writing – Page 24 – Jean's Writing

Looking for new inspiration for your muse?

Published on September 22, 2017September 22, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Well, how about 50 new ideas?

If you’ve read many of my blogs, you’ll know I love prompts. My muse gets as excited as I do over a good prompt.

Jump for joy — Image courtesy of Pixabay

And finding new, different and interesting prompts gets my muse excited. So without further ado.

Check out…

50 Mystery Plot Ideas and Writing Prompts! by Bryn Donovan

Did you find one that made you think?

Prompts #4, #29, #42 and #45 just went in my story idea file.

Now you, which one did you add to your idea file?

Okay, now leave me a comment, then I hope you’ll head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can also follow me on StumbleUpon, on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

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

How to recognize your fingerprints in a story

Published on September 1, 2017September 14, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

If someone dusted your story, would they know it was yours?

Fingerprint and keyboard

All writers have a unique pattern of word usage.

That’s right. Take a look at your writing. Do you use a certain phrase or word over and over? I gotta admit, this is something I haven’t thought about before. Sometimes I overuse words in a draft and will toss them out later. But, I’ve never given much thought to what words or phrase identify me.

Until I read an article by Ben Blatt.

Writers are creatures of habit and have a singular voice they will not or cannot change. We don’t like change any more than any one else. If we are comfortable with a word we use it like sprinkles on ice cream. What I discovered from Mr. Blatt is using a word often is not always bad. Famous authors all have a “tell”.

Now as with all things there is an app for that. LOL

Keep reading!

Can You Identify an Author By How Often They Use the Word “The”? By Ben Blatt

Authors leave a distinctive hidden fingerprint in their stories.

Do you know yours?

Want to find out?

Thanks to Mr. Blatt you now can!

MoWa Literary Fingerprint – Author Identifier By Ben Blatt

Can’t wait to play with this!

What about you? What do you think?

Leave me a comment and let’s talk.

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.

What is the best way to write that book?

Published on June 30, 2017June 30, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell37 Comments

Writing with an outline, by pantsing or somewhere between.

Where do you fall?

Everyone has an opinion, but there is no right or wrong solution, just the right one for you.

I spent most of this year studying various outlining styles, trying to find one that fits my style. What did I learn in the last six months?

What did I learn in the last six months about outlining?

There is a multitude of ways to outline.
An outline can be fluid.
You can choose to write without one.
Outlining can suck the life out of a story even before you start writing.
Or can be a road map to the end.
Scrivener is still a writer’s number one go to for outlining.
There is no right or wrong way.

I also learned…

I’m a panster. Stick with what you know is a good thing.
But I can outline a “little bit” as I go.
When I get stuck, stop, do a little micro-plotting.
Outlining is not for everyone.

But now what? After all of these months of research? Where am I?

At the bottom of a pit with a bunch of crap! That’s where. My WIP is barely recognizable as I’ve attempted to organize it in one after another of these different outlines.

Ouch! Ibuprophen has done little to alleviate the writer’s block headache.

Now it’s time to get back in the saddle and make writing fun again. To hell with outlining. No offense to those who find it fun. But I gotta be me. LOL

For more about Outlining and Pantsing – Keep reading. I’ve listed lots of great articles for you.

Let me know, which are you? Pantster or Outliner?

Do you find Outlining a chore or fun?

Do you outline all of your stories? Even the short ones?

Do you have a favorite outlining style or program?

How To Write By The Seat of Your Pants by RUTH ANN NORDIN

How to Outline a Novel (Even If You’re Not an Outliner) by Jerry Jenkins

PANTSING: WRITING BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS by Janalyn Voigt

7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story Writers Digest

3 More Outlining Methods That Help Your Novel Along by Rachel Poli

Writing by the Seat of Your Pants by Carolyn Kaufman | @CMKaufman

Waiting for your comments, please leave me one.

And don’t forget to go 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.

Are you forgetful? Do you need a list?

Published on April 17, 2017April 12, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

A shopping list? A to-do list? Christmas list? Repair list?

Me? Oh yes! I’m lost without a list for everything. I’ve lists on my phone, on the fridge, on my desk, and in my computer.

I can hear you. Yes, they overlap but how else will I have the list when I need it.

But I’d never thought about making lists for my story or for my characters!

What a wonderful idea.

Not only have I divided it up into sections but also made lists for my characters and scenes.

I even made my protagonist an anal list maker. How fun.

My manuscript now has lists (steps) that the characters must complete in each scene.

Okay, I heard you. Yes, it’s a lot like scene goals, but I’m breaking it down a little further. For me it’s working to break through a bit of stalled writers slow down, I’ve had lately.