Food For Thought

 

How we approach something will have a great deal to do with how successfully we use it. I am currently looking to create multiple streams of income from my writing. I have already decided to use Amazon as my "portal". It is easy to upload written material (whether book-length or pamphlets), and Amazon has a huge audience. 

There are many programs out there that talk about different systems for making money selling books on Amazon. I recently came across one that sounded good to me, so I signed up for a multiple-day live event that will take place this coming January. That seemed a bit far ahead, but it sounded good, and the price was right, and it is something that I am looking forward to.

The downside is that I have been getting over half a dozen e-mails daily since then with videos and upsells. For the first couple of days, I was overwhelmed. Then I told myself that all I needed to do was watch what I wanted to (some of the videos were free training) and not watch the rest.

I am happy with this decision. I don't want a live phone call from an associate, although for many people, this will work well. I don't want to be pushed into anything. This is the important thing - take from any program/opportunity what you want, what works for you. If you have questions, ask. Be open to what these programs/opportunities have to offer. Check out their credibility on the Internet. Read past the sales pitch - recognize BS when you see it.

By combing through the information in the program I have signed up for, I know that I can create a solid foundation for continuing sales for many years to come. No building of a new website, no e-mail lists, just good digital content to offer and an effective way to advertise it.

Do not be afraid to take only what you want from any opportunity. Be who you are. Live a balanced life.

Wishing you all much success with your writing!

(c) November 2022 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without the written consent of the author.

Story Line - Life Experiencees Applied

 

"Story Line - Finding Gold In Your Life Story," by Jen Grisanti, is an oldie but a goodie (published in 2011). It crossed my path in its own time, in its own way. And yes, it is all about how to approach writing scripts. I am not a scriptwriter (yet), but I do believe that the information Grisanti shares is applicable to the genres I do write in - flash fiction and cozy mysteries.

Grisanti has stellar credentials - she was mentored for twelve years by Aaron Spelling, was Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, and served as a mentor in the CBS Diversity Program. In 2008 she launched her own company, Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., and was hired as the Writing Instructor for  NBC's Writers In The Verge.

The foundation of this book is to help writers connect with their audience on a strong emotional level. This is done by writers going deep within themselves and using their personal experiences to add depth and authenticity to their writing.

The book is organized into the following categories: Setup (where the story starts), Dilemma (dilemma as used to clearly establish the character's goals), Action (the actions taken to achieve a goal, coming from the writer's own experiences), and Goal (the character's life after their goal is accomplished).

I am a pantser - I do not write out more than a bare-bones guide for my stories. What I found in reading this book is that when I use my own experiences, I write from a stronger place. I am more confident in my work, and my stories pull together easier.

Grisanti encourages the reader to take a deep dive into themselves. To look at themselves, to work with what they know. Each of us will take away something different from this book, but each of us as writers, will be better people for it.

(c) October 2022 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without written permission from the author.

Confusion Reigns!

 

I am having a bit of difficulty finishing my Kindle Vella book. I am almost finished with episode ten, and could not remember the name of an (important) secondary character. I had gone through and created a bible for the first nine chapters, but it did not contain a name for this individual. So I had to search through the chapters to find it. Guess what ... I had not given this character a name! Well, he is the primary antagonist and the head of a global syndicate about to make some major changes in the world, so perhaps he should remain unnamed. That is exactly what I am going to do - leave him unnamed.

I feel that it will move the story forward better this way. Have you ever wanted to just not give one or more of your characters a name? To just describe them, give them a solid background, and let them talk? I have learned to listen to what my characters want - and this character, and an individual working for him, wished to remain nameless.

This goes against all writers' protocol, which says, amongst other things that all major characters should have names, that if a character provides a clue they should be named, and that if the character recurs in a story they should be named. 

What do each of you think? Do all characters need names? If the setting is present-day referencing another era (WW II), and global spying is involved, is that enough to not use names?

(c) May 2022 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without the written permission of the author.

The "Magic" In The Magic Blanket

 

Wouldn't we all love to have a magic blanket? Artist/Author Judy Mastrangelo, through her amazing use of imagery and words, has created just such a blanket. I truly admire this book on many levels - for the amazing, gentle artwork, for the connection between the child taking the journey, the mother that created the blanket that takes her on the journey, and for how the journey itself encourages the use of the child's imagination.

As writers, we can look at a work like this and easily see how our stories, our books, can be tools of empowerment, gateways into other worlds. Mastrangelo does this in several ways. The first way would be the story itself. The words and the images are powerful and act to take the reader into another world. In the case of this book, it takes the reader (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, family friend) and the child/children being read to into the wonderful world of imagination.

This book includes the story (a fantastic journey in and of itself), ideas on nighttime dreaming and daytime dreaming, how to write and perform your own play about the magic blanket, coloring pages, how to bake delicious tea cookies, and more. What a marketing bonanza!

As writers, I think we can use Mastrangelo's work as a gateway, or even a guideline for how we can expand our writing into something very meaningful, into something more than a one-time read. While not a mystery, I place Mastrangelo's work on the same level as Joann Fluke's Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series (Fluke includes amazing recipes in her books), Laura Child's Tea Shoppe Mysteries (including tea lore and the history of Charleston SC), and Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mysteries (which include an incredible amount of information about sourcing and brewing coffee, as well as delicious recipes). All of these books act as gateways into other worlds through story.

If you are interested in more information on Mastrangelo's book "The Magic Blanket", click here.

(c) March 2022 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without permission.  

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.