Writers Resources For 2022!

 Welcome to 2022! Quite frankly, 2021 was not my best year as a writer. I have a half-finished project that I need to address, and then I can start on goals that I set last year, but did not meet. Among those goals would be my first Christmas cozy mystery, and my first cozy mystery.

To start out the year I would like to share a few writer's resources. The first two were brought to my attention by a writer friend, Jean Maurie Pullman. Thank you, Jean Maurie!

• Master Class is a paid-for Internet site that offers unlimited access to over 100 instructors, with new classes being offered monthly. 
• Open Culture is a free site that offers free movies, classes, online degrees, and more!
• Resources For Writers is part of the Writers Helping Writers site, focusing on marketing.
  
• Dragon Anywhere presents software that makes dictation easy.
  
• Medium is a place where people meet and share ideas.
  
• Vellum is a great software for creating/formatting e-books.
  
• GoodReads is a great place to create an author profile and promote your books, and leave reviews on other people's books. 
  
• Substack is a newsletter platform where writers are paid by readers for their writing.
  
• National Centre For Writing is a jackpot for writing resources!
  
• Writer's Resources This is a great site for writing contests, writing conferences, and more!
  

Wishing each of you a stellar writing year for 2022!

(c) January 2022 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.

 

Holiday Book Recommendations

 

The holiday season is here - a time to celebrate with friends and family, to enjoy good food and good times. It is also a season for giving. Below is a shortlist of books that I think you might find interesting. 

Enjoy!

Cozy Mysteries

• Claws For Alarm: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery. Rita Mae Brown, Bantam, 2021.

• Wedding Cake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery). Joanne Fluke, Kensington, 2016.

• Broken Bone China (A Tea Shop Mystery). Laura Childs, Berkley, 202 (reprint edition).

• Mistletoe Cake Murder (All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery). Lena Gregory, Lyrical Press, 2021.

• Deck The Donuts (A Deputy Donut Mystery). Ginger Bolton, Kensington, 2021.

Fiction

• State of Terror. Louise Penny & Hillary Rodham Clinton, Simon & Schuster/St. Martin’s Press, 2021.

• The President’s Daughter. James Patterson & Bill Clinton, Little, Bantam and Company and Knopf, 2021. 

• The President Is Missing. James Patterson & Bill Clinton, Little, Brown & Company, 2018.

(c) December 2021 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.

Short Chapters versus Long Chapters

 

Which do you prefer - short chapters in a book or long ones? I really prefer shorter chapters, possibly because I like to read a couple of chapters in one of my current books before Igo to sleep at night. Shorter chapters fit into this very well. 

Shorter chapters offer more frequent stopping points in a book, which are sometimes necessary. We can read to the end of a chapter, put our book down, and then return to start a new chapter. We don't have to reread something to figure out where we are (or where the author is). As writers, if we use the tool of shorter chapters, we have the advantage of holding our reader's interest.

 We can fit shorter chapters into our day, as we have our morning coffee, during lunch, a few quiet minutes in the afternoon, or a few minutes before we go to bed. Books can take our minds off of the stress of the day, and give us a bit of respite. A ten-minute reading window is a perfect way to recharge!

Chapter lengths of 1500 to 2000 words are good, but I find that I also like the occasional 500-word chapters. A single page, imparting pertinent information.

Longer chapters give the author time to expand on a given theme, to "connect the dots" as it were. IMHO, it also slows down the pace of the book. When I have a limited amount of time to read, I don't want to have to stop in the middle of a chapter and pick it up again later.  

As writers, we can use chapter length to set the pace for our books. We can use it to hold our reader's attention, and we encourage our readers to want more.

Where do you come in on the short chapter versus long chapter discussion?

November 2021 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.

Do Not Play Your Readers For Fools

 

I hold in high esteem authors that create a series around their protagonists. Their characters can and should grow over time, but their essence should remain the same. I have several such authors that I follow, and so far I continue to enjoy their work, with the sad exception of the last two books that I read from a specific author that shall remain nameless.

All of a sudden the protagonist is accused of murder, arrested and placed in a holding cell. This is a small town, so we see not only their lawyer but family and friends traipsing through the holding cell. (It's a small town - our protagonist is the only person in said cell all weekend.) Then the family member making bail for them doesn't know how to make the bail, so a close friend steps in. This does not present the character of the family member as they have been presented so far in the series.

In the second book (from the same series) another family member is accused of murder. This is totally out of character for this individual. To make matters worse, the victim is being presented as this horrible person, while so far in the series they have been presented as a womanizer, and a bit ignorant, but not as the devil incarnate.

Throughout both books, the protagonist has a running conversation in her mind with herself and the devil on their other shoulder. Which, while out of character, might not be so bad if the author had not made the questionable decision to place these thoughts in italics. 

Too many changes that make absolutely no sense. As a writer, if you cannot think of a way to keep your series going, then end it and start another one. Do not play your readers for fools!

(c) October 2021 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author. 

Here Is What Bonnie Is Up To!

This is going to be a very short blog and one in which I promote myself. 

As you all know, if you follow this blog, I decided to place a serial story on Kindle Vella. The app is now live, and my continuing story can be seen here. If you enjoy my story, please take the time to follow the episodes, and comment on them. I look forward to reading your comments!

My second offering is an interview that I did with Joy Ruffen, founder of Leading Ladies Leaving Legacies. Joy is an incredible lady, one who is bringing out the best qualities in the ladies that cross her path. I was honored to be able to do this interview.

Wishing you all the very best on your writing path!

(c) August 2021 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.

 

Revising Your Manuscript

 

Let's start out with the simple stuff: What is the difference between editing a manuscript and revising it? Editing makes a manuscript look better, revision makes a manuscript sound better. Revise, then edit.

Editing focuses on structural changes, such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. You find your typos, your misspellings, bad grammar - but you do not change the story in any way. Revision means the gloves are off! You can move things around, add new things, add detail, work with character development - the sky is the limit! You are literally re-imagining your story.

When I revise, I check to make sure that my voice is the same throughout the story - that I have not taken any "side trips", and become inauthentic. When I have lost my voice I note that there is usually a common reason - that the story was weak at that point, and/or I was not seeing it clearly. I do not want fifty shades of gray appearing in my storyline! I also make sure that my characters are staying in character with their speech and actions. I don't have too many issues with this, because my characters can be demanding, and tend to write themselves.

Revision is also a chance for me to check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling before the final edit is done. I accept my first draft as a place to be happy, to start on the next part of my journey. It is a chance for me to find my own truth - have I written a story worth reading, a story that my readers will enjoy, or have I put a bunch of words together, albeit nicely, and called it done. 

Some of the things that I look for are unnecessary words, repetition of words, and sentences that do not read well. Sometimes when I get all of this cleaned up I realize that I need to make some major changes to the story. What has happened is that I am seeing my story through clearer eyes, and the puzzle has begun to come together on its own. I listen to my inner voices, even when what they recommend will be incredibly time-consuming. Take the time, shape things up, and I know that I will have a better story and that my readers will want to come back for more.

It is also advised to revise for genre. I write fiction - cozy mysteries - and I self-publish. The only genre requirements that I would put on myself would be no explicit sex, no violence, and no improper language. If you are writing for a brick-and-mortar publisher, you would have to check with them for their requirements.  

Enjoy the process!

(c) August 2021 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

Review: The Author Blog - Easy Blogging for Busy Authors

Blogging is just as important for an author as newsletters and a website. it keeps our name out there, keeps our readers interested, and attracts new readers. I blog here on blogger.com. I tend to not have a plan - I simply share my thoughts, share links to writing apps, and whatever else I think will interest my readers, It is very hit and miss. Today I want to share a review about a book from a writer that I follow - Anne R. Allen. I follow her blog with Ruth Harris (Anne R. Allen Blog), which is excellent, and is where I got the heads up on this book!

This is a guide for authors like me who are very "low tech", but who want to build a blog on a solid platform, but not dedicate our lives to it. (I would rather spend my time writing than  blogging.)  The first thing I read (I read back covers before I read the book) was that an author blog is easier to maintain than a business blog. Easy sounds good! 

I loved the concept that authors blog about different things at different stages of their careers. (Makes sense to me!) Fine-tuning blog topics for genre and audience - that I already do (I think). Also covered are basic SEO tips (my eyes glazed over already), and how to write headers that will grab the attention of Web surfers. (Yup, I need some help there!) And ... essential blog and social media etiquette rules are covered! (Whew!)

I am going to start at the end of this book, then go back to the beginning. Allen has included a page entitled "A Note From Anne", where she recommends several books on blogging by other authors. One of them, "Blog It! The Author's Guide To Publishing A Successful Online Brand" by Molly Greene, talks about using your blog to build your brand. I just purchased it!

I am impressed that Allen makes no bones about learning how to blog by trial and error. I think that is the best way to learn. Some of the topics she discusses in this book are:

• How a blog can help an author's career.  
• How to get an online profile.
• Commenting on other author's blogs.
• Using the blogging platform "Medium".
• Tips for starting an author blog (along with steps to be taken).
• How to pick topics for blogging.
• Topics to leave out of your blog.
• How to write a good author bio (mine is always a work in progress!).
• How to write good blog content.
• Writing a series of posts that are published over time.
• Why not to work with a newsletter.
• Making best use of Google.
• Allowing your blog to change as you grow as an author.
• Participating in Blog Hops and Blog Tours (they have their place).
• Making best use of hashtags.
• Guest blogging (my personal verdict is still out on this one).
• Using a pen name (I don't).

There is a lot in this little (183 page) book - all of it usable! It is for those looking to start a blog and those that have been blogging for a while. Make best use of 50% of the information in this book, and you will look much more professional! 

(c) August 2021 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.