Les Cochran Blog

Fiction Author

October 12, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

The Real Les: Elementary

Just for fun, I will periodically be sharing some of my childhood stories. I’ll label this series “The Real Les.” The first in this series takes place when I was in elementary school. My legal name is Leslie and that is what my mother called me when I was young. In the old days a male called Les was either Leslie or Lester. Today I go by Les otherwise people think I am a girl! <a href="”> Read More…
Continue reading

August 14, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

FUNDraising Can Be FUN!

Asking for money is right up there with some of the most feared things people do—deal with death, experience a divorce, give a speech—most people say, “I could never do that.”
For the first two-thirds of my career, I rationalized it the same way. “I don’t want to be a university president,” I’d say. “No way I’m going around town with a tin cup in my hand.”
<a href="”> Read More… Continue reading

August 7, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

My Red Pen Came Back to Bite Me!

When I retired people celebrated for many reasons. Those closest to me were relieved—NO MORE RED INK!
My red ink obsession had become part of the office talk. . . . . staff members were overwhelmed by the amount of red ink I deposited on their work. <a href="”> Read More… Continue reading

July 31, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

It’s No Joke Being a Provost

        “I’m only human,” the provost said.         “Human? You’re the provost—that’s an oxymoron.”   Those are the last two lines in Costly Affair (#2 in trilogy of love, lies and liaisons.)  The quote makes … Continue reading

July 24, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

Real Life Brain Tumor?

The first challenge in writing a novel is to start with an exciting scene—as the experts say “a grabber”—something that draws the reader in. My editor clearly stated, “I want to see drama, intrigue.  Give me something exciting!  Start in … Continue reading

July 17, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

Storyboard Tells the Rest of the Story

Being an author generates lots of questions from friends.  Some think they might like to try their hand at publishing.  For others it’s the least likely thing they’d ever do.  Still, the questions come:  “How do you keep track of … Continue reading

July 10, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

Careful What You Say—You May Be There Someday!

Books on writing fiction say, “give your characters a unique name or a particular quality so the reader can remember or identify with them.” I struggled with that advice from the beginning—the people in my books are normal people who … Continue reading

June 25, 2014
by lescochranblog
0 comments

A Red Fedora

Every fictional character has a story; maybe it’s a friend, part of the author’s imagination or something in his/her past. So too, are many of their traits and characteristics. In my “love, lies and liaisons” trilogy, the main character Steve … Continue reading