A friends brother's house JUST burned down. They were on their way to a Renessance Fair when they got a call to turn around and come home. Literally just yesterday. They had put one dog in a kennel, and left one at home to be looked after by a neighbor. Someone broke into their home right after they left Friday, took their gas can from the garage and started fires in the kids rooms. This family lost everything they left behind on what they thought would just be a weekend trip. From pictures, clothes, books, and laptops, to their beloved pet that was left in what they thought was the safety of their home.
The dad when asked what he needed answered "I have everything I need right here." He pointed to his wife and children. One of his daughters started crying, "I won't ever hold my books again." I was called to see if I could send the kids some of the Young Adult books that I have reviewed, since they are all avid readers. I would like to go one step further. We will never be able to put the things they lost back in their hands, but I would like to be able to put smiles back on the kids faces, with your help. I am taking donations of Amazon Gift cards, YA ebooks, or Kindles. I want to buy these four kids Kindle Wi-fis, and load them with books that they lost-as well as new ones. I want them to shed tears of joy if tears must be shed, instead of tears of loss and sorrow.
The ages of the kids are:
16 year old girl
13 year old boy
11 year old girl
9 year old boy
Please share your love and show the kids some heart on this holiday weekend. Help me to help them with donations of Amazon Gift Cards for Kindles and PDFs of Young Adult books to fill them.
Send all donations to:
here or authornicolehicks@gmail.com if you don't have outlook.
If donating books please use Fire Donations in the subject line. I will add all of the names of the participants to the card that is sent to the kids, unless the you wish to remain anonymous. Thank you so very much in advance, for making a difference in this tragic time for these kids!
I am starting donations with my own $25 Amazon Card. Any amount from $10 on up will help.
We have started a raffle as well- see HERE for the post and list of prizes available.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Why am I doing a self editing set of blogs?
I have been asked, "Why are you doing a SET of self-editing blogs? Won't that cut into your own freelance business?"
My reply is "Because I believe in helping authors. If I can help them get started on edits, and get signed easier then I am thrilled to have done something positive! And no I don't think it will cut into business, because fresh eyes are ALWAYS a plus. *grin*"
Some of you have asked me why I don’t do the "Tips and Tricks" in one blog post- just put it all out there. One reason is because some authors know some of these tricks- so it will be easier to find what you need if they are done as individual blogs. I also don’t want to bog you down with too much information at once. Nothing is worse than a long tiresome lecture, especially if you already know some of the information! *Yawn*
As writers we want our manuscripts, our “babies”, to show their true potential. We want them to find the perfect House and a great niche. And we all know that is more likely to happen if we have a great storyline and a clean manuscript. Make the baby shine! These are some easy simple things you can do to help set yourself apart from all others, whether this is your first book or your thirty first.
Also don’t think that if you use all of these tricks you will have a 100% clean manuscript. Each House has their own set of rules; working for five Houses trust me I have learned this! You will still have rounds of edits to go through. I also suggest, if you are unsure, getting a pre-submission edit done. They can be expensive, but they can also be worth the cost.
Freelance (pre-submission) editors can help you a lot. Especially getting used to dealing with someone who will make you take an outside look at your own work. It is one of the reasons I love doing freelance- you have a bit more time and get more one on one with authors. Make sure you do your homework when choosing a pre-sub editor. It helps if you can talk to them and they are able to get their point across to you on why they think some changes work better. Rude doesn’t mean an awful editor- it just means they have no people skills, lol. Just like kiss ass doesn’t mean great.
You should find someone who will point out both the good and bad points. I prefer it when I see an “OMG I LOVE this line!” on occasion between the “Repetitive usage” or “? This doesn’t make sense, suggest rewrite of:” ;) Because really, if all you see is a sea of red (or in my case blue) with no comments in a positive manner, you are more likely to give up. This is about making something as perfect as can be, helping others to succeed, not knocking down dreams and staunching creativity. Just because we are showing you what can be changed does not mean we can't show you what is great!
And now I will get off my soap box, lol. but I wanted to answer the question I have gotten a minimum of nine times in one day. And please note- not all editors think the same way- just as people/authors don't all think the same way. I will post Tips and Tricks part two soon!
Keep writing!
Nicole
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Self editing help/guidlines- Tags and Over usage
With being an editor I am often asked for guidelines or tips.So I thought that I would offer them on a wider scale than individual emails, and do a series of posts. :) I hope this helps.
TAGS-
Tag lines can be difficult. Many get in a "rut" with specific ones and that can kill the flow of your manuscript. Some easy rules to remember:
Said is dead - He said, she said, Jack said, Jill said. There are so many other options- Whined, moaned, groaned screamed, cried, or actions. Many editors will tell you to use actions to break up your dialogue. Mix it up, it will definitely help your flow.
EX:
"What do you think," she said with a huff.
"Well," he said, "I think you don't care."
"Of course I care... I love you," she said quietly in reply.
The constant use of said can actually take away from the emotion in a scene as shown above.You can get the same if not more across with actions and using other words.
"What do you think?" She hung her head, hair hiding her face and tear-filled eyes.
"Well, I think you don't care." The anger in his voice hurt as much as the words.
"Of course I care... I love you." Her voice cracked, and the first tear fell, as she raised her head to look at him.
*Suggestion* Use the Find button to search for all of your saids- do a highlight all and see how many you have through your work- it may surprise you!
Over usage-
Names:
One thing that is overused are characters names. If you have two or even three or four characters you do not have to link a name with every bit of dialogue. Nor do you have to use a name within every dialogue. If you are wondering if this is you- go through your work and read them out loud, and think about real life. When you are talking to a friend do you use their name every time you say something to them?
EX:
"Listen, Jill, I don't-"
"You don't what, Jack?"
"Well, Jill, I don't want to talk about it."
"Too bad, Jack."
See how awkward that flows? With only two characters you could easily get it with:
"Listen, Jill, I don't-"
"You don't what?"
"Well, I don't want to talk about it."
"Too bad."
An example of over usage in a paragraph with names could be:
Jack didn't want to hurt Jill's feelings, but if Jill wouldn't listen to him then what could he do? Jill was stubborn that way. She would push and push until what Jill got what she wanted. But was he willing to give in to Jill?
Ok yes that is a bit extreme- but I am showing you what does happen. An easy way to clean that up could be:
Jack didn't want to hurt Jill's feelings, but if she wouldn't listen to him what could he do? His lover had always been stubborn that way. She would just keep pushing until she got what she wanted. But was he willing to give in to her this time?
Descriptors:
A descriptor is something else that can be overused:
The vampire hid in the shadows. What vampire in their right mind would come to this part of town? None, but him. She could see the red in the vampire's eyes and could imagine the glint off of his teeth. Vampires, she shuddered to think just how many vampires there really were in this city.
Vampire is over used here. Change it out with euphemisms and get more impact:
The vampire hid in the shadows. What blood sucker in their right mind would come to this part of town? None, but him. She could see the red of his eyes and could imagine the glint of light off of those sharp teeth. The walking dead. Or human sized mosquitoes, one of her personal favorite nicknames for the nighttime horrors . She shuddered as she wondered just how many of them there really were in this city.
This can be used in many ways- and over used as well. That man, monster, beast- we tend to over use words to familiarize, and don't realize how that can slow our manuscript down or make reading tedious instead of enjoyable.
I hope that you found this helpful! I will post again soon with words to watch out for- no-no words, and formatting ideas.
Keep writing!
Nicole
TAGS-
Tag lines can be difficult. Many get in a "rut" with specific ones and that can kill the flow of your manuscript. Some easy rules to remember:
Said is dead - He said, she said, Jack said, Jill said. There are so many other options- Whined, moaned, groaned screamed, cried, or actions. Many editors will tell you to use actions to break up your dialogue. Mix it up, it will definitely help your flow.
EX:
"What do you think," she said with a huff.
"Well," he said, "I think you don't care."
"Of course I care... I love you," she said quietly in reply.
The constant use of said can actually take away from the emotion in a scene as shown above.You can get the same if not more across with actions and using other words.
"What do you think?" She hung her head, hair hiding her face and tear-filled eyes.
"Well, I think you don't care." The anger in his voice hurt as much as the words.
"Of course I care... I love you." Her voice cracked, and the first tear fell, as she raised her head to look at him.
*Suggestion* Use the Find button to search for all of your saids- do a highlight all and see how many you have through your work- it may surprise you!
Over usage-
Names:
One thing that is overused are characters names. If you have two or even three or four characters you do not have to link a name with every bit of dialogue. Nor do you have to use a name within every dialogue. If you are wondering if this is you- go through your work and read them out loud, and think about real life. When you are talking to a friend do you use their name every time you say something to them?
EX:
"Listen, Jill, I don't-"
"You don't what, Jack?"
"Well, Jill, I don't want to talk about it."
"Too bad, Jack."
See how awkward that flows? With only two characters you could easily get it with:
"Listen, Jill, I don't-"
"You don't what?"
"Well, I don't want to talk about it."
"Too bad."
An example of over usage in a paragraph with names could be:
Jack didn't want to hurt Jill's feelings, but if Jill wouldn't listen to him then what could he do? Jill was stubborn that way. She would push and push until what Jill got what she wanted. But was he willing to give in to Jill?
Ok yes that is a bit extreme- but I am showing you what does happen. An easy way to clean that up could be:
Jack didn't want to hurt Jill's feelings, but if she wouldn't listen to him what could he do? His lover had always been stubborn that way. She would just keep pushing until she got what she wanted. But was he willing to give in to her this time?
Descriptors:
A descriptor is something else that can be overused:
The vampire hid in the shadows. What vampire in their right mind would come to this part of town? None, but him. She could see the red in the vampire's eyes and could imagine the glint off of his teeth. Vampires, she shuddered to think just how many vampires there really were in this city.
Vampire is over used here. Change it out with euphemisms and get more impact:
The vampire hid in the shadows. What blood sucker in their right mind would come to this part of town? None, but him. She could see the red of his eyes and could imagine the glint of light off of those sharp teeth. The walking dead. Or human sized mosquitoes, one of her personal favorite nicknames for the nighttime horrors . She shuddered as she wondered just how many of them there really were in this city.
This can be used in many ways- and over used as well. That man, monster, beast- we tend to over use words to familiarize, and don't realize how that can slow our manuscript down or make reading tedious instead of enjoyable.
I hope that you found this helpful! I will post again soon with words to watch out for- no-no words, and formatting ideas.
Keep writing!
Nicole
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
And the winner is announced!
And the winner of the Snow's Heat Mock Cover Contest is Mina Carter with the cover entry below!
I am glad that I did not have to judge on this one! They were all great entries! I want to thank everyone who entered, and to congratulate everyone on a job well done! It was wonderful seeing everyone's concepts!
I am glad that I did not have to judge on this one! They were all great entries! I want to thank everyone who entered, and to congratulate everyone on a job well done! It was wonderful seeing everyone's concepts!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Top three have been announced!
They have been sent to the judge and I will announce the winners (both the Artist and Commenter) on the 8th!
Good luck to the artists: In order of their covers
BJ Wheeler
Margie Hall
And
Mina Carter!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Last couple of days in the Mock Cover Contest!
The Mock Cover contest for Snow's Heat is coming to a close! Only a few days left! You can win one of two ways
1. Enter artwork that follows Copyright, is 300 dpi, and gives a hint at the Snow Leopard Paranormal Romance
OR
2. Comment on one of the entries.
The winning artist and one lucky commenter will each recieve:
1. Small poster of the artwork
And
2. A choice of a $10 Gift Card OR a coffee mug with the artwork!
Top three liked Covers will be announced on Dec. 2nd and go into the Judging round. Winner of both the artwork and the comments will be announced on Dec. 8th!
Come join in the fun! We have had some GREAT entries!
1. Enter artwork that follows Copyright, is 300 dpi, and gives a hint at the Snow Leopard Paranormal Romance
OR
2. Comment on one of the entries.
The winning artist and one lucky commenter will each recieve:
1. Small poster of the artwork
And
2. A choice of a $10 Gift Card OR a coffee mug with the artwork!
Top three liked Covers will be announced on Dec. 2nd and go into the Judging round. Winner of both the artwork and the comments will be announced on Dec. 8th!
Come join in the fun! We have had some GREAT entries!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Facebook Mock Cover Contest!
I have a Mock Cover contest going on my Facebook page! The rules are as follows:
1. Cover must be at least 300 dpi
2. It must abide by the copyright laws (I have snow leopard pictures if you want to use them)
3. It MUST give a hint at the book- Snow Leopard shifter Romance
The contest runs until December 1st.
I will tag the artists on their covers.
The top THREE most liked covers will be announced and posted on December 2nd
The winner out of the top three will be announced on December 8th
What is the prize you are wondering?
PRIZE PACK
The artist as well as one lucky commenter will receive:
1. A small poster of the cover
2. Their choice of a coffee mug featuring the cover OR a $10 gift card
I will use the winning cover as my Facebook Profile picture
I will also post the winner here in the Snippets of Imaginings section as the conceptual art for the book!
SO if you love "mucking about" with pictures, and would love something with your work on it, friend me and enter! The blurb for Snow's Heat is below! Good Luck! And most importantly HAVE FUN!
Nicole
The Blurb for Snow's Heat:
When your husband declares you aren’t enough after ten years, don’t get mad… Get a Bic and start a bonfire!
When Sabrina’s husband decides to move on to greener and freer pastures, she knows she has to move on herself. Wounded and alone, she escapes to a friend’s cabin to think about her future. As she burns away the remnants of her past she has some decisions to make.
Can she rise from the ashes of her marriage a new woman, or did she lose too much trying to salvage an illusion? Dealing with the heartache of her new reality, she meets a mystery man in the backwoods that makes her burn with desire.
Once just a soldier, now Travis is something...more. His last tour changed him in more ways than one. Can he come to terms with what he is, while dealing with the mixture of lust and possessiveness that Bree brings out in him?
Just when Bree thinks she may be ready to move on, her past manages to find her. Will she allow it to step between her and her new life and love? Will Travis let her be stolen from him...or will he accept what he is and fight for what he wants?
1. Cover must be at least 300 dpi
2. It must abide by the copyright laws (I have snow leopard pictures if you want to use them)
3. It MUST give a hint at the book- Snow Leopard shifter Romance
The contest runs until December 1st.
I will tag the artists on their covers.
The top THREE most liked covers will be announced and posted on December 2nd
The winner out of the top three will be announced on December 8th
What is the prize you are wondering?
PRIZE PACK
The artist as well as one lucky commenter will receive:
1. A small poster of the cover
2. Their choice of a coffee mug featuring the cover OR a $10 gift card
I will use the winning cover as my Facebook Profile picture
I will also post the winner here in the Snippets of Imaginings section as the conceptual art for the book!
SO if you love "mucking about" with pictures, and would love something with your work on it, friend me and enter! The blurb for Snow's Heat is below! Good Luck! And most importantly HAVE FUN!
Nicole
The Blurb for Snow's Heat:
When your husband declares you aren’t enough after ten years, don’t get mad… Get a Bic and start a bonfire!
When Sabrina’s husband decides to move on to greener and freer pastures, she knows she has to move on herself. Wounded and alone, she escapes to a friend’s cabin to think about her future. As she burns away the remnants of her past she has some decisions to make.
Can she rise from the ashes of her marriage a new woman, or did she lose too much trying to salvage an illusion? Dealing with the heartache of her new reality, she meets a mystery man in the backwoods that makes her burn with desire.
Once just a soldier, now Travis is something...more. His last tour changed him in more ways than one. Can he come to terms with what he is, while dealing with the mixture of lust and possessiveness that Bree brings out in him?
Just when Bree thinks she may be ready to move on, her past manages to find her. Will she allow it to step between her and her new life and love? Will Travis let her be stolen from him...or will he accept what he is and fight for what he wants?
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