Sandra L. Rostirolla's Blog, page 4
February 24, 2018
The Birth of Cecilia
The idea for Cecilia actually started as a ballet. My husband is a composer. After visiting a modern ballet in Bern, Switzerland, we tossed around ideas for writing our own ballet. Inspiration for many of the characters came from Leonardo da Vinci:
- Cecilia: Study Head of Leda
- Amalardh: Profile of Warrior in Helmet
- The Senators: Five Caricature Heads
- Siersha: The Annunciation
The ballet story was only supposed to be 4-8 pages long. The more I wrote, the more my husband wanted. Six weeks later, I had 90 pages. At the same time, his schedule exploded and he sidelined the ballet. When I asked him, "What am I supposed to do with this?" He replied, "Write a book."
A book? You mean like, another 200+ pages?
I was initially resistant to the idea; however, stories tend to dictate their existence, not the author. We are mere vessels through which words find physical form.
Rather than worrying about how far away the end of the tunnel was, I went on Cecilia's journey, staying in the moment with her. The end would come when it would come.
For all you aspiring writers who feel like they're swimming in an endless black hole, with no end in sight—keep chipping away. You'll get there.
- Cecilia: Study Head of Leda
- Amalardh: Profile of Warrior in Helmet
- The Senators: Five Caricature Heads
- Siersha: The Annunciation
The ballet story was only supposed to be 4-8 pages long. The more I wrote, the more my husband wanted. Six weeks later, I had 90 pages. At the same time, his schedule exploded and he sidelined the ballet. When I asked him, "What am I supposed to do with this?" He replied, "Write a book."
A book? You mean like, another 200+ pages?
I was initially resistant to the idea; however, stories tend to dictate their existence, not the author. We are mere vessels through which words find physical form.
Rather than worrying about how far away the end of the tunnel was, I went on Cecilia's journey, staying in the moment with her. The end would come when it would come.
For all you aspiring writers who feel like they're swimming in an endless black hole, with no end in sight—keep chipping away. You'll get there.
February 18, 2018
Life After Cecilia
Several of my readers have asked if I'm planning a Cecilia Part 2. My answer is: yes. I deliberately left the ending somewhat open-ended in order to have a jumping off point for Cecilia: Eifa's Revenge. Before I can get to this story though, I do have another story that's aching to be told, and as any would-be writer knows, it's not easy to say 'no' to a story that's started its way down the birth canal.
When I was back in Sydney, Australia last Dec. for my book signing, I met up with some old school friends. One friend told me about an incident she experienced that rang very close to home. On the plane ride back to LA, I couldn't stop thinking about a story, which has been brewing in my mind for close to 10 years. The time to tell this story is now. I'm about halfway through the first draft and hope to be finished in time to start Cecilia: Eifa's Revenge by mid-2018.
My new story is a YA/Coming of Age. I look forward to sharing this new book soon.
When I was back in Sydney, Australia last Dec. for my book signing, I met up with some old school friends. One friend told me about an incident she experienced that rang very close to home. On the plane ride back to LA, I couldn't stop thinking about a story, which has been brewing in my mind for close to 10 years. The time to tell this story is now. I'm about halfway through the first draft and hope to be finished in time to start Cecilia: Eifa's Revenge by mid-2018.
My new story is a YA/Coming of Age. I look forward to sharing this new book soon.
