Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Hatching Disaster

B.E. Sanderson of The Writing Spectacle II suggested a title that I'm becoming very attached to: Hatching Disaster. It's high on my list. I'd add it to the poll, but Google won't let me.

The writing is coming along more slowly than I'd like. It's rather funny - I had a terrible time outlining Monsoon Rain, but the words just poured out of my fingers. I had very little trouble outlining the new book - especially once I let Viper come and play - but I'm squeezing the words out like a chicken laying ostrich eggs.

I have to wonder if the difference is that I knew Monsoon Rain would be the title by the time I finished outlining, but now I can't come up with the perfect title, no matter how long my list gets.

What do you think about Hatching Disaster ? Does it give away too much of the plot? I don't want the reader to figure out we've loosed a demon in the world too early!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Starting the new novel - in need of a title

Today I started my new novel, tentatively titled Dead Wizard's Loot. Right now I don't like any of the titles I've tried: Wizard Loot, Opal Egg, Blood Stalker, Autumn Blood.

The blurb for the novel currently reads:

Stealing from a wizard is always a bad idea, but when Jason and Aidan steal souvenirs from a dead wizard, they crack open a cage they don’t even know existed, for one of the things they steal is a demon egg bespelled into a delayed hatching. Disaster stalks them from the wizard’s workshop, across the city, growing larger with every person it kills. The life the hunter wants most is the person holding the magic, but Aidan and Jason don’t know which part of their loot it’s after – or even what is hunting them.

Do you have any suggestions for a title? Please let me know in comments.

Monday, July 20, 2009

My new website

I now have a writing website with a few pages of each of my books. Check it out and tell me what you think: http://www.debsalisbury.com/

Hopefully, I now have Blogger set up correctly so your comments will come to me as emails. Google Analytics insisted that no one had ever looked at this blog. It only occurred to me to check the comments this morning. I know, I'm a little slow!

So, what do you think? Is my new website too boring? What can I do to liven it up?

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Plotting blues

I'm plotting away on the new book, tentatively called Demon Blood (a terrible name!). Maybe Opal Egg? I think both titles give away too much. Maybe "Stolen from a Dead Wizard"? Oh! Wizard's Loot. I like that one. True and slightly misleading at the same time. Or Dead Wizard's Loot. I think I'll try to set up a poll. Vote and let me know what you think.

Some writers have trouble with middles - usually of the novel, not of the outline. I get the blues when I'm in the middle of outlining my plot. I have an indifferent beginning and a strong end. I need a better opening, but I can't concentrate on it because I'm stuck - stuck - stuck a couple of chapters from the end.

Finally, tonight I thought up a new complication that will see me to the end. Tomorrow I'll work on finding a better beginning. Oh, and fill in all the holes that say, 'Have Fun Adventure Here'. I really need to find a Fun Adventure that will move the plot along! I found one today, so I'll see if I can riff on it.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Writer Aaron Allston needs your help

Science fiction writer Aaron Allston had a major heart attack recently. Like many of us, he had no health insurance. You can read his (very funny and touching) story here:

http://aaron-allston.livejournal.com/1221.html

I hope you can donate to help pay his medical bills.

Also, Fandom Association of Central Texas will be hosting a charity auction on July 19th to help him with his medical bills. (From a notice found on Nathan Bransford's Blog )

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Second time through the first draft

I've reread Monsoon Rain, and other than it being far shorter than I'd planned, I'm very happy with it. Tomorrow I'll send it off to my beta reader and wait for her comments.

I probably should find a stronger name, unfortunately. Even though I think the name fits it perfectly, Monsoon Rain does not imply the fantasy genre.

I'm slowly catching up with 'real life' enough that I can start planning the next novel.

Friday, July 10, 2009

First time through

Tonight I finished the first draft of Monsoon Rain. Or rather, my first time through the first draft. I plan to go back and add the little details that were only inside my mind. Plus catch as many of the 'tell's as I can and turn them into 'show's - I know of one off the top of my head. Rosette loses a shoe. The circumstances around - and her reactions to - the loss of that shoe are more important than it sounds.

After those changes, Monsoon Rain will rest for a month while I re-edit Magic's Child.

Monsoon Rain now stands at 64,790 words, which is at least 15,000 words too short. I can see I may need a new subplot.

I have also started plotting my next book. I need to do some character building before that one goes any farther, though.

Today I wrote a biography for myself. It's supposed to be 300 words long. No way. Sigh.

Deb Salisbury is a Californian living in Texas. Her lifelong love of fantasy - from J. R. R. Tolkien to Mercedes Lackey - inspired her to create a world of her own. She has completed a trilogy showing a boy’s journey from helpless outcast to powerful wizard. Her current project describes a girl’s misadventures with a mad wizard and her family’s attempts to rescue her.

She has written a dictionary of color in history, Elephant's Breath & London Smoke. She is the creator of the Mantua-Maker historical sewing patterns. Her costumes have won Best in Show at Costume Con, organized by the International Costuming Guild. She is a member of Forward Motion, an online writer’s group.

Deb grew up in Northern California, and has lived in England and Colorado. She currently resides in sunny Central Texas. She has been a receptionist, a waitress, a computer programmer, a warranty clerk, a real estate assistant, a costume maker and a dressmaker. Above all, she has been an avid reader.

You can visit her at http://debsalisbury.blogspot.com/, www.DebSalisbury.com and www.Mantua-Maker.com.

Does anyone have any suggestions for improvements? Please leave me a comment. I'd be grateful to read your thoughts.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Writing is like ---

Writing is like flying. Sometimes you soar, outracing the wind, watching the little earth-bound creatures crawl far below.

Writing is like falling, helpless, spinning, waiting to crash against the ground, splat.

Writing is like singing, opera or rock-and-roll, jazz scat or lullabies. You make a sound that is all your own, perfect or perfectly off-key.

Writing is like crying, or laughing, shouting or murmuring, speaking in rhythm with the breath of the world.

Writing is like breathing. When you stop, you die. Or a part of you dies.

Writing is like dreaming.

Follow your dreams.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

July Novel Writing Month

I have joined an online group, called the July Novel Writing Month, or JulNoWriMo. You can visit it at:

http://julnowrimo.com/

This is a contest to encourage writers to actually write a whole - if rather small - novel. The goal is to complete 50,000 words in the month of July. Of course, this would only be a first draft, anything written so quickly would most likely need a great deal of editing. But it is an amusing resource to help writers finish a project.

On another front, Monsoon Rain is coming together nicely. The web is starting to close, the clues to add up. I'm going to hate myself in the morning, though. The next chapter in the outline is only an idea, not a thought-through scene. I've got to figure out what Denton can contribute to the plot in his current, rather awkward circumstances.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Should You Consider Submitting to a Micro-Publisher?

I wrote a short article for Vision, an e-resource for writers, offering a bit of advice on finding and working with a micro-publisher. I happened to be lucky in my choice - my publisher works harder at promotion than I do. But there are many things to think about when you try to choose a micro-publisher.

You can read my article here:

http://lazette.net/vision/Vision52/micro.htm

I had a very productive day. Monsoon Rain is nearly half done, clocking it at 44,333 words.

It just occurred to me that Rosette is a bit like Pandora, returning evil to the world while acting in innocence and in good faith.

I don't think that innocence will save her.