Why do you write about Dark magicians?

Credit to the artist of this photograph

"Why do you write about Dark magicians?"

People have been asking me this question a lot lately, and I really wanted to take the time to talk about it --especially with all of you wonderful bloggers out there.

The ironic part of to this is I actually first started writing about "good magicians."  The first novel I ever wrote was told from the POV of "good" magicians, and I loved the idea of the fight between good and evil.  Sounds too easy, right?  Well that actually is how the book turned out --good vs. evil, light vs. dark, etc.  You get the point... And though my younger self never wanted to admit this, that has been done way too many times.  

So when the idea came to me for Cursed With Power it was like a spark of fire.  I stood back, thinking about the idea, and thought "Whoa, what if I actually did this?"  It was a bit scary too --I had never written from the Dark magician's POV, but with Celestria Hale's story that would all changed.

What I can't help but notice is that literature has always formed Dark magicians or anything relating to "dark art" or "black magic" as evil.  When you think of them, you automatically think in your head "they're evil."

This isn't he case for the Dark magicians in CWP.  The story is purposely told from a Dark magician's POV so that you can better see how such misconceptions could have been made.  One of the main reasons I actually enjoy writing from this perspective is that readers are allowed to decide for themselves what they think of the Dark magicians.  While Celestria does narrate the story, she encounters many White magicians throughout the journey.  Of course no magician is exactly like the other --they're humans too, remember.  

By writing this series, I also have been able to discover parts of the magical world that I was afraid to visit before.  The magical world isn't perfect --it has flaws just as our own world does.

Coming up next: A new character adventure (stop by to find out who hosts!) and a talk about pictures that have been inspirational

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Countdown: 3 days left!

"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book." -John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Well, who would have known that we'd make it to this part of July so soon?  I woke up this morning, and I didn't even know it was Sunday --goes to show what happens to you when you don't have a calendar.

Anyways, so I don't have an official release date for the book, but I would love for you to share your ideas for contests!  I would love to host contests allowing you to have the opportunity for a book, autograph, bookmark, and other wonderful goodies!  This is usually where I would post tons of pictures of what you can win, but again we're waiting on everything to be finalized.  A.k.a. I'm waiting on the official cover just like you are.  Thank you all for being so patient!

Ideas?  Suggestions?  Questions?  Just comment them or email me, and I'll get back to you.

In the meantime, I still have a lot left to do --editing, editing, and more editing!  Mark your calendars for August 1st because that's when this baby bird is flying from the nest.

Nonetheless, I've been determined to keep up with the countdown.  I also have crazy ideas flying around in my head of what I should blog about next --beside character journeys, there's more I've got in store for you.

Lastly, don't forget to check out my official website where you can find out more about books, upcoming events I'll be at, and more: click, click

Have a wonderful Sunday night, and before I head back to more editing there's one last thing I'll share with you in the next post.

Coming next: An answer to "Why did you decide to write about Dark magicians?"

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Countdown: 6 days left

Only six days until I turn in my final manuscript.  As for the picture above, I know it's not in the right place and seems random... But this a book I saw the other day in Target and is now on my "to read" list.  The story is about a man who posts in the newspaper searching for a "simple, reliable wife," and then at last a woman offers to marry him.  However, she has bad intention --only marrying him so that she can kill him off and take his money.  Too bad he has plans of his own.
That was just a brief summary --all off the top of my head.  I'm dying to read the book, but for now I'll just leave the title here so later on I can remember.

Editing is still moving a bit slowly, but I have a lot of free time today so I need to get to work.  Just wanted to post this real quick for an update.  I promise I'll do another character journey soon.  (Maybe later tonight?)  Time to get back to the book... At least the most difficult chapter is over with.
Enjoy your day :)
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Let the countdown begin! (1 week)

In exactly one week I will be submitting my final manuscript to my publisher.  Whoa, how time flies!  Unfortunately I am still behind with edits, which is why today I plan on catching up.  All the same, I'm determined to finish this baby and send her off to her home.
For those of you interested, I've recently added in a new chapter to the book.  There may be two new chapters added in, depending how long this next one I'm currently working on turns out.  Since I'm sure it only makes sense in my head, this means the book will end with either a total of 31 or 32 chapters.
Back when I was querying Cursed With Power it was at approximately 73,000 words.  Now, as I'm working with it, it's reaching 81,000.
Lately, one question seems to be on the minds of numerous readers: what about the sequel?
A writer's best way to mark oneself is by writing another book.  With that in mind, I plan on starting on the sequel as soon as I'm finished with edits.  (I can't imagine trying to work with Celestria and Leal at the same time; it would be a disaster)  Yes, the sequel is told from Leal's point of view, which will make this my first complete novel narrated from a man's perspective.  While I do have the first four chapters written up, I plan on starting fresh.  There's a lot I've learned from my experience with CWP, and I don't want to make the same mistakes all over again.  I have a lot of ideas for Leal's story, and I want to give him the opportunity to show his true colors.
If you've stopped by the Facebook page, you might have heard I'm considering a prequel for the Magicians series.  Mind you, the prequel wouldn't be released or even seriously considered until all five books in the series are finished.  Even so, someday I think it would be a challenge to get into the mind of Esmour.  Does anybody really know his story?  Wouldn't he be the best one to talk about why he did the things he did?  Feel free to share your thoughts!

Anyways, it's a long day and I've already wasted some daylight.  Time to get back to...

editing.  That dreaded, dreaded word...
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Tips on Editing

Handwritten scene for New Life

For those of you who have been keeping up with the blog, it's no secret that I've been editing all month long.  It's a long process, and of course none of us actually enjoy it.  (Though I'll be the one in the few who will admit I actually do enjoy it most of the time, even though sometimes my complaints may suggest otherwise)

I'd like to share some tips for those of you who are also working on self-edits.  Even if your book isn't going to a publisher, some tips can never hurt!  So here's my two cents...

For one, make sure that when characters travel (even if it's from one bedroom to the next) that it's actually clear that the character moved.  I've noticed one too many times in my own work that characters will go into another room and just "magically" (no pun intended) appear there.  This doesn't make sense to the reader, and it won't make sense to you either once you find these problems.  Fortunately, they can be fixed easily.

Then there's the words themselves.  One of the remarks my editor made that I've constantly been reminding myself of throughout this process is that many times we -the writer- use one too many words.  While we're in "the moment" we don't realize it, but we may be dragging something out.  Often times it only takes a sentence or two to get across the point to the reader, so remember don't overdo it.

Lastly, since I do have to return to editing, don't be afraid to delete words.  Once an author said "If it doesn't feel right, then it's not meant to be in the story." If you're asking yourself how you'll know if it feels "wrong," then you probably just answered your own question.  Go with your instinct --sometimes we want to hold onto words or unimportant scenes simply because of the time we dedicated to them, but if they aren't moving your story along, place them away somewhere safe and return to them for a different book.

Hope this was helpful!  I have a lot of work ahead of me if I'm going to meet this due date.  Enjoy your week!

Coming up next: Another character journey -Who do you want to hear from?

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Character Journey

Well it appears Leal and Alaire have made their own appearances while I've been busy with edits.  Thankfully I should be catching up today, seeing as my deadline is August 1st.  Even so, I wanted to take the time to explain what exactly I'm hoping to see with the "Character Journey" on this blog.

Every now and then when I may be too busy to have an actual post (about writing, personal things, the book, etc), one of the characters from Cursed With Power will be "visiting" the blog.  I'm hoping that by having the characters "visit," you (the readers/viewers/fellow bloggers) will be able to interact more with characters.  Characters will be talking about their journey (such as in the last post where Alaire asked you if you were ready to journey with him and Celestria), and they'll be inviting you to join them.  This is purely for entertainment; of course the characters aren't real, but there's where you're allowed to have fun and say so!  (If you comment, I'll even try to comment back as that specific character)

These journeys you travel on with the characters may not go along with the journeys in the book.  (You may have noticed Alaire said he was traveling with Celestria, and from what we can determine it sounds like they've only begin traveling)  

So just leave me a comment and tell me what you think?  Good idea, bad idea, ways to improve it (these first couple of times I'm still trying to get used to it)?  Let me know, and I'll be back later on!

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Alaire Sencler: Can I confide in you?

A little birdie told me that Léal had paid a visit, so I thought it was only fitting for me to correct his mistakes.  If I'm able to confide in you this once... I will return to you again and ask for your help.  You can join me on this journey, but I must warn you I carry the burden of secrets no man wishes to bear.  If you're ready, I'm inviting you in: welcome to my world.

I used to work for a man named Esmour.  Unfortunately I'm not able to tell you about the work I did for him, seeing as even I don't know how much of it is to  remain confidential now that he is did.  However, I can assure that he was a great man.  He was wise, you know?  He knew more about magic, and I imagine that kind of knowledge can be overwhelming.

I bear more grave news, I'm afraid.  Now that there are only five Dark magicians in the world, these are dangerous times.  You don't have anyone you can trust --except for those whom are you allies--and even your allies will never fully trust you.  There are secrets you may have to keep from your loved ones simply because you know if you ever spoke them aloud they would destroy you.  The war between light and darkness is unstoppable now.  We must go to war; we've known this for a long time, and we have been fools to avoid it.  Now the war will determine what species lives and which dies.

I've seen people turn right in front of my eyes.  One minute they're standing beside you, the next minute they're gone without a trace.  It's a scary thought, and I don't blame you if because of this reason you decide to not join me.  I've learned over the years it's better to be completely honest about he mission than lie to make it sound harmless.  If you're ignorant to the facts, it could get you killed.

Lastly, you should know that I'm traveling with another companion: Celestria.  She's stubborn, but never fear, her attitude is harmless.  Once you take the chance to listen to a person's story, you can begin to build up a image in your head of why they became the way that they are.  I believe this also applies to Celestria; once we hear her story, we'll know the reasons for her actions and words.

Oh, and if you hear from Léal, don't tell him I said this, but I honestly don't Celestria was impressed by him.  Even if she was, why should it bother me?  Léal's a fool when it comes to love.  A man who really wants to win over a lady's heart knows first he must win her over with his words --proving time and time again that he will stand beside her when everything else falls.

Are you ready for the journey?  Can I confide in you?  Let me know soon; I'll be awaiting your response.

Always,

Leal Irvine: I'm sick of playing nice.

While I'm certain that it is all swell with my author for Alaire to have a major role in Cursed With Power, I personally don't fancy the idea.  I mean, sure Alaire's a decent man, but what gave him the right to become a main character in the first book.  I know I'm sounded jealous--which I'm not--so I'll just continue on.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Leal Irvine.  I come from a long line of ancestors, whom were also Dark magicians.  I expect that whatever I tell you here will be kept confidential --we can't let anyone know I was here!  If I'm spotted by White magicians, it will be the end of me.

For those of you who are wondering, I live in a manor.

Well not quite like that....

Not really like this either, but this will have to do for now.  My manor has been housing the Irvines for as long as our bloodline has existed, and it will certainly continue to house us for generations on.  There's a forest in the backyard and a lake, as well.

Contrary to what you may have heard from Alaire, I actually do believe I made quite an impression on Celestria.  You see, she thinks that she doesn't need me, but in a lot of ways she reminds me of myself.  (As much as I hate to admit it!)  She's stubborn, but stubbornness can be won over with determination.  I am not a man to give up so easily.

Now that I think of it, I'm not sure why my creator chose to have Celestria narrate this first book to begin with.  It takes a man to tell a story, and besides Celestria most likely skipped through most of my dialog.  (Honestly, how dare she!)

Well that's all the time I have for now.  If Lindsey finds me on here, I may have my entire part taken out of the story! (Well actually, no... She couldn't do that... Right?)  Either way, I should see what is being prepared for dinner.  Enjoy your feasts, and do not fret, ladies, I will return.  I'm a man of my word; I would never break a promise.

If you enjoyed this, tell Lindsey.  Make she will give me a second chance to talk; I'd love to share more... That is, so long as you prove that you won't tell my secrets.  

Sincerely yours,

Free autograph? Free bookmark?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRwpEzBsv60&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Interested in a free bookmark, free autograph... Any other materials?
Let's surprise my boyfriend with more views on his video. He worked 68 hours on this! He's always been my inspiration... And I want to do something for him!
It's at approx 1900 views now.
I'm counting on you to get it up!

Changes before fall

Afternoon bloggers!
Now that I've got more highlights in my hair, I'm happy to say it will be a look I'll be pleased with once college starts. I'll post a picture a bit later on just for the heck of it!
Since I'm still out (and actually posting this from my phone), it won't be till later that I can return home and work on edits. The plan is to work on what needs to be rewritten and then work on the little things last. August 1st is right around the corner! *nervous*
So yes lots of changes happening before the fall, and I'd like to say they're all for the best.
Enjoy your day! I'll stop by later on :)

Alaire and Leal: Insight into the guys we love

Though we're still preparing for the release of Cursed With Power, I decided to do this post on request of readers who are interested to hear insight into two of the characters from the book: Alaire and Leal.  After this post, I'm asking that you to tell me your thoughts --Like them? Love them? What are you expecting?

"I can't wait for the Team Alaire or Leal debate." -Raven Paramore (reader)

Alaire

"We'll never be safe in this darkness. For now... you're safe."

"I have faith in you because you're the one person who sees me for who I am. You're the only one who will ever respect me for what I can never be."

Alaire Sencler is one of the main characters in the book, becoming Celestria's companion.  Originally, for those of you who didn't know, he wasn't in the book.  However, Celestria needed someone to save her from her first encounter with Aldemund, and Alaire was the right man.

Alaire is a few years older than Celestria, being 20 while she (Celestria) is 17 years old.  He an "adult" in Celestria's eyes, though in many ways he still has a lot to learn.  As a companion, Alaire seems to know his way through Transylvania and definitely has more experience with magic than Celestria does.  He becomes one of the first people Celestria learns to trust because he rescues her from danger starting the moment they meet.  However, he also has a dark past --something that even Celestria doubts he will ever fully tell her about.  Nonetheless, he's an attractive young man with a serious attitude but a warm heart he may be willing to share with the right person.

Léal

"I'm sick of playing nice."

"I'm Léal Irvine; I'm always quicker than them before I have to be careful."

Léal Irvine another one of the Dark magicians Celestria meets in the book, though he doesn't have a major part in this first book.

Léal reveals early on in the book that he once worked for Esmour, but he never clarifies what kind of work he did --just that it was dangerous.  He seems to know more than he's willing to tell, and unlike Alaire he isn't willing to remain calm.  He holds strong to his beliefs, and he believes the White magicians deserve a war.  Léal is also closer to Celestria's age, being 18 years of age with a dashing smile and those piercing blue eyes.  Watch out,  Léal might not be all that he seems.  We won't find out his real story until the sequel, New Life.

Coming up next on the blog: I want to hear YOUR opinion on Alaire and Leal. Like them? Love them? What are you expecting?  Comment or message me (facebook, email, etc.) your thoughts, and in my next post I'll share!

Lindsey R. Sablowski

2nd Annual Bull Spec Magazine Summer Literary SF Festival

For any writers out there, it may interest you to know that Bull Spec is having their 2nd annual Literary Festival August 5th, 2012.  This year Michael J. Sullivan (fantasy author of the Riyria Revelations) and T. C. McCarthy (science fiction author of Germline) will be hosting the event this year.  As Michael says it will be an "author palooza," and everyone is encouraged to spread the word.
Personally, I've never been to the event, but I'm happy to say that I was invited by Michael himself and will be attending.  I'll try to get some pictures if possible (or autographs maybe!) to share.  I have no idea what to expect, but the idea of being surrounded by hundreds of fantasy authors is exciting!  Unfortunately, by this time Cursed With Power will not have released yet, but maybe (fingers crossed) I'll have an ARC or something to show the other authors.
So I'm inviting you to join me if you can make it!  Remember mark your calendars for August 5th 2pm-4pm!  I hope to see you there.  (Keep in mind that I live in Maryland, so I'll be making a 10 hour trip total for this!  Crazy right?)

Coming up next on the blog:

Leal or Alaire? What are readers expecting and whose team are they on?  Find out in my next post!

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Team Kaidan

Let me first just say congradulations to Wendy Higgins for the fact that her character has made it into the YA Crush Tourney!  I actually had no idea such a contest existed till I saw her mention it on her website.  Anyhow, for those of you who don't know, the YA Crush Tourney is where readers vote for their favorite crush from YA books.  Kaidan, from Wendy's book, Sweet Evils, is up against Finnick from Hunger Games.  Considering that Wendy's book is relatively new, I'm honestly so happy and proud of her!
While I haven't had the chance to read Sweet Evils (darn editing gets in the way of everything!), I do intend on voting for Kaidan.  If you've had the chance to read the book, I'm sure you'll be voting for him to.  Just remember you can vote over at The YA Sisterhood and for more talk about Wendy's book and more pictures of Kaidan (Woohoo!) go check out Wendy Higgin's website.
I am encouraging everyone to vote, and if you're interested you can get a grab button (like the one in this post) over at Wendy's website. 
It's definitely a very exciting time of the year.  Can't wait to see how things turn out!  Good luck, and congrats once again, Wendy!

I'll be back later on.  Might actually do a post about Leal and Alaire.  What do you think... Is there competition between the two?  We'll see what potential readers think when I return!
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Official Author Website

The official website is up: here.  If you have a minute, please stop by and let me know what you think.  I realize right now it's not a custom domain, but I can consider purchasing one once we see what happens with the book.  (Waiting for it to release!) Anyways, I'll keep the website updated, and once the book releases I'll post relevant news and include dates and locations of book signings and so forth.  I will also include contests, giving you the opportunity to win a book!

Hope to see you there. 

Lindsey R. Sablowski

Virtual Book Tour

As promised, I've returned with some new ideas.  Recently Jamie Salisbury released her book, and I realized that she was having a virtual book tour, hopping from one blog to the next to spread the word about her book.  I've actually seen this done by many authors before, and so I have a proposition.
I'd like to have a virtual book tour for Cursed With Power.  I have no idea how this thing works, but if you have some free time on your blog to spare me a post, I'd love to have your support.  Again for those of you who don't know, Cursed With Power will be releasing this fall.
In addition, the official website will be releasing within this week (or so that's what I'm planning!).
Anyways, I should get back to writing, but I'll stop by later on.
Lindsey R. Sablowski

Writing an Emotional Scene

A while back ago when I was working on an emotional scene in my book, I was wondering what exactly it is that makes a reader cry.  Why can we cry during Dear John or A Walk to Remember?
It's not a matter of wording.  You can write as much as you want, you can add in the most tragic details (depending on what is happening), but the words aren't really what make us cry or have an emotional attachment to the scene.  It's the depth, it's what we'll remember while that scene is happening.
You can describe a train crash and a young teenage boy who died, but no matter how much detail you go into, your reader can never truly feel connected to that scene.  They didn't know the boy, they weren't on the train, and while it's sad... there's nothing else to it but being plain sad.
However, if you had talked about this little girl who knew the teenage boy and how she adored him, looked up to him as a role model, followed him everywhere he went... that would have an affect.  Do you know why?  Because you feel attached, you would have a reason to care.  Showing how totally horrified and torn about the little girl is over that boy's death would be more powerful than any amount of words you can write on paper.
Just the other day I was watching The Vampire Diaries --yeah, I know what you're thinking, but to me those kind of shows give me inspiration to work with; after all, they were originally books [and good ones at that!]--and in one of the first episodes of season 3 (I'm catching up), Stefan calls Elena.  She answers the phone and says something along the lines of, "Stefan?  If this is you, it's going to be okay.  I love you, Stefan. Hold onto that.  Never let go of that." Then they returned the camera focus to Stefan, and though he didn't say anything, it was his silence that was the most powerful part of that scene.  He started crying, and he isn't usually one to cry unless something's really wrong, and at that point I started crying too.

Later on, I thought back to that scene, and I realized it was because the writers let us know who Stefan was that the scene was so powerful.  I wasn't crying because I thought Elena's words were powerful, or because it was sad that Stefan was crying, but more so that he had been so gravely affected by her words, and that even in his darkest moment he was able to reach out to her and she seemed to be able to save him.
It's moments like those that you'll want to create, the moments that your readers will never forget and always want to return to.
Don't be afraid to reveal your character's fears.  And chances are if you start getting teary-eyed during a scene, your readers will too.
Lindsey R. Sablowski