Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Jan 25, 2012, 12:11 am
Sarah asked the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog’s question this month:"Where do your expectations for your writing skill or quality come from? Is the source internal, external, or both? And how do you cope when you don't meet them?" My writing expectations are strictly internal, and they vary wil...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Dec 28, 2011, 12:18 am
Here’s Churchill in my writing corner, wondering what the heck I think I’m doing. Need I admit I’m playing with the camera when I should be working? LOL! Lydia’s question for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog:“What formal writing experience do you have? (classes, degrees, major/minors)....
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Nov 22, 2011, 10:39 pm
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Welcome back to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog.Laura chose our question for this month:If you do NaNoWriMo, why do you do it? If not, why not? No NaNoWriMo for me this month.  I have Etsy on my mind.  And family.  And Thanksgiving.  And lots and lots of excuse...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 26, 2011, 1:23 am
It was my turn to pick the topic this month. My question for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog was:How do your pets/kids/plants (something you take care of) influence your writing?  Do they help you, or distract you?  Do you include them in your stories? People rarely inspire my fiction, but th...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 2, 2011, 10:14 pm
I’m embarrassed to be writing this post.  I hate to blow my own horn.  I don’t even like to talk about my writing, or myself.  But if I don’t tell you what I’m up to, how will anyone know? Sooooo, I’d like to announce that I’ve released two new Mantua-Maker historical sewing patterns ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 28, 2011, 1:02 am
This month’s question for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog came from Sarah:How do you develop your characters? Do you flesh out the details before (like writing as that character, writing backstory, or filling out a questionnaire about their preferences and history) or invent as you go? When i...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Aug 23, 2011, 11:06 pm
Thank you to Lexcade for this fun award.  Have a look at her blog, Going from Nobody to Somebody at: http://lexcade.blogspot.com The goal of the Liebster is to showcase up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The rules:http://lexcade.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-haz-award.html Lydia se...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Jul 27, 2011, 12:06 am
I’m happy to announce my muse is back at work.  He’s not interested in querying, thank goodness, since I’m only a quarter of the way through the first pass of this rewrite, but he’s wild to write new chapters, and a hard slogger in editing standing chapters.  And in my opinion, he has a gr...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Jun 22, 2011, 1:05 am
I chose this month’s topic, and in a sense I cheated.  I asked the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog: How would you personify your muse? For many years, I couldn’t visualize my muse.  I couldn’t define it, or even think of it as separate from myself.  But since my fiction dried up, I can see...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - May 25, 2011, 12:23 am
The question posed by the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog this month was: "What do you do when you lose your writing mojo?"  This topic hits home with me.  The mojo disappeared several months ago, and I haven’t figured out how to get it back.  This isn’t writer’s block – I could pound ou...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Mar 22, 2011, 10:52 pm
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog strikes again, and I nearly forgot it was my turn.  Oops! The theme this month is: "In my writing, I have never______" or, in reverse if you so choose, "In my writing, I always______" There’s so much I’ve never attempted in my writing, so let’s not go ther...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Feb 22, 2011, 10:37 pm
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog’s question for the month is: How do you approach critiquing someone's manuscript? For instance, do you focus on one thing at a time, or do you "let 'em have it" all at once? And once it's out there, do you ever regret sending off a critique because it moved the...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Jan 26, 2011, 12:56 am
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog asked a hard question this month – and I must admit, it’s my own fault, since I chose the question.  But I needed to ask it of myself: What are your writing goals for this year? I hate writing down my goals. I suppose I’m a featherhead, because as soon as ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Dec 22, 2010, 1:01 am
Merry Christmas, everyone! I wish you all peace and joy over the holidays. Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog’s question for this month was: How about social media confessions? Do you twitter, FB, etc besides blogging? Why or why not? I should admit first thing that I’m not a social person. In fac...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Dec 1, 2010, 8:57 pm
Better yet, I finished NaNoWriMo, though it was a close thing.  Now I have a cute little badge for the blog. I didn't manage to write every day, though that was my goal.  Came down with a bug early on that laid me out for three days.  Le sigh.  ;-)   I forgot to add words to the counter until ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Nov 24, 2010, 1:08 am
Thank you again, Lydia, Laura, Danyelle, for inviting me to join the Sisterhood! And my apologies to all my readers for disappearing – NaNo and holiday preparations are eating my lunch. What was your favorite childhood book and why? (Is it still on your bookshelf?) I have many favorite childhood b...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 31, 2010, 7:48 pm
Halloween is my favorite holiday. The nights are getting cool – a bigger deal in Texas than you chilly-weather folk can imagine. The occasional tree has changed colors, and my sweetgum is a gorgeous shade of burgundy. Kids drop by in costume, begging for candy. I adore costumes, even the store-bou...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 24, 2010, 10:53 pm
NaNoWriMo starts November 1, and I’ve decided to join in. The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month – about half a fantasy novel. I have about half an outline at this point, and hope to have it finished by Halloween. The beginning is clear, but the ending is shaky. I’d rather have the fin...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 17, 2010, 6:40 pm
I have begun that terrifying journey called querying. After a hundred versions – I could have written a novel in that many words – I have a query that embraces the heart of my story. It’s time to send Anchoring the Rain out into the world. To distract myself from the sensation that my guts are...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 4, 2010, 9:32 pm
Sorry - this will be my last post for a while. My internet connection is about to get spotty. Constructing Your Story Goal at Advanced Fiction Writing Dialogue: the bare essentials by Jordan McCollum Internalization, Silence and Avoidance at TalkToYoUniverse - What don't your characters say aloud? A...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 3, 2010, 8:24 pm
One of the very best books on writing ever at Janet Reid's Writers on Writing: black teeth vs everlite candles, or research vs experience by Sherwood Smith at Book View Cafe #181-FTW For the Win! at Query Shark Book Ideas atPaperback Writer - and promotion ideas
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 3, 2010, 12:04 am
Three Traits of Compelling Characters by Kathleen Ernst at POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS Tips For Writing Effective Dialogue at The Blood-Red Pencil Quick Revision Checklist at Operation Awesome Excuses…there aren’t any at Behler Blog - read all of the submission guidelines A Little Something About You...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Oct 2, 2010, 10:20 am
The Problems With Sarcastic Voice at Kidlit.com Busted!—Jordan Sonnenblick caught plot-flipping at The Blood-Red Pencil - a technique for writers CONTESTS Editing Prizes from CA Marshall for my Blogfest ...Check it out! at Brenda Drake Writes . . . - cool prizes! Twi-Contest: All White For Twiligh...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 30, 2010, 7:52 pm
Dual Protagonists? at Fiction Workbench T3 - Types of Grief, Part 3 at The Character Therapist - Distorted grief and Disenfranchised grief Polite and long at edittorrent - a short post on polite language Obsessive Compulsive Editing Disorder (And How to Fight It) by Jeanne Kisacky at Writer Unboxed ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 29, 2010, 9:07 pm
It's All About The Details by Jane Lebak at QueryTracker Ambiguous Characters at Mystery Writing is Murder Character arcs - how characters change at TalkToYoUniverse The Rule of Two at The Laws of Making - what readers see as significant. Don't Overuse Names in Dialogue at WordPlay Talking to Agents...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 28, 2010, 9:24 pm
Better off dead? at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management - Dead parents in YA Lists for Inspiration and characterization - at Mystery Writing is Murder Complex sentencing at edittorrent - Double-negative Construction A Rose By Any Other Name is Still Too Flowery. And Purple. at The Other Side of th...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 27, 2010, 7:59 pm
FtQ chapter on creating tension at Flogging the Quill Diverting Attention at Mystery Writing is Murder Quirk Ten at Paperback Writer - Ten Things to Give Your Characters More Character Writing Nowadays–Why the Pen Name? by Steven Harper Piziks at Book View Cafe Professional Address at Gabrielle Ed...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 26, 2010, 7:35 pm
Banned Books Week: “Put her in the fire!” by Sherwood Smith at Book View Cafe HIGH CONCEPT BOOKS at Help! I Need a Publisher! - What is high-concept? So your character's "insane" - what does that mean? at TalkToYoUniverse #179-FTW at Query Shark - a query that works for agent Janet Reid Ever wan...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 25, 2010, 8:49 pm
Pacing Dialogue and Action Scenes -- Your Story at Your Speed by Holly Lisle One Big Reason Agents are Hard to Come By--Time at Mystery Writing is Murder Literary agents open the door to self-published writers at The Book Deal 5 Things I Learned After Publication by Jenny Nelson at Writer Unboxed
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 25, 2010, 10:28 am
Specificity in Setting at Kidlit.com DEVELOPING CHARACTERS at Seekerville Find Your Plot Fridays: All That Glimmers Could Be Plot at The Other Side of the Story Revisions, revisions – button your raincoat at Behler Blog Readerhoods at Paperback Writer
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 23, 2010, 9:30 pm
250 Chances at The Other Side of the Story - the critical first page of your novel Fixing Problems at Seekerville - Characterization and dialogue, and a writer's book contest Cussing tips at The Blood-Red Pencil T3 - Types of Grief, Part 2 by Jeannie Campbell at The Character Therapist - Conflicted ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 22, 2010, 8:24 pm
It's About Time at edittorrent - more on prologues, and why they do or don't work Favorites at Mystery Writing is Murder - another way to get to know your characters Intimacy and Invasion at TalkToYoUniverse Re-Write Wednesday: Oh, What Now? at The Other Side of the Story Pointers from the Pros: Age...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 21, 2010, 8:35 pm
Making it realistic by Cheree Smith at Justified Lunacy What. Would. My. Main. Character. Do. by Danielle Meyers at Revelations of a Smoothie Girl Authentic Details Reflect Character's Inner Life & Change within the Story at Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers Flirting Fails by Angela Ackerman at...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 20, 2010, 9:13 pm
CONFLICT – WHY SHOULD WE CARE? at Help! I Need a Publisher! Mental Health Monday–Daydreaming is required for good brain functioning at Diamond–Yup, Like the Stone Write What Your Don't Know at The Other Side of the Story The quick and dirty guide to structure, or stories are made of threes by ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 19, 2010, 10:47 pm
Props in Fantasy at Chandara Writes The Two Kinds Of Inspiration by Cassandra Brown at Writer Unboxed What do Writers Owe Readers? by Sherwood Smith at Book View Cafe Tapping Our Inner Dog by Steven Popkes at Book View Cafe - who domesticated who? SPEAK Up. at Adventures in Writing - the shame of ce...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 18, 2010, 9:39 pm
A Piggyback Post: When Should They Meet? at edittorrent - this advice applies to your inciting incident, too A MAJOR FLAW IN TEACHING CREATIVE WRITING (FICTION) EFFECTIVELY LIES IN OUR TERMINOLOGY by Les Edgerton - What we say ain’t always what we mean… Query Letters by Denise Little letters fro...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 17, 2010, 11:57 pm
5 Motivations For Your Character to Cross the Road at Cassandra Jade in the Realm Creating Compelling Characters at The Blood-Red Pencil Find Your Plot Friday: Tying Up Loose Ends at The Other Side of the Story All About Execution at Kidlit.com Don't Be Stupid, Pilgrim at Seekerville When Persistenc...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 16, 2010, 8:39 pm
Inciting Incidents at Mystery Writing is Murder T3 - Types of Grief, Part 1 at Character Therapist Characters: Flawed = Strong, Stupid = Weak at The Laws of Making In the Company of (Best) Friends at The Sharp Angle - sidekicks and conflicts Grammar and You at The Other Side of the Story When Dreams...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 15, 2010, 10:26 pm
Plotting from Character at edittorrent Why Hypocrites Make Excellent Bad Guys at WordPlay Manuscript Problems—Which to Jump on Right Away at Mystery Writing is Murder Re-Write Wednesday: So Where Were We Again? at The Other Side of the Story Does Your Day Job Matter? at Kidlit.com Glass Houses, El...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 14, 2010, 8:11 pm
Example of reader-character separation at edittorrent Through My Eyes. Or Your Eyes. Or Somebody's Eyes. at The Other Side of the Story - about POV Gender, Sex, Identity and A Bunch of Other Fascinating Issues by Deborah J. Ross at Book View Cafe Treatment Tuesday - Postpartum Psychosis at The Chara...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 13, 2010, 9:37 pm
5 Ways to Make Your Novel Unforgettable at A. Victoria Mixon Rule Breaker at AuthorCulture The First Page at The Blood-Red Pencil The Character and the Reader-- expanding the response at edittorrent Mental Health Monday–Multiple Personalities at Diamond–Yup, Like the Stone How to be a User: The ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 12, 2010, 8:45 pm
Females in Fantasy–Guest Post by Cassandra Jade!! at Diamond–Yup, Like the Stone Agent advice + FtQ chapter on inciting incident at Flogging the Quill Word Counts for Children's Books at Literary Rambles Research: When in Doubt, Make It Up at WordPlay Working with an Out-of-House Publici...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 12, 2010, 12:17 am
The Role of Gossip or Spreading Tales at Mystery Writing is Murder Pet Peeves at The Blood-Red Pencil Flake-out Friday–Tension makes all the difference… at Diamond–Yup, Like the Stone - LOL 9/11 I will never forget at Behler Blog - This clip always moves me. What we mean when we say we wi...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 10, 2010, 11:56 pm
Creating an Authentic Teen Guy's Voice by Julie Cross at * Fiction Groupie * A Living, Breathing Main Character ~ Stephanie Morrill at Novel Journey Killer Openings at Pub Rants Cheerios and Space - and Language and Culture? at TalkToYoUniverse - especially useful for SF and Fantasy writers ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 9, 2010, 9:27 pm
Character Motivation at Gabrielle Edits Finding the Funny in Your Writing by Margeanne Mitchell at * Fiction Groupie * Increasing Conflict In Fiction at Fiction Workbench What ''Show, Don't Tell'' Really Means, by Agent Mary Kole at Guide to Literary Agents Seven Keys to Writ...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 8, 2010, 8:40 pm
Common Manuscript Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them at Adventures in Agentland Post: Structuralism by Chaz Brenchley at Book View Cafe Making Sense of Story Structure at Advanced Fiction Writing Creating Your Main Character by Carolyn Kaufman at Query Tracker Re-Write Wednesday Golden Oldie: In th...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 7, 2010, 9:27 pm
Not at This Address by Shannon O'Donnell at Book Dreaming I Wish by Madeleine E. Robins at Book View Cafe - characterization wish fulfillment Flirting 101: Bust a Move by Angela Ackerman at The Bookshelf Muse Heroic Traits and Scene Development at edittorrent Capitalizing on the Strengths in...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 7, 2010, 12:10 am
Five Ways to Discover Your Unique Voice at The Roving Editor Medical Mondays: Ondine's Curse at The Word is My Oyster Close Calls: Abductions That Failed by Julia Buckley at POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS Emotional Investment in Our Story—When to Have it, When to Lose it at Mystery Writing is M...
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 5, 2010, 11:28 pm
Dragging out ending at edittorrent Is Your Story Mysterious Enough? at Wordplay Comic: Not An Old Wives’ Tale After All by Debbie Ohi at Writer Unboxed Writer crash test by Holly Lisle - problems in novels & their fixes -- Holly is a great teacher
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Deb Salisbury posted an article on Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker - Sep 5, 2010, 1:13 pm
Young Characters Are People Too at edittorrent Setting Thesaurus Entry: Herbalist Shop (Fantasy) by Angela Ackerman at The Bookshelf Muse Reviews – How should an author react? by Chris Dolley at Book View Cafe - about reviews MONEY MATTERS FOR AUTHORS at Help! I Need a Publisher! Reader Reques...
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