Ellen ES Ceely's Blog

Dear Western North Carolina,

Once upon a time you welcomed a wide-eyed, heartbroken 20-year-old trying to find her way in the world with open arms. You took her broken heart and helped stitch it back together.

That 20-year-old, of course, was me.

I was looking for home, for a place to belong, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever find it. I’d already lost two homes, two places I loved, and my heart ached. But your looming mountains, crisp air, and changing seasons took me in.

I fell in love...

I’ve done all the brainstorming I can think to do.
I’ve written the outline.
I’ve filled in preliminary details for each chapter.

Tomorrow it’s time to start writing the Red Riding Hood mystery. I’ll start The Snow Queen retelling soon. But I would love to finish writing RRH by the end of the year. I have 90 days left. It might be too ambitious with current life events. But there’s only one way to find out.

I wrote most of the first draft of my Seven Ravens retelling (A Curse of Feathers & F...

I’m apparently really bad at keeping up with my blog. Good thing I set low expectations for myself!

I’ve started two new projects. I’m still in the “baking” stages.

The first is a fairytale retelling of The Snow Queen. I have a preliminary cover, title, and map – all of which make me excited. The outline is there, and the more I work on things like the map, the more details start to come out.

Rant: I don’t know why the fairytale was named for the queen. She’s barely in it. The story sh...

It’s been a second. Not on purpose. Just me getting distracted by publishing and editing deadlines and forgetting this space exists to write whatever I feel like writing!

A Curse of Feathers & Fools is out, and I’m so proud of that book! It was a joy to write in a season of difficulty and I’m thankful for how it helped me. I’m also thankful for the joy I see it bringing to others.

If you enjoy stories where the princess saves herself and everyone else, this one might be for you! If you’re loo...

There’s always an awkward period for an author between finishing one story and beginning the next. That’s where I’m stuck right now.

There are so many stories I could tell. Many I want to tell too. But I need to choose. I can’t write all of them at the same time. Some might not even be meant for me.

In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about stories as though they’re real people asking for attention. They knock on our door, ask to be told, and wait. But if we wait too long, they’ll knock...

It’s hot here in NC. The temp has been in the upper 90’s and hundreds the last couple weeks and I hate it! I just finished mopping my house and I’m a sweaty mess sitting underneath my fan.

I know, lovely.

Give me fall. I want to curl up on the couch with the windows open, wear a sweater, and look out at colorful leaves! I want to sip hot matcha from a mug and curse my seasonal allergies. I want cold nights and mild days.

I just need to get through summer.

The next book I’m workin...

Migraine has played a part in most of my adult life. The first time I remember getting a migraine was when I was 17. I’d spent the day in the heat and I was dehydrated. By the time I got home I had to lie in the dark with a frozen washcloth over my eyes.

In my early 20’s it became a regular occurrence, usually lasting for days on end. By age 25 it was a weekly event with more minor headaches happening every day.

By the time I went to an acupuncturist as a last-ditch effort to treat my pa...

Today I felt a little lost. I wasn’t sure what I should do for writing. Other than blog, that is. I finished transferring edits onto the computer yesterday and sent A Curse of Feathers & Fools off to Beta Readers.

I’m excited. And nervous. It doesn’t matter how many times I go through this process, there will always be some nerves attached to sharing a book with others. Vulnerability is never easy.

So now what? Do I start a new project? Re-assess the novel that’s 75% written? Read the bo...

Today I finished the first edits of A Curse of Feathers & Fools.

I feel excited, happy, and relieved.

I can tell as I’m editing how much my writing has transformed over the years and how I’ve grown as a writer. I’m much quicker to change a phrase so it’s more concise and uses less filler words when editing than I used to be. If the thing that needs to be said can be said with 2 words instead of 3, that’s what I’ll do. My sentences end up shorter and more descriptive. The only times I choos...

I didn’t post over the weekend. My gut reaction was to judge my lack of commitment. Then I remembered why I started this blogging journal/challenge: to write. Just write. Just for fun. Just for me.

Who cares if I missed a couple days? No one.
Who did it hurt? Nobody.
Does it matter in the larger scheme of things? Nope.

So here’s to day 3!

This week my focus is finishing editing A Curse of Feathers & Fools. Then I’ll format it enough to send off to Beta readers.

I’m excited about thi...