#writingtips – Page 5 – Jean's Writing

Do you want a good writing cheat sheet?

Published on January 12, 2018January 8, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell20 Comments

I love finding great writing tips!

Thanks, today goes to Patricia Lynne for ways to substitute the word very.

I don’t know about you but sometimes I get into a very rut. I try not to worry about using words like very when in draft mode. But when it comes time to edit, that word needs to get scarce.

And that’s where Patricia’s cheat sheet comes in handy.

If you’re searching for an expression to explain how very excited (psyched) a character is, check out her post and learn how to avoid very.

Or if you are very tired (weary) of using crutch words you might want to click on OneLook Reverse Dictionary. Just type in the phrase and up pops suggestions. Give it a try and begin your own vocabulary cheat sheet. Excel and Microsoft Word are perfect for making your own list.

Click and read…

Patricia’s Weekend Pick––Very, very, very BY Patricia Lynne

Do you use cheat sheets?

Have one you’d like to share? Do tell.

Do you edit out most adverbs?

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Do you know the right way to kill a character?

Published on January 10, 2018January 9, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

Are you writing a mystery, who-done-it, legal thriller, or suspense story?

Then remember the devil is in the details.

In death, like pregnancy, there are no half-measures. After reading an article by Matt Knight, killing off one of my characters is more complicated than I realized.

What did I learn from Matt?

There is a big difference between Murder, Manslaughter, and Homicide. And I need to understand the difference!

Feel free to save the above quick reference.

His article goes into much more detail. I recommend you click and read. You never know when one of your characters might go off the rails and kill someone.

Murder, Manslaughter, or Homicide – What is the difference? By Matt Knight

Is any of this new to you?

Are you planning on killing off a character?

Tell me what you think!

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Do you want to know how long to make a story?

Published on January 8, 2018January 8, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell23 Comments

Size matters.

Some say write until your done, but as with all things, there is a rule of thumb. And knowing where the goal-line is may be helpful.

Want to know the answer?

I do agree we should write until finished, however, goals and guidelines are helpful. And as usual, successful writers/bloggers come to the rescue. With the help of friends, you can take the guesswork out of the numbers.

Flash Fiction?

Generally, unless restricted by rules of a publication or contest, the word count for Flash Fiction is under 1,000. If submitting to a specific publication be sure and check their requirements.

A Drabble?

A Drabble is exactly 100 words, not including the title. Writing 100 words is not as easy as you might think. Takes practice. Give it a try.

Short story?

A short story length generally falls somewhere between 1,500 and 4,000 words. As with flash fiction, if submitting to a specific publication, check their rules.

Novelette, Novela?

In our fast-paced world, the Novelette and Novela are becoming very popular. A Novelette is usually between 7,000 and 20,000. The Novela word count is between 20,000 -40,000.

Novel or Epic?

Novels vary between 40,000 – 110,000 depending on genre. Writing an epic is a big challenge. These tombs are over 110,000. Whew!

Here are my own cheat sheets.

Feel free to copy and paste them into your computer.

Robin Woods breaks down the word count further into genres. Be sure and read her post…

WORD COUNT 101: NOVEL? NOVELLA? NOVELETTE?

Christine Frazier breaks down the books into chapters and chapter count. This information can be really helpful in keeping your book consistent. Know where and how to break a chapter is important. Unless there is a compelling reason, you wouldn’t want your book to give the reader whiplash with one chapter 1000 words and the next one 4,500. Christine breaks down a few popular novels for us.

Playing the Numbers: Basic Word Counts by Christine Frazier

As with all rules, some are made to be broken. But, I find having guidelines and goals make me a better writer. What about you?

Want to read more about correct word counts keep reading. Here are more great posts on the subject.

Novel and Short Story Word Counts | WritersDigest.com

What is the Perfect Length of Short Stories?

How to Write a Drabble

Was this information helpful?

Do you think guidelines are useful?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

I HOPE YOU’LL TAKE A MINUTE TO FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE BUTTONS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

How to get over the writer blues

Published on January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell11 Comments

Do you need to work through the winter blahs?

Well, I do.

Cooped up inside and too sick to write, my brain turned to mush. Every time I sit down to write takes a monumental effort. The words won’t come. But today, lo and behold, other writers came to my rescue.

This morning over coffee I opened my email and read…

How to Start and Keep Writing After a Long Break

Ask a question and someone has an answer. I really enjoyed reading READ TO WRITE STORIES and the suggestions in this blog post. And I can’t wait to get the recommended book.

There are a few exercise suggestions in the post. Some you may be familiar with, others may help jog your characters.

My favorite was DROP AND ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

Think about that for a minute. I’m sure y’all have been in a room where everyone tip-toed around an elephant.