Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

Pop that corn and grab a cozy seat, because today is the WIP: The Movie blogfest, hosted by Kyra Lennon and  Rachel Schieffelbein .  Thanks for coming up with this fabulous idea for a fest, ladies! I've been so excited about this because, come on, who doesn't imagine their literary babies up on the big screen one day? And do you know what's great for keeping track of visual collections? Pinterest . Sooo, I give you my WIP in board form: In case you don't recognize that lovely man in a suit, it's Chris Pine , playing the male lead, Hayden King, in a contemporary office romance that is chick-litty in temperament. Pine came immediately to mind as the confident, smart, sorta cocky, but ultimately irresistible associate.  Anna Kendrick plays the sarcastic and cynical yet playful female lead, Lyssa Bates. So far I've only cast one side character, and that's BBT's Kaley Cuoco as Lyssa's bitch sister. You also get a peek at the urban sett...

Today is the release of YA Arthurian adventure/ love story, Legendary   by L.H. Nicole . I was a lucky pre-reader of this story, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes new twists on age-old tales.  And just looook at that stunning cover. This is the first book in a series that promises lots more fun and twists. You can find Legendary at Amazon  &  Barnes & Noble . Read my review at Goodreads right here .   And now for my one-question interview with the author, L.H. Nicole: Q: If you had to pick one song that best captures the essence of Legendary , what would it be? A:  Wow that's hard. I have so many I live off of when writing, but if I had to pick one... "Hey Brother" by Avici or "To Feel Alive" by Iameve. Here's an audio taste of this fabulous new novel:

This is the last post of Ask an Editor week with Kimberly Blythe, head editor at Omnific Publishing . Your response to her thoughtful answers has been wonderful---sooooooo we'll do it again! A couple of the questions I received were more appropriately suited to an acquisitions editor, so guess what I did...yep, I lined up an acquisitions editor to answer them. At the May Insecure Writers Support Group , I'll solicit even more questions. Sorry for the delay, but March & April sort of filled up. And while I'm in apology mode, sorry I'm behind in repaying many of your visits. I've had some shite go down this week that's kept me away from the social networks. But I'll be around, and I look forward to it. If you missed Kim's earlier answers, you can find them here: Editing What You Love...and What You Don't Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Pre-query Advice How Editors Get Paid Today we have from Kim one last piece of advice:...

Thanks for all the great comments yesterday! I'm so happy you're finding these insights from Kimberly Blythe, head editor at Omnific Publishing , as helpful and interesting as I do. If you're just joining Ask the Editor week, you can find the earlier answers here: Editing What You Love...And What You Don't Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Pre-query Advice Q   L.Diane : How do most editors get paid? (Hourly, salary, by the job if freelance...?) I ask because I read a post from an author who stated that editors get paid a percentage based on sales and that really made me laugh because NO WAY would they work like that!/ Kittie : I'd also like to know how editors get paid. A Kim: Many independent or small to mid-sized publishers are indeed working on a royalties-based paradigm these days. (These companies will usually pay the authors like this, giving them a percent of what is actually sold as it sells, rather than an advance to earn back throug...

Welcome to day three of Ask the Editor week, in which Kimberly Blythe, head editor at  Omnific Publishing  is answering questions from bloggers. Thanks for your comments the last couple of days! I find today's advice to be particularly valuable---it's not easy to do, especially in an industry that pushes us to crank books into the world at lighting speed, but setting your story aside for a while makes a huge difference in your ability to effectively edit it. If you missed her earlier answers, you can find them here: Editing What You Love...and What You Don't Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Q Suzanne: Is there one piece of editing advice you could give that we could all look out for in our own ms before submitting to an editor or agent? A Kim: I would advise writers to let their story sit untouched for a few months before they go back and review it. Time and distance is a great way to find things that will confuse other readers. You will never ...

Welcome to day two of Ask the Editor week, in which Kimberly Blythe, head editor at Omnific Publishing is answering questions from bloggers. By the way, Omnific is celebrating its 4 year anniversary with a loaded Kindle Fire giveaway! Visit The Book Avenue to enter.  If you missed Kim's earlier answers, you can find them here: Editing What You Love...and What You Don't Q : Liz : What are some common changes you see editors asking for? I know every book is different, but are there some themes/problems that always seem to pop up? / Mary : What common mistakes does she see most? / Rena : I was wondering what part of editing is the most commonly addressed? Basic grammar, plot issues, choppy writing? A : Kim:  There are a few common issues that seem to come up in rough drafts of novels, and they're ones that authors find it hard to see in their own stories. 1. Point of view issues: Multiple points of view in one book is becoming more and more common these days....

I'm so excited to welcome Kimberly Blythe to my blog. Kim is head editor at Omnific Publishing , and I've had the pleasure of working with her on a few different projects. I'm unfailingly impressed by her professionalism, objectivity, and mastery of the English language, so I was very happy when she agreed to answer questions asked by some of you during this month's Insecure Writers Support Group . Initially, I planned to post her responses to blogger questions in one shot, but as you'll see, her answers were so thoughtful and informative that I decided each one deserved it's own post---so I hereby declare this to be Kimberly Blythe Week! Each day this week, you'll get a new piece of her wisdom. At the end of this post you'll see her bio as well as links to find her on her social networks. Today, Kim answers two questions at the opposite end of the spectrum. In tomorrow's post, she'll give great advice on the most common mistakes she se...

Welcome to the I HEART YA/NA Giveaway Hop , hosted by the marvelous Kelsey Ketch . Win swag from 24 YA & NA authors. At my place, I'm featuring my college love story, Three Daves . I know a lot of NA is ultra-broody, but my whole purpose in harking back to those days was to spend some time in the lightness of that unique period of freedom-with-a-safety-net.  And what better backdrop for flirty good times than the 80's? My giveaway swag is a CD of 80's hits with the likes of INXS, Toni Basil, and Simply Red, a signed jumbo postcard featuring the Daves' shoes AND an eBook of Three Daves (Mobi, ePub, or PDF). This giveaway is international. a Rafflecopter giveaway Visit here for links to other participating blogs. For another chance to win Three Daves plus a whole bunch of other books, including Moonless by Crystal Collier, which was just released in paperback, visit Crystal's blog and learn more about the Moonless event this...

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group , February 2014 edition. The group was founded by Alex J. Cavannaugh ...or one of his clones, we can never be sure...and has its own website loaded with resources for writers. It seems to me that most insecurities arise from not knowing what to expect. I've noticed it's that way with me and writing. When the story exists only on my laptop and in my mind, everything is marvelous. No insecurities whatsoever. The moment I send a piece of it out for someone else to read? That's when insecurity sets in---because I don' have any idea how they're going to react. And sending out queries? Oy. Then, even if you strike dream-come-true time and a publisher accepts, you've got to face one of the scariest moments of all...handing your baby over to The Editor . Dun dun duuuuun. You have no way of knowing what they're going to suggest you change, what they're going to demand you change, and whether or not you'l...