Cursed with Power (book 1 in the Magicians series)

As many of you know, Cursed with Power has been on quite a journey with publication.  What I love about the writing community is that we all have our own stories to tell about how we got where we are today, and I want to take the time to share my own.  I'm also encouraging you to post about this on your own blog; share your story with us.

The first copy of Cursed with Power was about as lonely as this cover to the left.  It was lacking a lot, and I'm not talking grammar and spelling errors.  Oh no, when I say the first version was lonely I mean it literally.
Celestria was at first alone in the story.  Léal was barely in the book at all, and while that doesn't such a surprise this next part may be.  Celestria spent the rest of her journey by herself with no one to accompany her --that's right, Alaire wasn't in this version--and certainly no one to inform her of how dangerous Aldemund really was.
Now while Wilhem --you may remember him as Aldemund's "right hand man" and magician--had more lines (of dialog), he wasn't significant in any way.  As a matter of fact, the only significance he had was helping Aldemund track down Celestria.
While I can't tell you how the book ended since I've never been one for spoilers, I promise you the ending was nothing like what it is now.  Celestria lacked depth in character, she had no one to rescue her, and she was indeed very alone in the magical world.
Why does any of that matter?
I'm not rambling.  Actually, this first copy of Cursed with Power was in a way a journey for me to discover myself, not only as a writer but also as a person.  Like Celestria, I was struggling to realize my true powers, to discover my true destiny.  I didn't know where this book was going to take me, who Celestria was, or why I even wanted to write it.  When I finished the first copy, though, I finally understood.  I'm a writer, and it was this passion I discovered while writing the book that made me all that more eager to continue on.

Would Cursed with Power be where it is today had the first book not explored Celestria's inner discoveries?  Who knows, but I believe from Celestria's experiences I realized who I was and the purpose behind writing.

Lately, numerous readers have been saying they feel "close" to Alaire and during his struggles they hope he survives.  For me, I share that closeness with Alaire as well because he is --in many ways--a reminder of how this book transformed into everything it is today.  In a way, perhaps I learned a few things from Alaire.  He not only became a hero for Celestria, but he also became a hero for my writing.

This journey has been frustrating and enjoyable, but I wouldn't dare back away from it.  I'm happy with Cursed with Power, and I look forward to the date when I am able to announce publication.  To my fans on Wattpad, Inkpop, and my fellow bloggers: I am extremely grateful to have you standing beside me.  We're almost there!

So tell me, do you have a character who saved your writing?
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Read the story online:

Cursed with Power

In the darkness they are flames.  In the daylight they are shadows.

Be there for the magic: www.themagiciansseries.blogspot.com