Her smiled wavered and her finger trembled as she pointed.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
“Yes.”
One word was all she could manage, anymore might reveal the fear and doubt racing through her mind.
Before he could ask more questions, Casey stretched out on the cot. She closed her eyes and braced herself.
The inkdarkened her skin and with this one little defiant act she began life anew. The butterfly freed of its cocoon settled on her hip. Fear lifted from her heart. Her hand no longer trembled. She was free.
Casey walked out into the bright sun a new skip in her step, and felt time roll back to the confident, strong woman she was before Trent. She vowed no one would control or abuse her again.
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Yep, it’s a curse. But for those of you who know me, know this is not breaking news.
Sentence structure
The longer and more complex the sentence the easier it is for me to mix past, present and future. And as a result I feel as if I look like a writing idiot.
No matter how much I study and read on this subject, I still trip up more times than I like to admit.
How to avoid this is not simple, but it is fixable. Thank goodness for great beta readers. Y’all keep me from looking like too much of a doofus.
Like I said, I’m always reading on ways to improve my writing skills.
Writing succinct, short and snappy sentences is one way to improve.
Learning to write within boundaries is another. These help not only the content, but also the rhythm of the story.
Another tip is to avoid modifiers and redundant words. I don’t worry too much about using unnecessary words during the draft process, because at that stage I’m more worried about getting my intent down. It’s during the editing when I slash out those little devils.
Reading this article reminded me to write tight.
Let me know what you think about writing shorter sentences.
Is this the solution for writers like myself who are tense challenged?
Of course I know we can’t write an entire book with short, choppy sentences, but maybe, just maybe we should consider less is more when it comes to long complex sentences. Like this one. LOL
A killer cover, gets the shopper to click and hopefully buy.
Photo credit Wikipedia
But that means the cover must look great in a 1 inch square.
If you follow my blog, you already know I’m working on publishing a children’s book.
You’ve listened to me bitch, moan, complain and crow (just a little) about the process. As I get down to the wire, making my cover work for an ebook and a print book.
Seems one size does not fit all.
I know I can’t be the only one struggling with this dilemma. So I thought y’all might be interested in some of the stuff I’ve uncovered in my research.
Turns out there is a lot out there on making a book cover pop.
According to Derek Murphy over at Creative Indie Covers, the “main thing about the cover has to be the images; the text just needs to be built INTO the picture in a subtle or complimentary manner.” Click hereto read the rest of his article.
In another post, Mr. Murphy explains just what is important. He reminds us that people aren’t going to squint to read the title. “The thumbnail should look clean and professionally designed. It should be balanced with complimentary colors and nice spacing between elements. And if possible (difficult as a thumbnail) it should be eye-catching and evoke an emotional response (surprise, lust, interest, humor…)” Click and read…
Canva.com now has a template for ebook design. I found this very helpful in moving text, pictures around for my cover. Canva enables you to mix and match different art and photos. Go to Canva and have some fun playing with your cover.
LiberWriter.com gives an abundance of good advice for your cover. “First of all, a “cover” for a Kindle book really isn’t a cover at all. It’s a flat image that will be displayed on various web pages – most likely as a thumbnail, but also in a larger format if the user wants to have a look. For print books, not only does the front of the cover have to be good, but the back must be designed correctly too, with a catchy quote or blurb that captures the reader’s attention and makes them want to spend more time with the book. On the web, none of this happens: readers who want to know more click on your book, and an Amazon page pops up with all kinds of information about the book: blurbs, author bio, reviews, and so on. This information takes the place of the back cover.” To read the entire article click on…
Read below, KRISTEN ECKSTEIN common sense tips for a cover. She suggests we reduce the book cover to a one-inch-sized thumbnail on the computer and if the title is not readable, it needs to be changed.
So, fancy or plain, the main thing I got from all of these articles is that my book cover thumbnail needs to pop. The title needs to be readable, and the picture should draw the shopper’s eye.
If the shopper doesn’t click on my thumbnail, odds are I’ve lost a sale.
I hope these tips help you. Me? I’m more confused than ever.
Any of y’all have some good advice for making a great thumbnail cover? Please share.
You’ve made it this far so give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share. Thank you!
If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me@jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!
Faye stopped in mid-stride. It wasn’t possible, but she saw her. She just saw her dead mother in Macy’s. On feet weighted by lead, and legs made of rubber, she retraced her steps. Faye stared at the fall sweaters and leather boots. No one moved among the display. Sun glinted off the glass and there she stood, her mother. Faye gasped, and covered her mouth. She smoothed her skirt and brushed at invisible wrinkles. Her mother matched Faye’s movements. When did this happen? When had she morphed into the old woman reflected in the glass?
Have some fun. Take five and see where 100 words take you.
You’ve made it this far so give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share. Thank you! If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me@jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!
Jean's Writing 