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Saturday, August 31, 2013

The "Hot Fun in the Summertime" Contest Ends TONIGHT!

It's your last chance to win FREE BOOKS from Nicki Greenwood!

Who doesn't love an awesome beach read? This year, I'm giving away one E-book of your choice (EARTH, WATER, or my brand-new paranormal romance, THE SERPENT IN THE STONE)! Ending TONIGHT (August 31st) at midnight EST, all you have to do is follow the link below, and fill out the form answering a super-easy multiple choice question pulled from my website. You can win a copy of any of my current books in PDF format. Good luck, and Happy Reading!

http://nickigreenwood.wufoo.com/forms/hot-fun-in-the-summertime-contest-entry-form/

Monday, August 19, 2013

Crash POV: It Ain't Show And Tell, Folks

Telling and Point of View

Some time ago, I wrote a post on Telling vs. Showing in your writing. It still amazes me that this is even an issue in writing, and yet, I have bought published books from new authors where "telling" is rampant (never mind that it got past an editor that way) and shouldn't be. An instance here and there throughout a non-first-person work is unavoidable and (sometimes, for artistic reasons) necessary. You may want to distance your reader for a moment, for a few reasons. But not - please, Lord - for the entire length of a manuscript that is not written in first-person POV (Point of View). A novel, especially a romance, with telling filling each of its pages does its reader no favors. Readers of romance love the genre because it puts us in the heads of the characters and, as they fall in love, we fall in love.

The reason for this is that, in a well-written book, we readers are the characters. A masterful writer will cut away all the barriers that prevent us from actively taking part in a character's adventures. Instead of telling us "She was kissing him," - there's that WAS - "She kissed him." That 'was' is gone entirely. Sometimes, it's as simple as that. It's taking away that last barrier - you, observing the action and reporting it to your reader - and instead, just letting the character DO the thing, and letting your reader see it for herself.

Deep POV is a difficult concept for new writers. There are levels of closeness between a reader and a character in a novel. I'll get into that in my next post or two. It's an important skill for a writer, and well worth knowing its nuances. I've seen otherwise terrific books fall short of their potential because of "shallow POV." So, coming up in my next blog, I'll try to illustrate the difference to you writers out there, looking to brush up your know-how.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Summer's Still Rocking Along!

It's almost mid-August, can you believe it? I sure can't. Feels like it's just flying by! I have planted some sunflowers and begun to mulch my garden for the fall. Got some pumpkins planted in the raised bed garden, and I'm hoping we'll at least get some bitty pumpkins to enjoy this autumn.

But for now, the sun's still shining, and there's plenty of outdoor fun to be had for the summer. I'm looking forward to a camping trip to the Adirondacks, and a little time off from work with my son before school starts up again.

And for you, there's still plenty of summer heat in the "Hot Fun in the Summertime" contest! You can win an electronic PDF copy of one of my books, absolutely free! Just click here to fill out the contest form. The contest ends August 31st, so hurry and get your entry in! I will announce the winner on the evening of September 1st, here and on my Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, folks!

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Nicki Greenwood's 2013 "Hot Fun in the Summertime" Contest!

It's summer, folks, and you all know what that means:

FREE BOOKS!

Who doesn't love an awesome beach read?  This year, I'm giving away one E-book of your choice (EARTH, WATER, or my brand-new paranormal romance, THE SERPENT IN THE STONE)! Beginning August 1st and ending August 31st, all you have to do is follow the link below, and fill out the form answering a super-easy multiple choice question pulled from my website. You can win a copy of any of my current books in PDF format. Good luck, and enjoy the summer!

http://nickigreenwood.wufoo.com/forms/hot-fun-in-the-summertime-contest-entry-form/