Sara Celi's Blog: A Writing State of Mind, page 8

The Best Advice I Ever Heard About Writing

    Ever since I wrote The Undesirable, people have asked me how I did it–how I finished it. A lot of people have asked, and I always struggle with the answer.

    The fact is, I just did it. I had an idea in my head, I mulled over it for awhile, and then one day I sat down and started to write. One page became two,  then four, then ten.

    And at some point, the idea took hold and I just couldn’t stop typing.  Then I outlined the story–and that’s when I could almost see the story take shape. I felt compelled to keep writing as if something inside me was finally breaking loose. It sounds lofty, I know, but it’s pretty much exactly what happened. Once I started on a roll, I could not stop. What’s more–I didn’t want to, not even for one minute.

    In the early fall of 2012, while in the middle of edits for the book, I attended a writing conference at Rose State College in Oklahoma City–a “writing short course” if you will. As he closed the course, Bill Bernhardt told everyone there that making writing a habit is one of the most important things to do during the creative process. He said the funny thing was (and I am paraphrasing here), working on something a little every day would make parts of the story  come alive in other ways—like on a morning drive, or while washing dishes, or while doing the laundry. Pretty soon, he said, you’d start getting ideas and vision for the story from everywhere.

    His advice is spot on.

    So, in the end, that’s my advice, too. If you want to write a novel–just do it. Make a commitment, sit down, fire up the computer, and start. Write and write and write every day until 1000 words becomes 10,000 and then 40,000 and beyond. Resolve to do it–and then… just do it!

How Fostino Became… Fostino

Naming a character might be one of the best parts of writing a book, but it can also be one of the hardest. You want to get the character names just right because (if readers are anything like me) impression are sometimes created by the name of character.

When it came to Fostino, the male love interest for The Undesirable, I had a really hard time naming him. I kicked around about ten different names for him, and not one of them felt right. I could see him in my head, and almost hear him speaking in my mind, but I didn’t think any name I tried out for him worked.

Would you believe an early name for this character was Derek? Yes, friends, it was.

Fostino needed a certain name–an unusual name, a name that would immediately put him at odds with a community hellbent on conformity and “fitting in.” But after several weeks of trying on different names, I just couldn’t figure out a name that fit. In short, I was stuck.

Enter my friend Jacob. He works with me at my day job as a photographer (I’m a TV anchor and reporter) and we sometimes work on stories that take up several hours of our day. It’s the kind of work environment that allows you get to pretty close to your co-workers. After almost two years of working together often, he and I are pretty tight.

By the time we got in a car one day on the way to Ft. Sill from Oklahoma City, he knew I had started writing a book. He knew about where I was in the story. And he even know how much anguish the male lead’s name had been causing me.

So, he did what he usually does. He forced me to talk about it. He asked probing questions and even teased me a little until I opened up.

And that’s when it began.

He tossed out a name. I toss out one. I pulled out my trusty Moleskine notebook and started jotting them down. He said another. I brought up two others. By about 10 miles from Ft. Sill, that notebook had a list of about 25 names.

Only one of those names had a big circle and star. It was the one that rang true.

Fostino.

The 411 on THE UNDESIRABLE’S big blog tour!

Starting Wednesday, March 13th, THE UNDESIRABLE is going on a bit of a worldwide promo blitz. Let me just stop right here and thank my friend Laurynne over at Coffee, Books, and Lipgloss for organizing this. She’s amazing. I can’t say enough awesome things about her. THE UNDESIRABLE will be on tour March 13-18th.

There’s also a tour wide giveaway going on during this whole thing. Five e-book copies up for grabs! Follow to the tour for your chance to win!

Here’s a look at what blogs are posting information about the book, and where:

*March 13th:*

Simply Sensational Book Fanatics

http://ssbookfanatics.blogspot.com – Promo

Confessions of a Book Addict

http://www.bookaddict24-7.tumblr.com – Promo

Paperback Princess

http://princess-paperback.blogspot.com.au – Promo
Just Reading For Fun

http://justreadingforfun.wordpress.com – Promo

Heather’s Book Chatter

http://authorheather.com – Promo

Italian Brat’s Obsessions

itlnbrt.com – Promo

CBL Reviews

www.cblreviews.com – Review

*March 14th:*

Charlie, Coffee and a Good Book -

http://charliecoffeeandagoodbook.blogspot.com – Review

Bookish Treasures

http://www.bookishtreasures.blogspot.com – Review

Romance Addict Book Blog

www.romanceaddictbookblog.com – Review

*March 15th:*

Sincerely Steph

http://sincerelystephh.blogspot.ca – Review

The Fantastical World of Wonders

http://fantasticalworldofwonders.blogspot.com/ – Review

Mod City Mag

http://www.modcitymag.com – Review

My Secret Book Obsession

http://www.mysecretbookobsession.blogspot.co.uk – Review

*March 16th:*

Books4Tomorrow

www.bookstomorrow.blogspot.com – Promo

Characterized

characterized.blogspot.com – Promo

*March 17th:*

Turner’s Antics

http://turnersantics.blogspot.com – Review

*March 18th:*

The Broke Book Bank

http://thebrokebookbank.blogspot.com/ – Review

The Book Cafe

http://thebookcafeblog.blogspot.com/ – Review

Dawson

http://www.ohchrys.blogspot.com/ – Promo

Lily Pond Reads

http://lilypondreads.blogspot.com/ – Promo

Teen Blurb

www.teenblurb.org – Review

Magic World Of Books

http://magic-world-of-books.blogspot.ro/ – Review

Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After

http://bookmarksspoilersandhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/ – Promo

The BookWhisperer

www.book-whisperer.blogspot.com – Promo

Please check all of them out, and show them some love!

Also, if you’re anywhere near the Cincinnati area, I’d love to see you at the big launch party on Friday!

Review: The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming

I’m participating in a blog review tour for Michelle Browne’s book The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, you can check it out here.

Here is a synopsis of the book and several links:

• Title: The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming

• Author: Michelle Browne

• Release Date: January 28, 2013

• Genre: Horror; Sci-Fi; Fantasy; Paranormal; Romance

Synopsis:

Nightmares bleed into  the waking world. Featuring a full-length novel, “The Underlighters”,  and eleven stand-alone short stories, this collection blends fairy  tales, horror, and science fiction. A city of shadows lurks underground. Restless ghosts, eerie dolls, and spiteful stepmothers wait among other dreams. These are haunting stories of love, madness and small  disasters.”The Underlighters” is a dystopian horror  coming-of-age adventure that follows the life of Janelle Cohen from  insignificance to bitter-sweet triumph. “Footsteps in the Snow” is a Lovecraftian nightmare set in a Canadian winter. “A Shot of Vodka”, a darkly realistic exploration of life after trauma,  rounds out the collection. More and stranger stories fill in the gaps. This genre-breaking anthology is a new and ferocious look at the frailty of  the human condition. Gender and sexual mores are rewritten; dreams and  reality merge. Primal fears take physical form. This beautifully written thrill ride will captivate you long after the last page.

GR Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17303541-the-loved-the-lost-the-dreaming

Buy Link Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B7MA9II?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links

Author Bio:

I’m a published science  fiction author with a love for talking about the end of the world,  silver jewellery, nightmares, and chocolate. I came from a smallish  town in Southern Alberta and now live in Calgary with my partner. When  we’re not saving the world from hipsters or riding our bear cavalry to  work, we can be found on the internet or with our friends.

Author Contact Links:

website
http://scifimagpie.blogspot.ca/
twitter username
SciFiMagpie

Michelle Browne On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3301336.Michelle_Browne

 My Review:

I came across this book in part because Michelle released on the same day I did mine. Something about the cover and the title immediately intrigued me, and I actually bought it long before I ever heard this would be on a blog tour through CBL Tours.  I couldn’t wait to read it because the synopsis seemed so different from other books I have seen around the internet lately. I wanted to read something different. I got it.

The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming is a captivating, well written anthology that contains one long work, The Underlighters, and several other short stories. All of them are creepy, sad, and play on the uncomfortable nature of the topics they employ.

Michelle has a gift with the written word. She writes engaging, ground breaking prose that is not afraid to test the reader’s boundaries. She did a great job in the anthology of showcasing her talent in a variety of tales, each one of which stands out from the others. In short, I would recommend this book to anyone. It’s memorable, and unique.

My rating: 5 stars (download it now!)

Breaking Book News: THE PALMS

If you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a writer. Not only am I a journalist in my day job, I also write novels on the side.

The official book cover for THE PALMS

This means I have a couple of projects in the works at any given time. One of these recent projects is a 20,000 word (or so) novella called THE PALMS. It’s a short, light story with a twist. This a lot different from my recently released novel, THE UNDESIRABLE.  THE PALMS is also very different from THE RESISTANCE, the sequel to THE UNDESIRABLE.  Don’t worry, I am still working on THE RESISTANCE!

THE PALMS will be available to the public as an e-book on June 18th, 2013.  You read it here first. Mark your calendars now! I am really excited about the future for this project!!!

So what is THE PALMS about? Here is the official blurb as posted on Goodreads:

We all have one–the one who got away. For 31-year-old Trent Matthews, that woman is Lauren Crawford. For 28-year-old  Lauren Crawford, that man is Trent Matthews.

Ten years after they last saw each other on Palm Beach,  an unexpected night at The Breakers sends Lauren and Trent roaring back into each others lives. She’s still sassy, sexy, and sophisticated. He’s still rich, handsome, and an expert with women. The years have passed and times have changed, but old feelings haven’t died.

Not even close. 

Now, these two have a second chance at love.

The problem is–Trent left Lauren without any explanation back in 2002.  She’s still mad and confused. Back then, Trent had his reasons–about a dozen–for his abrupt exit from her life. But even a decade later, he doesn’t want to admit all of them–or make them public. And that hesitation may cost him Lauren. Forever. 

Will Trent admit the mistakes of his youth? Will Lauren grant Trent her forgiveness? Or will they lose love again underneath THE PALMS?

If you’re on Goodreads, you can add the book to your list here! THE PALMS will be out just in time for summer!

Join Me This Weekend!

I’m making a couple of appearances for KFOR and Freedom43 this weekend, and I love to see you at one of them!

First, grab your running shoes and join me at the annual Red Earth Run. On March 9th, this 5K starts along the river trails of the Oklahoma River and ends at OKC’s Wheeler Park. Don’t like to run? You can also participate in a 1-mile Fun Walk and other family activities. Pre-registration is just $25 for adults and $20 for students. Money raised at this event will help fund the Red Earth Festival, and awesome showcase of Native American culture and traditions.

Second, head on over to the OKC Auto Show at State Fair Park. Check out all the hottest cars, and see what’s new for 2013. I’ll be there Saturday around noon with a couple of other personalities from the station.

Hope to see you this weekend!

The Day I Finally Met Jamie McGuire

“If you have a story that is crushing your heart, then write it,” Jamie McGuire told the crowd at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa on Tuesday. She visited the campus to talk to the students about writing and her bestseller, Beautiful Disaster.

With author Jamie McGuire

I was there to talk to her.

Sometimes my personal and professional lives intersect, when it happens, it’s awesome.  This was one of those times. You see, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a fan of Jamie’s writing. She has storytelling skill that is hard to find, one I can only hope to emulate in my own writing. Meanwhile, her story of self-publishing turned runaway success isn’t just a great Oklahoma story. It’s a great story in general.

And all of that is why Travis (aptly named, huh?), one of KFOR’s photographers, and I made the hour and a half trek from Oklahoma City to Tonkawa to find and interview Jamie.

Jamie met first with NOC’s book club, and then with a a larger crowd at the student union on campus. She treated the crowd to a reading of the prologue of Walking Disaster, the much anticipated sequel to Beautiful Disaster. That book hits the stores April 2nd. She also talked movie news, her current work in progress (the forthcoming Red Hill), writing tips, and the journey that took her from Oklahoma regular gal to international celebrity. Know what else I noticed about her? Despite all the success, she’s just a regular, down to earth person. I watched her be friendly to everyone, and make time for all her fans. At this book event, that meant she made time for a lot of people!

After it all, she sat down with me for a few minutes for a quick interview.

Would she self-publish again? Yes. Does she regret the path she took to published author? Nope. Does she encourage other writes to “just do it”? You bet.

“You don’t have to be the best speller. You don’t have to be a literary genius to write a book,” she said. “Don’t let ‘you’ talk yourself out of something you that you want to do.”

Of course, this is only party of the story. You can watch my interview with Jamie McGuire tonight at 9PM on Freedom43TV.

Thoughts On A Birthday

Today is my birthday. Another year passes.

A couple of years ago, birthdays reached the point (in my mind, at least) where they were “hard”.  I couldn’t stand the thought of getting older, or losing my youth, or seeing my life inch into territory I used to think was “so old.”  And this fear got worse as life creaked closer to “that” birthday. You know the one. I celebrated it last year.

I cried the whole month before “that” birthday happened. I told my husband over and over again this would be the worst year of my life. After all, I was now old. I was no longer a kid. I had to finally grow up.

Good grief, I can be so dramatic.

This last year, the year of “that” birthday, turned out to be one of the best of my life. I ran two half marathons, then climbed Pike’s Peak (and failed). I found myself published in one book, then wrote and published another. My husband and I took a huge financial step that will secure a pretty awesome future for us and our family (and kids, if we are lucky). I traveled with my husband to LA, Palm Beach, Dallas, Colorado, and other awesome places. Somewhere high in the sky, I earned elite status with Delta (it’s an accomplishment in my book). I tackled a US military combat readiness course (and won), flew with the AWACS, hunted down horned lizards, climbed inside the AWACs Rotodome, made friends with people I never thought I would, hung out on the radio, interviewed a myriad of celebrities, and met Sacajawea’s long lost relative.

In short, this was a great year. This was a year I became more like “me.” This was a year that counted, and for that I am very thankful. I still may not want a birthday party to mark the occasion, but I’m happy for what this next year will bring. I will say this, though: it will be hard to top “that” year.

The Reasons I Love The Great Gatsby

This week a couple of new photos from the upcoming adaptation of The Great Gatsby popped up in my news feed on Facebook. Of course, this got me thinking about the novel, and I thought I’d share a couple of reasons why this book has become one of my all-time favorites.

Like a lot of people, I first read this book in early high school.  The book was required reading (sophomore year?) for a unit on American Literature, and we discussed it extensively in class.

Movie still courtesy Warner Bros.

We even watched the Robert Redford/ Mia Farrow movie. No one complained about that, trust me. I liked the book then. I thought it was good, very interesting, and of course a stirring look at an important era in history. And I love history.  Anyone will tell you that.

However, it’s only as an adult that this book has become one of my favorite books–if not my absolute favorite. I’ve read the book about five times since high school, and every few years I come back for another read. There’s something about Fitzgerald’s writing that draws me in over and over again. In fact, I’ve become such a fan of his writing that over the years I’ve bought or downloaded almost all of his other works. They’re good too, but never as good as The Great Gatsby.

Something about that books speaks to me over and over again. Maybe I’m a 1920′s flapper girl trapped in the wrong era ( some people have told me that). Maybe I have a soft spot for broken characters (all the people in this work are). Or maybe it’s just the writing that haunts me like a literary ghost.

But here are two other main reasons I like it:

1. Wistfulness reigns supreme. Many of the characters in this book seem to yearn for something that has long passed–and they can’t get it no matter how hard they try.  Just ask J. Gatsby. He spends his whole life trying to create something that will never come true. I know a lot of people who do that. I might even have been one of them, on occasion.

2. What is true on the outside is not true on the inside. Most everyone in that book acts like someone they are not. Daisy pretends to be the happy socialite. Gatsby acts like the unflappable tycoon. Jordan pretends to be a deep person. Even the supporting, minor characters (like the party goers) act like they are something they are not. I see a lot of that in our society. Even today. Plenty of people pretend to be something better than what they really are on the inside.

I have no idea if I’ll like the latest adaptation of this movie, but I know I’ll go see it for sure. How can I not?

One time, on Pike’s Peak…

The following post is a “re-blog” of a guest post I wrote on a friend’s blog in September 2012, shortly after my failed mission up Pike’s Peak in Colorado. We never made it to the top of the mountain on that hike. Read on to find out why.

Fifteen hours after our first confident steps, the four of us shuffled off Pike’s Peak in disbelief. Somehow, Brian, Mary Karen, my husband and I had made it up and down one of the most famous mountains in Colorado. The Peak had not won, even though the mountain had tried her hardest.

I guess this all began sometime last year when I had the brilliant idea that we’d hike together to the summit. Brian, Mary Karen, and their kids had finally settled into life in Colorado Springs. They had a nice house, a quiet life, and adventure in the Rockies whenever they wanted it. We had the perfect reason for a quick visit to see some of my husband’s oldest friends.

The problem is, l like the adrenaline of extremes–especially on vacations. Pike’s Peak is 14,115 feet at the summit. It’s an extreme.

“Why not hike up Pike’s Peak?” I asked all of them. “I think we should do it. It’s right there. We can do it together, and then take the train back down.”

At the time, this idea made a certain amount of sense. Brian had already climbed it once. We all work out: grueling runs, weights, regular hiking, yoga, and hours of spinning. We are not overweight and love the outdoors. We simply had to conquer Pike’s Peak, even if General Pike himself failed. It’s a famous mountain, and we deserved to traverse it together. If others could make it, why couldn’t we?

It wasn’t lost on me what a unique group we made. One is a direct descendant of Chief Joseph Brant. One is a first generation American. One is a descendant of the folks who founded this place. One is named after a nun. Two are in the military. Two had just met in person after years of knowing each other online. Three have known each other longer than a decade.

The morning of the hike, we set out with backpacks full of water, protein bars, sandwiches, first aid, cell phones, sunblock, jackets, and more. It seemed like a lot of stuff–so much that I wondered if we were over prepared. Surely we had too many supplies for a simple 13 mile hike up a mountain.

I was wrong.

I’ll spare you the details of the first eleven miles of this hike. We began around 7AM. For the most part, the first few miles were uneventful. We climbed when we needed to, stopped when we had to, and keep each other in our sights. I felt the air grow thinner as we increased our elevation, but the change in oxygen didn’t seem to hurt until we got to the tree line of the mountain.

About that time, I started to feel like a kid in the middle of a severe asthma attack. By the final two miles, I could only take ten steps before I stopped to wheeze and gasp for air. No matter how much I filled my lungs, they could never fill up with what my body needed. My right hand went numb, face chapped, feet shuffled, and tongue swelled. I couldn’t cry or swallow.

In short, my body and 13,900 feet (or so) just didn’t agree.

Somewhere past the two-mile marker, I looked down at my watch and truly took in the time. It was already almost 4PM. We were climbing that slowly. I felt my world constrict.

There was no way we’d make the 4:40 train with 2 miles to go.

The realization that we would miss our guaranteed way down the mountain sent me into a panic. I sat on a stone on the side of the alpine terrain and looked out of Colorado. I couldn’t even enjoy the amazing view, and barely snapped a few photos on my iPhone. All I could think about was how to get off the mountain.

We considered asking a family friend or neighbor to drive to get us, but heard the road would close a short time, leaving us all stuck. I thought about hitchhiking with someone already at the top. I considered calling a park ranger, but then heard from other hikers on the trail that could cost $100 to $500 a person.

If we wanted off Pike’s Peak, we were going to have to climb down ourselves.

Instead of pressing on to the summit, we turned around and started the long road down. We figured the sooner we started, the longer we’d have to beat the darkness and the cold.

Friends, I did not begin this trek happily.

While it is easier to descend a mountain than it is to ascend, the process still had its own challenges. Most of the pathway is gravel, with large boulders in some places and steep cliffs. One shuffling misstep can send you sliding down a huge embankment. We had plenty of food, but little water. Soon, the water ran out. We simply hadn’t planned for an almost 22 mile hike. We had packed for a 13 mile adventure.

Three miles into the descent, I gave in to dehydration.

It would prove to be a major limiting factor for all of us.

My legs felt lethargic; it took extreme focus to lift each foot. My tongue tasted like a dry brick and my stomach felt like I would vomit at any second. I saw things a rational mind would have dismissed: Native Americans shaking their heads at me from deep within the trees, floating lights, and a mirage of the Barr Camp site. I said things I didn’t mean and told the group repeatedly to leave me, that I was destined to die on the mountain. I told them I didn’t care if I made it.

Meanwhile, it was only getting later in the day.

We stopped for some water at Barr Camp, enough for all of us to replenish, and enough for me to get some of the fluids I desperately needed. We rested for a short time but soon had to press on as twilight covered the mountain.

The four of us still had around four miles to go when the darkness arrived.

To see the path, we took turns using the flashlight apps on our cell phones. We had hiked slowly before, but the dark forced us to walk even slower. Each rock, root, bush or tree along the trail became a major hazard. That’s to say nothing of the wildlife on the mountain. Even though Brian assured us the mountain lions and black bears normally stayed away from the well-traveled path that did not guarantee we would not run into one or that an animal was not going to decide to follow us.

We had three cell phones. The battery ran out on each one. We saved the last little bit of the battery on the final one in case we decided to call 911. All we had now was a small LED light Brian found in his backpack and the moonlight to guide us on the path.

That was about the time my dehydration delirium gave way to extreme fear. Suddenly, our little band of four had turned into every scary movie cliché that ever existed in Hollywood. The four of us were inside a nightmare. And we had about two miles to go. All I could do was pray our ordeal would be over soon. I recited the Lord’s prayer in my head and focused as much as I could on old hymns I knew and familiar sayings from the Bible. At one point, I looked over at a flat rock and saw the face of Jesus.

Looking back, I should have known then that we would make it off the mountain alive.

After all, small miracles began happening all around me. My husband held my hand tighter than he ever has and propped me up as we took each careful step. Brian exhibited a calm leadership that would have made his ancestor proud. Mary Karen had night vision eyes she used to guide the group through the darkness.

At about 11PM, we got to the end of the trail. I still felt so dehydrated I could hardly express how happy and elated I felt. We’d made it. We were alive. I sort of blankly stared at the others.

Most people would look at me at tell me how stupid, silly, and unprepared we were. The first rule of hiking is to be smart. I get it. There were plenty of things I did wrong. I had trouble, in part, because I wasn’t ready for the conditions. I overextended myself and underestimated the mountain.

But even as I kick myself for once again pushing myself to the ragged edge of crazy, I see lessons. When I think of things I can’t do (and there are plenty of things I am afraid I can’t do), I need to just stop it and realize that I can go further and last longer than I think. When times are tough and unexpected, I need to remember to not give up. You can’t achieve things in life without the help of others (I forget that sometimes). I’m a survivor. We are survivors. There is nothing I cannot conquer if I am willing to endure the uncomfortable.

I’m fairly certain I’ll know Brian, Mary Karen, and my husband for the rest of my life. After all, we almost died together. No, it’s not that. We fought to live together.