YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK!

Welcome!

My good friend Paula Martin tagged me on FaceBook for "You've Got the Look." I was instructed to read through my current WIP and find the word "look"--and post the excerpt that includes the word.
Oh, my lands! The word was right there at the beginning!

Scenario: ~*~Lee King--he appeared in Texas Blue as a small boy who picked his nose and rode imaginary horses around the yard. I'd like to make him an early 20th Century entrepreneur  during the oil boom in Texas--a wildcatter, a risk taker, a rich man with money to make money, a tough businessman who has a big sense of humor. I'd have him run into a real buzz-saw, a serious woman who is investigating oil company monopolies for a New York newspaper.

Lee spent his youth roaming the west, isolated from the rest of his family. Lee is the independent son, a wild risk-taker, the one who left home but now returns to find his brother.
***
Early Twentieth Century

Lee King looked up at the huge sign splashed across the top of a multi-story brick building in downtown Houston. King Oil Company. Looks like big brother did it right.

With no hesitation, he walked through the enormous glass double doors in the foyer of the building. On the wall to the right was a sign behind glass listing the names of the offices, floor, and number.

His big brother occupied the entire top floor. Unimpressed, he punched the button for the electric elevator. The door slid open and he stepped in.

"Floor, sir?" The operator stood to the side as if at attention.

Lee grinned at the man in the red uniform trimmed in gold braid and the round hat that topped his head.

"Top."

"Mr. King's offices?"

"That right."

"Very good, sir. Now, if you will just step to the rear, we'll be off."

Since Lee had never been in an elevator, he held his breath while the car moved, leaving his stomach behind. The weightless feeling almost made him gasp. Now, that's impressive.

The main office loomed directly in front of him. Polished mahogany lined the walls, and crystal wall sconces burned softly, illuminating the hall.

He pushed the door open and stepped in to luxurious surroundings, fit maybe for a king. The thought caused him to chuckle.

"I have an appointment with Dalton King," he announced to the receptionist behind the curved counter.

"Your name, sir?"

"Lee King."
***
I've tagged these five extraordinary authors--please follow the links to their blogs and meet them!
Authors, now it's your turn. Select five authors to Tag and give them the  instructions.

Stephanie Burkhart-Romance Under the Moonlight   
http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

Cindy Nord
http://www.cindynord.com/category/blog/

Sarah J. McNeal
http://sarahmcneal.blogspot.com/

Laurean Brooks
http://laureanslore.blogspot.com/

Kathleen Tighe Ball
http://www.kathleenballromance.com/apps/blog/

Thank you,

Celia

Veteran's Day Parade in San Marcos, Texas

 

Veteran's Day-,November 2012

San Marcos, Texas

San Marcos, Texas--downtown on the square. This is one of the restored Nineteenth Century buildings, Harpers's Hall. It's now a popular coffeehouse and sandwich shop.

 

Hello, from Celia! I don't know the little girl, but we enjoyed the parade together.

 

Mounted Color Guard from San Marcos Baptist Academy. One riderless horse to represent those our country has lost.

 

 

Grand Marshal. Don't you love that vintage car?

 

 

San Marcos Academy marching Color Guard.

 

 

The first Company of four of the Corps of Cadets at San Marcos Academy.

 

 

Large crowd in downtown, some looking skyward for the flyover of a group of four

WWII prop-driven fighter planes. They were very loud, and very exciting. But we did not get a photo. Additional entries in the parade were the San Marcos High School marching band, a large group that stopped right in front of us and played songs from all the branches of the military.

Also: 4-H groups, boy scouts, girl scouts, old jeeps, and the usual firetrucks and police cars.

 

The finale:

Miss Outstanding Teen of the Texas Hill Country.

What would a Texas parade be without a baton twirler? She twirled three at once, and several times did a flip and still caught the batons, and did high kicks, too. Amazing young woman.

I hope you enjoyed a parade or celebration, too. It was very uplifting to see all the patriotism and smiling faces.

 

 



How Do Authors Begin a Story?

BANNER CREATED by LK HUNSAKER

I'm often asked, "How do you think up all these stories?" And most often, I don't have a good answer. Usually, I respond by saying, "I don't know--they just come to me in some way and I start writing."
The person asking, as a general rule, accepts that and moves along. Readers don't really want to hear a long explanation--I'm fairly certain of that. But I should have a good concise answer.

Most readers believe authors have some mechanism inside their brains that turn on the writing gene. Maybe we do, and even though most people believe they could never do that, I bet they could! After all, if I can write novels, so can almost anyone.

To help with the question, I asked a few friends, "How do you begin a novel?" They gave me some wonderful answers. See for yourself.

Maggie Toussaint (Death, Island Style, a Cozy Mystery--Available now)
I begin a novel with an idea. Sometimes a picture or a situation jogs the idea, but the idea won’t let me be until I get it fleshed out. Then I make sure the characters inhabiting that idea are at cross-purposes and have the most to lose by someone else attaining their goal. My goal as an author is to marry plot to character from the start of the novel and carry that uneasy alliance through the story to a satisfying conclusion.

LK Hunsaker (Rehearsal: Of Chaotic Currents, due Dec. 2012, Literary Romance With An Artsy Twist)
My novels always begin with a particular situation, personal or social, and then a character builds around that situation as he or she tries to figure out how to handle it. It rolls around in my head a while as the character starts to breathe, then I open a new file and start writing. Research is done as I need it.

Barbara Edwards (Ancient Awakening, Intense Romance With an Edge-Available now)
My books always start from a vivid dream. I wake up with an important scene playing in my head, usually the  beginning and I know the ending, too. Takes me time to fill in the middle. The best part is I have seen the most important person either hero or heroine, sometimes both.

Cheryl Pierson (Temptation's Touch, Romantic Suspense-Available now)
Every story I've ever written comes from one key scene that I want to write. It can be in the middle, toward the end, or close to the beginning. I don't usually outline until I'm well on my way into the story, and even then it's a "timeline" rather than an outline of the plot points. If I can start with one scene, I can write forward or backward from it. Another thing that helps is having an idea as to what time of year it is going to be set in.

Stephanie Burkhart (A Gentleman and a Rogue, A Steampunk Romance, release date Nov. 11)
I outline a rough plot, knowing there's room for change. I then cast the characters and make character bios. Then I research the setting. Lastly, I plot out the opening, trying to make it "action" orientated with the hero/heroine involved.

Now, I have a better idea of how stories come to me. My stories always begin with a character, either a man or a woman. The person is in some sort of scene--

A man walking along a dusty road--Why is he walking on a road? What catches his attention? How is he dressed? Why is he dressed that way?

A young woman waits for the train to arrive--Who is she waiting for? Is she anxious or happy? How is she dressed? Where is the location of the train depot? 

 A well dressed young woman running away in a horse and buggy--Why is she dressed up to run away? Whose buggy is it? Who is she running from? What did this person do to make her run away?

 Now, I get it. It's clearer now how I begin a story. Always with a character--never the scenery or the weather or any other explanation.

 As varied as these answers are, I suspect each writer has her/his own way of beginning a story.

If you are a writer, how do you begin a story?

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
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