Decadent Publishing: 7 Reasons Writing Is Like the Olympics

By Cate Masters

I’m so excited for the 2014 Winter Olympics! Watching these athletes perform after years and years of practice is nothing short of amazing. As the saying goes, it’s like poetry in motion.

So of course it reminded me of writing. While our writer bodies might not be in motion, what’s happening on the page is definitely lyrical. When it comes out right. :)

Here are seven reasons why writing, to me, is like the Olympics:

1. The first time a story idea hits, it’s a thrill, probably much like an athlete the first time they endeavor a never-tried move.

2. Writing a sentence that’s as perfect as I can make it is a high. I imagine it’s something like when an athlete practices and practices for hours on end to perfect a move, and finally nails it.

3. Working out plot twists is like a slalom, but instead of snow flying in our wake, it’s words.

4. Putting it all together is like a wonderfully choreographed routine that twists and flows, dips and soars.

5. Finally typing The End. The moment of silence when we’ve finished the practice routine for the last time, made it the best it can be, and can’t wait for an audience to see it.

6. A publisher’s acceptance, I bet, is something like the aerial flips of a snowboard after it launches from the half-pipe.

7. Getting glowing reviews from readers. I could be standing on that winner’s podium, bowing my head while the ribbon holding the gold medal is draped around my neck. There’s nothing quite like it, a feeling that stays with you for a long time. And yes, something to admire long after.

Of course, like any athlete, there’s no resting on our laurels. Once the fanfare has died down, we do what the best always do: get back to work. And reach again for the highest level we possibly can achieve.

Writing A Wedding at the Blue Moon Cafe felt like that. These characters had me at hello. From the moment I began writing, their story kept surprising me in the best way. And like the Olympics, there’s some action, some drama, and a whole lot of heart.

I hope you’ll read it. They will take you on a ride you won’t forget.

Here’s the blurb:

Never look back. Clarissa Hartman left her miserable life behind the day she graduated high school, the same day she turned 18. Driving for days, the road led her to Marfa, Texas. Right away, she knew she’d found home. Seven years later, she’s found her place in life plus the one thing she never expected to find: love. Dylan Wall’s everything she ran away from. So why can’t she stay away from him?

Never give up. Dylan Wall is at the top of his game. His PR firm’s sought out by brand name companies, but he’s so busy spinning everyone else’s reps, he doesn’t realize his personal life’s taken a downhill turn. Deep down, he knows that somewhere, the perfect someone is waiting for him. The woman who’ll accept him for who he is – if he’s ever able to reveal it. When he lands in Marfa for his best friend’s wedding, Clarissa’s sharp tongue puts everything in a different perspective. She draws out a side of himself hidden away for too long. She’s everything he wants, in the wrong package. So why does she feel like home?

In Marfa, appearances are deceptive. Discovering the truth beneath the surface is the first step toward finding yourself, and joy.