Wednesday, January 1, 2020

What Does The Year 2020 Hold For Us As Writers?


Before we look at what the year 2020 holds for us as writers, let's take a look at what it is from a numerological standpoint. It is a number four year (2+0+2+0=4), a foundation year. It is a year of effort, determination, and change, a year of reassessing who we are, and what we believe. It is a year of action, but also a very practical year. It is a time to reasses our goals, and to focus on long term goals. It is a year of "putting in the work", of living our beliefs and values. The structure of our world, and our lives, will change, and we need to be willing to change with it. 

With this information as a backdrop, let's take a look at what a number four year means to us as writers. We are looking at the foundation of our writing, and at our personal foundation - our values and beliefs. This is a year in which we have to take a "leadership" role in our writing. We have to make conscious decisions on what we want to write, and where we want to go with it. We need to let go of second guessing ourselves. It is time to look at where we want to be financially, and personally, and what is the best path to getting there.

What are some of the things that we can do to help ourselves take charge of our writing?
  • Define what areas we want to write in.
  • Define our audience.
  • Walk away from "trending topics", and write what we want to write. Our audience will be there.
  • Allow our work to flow. (My characters tend to write the story themselves!)
  • Consciously paint a picture with your words.
  • Write consistently.
  • Look at the best ways to edit our work - which include outside editing. 
Wishing you all much success with your writing in 2020!

(c) January 2020 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Endings and New Beginnings


I recently made a decision to put my newsletter on hiatus for 2020. Just this morning I decided to not publish any of my blogs on a set schedule (I have been doing them all once a week). I will publish when I have something to say, which saves me time looking for something to say! 

Wishing everyone here in the U.S. a very Happy Thanksgiving!

(c) November 2020 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Monday, November 18, 2019

What To Look For When Following A Blog


Why should we want to follow someone else's blog? Perhaps they offer information that is pertinent to what we are doing. Perhaps they offer information that we are simply interested in. In the end, it should be information written in a style that we can connect with, and that enriches our life.

Some of the things I look for are: 
  • Is the blog focused on a defined audience?
  • Is the voice consistent from blog to blog?
  • Is the page that the blog is on organized in a logical manner? Does it present well? Do the links work? Is the color scheme a match for the material being presented?
  • Is the blog coming out on a consistent bases (i.e. daily, weekly, monthly).
  • Does the blogger sound like they know what they are talking about?  
As a writer, I follow a couple of blogs religiously. One of them is written by Nathan Bransford (an author and former literary agent) NathanBransford.com, and the other is LadiesOfMystery.com, a blog written by a group of female mystery writers.

What blogs do you follow, and why?

(c) November 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.


Monday, November 4, 2019

Season Based Writing Themes


As a writer, I am always looking for a theme for my stories and books. There is a natural cycle to the world, and addressing this cycle gives me natural themes - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Each season has perceptions that are attached to it - some are universal, some are personal. All can be the basis of a good story.

Each holiday out there - whether it is religious based, seasonal based, country or culture  based - has a deep level of stories/themes that we can base our work on.

If we are writing short stories, this is one thing. If we have an idea for an upcoming holiday, we can get the story written, and get it out there in time for the holiday.  If we are writing a book - that takes a little more planning. I had to change the focus of one of my books because I was going to use a Christmas theme, but the timing wasn't right for getting it written, edited, out there, and promoted.

Don't be afraid to use any theme that you want to - they all have something to say!

(c) November 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Does Our Voice As A Writer Change Over Time?


As writer's we all know what our "voice" is - it is how we express ourselves through our characters. It is the emotions, feelings, and ways of looking at things that make our characters real. It remains the same from book to book, article to article. Well, it does if we have defined our voice, that spark that make reflects the authenticity of who we are. It reflects our personality and life experiences. It is what keeps our readers coming back.

Does our voice change over time? From my experience, I would say yes. So, what are we doing ... reinventing ourselves? Not at all. We are simply reflecting new life experiences and our evolving personality because of them. The change comes over time, and is very subtle. We are simply an updated version of who we were.

Allow your voice to grow. Allow yourself to reflect your life experiences. Allow your readers to grow with you.

(c) October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.




Monday, October 21, 2019

The Secret Ingredient - Food!


Food appears front and center in many of the cozy mysteries that I so love. I decided to share some of my favorites:

Joanna Carl's "Chocoholic" mystery series, with protagonist Lee McKinney as manager of her Aunt Nettie's chocolate shop (all handmade chocolates!).

Laura Child's "Tea Shop Mysteries", where the protagonist, Theodosia Browning, owns a tea shop in Charleston, SC.

Mary Jane Clark's "Piper Donavon/Wedding Cake Mysteries" series.

Cleo Coyle's "Coffeehouse" mystery series, with protagonist Clare Cossi as manager of the historic New York City coffeehouse "Village Blend", owned by her elegant ex-mother-in-law.

Joanne Fluke's "Hannah Swensen Mystery Books", where the protagonist owns a delightful bakery in Lake Eden, MN.

Katherine Hall Page's "Faith Fairchild" series, where the protagonist is a caterer/minister's wife. 

(c) October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.




Monday, October 14, 2019

Cozy Mysteries


Like many writers, I choose to write in the genre that I like to read - that of cozy mysteries. Sex is played down (referred to, but not seen or heard), and there is little to no violence. The environment for the stories often carries a small town vibe, even if the action takes place in a big city. Those doing the detecting are most often amateurs, and most often women. The people executing the crime, be it murder or something else, are usually members in good standing in the community. 

So, how do we go about writing this type of story? The first thing that I do is define my protagonist - who they are, where they live, what their goals are, who their friends are. Then I define the setting - city, small town, seaside - wherever I think the action will play out in a natural manner. Now comes the issue/event being investigated. Remember, in cozy mysteries the protagonist usually has a small group of friends or family that help them solve crimes. The characters in these books know each other well, and usually have lived in the area for a long time. The crimes often originate from issues going generations back.

We want to make both our characters and our setting distinctive. Use descriptive words that will leave an impression. Be detailed, and specific. Regional and local differences should be played up big. Pick your victim, and pick your crime. Both need to be believable! Then develop a list of suspects - some obvious, some not so obvious. 

Create a sense of suspense that fits with both the characters and the setting. I love delving into the past - this is where our present grew its feet, and is a definite link to both the present and the future. Think the "seven generations" concept here. 

Have fun, and allow your mind to go where it wants to go to be creative. Then accept that your characters will have minds of their own!

(c) October Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.  

Long Chapters Or Short Chapters - What Is Your Preference?

Does it make a difference to a reader whether the chapters in a book are long or short? It does to me. I like shorter chapters, as they feed...