Cheryl Cowtan on Writing

I've participated in PitMad and NestPitch on Twitter, and both have provided the opportunity to pitch my manuscript to potential agents. I have also benefited from the wonderful opportunities to share my hopes, my dreams and my work with like-minded writers (who are also moms, dads, teachers, and members of communities all over the world). Currently I'm participating in PitchSlam, and I have found this pitching competition offers a new benefit--critique by professionals. The process works like this. Pitch 35 words Receive feedback for improvement Submit first 250 words Receive feedback for improvement Submit revised 35 word pitch and revised 250 words What I found is the reviewers caught some pretty obvious mistakes in my work that I did not catch after multiple reads. And once I followed the suggestions, the improvement of my pitch and first 250 is encouraging. Compare the results yourself. My first 35 word pitch: Name: Cheryl R Cowtan Genre: Adult / Dark F...

In a society where expressing ourselves is more trendy than ever, authors can use memorable and powerful lines from their novels to bring attention to their work. People love quotes from novels because they reflect, in better words than most of us can come up with, life experiences, feelings and views on important issues. Quotes also have the ability to affect us on a sentimental level, reminding us of a time we may have first experienced the novel being quoted.  The best lines are timeless. How to Choose Quotes from your Novel For writers, quoted lines from a novel can accomplish a number of things, but the most important goal for quoting your book is to create a curiosity or desire in the reader to read more. Consider this goal when searching for good lines.  Your quote also functions as a sample of your writing. The quote you choose can do any of the following: Show the author's style Show the quality of writing Express the genre through c...

Let’s Get Organized  Writers take a gazillion notes.   I don’t have to tell you this, because you know all about it. You also know how difficult it is to organize notes, search through paper notes, and sometimes even find all the notes you've written.  In this day and age, going digital is the best way to keep track of your notes. If organized properly, digital notes are sortable, searchable, editable, accessible from anywhere, and light as a feather to carry around. In this blog, I'm going to show you how to be note-efficient. ____________________________________________________ The following is an excerpt from "Technology #WritingTips for Writers". First 100 subscribers at http://www.cherylcowtan.com get a free copy at book launch. _____________________________________________________ The first step in getting note-efficient is finding the right software. For writers, finding a software that will meet all of our needs is like trying to pic...

1-2-3, 1-2-OMG! I finally did it. I purchased Scrivener. Now I have to hold onto my self-worth as I try to wrap my brain around the interface. I keep telling myself, so many experts can't be wrong , right? Surely, when I've mastered this program, I'll come out on top. On top meaning I will have a tool that will give me more functionality, save me more time, and overall, make me a more organized and efficient writer. Currently, I'm doing pretty good with a combination of MS Word and Excel, so this baby better be awesome to convince me to convert for long term.  So I start to learn it like I learn all things - jumping in with both feet. Click, click, click, click.... cli... That didn't work. So basically, I've purchased the Scrivener software that experts are saying is functionally amazing, but its user interface is so non-intuitive, I can't figure it out, and I used be an Internet Business Consultant. Surely my skills aren't that rusty...

Wordle for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Wordle is probably the easiest tool for finding overused words in your novel, because you just paste your entire manuscript into Wordle and wait for the results. Wordle creates an image of the most often used words in the text, increasing the font size of a word based on how many times it was used. The Pride and Prejudice Wordle is interesting as a comment on societal manners at the time it was written by Jane Austen (Mr, Miss, Mrs). Wordle will increase the font of words used more often in your Manuscript. The Wordle above is from my current manuscript The Fergus She . If you notice, the word "Angus" is in the largest font. Angus is hotter than this! The visual  is telling me I used "Angus" more than any other word, which is good beca use he's the hot highlander my protagonist, Rachel, is lusting for. W here is Rachel's name? you might ask. The Fergus She is written in first ...

Writers often practice their skills when writing their first books. When listening to the "Writing Excuses" podcast, the hosts stated that many writers learn while they are writing, and as a result, may have some earlier materials available online that may not reflect the author's current skills. It makes sense. Some authors write and quickly publish, some keep their books longer, editing and polishing, and some hold on to those manuscripts until completely assured the writing is the best it can be, which can take years. I know I have learned so much working with beta readers and an editor, and if I were to crack open an earlier unpublished manuscript, that I had previously thought was complete, I would be able to make many revisions and improvements. For authors who published and moved on to the next book, learning the craft as they produced, their published books may be examples of that learning in action. In other words, earlier novels will...

A beta reader brings a reader's perspective  to your manuscript. Recently, due to union action, I found myself with extra time to invest in my writing. If you've ever been on strike, you'll know how non-productive it is, and for some of us, that is enough to send us scrambling for something to do. While walking the picket line, I reconnected with a lovely co-worker who just happens to have a Masters in English. My writing came up during our conversation like it usually does: "What have you been keeping busy with?" "Oh, still working away on my novel."  Do not feel unworthy of asking for help. You need readers to read your work. Usually I say this with a tinge of embarrassment because I've been "working" on my novel for quite some time. However, I was very fortunate. My colleague, Dania, offered to read over and respond to my current manuscript, The Fergus She . Immediately, I got that internal cringe of "Oh...