Characters, humor and the writing life

Does this sound like you?

2/19/2021

If this sounds like you, don't worry! There are many more books to read.

Read Aloud Day

1/29/2021

Did you know that February 1st is World Read Aloud Day?

It's a day to celebrate the importance of sharing stories.
Grab a book and read it aloud to someone -- today or anytime that seems like a good opportunity to share a story.

Photo credit: Ben White on Unsplash.com

Holiday Treats for Your E-Reader!

12/18/2020

Did you know that the 2020 End of Year E-book Sale starts at Smashwords.com today?

Don't miss this opportunity to load up your e-reader or computer. :)
You could find your next favorite author. :)

People have asked me if they can read these eBooks on their Kindle.
The answer is yes!
The steps are listed below, along with links on how to read on other devices.

Happy Reading!

How do I download Smashword books to my Kindle or Kindle Fire?

There are two options for loading Smashwords ebook content to your Kindle or Kindle Fire:

1. USB Connection. Plug your Kindle into the USB slot (small rectangular slot) of your computer using the cable that came with your Kindle (the Kindle Fire doesn't come standard with the USB cable, so you'll need to obtain the cable separately, or, use the email option described in #2 below).
When you attach your Kindle to your computer via the USB cable, it makes your Kindle appear as a hard drive on your computer.
After you purchase the book, from the book's book page click to download the "Kindle" .MOBI format.
Next, navigate to where you see the Kindle show up as a hard drive on your computer. Next, just drop the book's file (it should end in file name of .mobi) to the Kindle's "documents" folder.
Then disconnect the Kindle from your computer and the book will be ready to read.
If you already downloaded the .MOBI file to your computer, here's a helpful YouTube video that shows how to drag the file from your desktop to the Kindle's documents folder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UPOgXDYj3M (video not produced by Smashwords).

2. Email the Ebook to Your Kindle Email Address:  For both first generation Kindles and the newest Kindle Fire, you can email your Smashwords .mobi files to your Kindle email address. Amazon's support page provides complete details.
To email files to first generation Kindles (Kindles other than the Kindle Fire), click here:   http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600.
For Kindle Fire only,  Click here for how to set up your free Kindle email address, and how to load ebooks or email ebooks to your Kindle Fire using either the email or USB cable method.

For computers and other devices, see this handy page on Smashwords.  Reading, Sampling and Buying Books on Smashwords

Now you are ready to check out the books in the special sale!
The Essence -- free!

Unexpected Impact -- only $.99!

And there are many, many more.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Image credit: Flicker (not my own cookies)

Holiday Gifts for Writers

12/9/2020

Looking for a gift idea for a writer you know?
Here's list of Holiday Gift Ideas for Writers from the NC Writers Network Blog

Have another idea? Add your suggestion in the comments.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing You Enough

12/3/2020

I friend of mine sent her newsletter with the subject line of Wishing You Enough and it started me thinking.

Who else has heard the theme from "I Want It All" too many times?

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we just "wanted enough" and were happy with that?

Background on the song:
The song was originally recorded by Queen in 1988.
"I Want It All" it features themes, including social upheaval and rebellion. Songwriter Brian May, claimed that it was about having ambitions and fighting for one's own goals; because of this, the song became an anti-apartheid song in South Africa and has also been used as a gay rights protest theme and a rallying anthem for African-American youth.3

The Writing Life -- character names

11/12/2020

Character names can add or detract from a story.

When you're writing and you don't know what a character should be named, don't let that stop you -- just insert NTK (name to come). Why NTK? It's a combination of characters that is rarely used so it make it easy to use the search and replace function to add in the name you come up with later.
I learned this too late, in the case of the sticky Bob. I used the name Bob for a character who I introduced in my second novel, Unexpected Impact, then decided to change his name to Chuck. I never realized how many words have "bob" in them until I tried to do a search and replace. I resorted to the old fashioned way, Bob by Bob.
After publishing, I got a note from a reader that pointed out several Bobs remained. It was nice of them, and I always appreciate hearing from readers! But it still was a bit embarrassing since I thought between myself and my beta readers, we had found all of them.

If you'd like to see who Chuck is (and check if you spy any remaining Bobs) click here for links to where you can buy the ebook. Or join my mailing list and I'll let you know when I have special promotions running. :)

Note: those are not what my nails look like. But the reading glasses are similar!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Nancy

My Wish

11/2/2020

I'm a fiction writer; I don't normally write poems but a had a bit of inspiration... see if you agree!

Seven Reasons to Celebrate National Read a Book Day

9/4/2020

September 6th is National Read a Book Day. I hope you'll be celebrating with me. If you need reasons, here are seven:

It’s a great excuse to unwind by yourself.
You can put your feet up and relax – inside or outside.
That stack of “meaning to read” books at the side of the bed is getting too tall.
You saw the movie, but you heard the book is way better.
There’s a swath of history you’re sick of having to admit you don’t know much about.
You’d like to get lost in a made-up world.
You haven’t gotten to use your imagination in a long time.

Do you have another reason? I'd love to hear it. Please add it in the comments.

Thanks for reading -- enjoy your next book!

Nancy

Photo credit: The READ picture is by Kristin Baldeschwiler, on Pixabay

Going back in time...

7/25/2020

I'm going back in time -- to ancient Greece -- for my next book.
Those who know me might remember my fascination with Greek mythology, I think it was in 5th grade. I've forgotten some of it (time will do that sometimes) so I had fun rereading Edith Hamilton's "Mythology". It was a little like visiting an old friend...

Don't miss an update! There are several ways to keep in touch:
Join my mailing list
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-- Nancy

Book Review -- How Many Stars to Give?

7/1/2020

When reviewing a book, do you ever wonder how many stars to give it?
Many people have -- but don't let it stop you from leaving your feedback!

Here's what the stars mean for book reviews on Amazon, according to "Inside the Inkwell". I like their rating scale, so I'm reposting part of it with a few modifications and added thoughts.

5 stars:
Enjoyed the book in the way that it was meant -- it delivered what the description promised. It may have given you a break from reality, surrounded you with lifelike characters, or perhaps made you smile or learn something. If you really liked the book, in addition to rating it, you can check out the author's website to see if there are more books in progress.

4 stars:
Generally liked the book -- you like it, but an issue with the book detracted from your enjoyment. This issue could be too much repetition in the writing, an annoying plot hole, way too many typos, etc. You might consider being a bit kinder in your rating of a self-published book (especially a low-cost one) than one that has a larger publisher backing it.  Be specific in your review and if it was a plot hole or something you didn't understand, consider emailing the author through their website or contact info at the end of the book.

3 stars:
Neither liked nor disliked the book—you are not sure if you like it or not. You might read it again if you were stuck in quarantine and this was all you had… (that may have been why you read it in the first place!) Anyway, be aware that this review hurts an author’s rating because some advertisers and listing services don’t allow 3-star books, so consider leaving no review if you are on the fence.

2 stars:
The book is plagued by serious issues and you want to prevent others from suffering.
For example, the book is marketed as "hilariously funny" but it turns out to be not humorous at all to you. Or there are typos on practically every page (lack of editing,) serious inconsistencies, or a glaring lack of research. Or you found the plot, characters, or setting tedious and a waste of time. If you are giving this rating, be specific about what bothered you, it will be helpful to other readers as well as the author.

1 star:
Colossal failure. You really regret picking this book and would like your money and time back. It could be that there was no plot and it was so boring you couldn't keep reading. Leave this rating if you want to discourage the author from writing another book.

Does this sound anything like how you review a book?
Please add your comments below or join the conversation on my Facebook page!

Thanks for reading!

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