Nicole MacDonald's Blog, page 23
March 10, 2011
Friday funnies! Funny/cute etc pictures
Enjoy :) some of them have appeared on my blog before but thats cause they're so darn GOOD!Happy Friday Peoples!
Okay so I might have recycled ALL the pics... but recycling's good for the environment!! Ooo and if you were interested in Nancy's book (the book in the review spot on my right side-bar) she's dropped it to a mere .99c for this month ONLY!! Get it while it's hot *grin*
Take care all!
Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
Okay so I might have recycled ALL the pics... but recycling's good for the environment!! Ooo and if you were interested in Nancy's book (the book in the review spot on my right side-bar) she's dropped it to a mere .99c for this month ONLY!! Get it while it's hot *grin*
Take care all!
Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
March 9, 2011
Thursday is writing tips! The snowflake method
I've been in a bit of a rut with my story. Not because I don't know where it's going - I most certainly do! - but because I wasn't in the right frame of mind for the quiet bits. So I had a read about the snowflake method of plotting and have detailed it below. I'm not going to use this precisely (far too technical for my liking *grin*) but I am going to work a couple of it's ideas.
I'm going to get stuck into the action scenes. Writing out exciting scenes really gets my blood flowing and I find it easier to be in the world of Sytas then. I hope that doing this will get the creative juices and inspiration back on track J Already it's gotten four pages out which is HEAPS compared to the last few days. Also having almost completed my contest piece I'm feeling a little less stressed so hoping that will add to a glut of writing. Well that and disconnecting the internet for a bit *lol*
A quick update on my book stats. Yes sales have slowed but that was somewhat expected. Still the 12 books I've sold so far this month amounts to 80 sold at .99c so I'm not too concerned. I do want to increase sales naturally as if I ever want to write fulltime (YES PLEASE!) I'll need to sell more to afford that ;p Anyhoo onto the rather full on Snowflake method, have a read and tell me whether or not you'd consider it? Would you change anything? Or just use a couple of steps?
TEN STEPS TO THE SNOWFLAKE METHOD:
Step One – Write a one-sentence summary of your novel. The best summary sentence is one that includes a reference to the character who has the most to lose and the thing he or she wants most to win.
Step Two – Expand your sentence into a full paragraph. In this paragraph, you should include the story set-up, each disaster, and the ending. You can decide the cause of each disaster, whether it is internally caused or brought on by external circumstances, and include those details as well.
Step Three – Next, your characters. For each of your major characters, write a one page summary sheet that includes the following:The character's name A one-sentence summary of the character's storyline The character's motivation (what does he/she want abstractly?) The character's goal (what does he/she want concretely?) The character's conflict (what prevents him/her from reaching this goal?) The character's epiphany (what will he/she learn, how will he/she change?) A one-paragraph summary of the character's storyline
Step Four – Expand each sentence of your summary paragraph from step two into a full paragraph. All but the last paragraph should end in a disaster. The final paragraph should tell how the book ends.At the completion of step four, you should have a fairly concise one-page skeleton of your novel. (Don't sweat it if it's longer or shorter than one page. The point is that you are taking your seed of a story from step one and growing and expanding it.)
Step Five – Write a one-page synopsis of the story from the point of view of each major character. (For more minor characters, you may want to write a half a page.) This step may seem tedious (and it can be time-consuming if you have a lot of major characters,) but it will really get you into the heads of the people who will give your story life. You will begin to see where they agree and where they clash. While plot is always important, honestly drawn characters are what make us lose ourselves in a novel.
Step Six – Take a fresh look at your one-page plot synopsis from step four and expand it into a four-page synopsis. One way to approach this would be to expand each paragraph from step four into its own page. This step gives you the chance to find the complexity in your story, discover new plot ideas that may have been inspired by your character explorations in step five, and weave in subplots. By keeping it to four pages, you can also easily identify plot holes or problems with the story's logic.
Step Seven – Expand your character summaries from step three into full-blown character charts. Make sure that you not only know each character's motivations and goals, but also the smaller details, such as the one thing they would grab before running from a burning house, or the person who has been the greatest influence on them. This is the step where you make sure your characters are fully alive in your mind.
Step Eight – Take the expanded synopsis you created in step six and make a list of every scene that needs to be written to tell your story. If you're adept with spreadsheets, creating one for this task will allow you to use the columns for details such as setting and POV character. For those of you who like to hold your writing in your hands, index cards will work just as well.
Step Nine – Using the scene list, write several pages of narrative for each scene. If you choose to add in dialogue, that's fine. By the end of this step, you'll have a miniature rough draft of your book.
Step Ten – Write your first draft!
For more information about the creator of this method, Randy Ingermanson, and his writing theories and methods, you can visit his website
And as for the reviews of books I am going to confirm that it is independent authors ONLY that I will review. Apologies to anyone disappointed by that but I want to help out fellow indies because I do feel we have one of the toughest climbs.
But I will warn anyone out there seeking a review, if you are one of those indie authors giving the rest of us a bad name.... I will call you out on it! Though I doubt those authors hunt out reviews ;p
Take care all! Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
I'm going to get stuck into the action scenes. Writing out exciting scenes really gets my blood flowing and I find it easier to be in the world of Sytas then. I hope that doing this will get the creative juices and inspiration back on track J Already it's gotten four pages out which is HEAPS compared to the last few days. Also having almost completed my contest piece I'm feeling a little less stressed so hoping that will add to a glut of writing. Well that and disconnecting the internet for a bit *lol*
A quick update on my book stats. Yes sales have slowed but that was somewhat expected. Still the 12 books I've sold so far this month amounts to 80 sold at .99c so I'm not too concerned. I do want to increase sales naturally as if I ever want to write fulltime (YES PLEASE!) I'll need to sell more to afford that ;p Anyhoo onto the rather full on Snowflake method, have a read and tell me whether or not you'd consider it? Would you change anything? Or just use a couple of steps?
TEN STEPS TO THE SNOWFLAKE METHOD:
Step One – Write a one-sentence summary of your novel. The best summary sentence is one that includes a reference to the character who has the most to lose and the thing he or she wants most to win.
Step Two – Expand your sentence into a full paragraph. In this paragraph, you should include the story set-up, each disaster, and the ending. You can decide the cause of each disaster, whether it is internally caused or brought on by external circumstances, and include those details as well.
Step Three – Next, your characters. For each of your major characters, write a one page summary sheet that includes the following:The character's name A one-sentence summary of the character's storyline The character's motivation (what does he/she want abstractly?) The character's goal (what does he/she want concretely?) The character's conflict (what prevents him/her from reaching this goal?) The character's epiphany (what will he/she learn, how will he/she change?) A one-paragraph summary of the character's storyline
Step Four – Expand each sentence of your summary paragraph from step two into a full paragraph. All but the last paragraph should end in a disaster. The final paragraph should tell how the book ends.At the completion of step four, you should have a fairly concise one-page skeleton of your novel. (Don't sweat it if it's longer or shorter than one page. The point is that you are taking your seed of a story from step one and growing and expanding it.)
Step Five – Write a one-page synopsis of the story from the point of view of each major character. (For more minor characters, you may want to write a half a page.) This step may seem tedious (and it can be time-consuming if you have a lot of major characters,) but it will really get you into the heads of the people who will give your story life. You will begin to see where they agree and where they clash. While plot is always important, honestly drawn characters are what make us lose ourselves in a novel.
Step Six – Take a fresh look at your one-page plot synopsis from step four and expand it into a four-page synopsis. One way to approach this would be to expand each paragraph from step four into its own page. This step gives you the chance to find the complexity in your story, discover new plot ideas that may have been inspired by your character explorations in step five, and weave in subplots. By keeping it to four pages, you can also easily identify plot holes or problems with the story's logic.
Step Seven – Expand your character summaries from step three into full-blown character charts. Make sure that you not only know each character's motivations and goals, but also the smaller details, such as the one thing they would grab before running from a burning house, or the person who has been the greatest influence on them. This is the step where you make sure your characters are fully alive in your mind.
Step Eight – Take the expanded synopsis you created in step six and make a list of every scene that needs to be written to tell your story. If you're adept with spreadsheets, creating one for this task will allow you to use the columns for details such as setting and POV character. For those of you who like to hold your writing in your hands, index cards will work just as well.
Step Nine – Using the scene list, write several pages of narrative for each scene. If you choose to add in dialogue, that's fine. By the end of this step, you'll have a miniature rough draft of your book.
Step Ten – Write your first draft!
For more information about the creator of this method, Randy Ingermanson, and his writing theories and methods, you can visit his website
And as for the reviews of books I am going to confirm that it is independent authors ONLY that I will review. Apologies to anyone disappointed by that but I want to help out fellow indies because I do feel we have one of the toughest climbs.
But I will warn anyone out there seeking a review, if you are one of those indie authors giving the rest of us a bad name.... I will call you out on it! Though I doubt those authors hunt out reviews ;p
Take care all! Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
A new page on the blog - Review Guidelines!
So it's official I now do review as well : ) From now on I'll only accept novels from Independent Authors which means the book I have reviewed for next week will be the first and last review of a 'traditionally published' author. If you're wanting to reach people have a read of my new page and get in touch!!
Take care all! Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
Take care all! Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
March 8, 2011
Review of, The Treasures of Carmelidrium, by N. R. Williams
3 out of 5 stars
Missie is a music student working through her final year at college. An incredible flutist she looks to have a shining future as a classical musician, until an unfortunate car crash involving a cloaked figure that sends her hurtling into a parallel universe. Confronted with men in 16th century garb approaching her car as if it's some kind of monster she's understandably bewildered, at first thinking she's stumbled into a movie set, unfortunately it isn't that simple. The men turn out to be royal guards and Missie is promptly caught up in a turn of events that threaten not only her own existence but the existence of the world she's landed in. Whether they rise or fall will depend on Missie, the strength of her heart and her flute.
An intriguing tale with language that you could just imagine in a 16th century novel the author weaves a journey that will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished. Very much like a tale of old there are the traditional roles of hero and heroine that will satisfy anyone seeking an excellent old fashioned style read of good against evil. Vivid descriptions allow the horrifying Symberveen to haunt your mind as you read. A proper love story this will appeal to anyone who loves a Romeo & Juliet style romance - without the unfortunate end *grin*
Read the first chapter here on Nancy's blog or click here to be taken to the book's page on Amazon where you can of course preview a longer sample and more importantly BUY THE BOOK! I did notice on Nancy's site she has a special coupon number and using this on Smashwords means you get it half price!! What a bargain : )
Hope you enjoyed the first of my Wednesday reviews! The cover image and link will remain on the right sidebar of my blog until I post the new review next week.
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
Missie is a music student working through her final year at college. An incredible flutist she looks to have a shining future as a classical musician, until an unfortunate car crash involving a cloaked figure that sends her hurtling into a parallel universe. Confronted with men in 16th century garb approaching her car as if it's some kind of monster she's understandably bewildered, at first thinking she's stumbled into a movie set, unfortunately it isn't that simple. The men turn out to be royal guards and Missie is promptly caught up in a turn of events that threaten not only her own existence but the existence of the world she's landed in. Whether they rise or fall will depend on Missie, the strength of her heart and her flute.
An intriguing tale with language that you could just imagine in a 16th century novel the author weaves a journey that will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished. Very much like a tale of old there are the traditional roles of hero and heroine that will satisfy anyone seeking an excellent old fashioned style read of good against evil. Vivid descriptions allow the horrifying Symberveen to haunt your mind as you read. A proper love story this will appeal to anyone who loves a Romeo & Juliet style romance - without the unfortunate end *grin*
Read the first chapter here on Nancy's blog or click here to be taken to the book's page on Amazon where you can of course preview a longer sample and more importantly BUY THE BOOK! I did notice on Nancy's site she has a special coupon number and using this on Smashwords means you get it half price!! What a bargain : )
Hope you enjoyed the first of my Wednesday reviews! The cover image and link will remain on the right sidebar of my blog until I post the new review next week.
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
March 7, 2011
Tuesday's Riddle! First to solve it WINS..
A free copy of The Arrival in their preferred e-format.
It's that simple *grin* And a reminder to all those indie authors like myself out there, if you are wanting advertising space I'm happy to offer a spot in the left side bar of my blog providing you pop an advert for my book on yours. Let's help spread the word about our fabulous works!!
Right at the moment I'm working on a competition entry for a Goodreads contest. The specifications being, write a 3,000 - 5,000 word, erotic short story that's humorous.
Anyone else gob smacked that I'm giving this a shot? *lol* It's proving a decent challenge that I hope will help me with writing the intimate scenes in my Trilogy - not that I'm aiming them as erotica (though B.E.T may disagree ;p). The super exciting part about the whole competition is that first prize is a KINDLE!!!!Yes believe it or not I'm still reading e-books via my kindle for PC and you really can't snuggle in bed with your computer ;p Which means when I'm caught in the throes of a fantastic book I'm sitting up to all hours staring blearily at my screen. So a kindle would be so freaking cool!
And onto the riddle!! Here it is.
How did Mark legally marry three women in Michigan, without divorcing any of them, becoming legally separated, or any of them dying?
And for those interested in entering the Goodreads contest here's the link J
Take care all! Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
March 6, 2011
Character Monday - Introducing Laura (Loi)
The lovely Anne Hathaway has been selected to play Loi. This is a shot of her with black hair for her upcoming cat woman role apparently and in The Arrival Loi has waist length black hair, so just imagine it's a little longer ; p
About Laura (or Loi as she's known to her friends).
Loi is 5'8 with a figure like a pin-up girl. She has stunning topaz eyes, all large and doe like, that could tempt the Pope were she given half a chance *grin*. Not that she's promiscuous but fluttering her long black lashes and watching the boys come running in droves certainly is entertaining. Her Scottish accent makes people look twice if they haven't all ready and along with the rest of the stunning package that is Loi, turns all the boys to mush. Cat, Sian and Kassie have great fun observing it all and teasing her mercilessly. Well somebody has to keep the potential ego in check ;p
Loi actually doesn't have the greatest self-esteem yet, a bit from been the tall gawky kid for so long. The whole stunning female who knocks men flat is still a novelty to her and she appreciates her friends for their straight forward and honest approach. At twenty one she is the baby of the group but it isn't usually obvious as the girls tend to disregard age. Loi has been learning Brazilian ju-jitsu since she was eight and her parents enrolled her due to her larger size making her a target for bullies. Bullies quickly learnt to avoid her. Along with being a black belt in ju-jitsu Loi also practises ken-jitsu, Japanese sword fighting that uses all manner of swords.
It wasn't until four years ago that Loi's family shifted from Scotland to New Zealand so while it's now home she still has fond memories of Scotland. Loi is an accomplished equestrian thanks to her father's obsession with horses and has been riding since she was four. Horses are one of her favourite animals along with cats.
Hope you enjoy this glimpse into Laura's character! If you want to learn more about her I suggest you read The Arrival *grin* she is a truly fabulous creature : ) I will be redoing Sian's character page at some point so it has a decent description like this. There are so many things I could tell you about these girls but I really would be writing novels just on that. That said if you do have any questions about her just ask in the comments and I'll be very happy to respond.
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
March 5, 2011
And a few more pics :)
The yummy fudge and two crystals we bought. One a pyrite sphere for Glenn who loved the 'sci-fi' look of it and the other a beautiful piece of rose quartz carved in a way that makes you just want to touch it. Very pretty : )
And then there's a picture of the water fountain in action! It's now running and making me want to go loo all the time *lol*
Then there's the dogs looking sooky cause they don't like the cold rain and Miss Griffin on our bed , blending in beautifully *grin*
Oh and the last pic you'll have seen before but it's linking to the facebook page for my trilogy.
Apparently I need 25 likes for some reason (so not a computer nerd/geek.. totally incompetent with these things) so please humour me by popping through the link and 'liking it'. Still hunting for survival kits that deliver to NZ so if anyone out there knows of a place that does this (with kits under $100 US) please please let me know! I would so appreciate it : )
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
And then there's a picture of the water fountain in action! It's now running and making me want to go loo all the time *lol*
Then there's the dogs looking sooky cause they don't like the cold rain and Miss Griffin on our bed , blending in beautifully *grin* 
Oh and the last pic you'll have seen before but it's linking to the facebook page for my trilogy.
Apparently I need 25 likes for some reason (so not a computer nerd/geek.. totally incompetent with these things) so please humour me by popping through the link and 'liking it'. Still hunting for survival kits that deliver to NZ so if anyone out there knows of a place that does this (with kits under $100 US) please please let me know! I would so appreciate it : )
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
Sunday here in NZ
And it's dark, drizzly and cold. We had a fantastic day yesterday at the Martinborough Fair. We ate lots of very yummy food and bought little items and I finally replaced my amber ring that was stolen! Here's a pic of the new amethyst ring I bought.
Just my style, simple, classic and silver *grin*(and a bargain at $45!!) We also bought some incredible fudge which is bound to make me feel rather ill once I scoff the lot but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to accept ;p
Last night was spent growling at Amazon because we attempted to buy emergency kits off them only to discover they won't deliver to NZ... and we're yet again left to feel as though we reside on another planet *pout*.. We're still trying to see if we can get around it (mail to a friend in Aussie perhaps? Or someone in USA and get them to forward on?? Don't know yet) because even with the exchange rate and extra postage we'd still save around $100.00, though my Aussie friend has just suggested I try e-bay so I'll go check that out. Ooo and for those of you with facebook accounts can you please 'like' my page, the link is in the right column, I'm trying to get my BirthRight Trilogy page off the ground. Have a safe happy weekend peoples : )
Take care all!
Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
Just my style, simple, classic and silver *grin*(and a bargain at $45!!) We also bought some incredible fudge which is bound to make me feel rather ill once I scoff the lot but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to accept ;p
Last night was spent growling at Amazon because we attempted to buy emergency kits off them only to discover they won't deliver to NZ... and we're yet again left to feel as though we reside on another planet *pout*.. We're still trying to see if we can get around it (mail to a friend in Aussie perhaps? Or someone in USA and get them to forward on?? Don't know yet) because even with the exchange rate and extra postage we'd still save around $100.00, though my Aussie friend has just suggested I try e-bay so I'll go check that out. Ooo and for those of you with facebook accounts can you please 'like' my page, the link is in the right column, I'm trying to get my BirthRight Trilogy page off the ground. Have a safe happy weekend peoples : )
Take care all!
Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
March 3, 2011
And Fabio enters the room (oh okay, Fabio junior ;p)
Being on reception is a great spot for a moonlighting writer. It allows all sorts of characters to enter your viewpoint! Take today for example. I'm sitting at my desk working on a stationery order when in wanders a guy in his mid twenties. I'd hazard a guess early to mid twenties. A slim cut long t-shirt and skinny jeans that are obviously expensive in the subtle manner that is a $100+ designer outfit. All carefully chosen for the look of ease and casualness. Then we reach the head. Ahhhh suddenly the careful aloof attitude is given away with Fabio hair.
Just (just!) grazing the shoulders at its longest with natural curls that have been tamed and coaxed with some kind of product. And I'm chomping on the inside of my mouth while smiling pleasantly and asking them to sit as I ring for their advisor…. And spend the next ten minutes trying not to laugh. The guy's scrawny as - I could probably take him even without Cat's expertise in jujitsu *grin* and I have a sneaking suspicion it'd thrill the life out of this one. He slouches back in one of the couches an arm thrown across the back and one foot up on the windowsill, gazing out. And all I can feel in the air is the 'LOOK AT ME!' vibe. Which just makes the urge to giggle even stronger and I amuse myself by envisioning a variety of possible scenarios while staring at my computer screen.
If presented with such a character who would you want to play opposite him? The scary as hell femme fatale who quite possibly will dispose of him at her leisure?The adoring groupie?The nose in the air office girl who never chases men?It's so much fun to run through these scenarios in my head and it's fantastic for creating scenes with characters. This guy has inspired a scene with Iggy and Cat that I'd been pondering for a while.. Ooooo I can't wait to get to that one!
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
P.s - just found out he does modeling ROTFLMAO!
Just (just!) grazing the shoulders at its longest with natural curls that have been tamed and coaxed with some kind of product. And I'm chomping on the inside of my mouth while smiling pleasantly and asking them to sit as I ring for their advisor…. And spend the next ten minutes trying not to laugh. The guy's scrawny as - I could probably take him even without Cat's expertise in jujitsu *grin* and I have a sneaking suspicion it'd thrill the life out of this one. He slouches back in one of the couches an arm thrown across the back and one foot up on the windowsill, gazing out. And all I can feel in the air is the 'LOOK AT ME!' vibe. Which just makes the urge to giggle even stronger and I amuse myself by envisioning a variety of possible scenarios while staring at my computer screen.
If presented with such a character who would you want to play opposite him? The scary as hell femme fatale who quite possibly will dispose of him at her leisure?The adoring groupie?The nose in the air office girl who never chases men?It's so much fun to run through these scenarios in my head and it's fantastic for creating scenes with characters. This guy has inspired a scene with Iggy and Cat that I'd been pondering for a while.. Ooooo I can't wait to get to that one!
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, only $2.99 on Amazon or UK Amazon or $2.99 on Smashwords Buy it today!
P.s - just found out he does modeling ROTFLMAO!
And a sobering moment
Remember how I said the stairwell at our Christchurch branch collapsed in the earthquake? Here's a shot of it..
Funnily enough Nat & Ems are refusing to do the stair-training anymore *sigh* I'm just working on the 'get out NOW' theory. We were told that each flight of stairs weighed around 10 tonnes and there were 20 flights. And no I did not mess those amounts up. That must have been one hell of a scary sound. Search teams do actually have to look through these for missing people.
Insane.
Funnily enough Nat & Ems are refusing to do the stair-training anymore *sigh* I'm just working on the 'get out NOW' theory. We were told that each flight of stairs weighed around 10 tonnes and there were 20 flights. And no I did not mess those amounts up. That must have been one hell of a scary sound. Search teams do actually have to look through these for missing people.
Insane.
