after all, they boast over 2oo million users. I’ll see how it goes.
Facebook, meh. Lots of controversies, but lots of traffic go through this site. My results have been mixed with it. However, with over 2.2 billion users I’m not quitting.
Twitter. Now I’ve had good success with Twitter. Plus I enjoy reading and discovering new bloggers/writers.
Linkedin, I am signed up for this site, but not real active with it.
Tumbler It’s been so long since I looked at this one. I’m not sure how active this site is. With over 400 million users, maybe I need to look again.
Feedly, I’ve never used it. Looks good, but to share your blog through IFTTT requires the paid service. Still with over 14 million users, might be worth it.
Reddit, confusing. I’ve tried to use Reddit in the past but had little success. And of course, as with so many websites, they’ve changed theirs too. But with over 1.5 billion users…

This is just a drop in the bucket. There are even more feeds to connect our blogs. However, there are only so many hours in a day. I do want to grow my blog but can’t be everywhere all the time.

Now it’s your turn, help a girl out…

Which website do you link to your blog posts?

Which one gets the most referral from?

Do you have a favorite?

Want to read more about ways to generate traffic to your blog?

Go to the bottom and keep reading.

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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What are the best news readers?

Feedly vs Flipboard By ABHISHEK MACWAN

How to Use Flipboard as a Traffic-Generating Machine by JANICE WALD

It’s Time for an RSS Revival By BRIAN BARRET

Goodbye, StumbleUpon, one of the last great ways to find good things online By Megan Farokhmanesh

StumbleUpon is closing down and moving to Mix – Here is your Mix getting started guide by Dexter Roona

How to keep all the writing advice in perspective

Published on July 26, 2018July 23, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell12 Comments

Do you feel besieged with advice?

Overwhelmed and unsure where to start? Well, keep reading.

Writing is hard. Writing well is harder.

But cutting the process down to bite-size pieces helps. So, if your feeling a little overwhelmed with the do’s and don’ts of writing, reading this great post by K.M. Allan will help. At least she helped me.

How? What did I get out of her post?

Get the story down first. Fix later.
Not everyone will love my story. So, what.
When editing, take one issue at a time. (bite size)
Listen to the advice that is helpful.
Consider the source of the advice.
Last but not least, take a break and then get back to writing.

You may get something totally different from I did after you read her post. That’s okay. We all see things through different filters. The important thing is to keep writing.