A little ditty about Ben & Celeste
... and a peek into the mind of a writer plus an introvert leaves the house!
I wish I could tell you that writing a novel, or anything really, for me is a logical process. It would make sense (right?) if I could start at the beginning and write straight through to the end. I think there are some writers out there for whom this is the process.
I am not one of those.
I write like I’m putting together a puzzle and I haven't found all the pieces yet. A scene pops into my head and I write it and any subsequent scenes until I don’t where to go. Then I start from another spot in the story and write there. Inspiration hits me throughout my day and sometimes it’s days or weeks before the scene in my head makes it onto the computer.
If it sounds confusing, it can be. I have a really good software tool for my writing that helps me make sense of all these pieces. (It’s Scrivener, if you’re a writer type and are familiar with that. I don’t know what I’d do without Scrivener.)
All of that to say that I was hit with inspiration during my day job a few weeks ago and this week I finally got to address it.
As you might know, I’m writing a novel. Maybe you’ll actually read it someday? Get a sneak peek below.
And I’m intending to finish it by this summer as part of my 10 Things I Made Myself Do project. (You can read more about that below.)
The holidays got busy and I neglected my novel writing for weeks, so to start the new year off right, I did something unconventional (for me). I left the house! Alone! On purpose! When it was dark and cold!
There’s a writing group in my city that I’ve been aware of for months but just hadn’t been able to make it work with my schedule. This year, I’ve decided to make my schedule work so that I can include this event every month.
Because it was so encouraging to walk into a room filled with people who were also working on their writing, some of whom have published their works or have jobs in the industry. It was welcoming and productive and I think it is already one of my highlights of the year and I only went once!
Carving out intentional time to write is the only way I’m going to make this goal I’ve set, and sometimes that means doing a new thing like leaving the house even though I’d rather be wrapped in a blanket reading a book.
The moment you’ve (maybe) been waiting for
It’s been a few months since I shared an excerpt of the novel. And the epiphany I had recently is that some of this story might work as a short prequel because it involves the parents (Ben and Celeste) of the main character (Halley).
So today I present to you an excerpt of a potential prequel to When Stars Align. (For a recap and opening chapter of that book, click the link below.) It’s rough. I haven’t finished all my research. It’s truly a first draft; that’s how much I trust you and feel comfortable with you, dear readers.
Excerpt from Untitled prequel
Ben Jacobs was only here for the extra credit. While he liked science, he had trouble remembering all the parts of an experiment and had no patience for all the details his teacher demanded like correct punctuation and complete sentences. Ben liked the hands-on parts of the experiment, curiosity driving him to rush through the steps and see what the results might be.
The result of this approach to his high school science class was a low C, borderline D, and that was not going to help him get into college and pursue any kind of degree in science. This viewing of Halley's Comet, and the subsequent paper he would have to write, could boost his grade by almost a letter if he didn't slack off.
So here he was on a Friday night in the middle of a cornfield with a lawn chair and a notebook ready to view Halley's comet through the telescope his teacher had brought, or if they were lucky, with the naked eye. He prepared himself for boredom. He hadn't prepared to be mesmerized by the bubbly brunette talking with a group of students he didn't recognize. She was gesturing excitedly and pointing to the stars in a way that made him want to know what she was talking about. The group around her looked bored. She either didn't notice or didn't care.
Jack, a kid he recognized from his class walked up next to him, hauling a lawn chair.
"Hey," he said. "Do you know anything about that group over there?"
Jack shrugged. "I think they're from the private school. Mr. O said the teacher over there asked if they could tag along. I'm guessing that's who they are. I've never seen them before at our school."
Ben was sure they didn't go to the same school. He wouldn't have overlooked a girl like the one leading the conversation. Not in a million years. He was staring, so he busied himself setting up his chair and situating himself. He wasn't sure how this was going to go, so he sat down and looked up at the sky.
When was the last time he'd done this? Probably not since he was little. It was a clear night, and they were away from the city's lights, so the sky was dotted with more stars than he could count. He started looking for the constellations he knew by heart: the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Orion's belt. He couldn't quite make them out. He stood and turned around. Which way was north? Wasn't one of them connected to the North Star?
"There."
He turned to find the girl he'd been watching next to him, pointing toward a bright star in the sky.
"That's the north star. It's what you were looking for, right?"
Ben nodded, afraid if he tried to talk, he would tell her she was wrong. He hadn't been looking for a star at all; he'd been looking for her. His face felt warm. How could a girl he'd never met make him feel this way?
"I'm Celeste," she said, holding out a hand for him to shake.
"Ben," he said, finding his voice and reaching out to take her hand. He could have sworn a jolt of electricity passed between them when their skin met, but maybe he was just imagining it. Meeting a girl for the first time under the stars was awfully romantic, and for whatever reason, he was susceptible to romantic thoughts right about now.
Celeste. He held her hand for a moment longer just to make sure she was real and not an angel dropped down from heaven. Her name suggested she wasn't from earth, and he felt drawn to her like he was a piece of an asteroid being pulled into a planet's orbit.
"Isn't this amazing, Ben?" she said, releasing his hand and flinging her arms wide to her sides as she stared at the stars. "So many stars and constellations. And the comet? I've been waiting my whole life for this."
He could only nod along. Her whole life? How was that possible? She couldn't be much older than he was, if that.
"I know it sounds crazy." She kept talking and he could listen to her forever. "But my family is really into science and space. I've known the constellations and how to find them since I was a little girl. I'm just obsessed with stars. Maybe that's because of my name. And my mom's name is Estelle, so we kind of have a star theme going. If I ever have a daughter, I'll have to name her after a star or something, to keep the tradition going." She paused. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ben. Am I talking too much? I have that habit. My mom says it scares people off. You probably want to run away right about now."
"Actually the opposite is true." It was a rare moment of boldness for Ben, who might have taken the opportunity to leave when she gave it. But something about Celeste made him think that if he didn't hang on to her now, he would lose any chance of knowing her in the future. "I could listen to you talk all day. I've never met someone who knew so much about the stars." He smiled, at least he hoped it was a smile. In the darkness, he couldn't see too well, and Celeste made him so nervous, his smile could easily look like a grimace.
She didn't smile in return and Ben figured he'd blown it by being so honest. Way to go, Jacobs.
So he was surprised when she stepped closer and rested her hand on his arm.
"That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, Ben. Thank you." She linked her arm with his, and he was too stunned to protest. Not that he wanted to. "Now, where are you sitting? I want to sit by you when this whole thing happens."
Ben pointed at the chair behind him, and Celeste squeezed his arm.
"Be right back."
He watched her skip across the clearing and pick up a chair and bring it back, plunking it back down right next to his.
"Sit with me, Ben. I want to know all about you." She patted his chair as she sat in hers, and Ben was helpless to obey. He had a feeling he would do anything she asked, even if it wasn't in his power to do so.
"There's not much to tell," he said. "I'm a pretty regular guy."
She swatted him playfully. "A regular guy who just happens to come to a rare comet viewing on a Friday night?"
He wanted her to believe he was as interested in the stars as she was, but he also wanted to come clean.
"Honestly, I'm here for extra credit. My science grade could be better."
That was when she laughed, and Ben knew he would do anything to hear that laughter for the rest of his days on earth. Her eyes were brighter than a hundred stars and to look at her was to be blinded by an internal light. He couldn't stare for too long and he couldn't look away.
"Why is that funny?" He hoped he didn't sound defensive. He wasn't trying to make a joke.
"Because, Ben, that might be the first time someone hasn't tried to impress me with their science fascination. It's honest and it's refreshing." She scooted closer and whispered, "So, what do you have to do for extra credit? Maybe I can help."
For a moment, Ben forgot what his assignment was. All he could think about was the nearness of this girl who was so different from anyone else he knew. That she was even giving him attention was an unexplained miracle.
Ben wasn’t someone that girls tended to notice, at least not the girls at his school. He wasn’t an athlete or a “bad” boy. His family didn’t have money. He was utterly forgettable.
Until Celeste looked at him.
Then, he felt like the most fascinating person in the universe.
Should I keep going?
That’s it for now. I have a lot of work to do to flesh out this scene and the rest of Ben and Celeste’s story. That’s not technically part of my plan to finish When Stars Align, so it probably won't get the same amount of attention as the full novel, but I’d love to hear what you think. (Just be kind! You can be honest AND kind.)
Thanks for reading!
I want to know more about Ben and Celeste. You've captured my curiosity.
Nicely done.