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.  

Monday, October 7, 2019

First Impressions


As writers, we want to make a good first impression. However, we also want our books to make a good first impression. How can we do this? It is called editing! (BTW - aside from getting our books edited, we also need to edit query letters, cover letters, and book blurbs.) It probably is not the best idea to do the final editing on our own work. If we missed something the first few times through, we aren't suddenly going to find it. How many times have I thought my end product was good to go, then showed it to a friend that found a spelling or gramatical error, or a formatting error, or something that simpy did not flow well!

So what keeps me from hiring a professional editor? Money. And why should I hire a professional editor? Money. So far my books are not selling enough copies for me to know how they are seen by my prospective audience. That is a promotional issue.  That is another blog. I need to look long term, and budget for a professional editor. 

I am lucky, in that I do know a couple of professional editors. They may not accept my work, but they are a place to start. I know them, and I know their reputation. My suggestion to anyone looking for a professional editor is to review their credentials, then go over their reviews. See what other people think of their work. Then make sure that you and the editor are on the same page as to what they are offering. What I would be looking for is someone to review grammer and punctuation, to do an overview and see where there may be inconsistencies in the story, or where the plot doesn't flow well, and to look for things like the repetitive use of words. (I once read a very poorly written mystery where the same word was used nine times on the same page!)

You might also want to think about whether you want to wait until the editing job is completely finished before you review it, or whether you want to have an ongoing conversation with the editor about what is being done. Do what is comfortable for you, and what is comfortable for your editor.

What you are looking for here is a fully edited manuscript that looks professional, feels professional, and presents your work in the best manner possible.

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

Monday, September 30, 2019

When Your Characters Take Over


What in the heck do we do when our characters take over the story? (Don't tell me they don't, because they do! LOL) This most often happens to me when I am in the flow, when I allow the story to tell itself. When I go back to reread and edit, sometimes it is as if I am reading it for the first time. I have no clue what I wrote, but it seems to work. This is the good side of my characters taking over the story.

The bad side comes when they stop me from writing, when they insist that their character needs to do something else, be somewhere else, interact differently with the other characters - and they are adament about getting their way! Sometimes I can do what they want, other times I have no clue how to create their version of life.

When I have no clue how to create their version of life, I generally end up going back to the beginning of the story, and editing it to fit the storyline that my characters want. 

Bottom line - we need to honor our characters, who they are, how they act, what makes them tick. If our characters are real, the story will be real ... and will more than likely sell!

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

Monday, September 23, 2019

Writers & Social Media


As writers, what do we need to know about social media? Bluntly put, we need to know how to use it! We need to be able to get our name and our personality out there, we need to be able to build an audience before we get our work out there. Once we get our work out there, we need to be able to market it.

Each social media site works a bit differently. I do have a personal site, that carries all of my diverse interests.

I have one account on Twitter, and I share my thoughts, links to my work (books and blogs), as well as commenting on an sharing posts that have something to say.

On LinkedIn, I do the same thing. I share my thoughts, links to my work, comment on and share posts that have meaning, as well as putting up the occasional article.

On Facebook, I have a personal page that I keep private, as well as a professional author's page, and a page for my wellness blog.

I do three blogs a week - an author's blog, a wellness blog, and a blog for my flash fiction.

I also have a monthly newsletter that I put out through Mail Chimp, devoted to anything related to writing.  

Another important equivelant to a social media site is to create an author's page on Amazon, where all of your work that is published through Amazon, whether it is published by a brick and mortar publisher or self-published (Kindle Direct Publishing). 

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

Monday, September 16, 2019

Beginning, Middle, & End


All stories need a beginning, middle, and end. Otherwise, we are wandering around aimlessly, gathering information but not necessarily having the knowhow to put that information together into a cohesive picture. 

So how do we take the story that we carry in our head and make it come alive on paper? We have to create a strong beginning, a middle that developes both the characters and the storyline, and an ending that pulls it all together and leaves the reader wanting to read more.

A strong beginning makes a promise to the reader. I write mysteries - my promise to my readers is that their time will be well spent reading my books, that they will relate to and enjoy the stories, and that they will have a great time intellectually trying to figure out who did what to whom before the end of the story.

The meat of the story is the middle - where characters are developed, clues are dropped (I write mysteries, remember!), conflict rears its ugly head, and the storyline begins taking twists and turns.    

The ending litrally pulls all of the twists and turns togther, and makes sense of them. What you promised your reader is taking form. It is a logical conclusion, in line with both the story, who the protagonist is, and what their beliefs are. 

How do you feel about your story?

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

Monday, September 9, 2019

Book Cover Art


Writing books for me is enjoyable - dealing with the cover art is not! My brick and mortar Tarot books had their covers done by my publishing company (Schiffer Publishing Ltd.). The first book that I co-authored with my friend Brad Tesh featured a teapot on the cover, and we ran a contest to find a teapot that would work for us. That was really fun! ("Seek Joy ... Toss Confetti") The second book that I co-authored with Brad he really had to work to make the cover art fit the self-publishing parameters. We both cussed a lot! ("Invisible Me - Journeying Through The Soul") Other books I have simply used text on the cover, as opposed to any images.

I have a three book series that I have just started writing. (Okay - I have been writing it for a while, but am still less than half done with the first book!) Since metaphysics is deeply involved in the plot, the possibilities for amazing covers are there. And I do want the three covers to fall in line with each other. I have an artist friend by the name of Andrea Aste that I am going to ask to do those covers. His work is mind-blowing! You can find Andrea here

Why obsess over a book's cover? Because what the reader sees first is the book's cover. This is what will initially grab their attention. Then it goes one step further, and sends sneaky little messages about the content of the book. The cover of a mystery book will look a lot different than a romance book, or a police procedural. A little thought given to a cover can exponentially increase the sales for your book!

(c) September 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited wihout written permission from the author.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

It's All In The Details!


As writers, we want our stories to hold together well, and to make sense. Keeping track of all of the pertinent details about storyline, protagonist, and supporting characters for a stand alone book is one thing, doing the same for a series of books is even more difficult. We don't want something that we have a character say or do in book five be at odds with something they said or did in book one!

There is more to the details than we think. We not ony have to keep track of what our characters are saying and doing, we have to keep track of how we are presenting their environment, and how they are reacting to their environment. If we reference something from another era, we need to make sure that it reflects that era. Historical events need to be reflected as they happened, not as however we feel they fit into our storyline.

If we do something as simple as moving a paragraph, or an entire chapter, to another location in our story, we need to make sure the information fits, and makes sense. We also need to make sure that it is not repititious, and that the information we are moving is not needed in any of the chapters coming before it. (i.e. If we move Chapter Six to Chapter Ten, we need to make sure that Chapters Seven and Eight do not depend on any of the information from Chapter Six.)

The way that I track information in my writing is through the use of a Book Bible. Everything can be noted here - character history, storyline, what happens when - you name it, it can go into your Book Bible.

Writing is a joy, but if we want to sell our writing, and develop a following, we need to pay attention to the details!

September 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Celebrity Co-Authors


Over the years I have read some very interesting books - mainly myteries - that feature a celebrity writing with a co-author. LOL I can see you rolling your eyes! These really can be interesting books, as the celebrity generally is there to act as the individual that is able to present a coherent background for the story based on their own experience.

The first book that I read in this genre was "Killer Instinct", written by Martina Navritalova and co-authored by Liz Nickles. The protagonist is Jordan Myles, a retired world-class tennis pro. This actually is book three in a three book series, and was well written both from the POV a accuracy in the tennis world, and a really interesting, tight story line.

The next celebrity authored book that I read was "Murder In The Mist", written by Willard Scott and co-authored by Bill Crider. The protagonist is B&B owner Stanley Waters, who is very much written along the lines of who Willard Scott is. The setting is Virgina, and the reenactment of a Civil War battle. Funny, yet serious, well written, and well researched.

The most recent celebrity co-authored book that I read was "The President Is Missing", by Bill Clinton and co-authored by James Patterson. It is a fabulous book, one that only a former president could provide such personal background for. It is fast paced, factual, and a book that you just do not want to put down.

A celebrity book series that I may look into is the "Femmes Fatales", authored by Gypsy Rose Lee (with a forward by Eric Lee Preminger). Yes, THAT Gypsy Rose Lee. (I am old enough to remember her as a talk show host when I was very young). Supposedly the series was written by Gypsy Rose Lee herself, but there is some question about whether there was a co-author (said to be Craig Rice).    

(c) August 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written consent of the author. 

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

When A Series That You Are Reading Hits Fail Mode!


What do we do when we really become devoted to a book series, and that series hits an epic fail? That has happened to me twice now. The first time it happened it was with an author that I had followed for years. Her books (mysteries) were exceptional. After she died, her publisher came out with two more books. The first one was a simple disappointment - obviously written from her notes, but not well done at all. The last one was screamingly bad - whomever wrote it (and it was published under the well known author's name) had never, ever read her books. By the time that I finished the book, I had made the decision to throw it away, rather than pass it on to someone else. It was really that bad, and a piss poor representation of this author and this particular series. When I went to leave a review - really the one and only bad review I have ever put up - I could see that other readers felt exactly as I did. The book was a travesty. However, I have and still reread her other books.

The second series that hit an epic fail is an author that I only recently (within the past couple of years) started to follow. I have only read three of the books in this series, but I would rate them from good to exceptional. The exception book was followed by her latest book - which is an epic fail! The family dog (which, I admit, was elderly) died and was replaced. With no explanation. Suddenly a character from her previous book was now four years older, had been adopted by the protagonist and her husband (with no clue as what happened to the aunt that had adopted her when her father, the protagonist brother, died), and the protagonsit step-son was in college with a girlfriend. I will reread the two books in this series that I know were good, and perhaps read some of the earlier books, which other reviewers are noting as being good, but I doubt that I will purchase anything more in this series. A good idea gone bad. Also, the author went into overdrive on information not relevant to the book. (She has done this to some extent in her previous books, but she left a huge footprint of yuck in this book.) 

It is difficult to deal with disappointment - we want a good series to go on forever. As authors, we can learn from this. Build strong characters, keep plots tight, and edit out anything that is not relevant to the plot, or to the character's growth.

How is your day going?

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

Monday, August 12, 2019

Book Titles - Where Do They Come From?


How do we come up with a good title for our books/stories/articles? What makes it compeling? What does it say that draws potential readers? Titles should be short, simple, and easy to remember. If they aren't, our audience will move on. More than that - they won't remember the title correctly to share it with their friends! You want to include keywords that connect to the story, and that indicate the books genre. (Anything that smacks of mystery has my attention immediately!) Also, the title is going to be on the cover (duh!), so the two need to be compatible. 

After you have come up with what you consider to be a winning (not just acceptible!) title, Google it. That winning title may already be out there! Take the high road - redo your title if it is already being used. Ummmm ... you might also want to check your punctuation! You don't want to have a major faux pas on the cover of your incredible new book! 

Make a list of possible titles. Take into consideration what your book is about, who the major character is (and how they are portrayed), the environment of your story, and what words represent your story in the strongest manner.

Once you have your list of possible titles, ask other people what they think. Ask your peers, ask your friends, ask potential readers. You may find that what is very appealing to you may not have the same affect on others. And you do want your book to sell!

You also have to make the decision on whether you want to use sub-titles. This is something that I have to pay attention to, because I have two series in mind to write (one of which is a WIP), and it is recommended that you use sub-titles in a series. 

Happy hunting!

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

Monday, August 5, 2019

Alternate Endings

Alternate Endings

from Writer's Digest

Why do I want to even consider alternate endings? Simply because I can! It sounds innovative, and exciting, and I am currently planning on doing this with a stand-alone mystery. (It would end up looking like utter nonsense if I did this in a mystery series!)

The ending of a story brings things together for the reader - it makes them want to read more of the author's work, and it makes the time spent reading the story worth it. (Think beginning, middle, end as part of a succesful cycle.) So why present more than one ending? Because it makes life intresting, for both the author and the reader. They get to flex their imaginations and see what could have been, and what could be. IMHO, used selectively, it is an excellent writing tool.

We see this in movies, and we see this on the stage. I am going to keep this discussion to alternate endings in stories and books.   What are alternate endings? They are endings that perhaps weren't planned, but that take the place of the planned ending. The storyline leads in one direction, the alternate ending is not dependent on what was presented in the story.

Why do we want to use alternate endings? We want an effective ending to our stories - we want the reader to feel that the story has been brought to an acceptable, realistic end. When we present alternate endings we can either take the facts in the story and reinterpret them, or we can bring in previously "hidden" facts. We still have to make the ending fit the characters. We aren't going to have Little Bo Peep running off to join the army!   

My issue with alternate endings is how to present them. In my short story (see link below) you will see that I simply defined each ending as "Ending Number One" and "Ending Number Two". In my book, I will present the endings in two separate chapters.

Examples of books with alternative ending include: "Meanwhile" (Jason Shiga), the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series (a game book series by R.A. Montgomery), "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (John Fowles), and "Hopscotch" (Julio Cortazar). 

Here is a recent flash fiction that I wrote with alternate endings: Finding Me

What do alternate endings bring to you? Do you even want them on your plate? 

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

Monday, July 29, 2019

What Motivates A Writer To Write?


What motivates a writer to write? If you are like me, you don't need to be motivated. Your day is not complete unless you write something, and that something often falls into several different categories: blogs, articles,WIP's, and notes for future articles and books.

Some of the things that can give us needed motivation, or motivate us in new directions, include:
  • Tackeling the obstacles that we see as standing in our way.
  • Achieving a certain goal - such as entering a writing contest, or writing a given amount of words per day.
  • Creating characters that we would enjoy reading.
  • Resolving personal scenarios through our books.
  • Connecting with a given audience.
  • Being able to sustain our lifestyle through our writing,
  • We have a story to tell.
  • Writing is therapeutic - we heal on all levels as we write.
  • Writing when the muse wants to talk - for me, that is in the oh dark thirty hours!
  • Creating an environment for writing that is distraction free, and a "happy place".
  • Allowing our writing to flow. If it doesn't work out - trashcan it!
I am going to do a 1,000 word flash fiction this week, instead of my usual 100 words. And ... I am going to present two different endings. Wish me luck!

(c) July 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written authorization from the author. 

Monday, July 22, 2019

Master Class With Margaret Atwood


I stumbled across the Master Class series some time ago. At that time I thought that an all access pass was the way to go. My wallet decided otherwise! I just signed up for the class that I was primarily interested in - Margaret Atwoods class on writing. The link above talks about the general outline of what is offered. This post takes a look at what I am actually experiencing in the class.

"Creativity is one of the essential things about being human. So you don't have to apologize for it. It's something human beings do." ~ from the workbook

I downloaded the workbook - which is a true gem!  In it, Atwood references her own work, as well as presenting writing prompts for her students. There are assignments, links to reference material, examples of various techniques that can be used to create beginnings, middles, and ends, deciding on what voice to use in a story, and so much more!

In her videos, Atwood is very clear about her topic, has a very eloquent speaking voice, and a lovely sense of humor. The next chapter that I am going to be working with is all about layered narratives and how to structure a story. I am very happy that I took the plunge and paid for this course ... you will see better work coming from me in the very near future!

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


Monday, July 15, 2019

Software For Writers


The software that I am going to talk about here is new to me - it is called StoryShop. It is advertised as an all inclusive writing platform, where we can build the world of our books, plan them, and collaborate with others. (My preference is to write as sole author, but I have collaborated on two books, and it did work out very well.) 

I have downloaded the free version, and am going use it to fine tune my current WIP. There is a lot to keep track of in the storyline - having software like StoryShop will help me keep things straight, and errors to a minimum. This will be a three part series, and any errors will be quite obvious to my readers, so keeping everything in line is a must! 

Some of the things that StoryShop does includes the ability to add images that will help to visualize relationships between characters and places, the ability to organize (and reorganize!) ideas into the best possible flow, outline to the level that you want to (I am a pantser - I use a bare bones outline), and the ability to use available templates. I also love the fact that I can be anywhere and access what I have written through cloud - so if I want to take my laptop to Starbucks and write, I can do so without a problem!

The site includes an FAQ (which includes video tutorials), availability of forums (I did see that there are no forums currently available for mystery writing), writing courses, and a blog.

You can find out more about StoryShop here

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

Monday, July 8, 2019

Writing Prompts


What exactly are writing prompts, and why do we need them? Writing prompts are starting places, they present us with ideas that we can use to unleash our creativity. They help us when we are stuck in our writing, when we are not sure how to bring things together. 

There are many ways that we can make use of writing prompts:
  • Expand your creativity by challenging yourself to write as many stories as you can using the same prompt.
  • Use the prompt to create an entire story using the elements of plot, characterization, and interaction of characters.
  • Work with a partner (or within a group) to critique each others use of prompts.
Working with writing prompts allows us to hone our writing skills - and it is fun! There are many online sites, and blogs, that offer writing prompts. Use them to break out your writing!

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

Monday, July 1, 2019

NaNoWriMo In July

NaNoWriMo In July



Thank you to my Internet writer friend Jessica Macbeth, I found out that NaNoWriMo is having a writer's camp during the month of July. I wasn't going to join, but I just did. I got to set my word count (I set it for 20,000 words), my category (self-help), and whether I wanted to be in a cabin or not (I did not).

Wait ... what? We got to write from home in November - now we are in cabins? This is getting expensive! I thought it was free! I have a nine to five - I can't be away from home for a month! Hang on ... it's all good! It is free! You do work from home. The cabins are simply writing groups - you can form one with people that you know, you can ask to join a private cabin, or you can be sorted into a public one. There can be up to twenty people in each cabin.  This is your writing community.

Take a look ... see what you think! You get to write, you have a community to share ideas with and get input from, you get support - what more could you want!

More information on NaNoWriMo in July:


Social Media for NaNoWriMo:


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

Monday, June 24, 2019

My Reference Library


Whatever genre of writing we do, we all need to develop our own reference library. Some of the books in my library are necessities, some are there because they came under my radar. Here are a few of the books that I currently will not part with:

  • The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition
  • The Elements of Editing - A Modern Guide For Editors & Journalists, by Arthur Plotnik
  • Elements of Fiction Writing - Beginnings, Middles, & Ends, by Nancy Kress
  • Elements of Fiction Writing - Characters & Viewpoint, by Orson Scott Card
  • Elements of Fiction Writing - Plot, by Ansen Dibell
  • Elements of Fiction Writing - Scene & Structure, by Jack M. Bickham
  • The Frugal Editor, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
  • Guide To Fiction Writing, by Phyllis A. Whitney
  • Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage
  • Manuscript Makeover, by Elizabeth Lyon
  • Merriam Webster's Manual For Writer's & Editors
  • On Writing Well, William Zinsser
  • Oxford Large Print Dictionary, Thesaurus & Wordpower Guide
  • The Plot Clock, by Joyce Sweeney, Jamie Morris, and Tia Levings
  • Self Publishing Books 101, by Shelly Hitz
  • Write From The Heart, by Hal Zina Bennett
  • The Writer's Digest GuideTo Manuscript Formats, by Dian Dincin Buchman & Selo Groves  
  • Writing the Cozy Mystery, by Nancy J. Cohen
What does your reference library look like?

(c) June 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written authorization from the author. 

Monday, June 17, 2019

Continuity In A Book Series


How do we bring continuity to a book series? I really want to do my books in a series because if my readers like the characters in my first book, they will buy the books that follow. This is a question I am currently facing - my current WIP is the first of a series of three books, which will be followed by a series of cozy mysteries. That is another issue! My first mystery book was "supposed" to be a cozy mystery, and it took a very sharp turn right from the beginning into the land of metaphysics and distant viewing! 

I have no problem with having enough content and storyline to justify a series - I can take the same characters and put them in 1001 different situations. And I have defined what my series will be based on. My first series, based on my WIP, is a storyline that arcs over all three books. My second series, the cozy mysteries, will feature the same characters with storylines that resolve within each book. IOW - each book is a "stand-alone".

Here are some of the things that I am looking at that will help bring continuity to my book series:
  •  Have a good foundation for my stories, and enough of a storyline to justify a series.
  • Use recurring themes throughout the series.
  • Portray my characters in the same manner in  each book in the series - they will grow, but they will also have the same background, likes/dislikes, and shadows that they did in the first book.
  • Remember what you have presented in your previous books - life events, how a character speaks, what motivates each character, and what each character's perspective on life is.
My aim is to publish at least one book a year, so my readers don't get antsy and wander away! I also think that leaving a few loose ends might be a good thing - keep my readers wondering. My aim will also be to make each story different - if I keep telling the same story in different ways, that story will get old fast! 

Looking at all of the above, I realize that my character bible is going to be a very important tool in keeping my characters straight from book to book. What they say and how they react in one book has to pretty much stay the same in future books in the series. I don't want readers saying "So and so said this in book one, and this in book three. Which did they really mean?" That is a rabbit hole that I do not want to go down!

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

Monday, June 10, 2019

Evolution of Your Characters - They Won't Always Behave!


Character evolution - the inner journey that a character takes within a story, and their interaction with other characters. I am sure that I am not the only writer whose characters have made the decision to write their own script, and to evolve into something that said writer had not seen coming! 

Sometimes what our characters evolve into changes the story entirely. Should we allow that? Can we use this to strengthen character arcs within the story? We have to remember that our characters grow as our stories evolve - they are not going to be the same at the end as they were at the beginning. Their evolution makes our stories stronger. 

Characters evolve as they learn lessons, as they face their own inner demons, as they deal with their past and more. Evolution is a gradual process. What I have found with my characters is that if I allow them to go where they want to go, they will find themselves. 

Character evolution is triggered by something in the characters life, something that they cannot get past, something that they have to deal with. This is the start of their inner journey. We want the reader to see our character's "comfort zone", and why it is necesary for them to move out of it. There will come a point when our character needs to make a decision that will move them forward. This will be a pivotal point for them, and the decision may not be an easy one to make. There is a lot of work to be done here.

Why does this all matter? Because the challanges that the character goes through are things that you readers will identify with. They will make the character real to them. Your readers will become invested in the story, and they will want to read more of your stories! 

If you want to write great stories, allow your characters to do some of the writing!

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

Monday, June 3, 2019

Knowing Yourself As An Author


We cannot bring out the best in our writing until we truly understand what our own strengths and weaknesses as an author are. We play to our strengths and look for help for the areas we are weak in. We have to do both - doing only one or the other is going to end up in what I call "lopsided writing".

How do we define our strengths? Look at what comes easily to you. Are you able to envision the big picture of a project from the beginning? Are you good at defining your characters? Does that first paragraph write itself? Do your characters work well together? Are you good with details? Are you writing for your intended audience? Are you organized? Does your story hang together? Your strengths are what will make your work shine! Use them wisely!

How do we define our weaknesses? Truth be told, we may not know what they are. Some things to look for are: (1) Sections that don't hold together, or are simply boring. You run the chance of losing your readers here. (2) Losing focus. If your story starts wandering, it has lost its legs. Even if your readers continue reading, they have lost what your story is trying to tell them. (3) Your story doesn't flow. A story that flows holds the readers interest - one that does not loses them. (4) Writing that is too wordy. I am certainly guilty of this. We all like our own words, but we fail to realize that sometimes they just are not necessary. If your words are not adding to the story, they do not belong there. (5) Use of phrases that say nothing, like "in my opinion", "really", "actual". If a word or phrase says nothing - delete it!

Pay attention to your gut feelings when you are editing copy. If it doesn't sound right, if it doesn't feel right, then it isn't right! Change it, or delete it. You are the author, this is your story - make it shine!

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

Monday, May 27, 2019

A Writer's Muse


As a Cappie, I have a somewhat unique sense of humor. So yes, I think the cartoon above is funny! In reality, I think that all writers go through this from time to time. Whatever is getting in our way, we just need to work our way through. We just need to "Write the %&!$@# story!". 

So what exactly is this magical muse that is going to come along and save our butts? Where do we find him/her? And at what cost? Our muse supposedly helps us to be more creative, to put the ultimate spin on things so that our work sells. (That is the point, after all!) One way of looking at our muse is that we are simply connecting with our inner child. I don't know about you, but my inner child needs help from time to time! 

We need to do two things - allow ourselves to be creative enough to come up with amazing plots that have not been worked to death, and characters that our readers can connect with. So what if our characters have a fatal flaw - they are real! Our readers will cheer for them! Then we take all of this bizarre, creative stuff and visit the logical side of our brain so that we can place everything in proper order so that it at least looks like it could actually happen.

By this time we are starting to feel as if we might be developing multiple personalities. As long as no one else realizes this, we are okay. We can pull this all together by recognizing that our creative muse resides in our unconscious - that it can access our dreams, and our hidden memories.  Our muse will appear to us however it wants to - we just need to go with the flow. 

Our muse (our unconscious self) and our critic (our conscious self) have to work together to meld everything into a story that makes sense, has depth (without falling off the edge), and entertains. Above all, to sell, our stories need to entertain.

Never be afraid to allow both your muse and your critic free reign. They will come to an understanding, and you will be putting amazing stories out there!

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

Monday, May 20, 2019

Should We Write About What We Know, Or Can We Make Stuff Up?


The majority of my writing will be in the genre of fiction, so it might be assumed that I will be making stuff up. To a small extent, this is true. I can create an environment that does not exist, I can create characters that inhabit it, and I can create the situations that they face. But if I wander too far, I will lose my readers.  

Come on - this is fiction, anything goes! No, anything does not go. As writers, we want people to be able to follow our storylines. If they are confused about a storyline, or are simply not drawn to it, we have lost them. They won't want to finish the book that they are reading, and they will have no reason to purchase our future books.

My current WIP has its basis in the 60's and 70's. My major characters are remote viewers that have the ability to change, to some extent, what they see. They work for a private organization that is global in nature, and were recruited right out of college. They are charged with protecting the cultural assets of all nations, and their work is clandestine by nature. 

Given the nature of my WIP, which is a mystery, and not science fiction, I need to do the research that will make it sound credible - less James Bond and more  John Q. Public. Our stories, to be accepted, need to reflect daily life. After all, we do want to sell books! As many boundaries as we push in our stories, they need to make sense. The excitement generated in our stories comes from our readers believing that these things can really happen, and that there are consequences for what happens. 

Personally, I am tasked with making the use of metaphysical powers seem real, and available to everyone (which they actually are). I will need to show how my characters came into these powers, and how they affected their lives. How a son who never knew his father has inherited his tendency towards evil on steroids.

Where is your writing taking you?

(c) May 2019 Bonnie Cehovt
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.    

Monday, May 13, 2019

Hawk and Raven - Spirit Allies


We all walk in several different worlds. Those worlds cross-over to help keep us balanced. As writers, we use the wisdom from all of our worlds to give our stories life. On the most recent new moon I chose to journey - as in shamanic journeying. At its core, a journey is simply traveling from one place to another.  Shamanic journeying involves communicating with our inner, spiritual self. This is where we find our answers - within ourselves. 

I found myself working with two spirit allies - Hawk and Raven. The interesting thing here is that Hawk energy was the "front" energy, essentially masking (to others) the energy of Raven. The energy of Hawk gifts us with the ability to see intuitively, to be able to observe and to face challenges. Hawk energy is also protective energy. For me, at this time, Hawk will help me to stay focused and achieve my goals. 

The question here is why Hawk would mask the energy of Raven in my life. There is a good reason for this! The energy of Raven is that of bringing magic to a situation. To place power behind my intention and will, I need to be willing to access my shadow side and heal. Great change is ahead, and I need to be ready for it. 

Essentially, Hawk is protecting me while Raven walks me through great change.

What are your spirit allies? Are you willing to work with them? What understanding, what changes, are they bringing to you? How will this be reflected in your writing?

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

Monday, May 6, 2019

Editing An Already Published Book


As soon as I get my latest book review done, I am going to start line by line editing the latest book from my co-author Brad Tesh and myself ("Invisible Me - Journeying Through The Soul"). It has been up for a few weeks now, but we saw errors immediately (some mine, some errors in formatting). I decided to wait a month or so, then go through the book edit, and put it back up.

Are you aware that there is even a YouTube video on this exact thing! ("How To Edit Kindle Books You Have Already Published") I probably shouldn't have been surprised - but I was! I mean - Brad and I aren't the only people this has happened to! KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) of course has this covered too - "How Do I Edit A Published Book". 

Most times the edits will be minor - spacing, typos, spelling errors, words that were inadvertently left out. Especially if you edited your own book, as we did, it is easy to see what you "know" should be there, as opposed to what is appearing on the written page. Other times you will have an epiphany, and a major edit is in order! The good thing is that as a self-published author, you can do this. 

For a comprehensive look at what you should be looking for when editing, see "How To Edit A Book For Self-Publishing Success", by Joseph Hogue, CFA.

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

Sunday, May 5, 2019

NaNoWriMo


I have not participated in NaNoWriMo for several years now. So, what exactly is this NaNoWriMo? Officially, it is called National Novel Writing Month, and it is held every November. It is an Internet-based writing project that is free for anyone to take part in. The goal is to write a 50,000-word manuscript between November 1st and November 30th.  

Why in my infinite wisdom am I participating this year? Because I am in the process of writing the first in a series of three mystery novels that are not in the cozy mystery genre, and that genre is the one that I want to focus on. So I will continue writing the first novel in the non-cozy mystery genre, and doing the month of November I will focus my writing on my cozy mystery novel. The best of all possible worlds (I hope!).

You can find out more about NaNoWriMo here.  I hope to see many of you participating!

NaNoWriMo on Twitter.
NaNoWriMo on Facebook.

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

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Thoughts On Using Grammerly


I have a tendency to skim over my work, not see all of the typos/errors, call it good, and hit publish. I refer to myself as a writer, so this is not a good thing. I put a lot of writing up on the Internet, and I was having to go back and make a lot of corrections - often after friends had alerted me that something wasn't kosher. The Grammarly app came to my attention, so I thought I would give it a try. First I will give a synopsis about what Grammarly does, then I will highlight my experience with it.

From Wikipedia: " Grammarly is an online grammar checking, spell checking, and plagiarism detection platform developed by Grammarly, Inc. The software was first released in July 2009. Grammarly's proofreading resources check against more than 250 grammar rules." The version that I use is Grammarly For Chrome. Grammarly highlights both spelling and grammar errors as you are typing so that you can make corrections in a timely manner. It works for messages, documents, and social media posts, as well as e-mail. Grammarly features a contextual spelling checker, along with a grammar checker. The premium version of Grammarly checks for over 100 additional types of errors, makes vocabulary enhancement suggestions, detects plagiarism, gives citation suggestions, and gives suggestions for different writing styles (i.e. academic, technical, and creative).

Overall, I really like Grammarly. When I hit the publish button, I am not as concerned that I am unleashing a gazillion typo's, which is a very good feeling! There are a couple of issues that I find irritating though. For one thing, Grammarly and I hit head on over the use of commas! This happens so often that I have decided to just say the heck with it, and leave the commas where I want them to be! The second irritation that I have with Grammarly is that it will sometimes (not often) suggest another version of a word. So far, their suggestions have been totally out of context, so I choose to ignore them.

A little side benefit (even for the free version, which is what I have) is that I get a monthly report from Grammarly. This includes notes on productivity (number of words written), accuracy, vocabulary (unique words used), and top grammar mistakes (yes, commas always make this part of my report!). 

In time, I will be purchasing the paid for version of this app.

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

Monday, April 15, 2019

Watching Notre Dame Burn


How do we take the energy of shock and put it to best use as a writer? Thanks to the immediacy of the Internet, I am watching the Notre Dame Cathedral burn. I mean, it is truly burning! I literally watched a spire burn and fall over - part of history is being destroyed through fire, and there is nothing we can do. Yes, firemen are on the scene, but they can only do so much. A very important part of Paris, a very important part of human history, is burning before our eyes.

As a writer, am I taking notes? Good heavens no! I cannot separate myself from what is going on. All I can do is make mental notes of my reactions to what I am seeing.  At some future point in time will I be able to use this event, this energy in some way in my writing? If I couldn't do that, I wouldn't be a writer. I will make some notes later today, and file them away. In the next few days I will add more notes. I can only imagine how the people of Paris are feeling right now. That may go into future stories that I write also. 

Events like this are lynchpins - they mark a point in time for us. They affect us, and they affect the people around us. They are part of the environment of our stories, and they add color and context to the action. They tell us a great deal about our characters, about how they think, and how they feel. 

I am still in shock - and probably will be for days. But I am also a writer, and I will allow this event to be something that I can use to make my stories real, and to connect to my readers in a manner that is within their scope of experience.

As a writer, how do you add color to your stories with major events like this?

(c) April 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission.

Monday, April 8, 2019

Changing Up ... Who Knew!


Change is not something that I take to readily. Cozy mystery is the genre that I like reading, and that I want to write in. So ... my first mystery is turning out to be quite the "noir" style affair! When I realized that it was going to be a bit much for the cozy mystery crowd, I turned it into a three book series (in my mind). I did not want a stand-alone book, and two books does not a series make, so it will be three books.

Each book will feature the same protagonist, but the focus will be on different supporting characters. Their lives are all intertwined - at least they were for a very long time. So the flow between books should not be that hard. I am going to have to change the locale for this (short) series, though, as I want the local that I started with to be the one for my cozy mystery. 

One of the bonuses to this change is that I can keep all of the action in one city. I don't have to research private planes, or airports that handle private planes. Yes! I can still keep the luxurious mansion that the action takes place in, and I will be talking about a part of the country that I actually know something about!

As writers, we need to be able to accept this type of change and flow with it. Yes, I am going to have to rewrite a few things, but that won't take long. How do you feel about your stories when they take an abrupt left turn like this?  Are you willing to follow your muse and make the change?

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

Monday, April 1, 2019

Back Cover Blurbs - How To Make Your Book Shine


What purpose does your back cover blurb serve? It is the magic carpet to getting people to buy your book! That is how important these few words are. So, how do you go about creating copy that will draw people in, excite them, and make them want to read your book?

Generally speaking, the copy on the back cover is simply a "blurb", a short paragraph of approximately 250 words or less. It needs to draw prospective readers in and make them want to buy and read your book. Your blurb is not meant to be a synopsis of your book, or a description of your book. It is meant to be a sales pitch. That matters to those of us publishing on Amazon, because Amazon is now showing back covers on the sales page!

To create some type of template for yourself, look at the back cover blurbs of several authors within your own genre. What is similar about them, and what is different? Take what you like about the style, and apply it to your own blurb. 

Think like your prospective reader - what do you want to know about a book before you buy it? What makes you want to buy a book in the genre you are writing in?

Your first sentence needs to draw in a potential reader. It has to make them want to read on! Mention your characters, and highlight the tension between them. Who is doing what to whom! Show the tension - then leave your potential reader hanging. If they want to know what happens - they can read the book! Speak in the emotional language of potential readers. Use short sentences, and speak in your own voice!

(c) April 2019 Bonnie Cehovet
Reproduction prohibited without written permission from 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...