BIAM – Darlene A. McGarrity

ROW80 Check-In

Things are coming along nicely. Very nicely. I have found great places to write away from the hustle and bustle of television and Phillies Games. Now, I love my Philadelphia Phillies, but sometimes I gotta put the boys on the back burner and concentrate. Ya feel me?

So.. book is coming along. I am working on the outline as well.

Today Andy and I drove down to Kelly Drive with the bicycles and I got some great ideas for location and a potential subplot. We did a six-mile loop on the bikes. There were so many people! People on bicycles, runners, walkers, rollerbladers, walkers, parents pushing kids in strollers. It was amazing.

I also came up with a another plot idea for another book. Andy said I am demented for coming up with such a wicked idea, but I can only thank the public bathroom and the dirt trail that led off to the right of it.

We looped around the Art Museum, passing a line of people waiting to have their pictures taken with the Rocky Statue. I found this interesting. All the history in Philadelphia and people come from all over to have their picture taken with a fictional character. I smiled at the line of tourists as I passed.

Rocky stands for the underdog, the working class, the loser, so to speak. Rocky had heart and did not give up. I needed to see that Rocky statue today.

Goals for this week:

Write! Write at least 400 words a day on at least five days.
Read! Read blogs and comment.
Research! I have to do a little more investigation into the areas of Philadelphia in my book.

Happy writing my fellow writer peeps! Stay strong, keep it real and remember…. taking a break to regroup is an important part of the process.

See ya on the flip-side! (I just always wanted to say that). 😀

The Write Stuff!

Ok, multitasking is bad. It is bad when I try to unsuccessfully drive, drink my coffee and smoke my cigarette all while trying to find a kick ass song on my radio. It is worse when I try to write chapter two in my WIP and my boyfriend is flipping back and forth between the Phillies game, L.A. Ink and Dr. Phil.

L.A. Ink is my fault because it is one of the episodes with Nikki Sixx on the show and I made him turn it on. Okay, I didn’t make him. He turned it on because he loves me so! *gush*

My writing is coming along nicely. I posted the first scene of my book to the Writer’s Digest forum for critiquing and I got some really good feedback.

Something I noticed: when I sit outside on the front step surrounded by chirping birds and the sounds from the near by street and neighbors, I write better. My head is not so clogged and concentration becomes doable. I also noticed that when I go to the Dunkin’ Donuts in Richboro down the street from my day job, I tend to focus more. Plus, when I go there I can get ideas for character traits and descriptions.

So, on that note… I am going to try to find quieter places to write if the opportunity should present itself.

My new book idea is super exciting! Once I find out a bit more about where it is going I may share some details. Or I may not. I am such a superstitious turd at times.

See, my writing process goes like this when I am in the living room:

Open WIP.
Get a bottle of water.
Sit back down; stare at screen.
Check Facebook.
Like a bunch of stuff on Facebook.
Check email.
Go back to word document. Read what I have already written. Twice.
Check Facebook again.
Go outside and smoke a cigarette.
Get a cup of coffee.
Sit back down.
Stare at word document which looks exactly the same the last time I looked.

It goes like this when I am out front:

Sit in chair.
Put cup of coffee on the little table.
Finish my cigarette.
Open the laptop.
Write for a half hour.
After the half hour, go back in the house.

I think I need a little more discipline!

Happy Writing Friends! One step at a time, one brick at a time, one word at a time.

ROW #80 Check-In Moving Right Along

Ya know, I sat and almost beat my head against the brick wall outside last week because I could not figure out what the hell to write about.

Then suddenly, as if the clouds parted and little word covered butterflies fell gently from the sky… I got an idea.

And now I am running with it!

I have been reading a lot more. I am reading Nikki Sixx’s “The Heroin Diaries” which is eye-opening. As an alcoholic/addict, clean and sober for 5+ years, I can relate to a lot of what he writes and can slightly identify with what I cannot relate to (does that even make sense?).

I also just purchased Stephen King’s “Under The Dome” which is awesome so far. I am only up to the groundhog part… but King is one of my influences and I can already tell it will be difficult to put this book down. Damn you Stephen King, damn you.

Goals accomplished for the week so far:
Finished outline for first part of novel
First draft of character outline
Reading books!

Goals not very accomplished:
commenting on blogs! – – I have been reading a lot of blogs, and have commented on a few. Will try to comment more.
Riding motorcycle – it has been very hot. When it hasn’t been hot, it has been raining.

Goals to strive for this week:
Research Philadelphia (yeah I grew up there, but still) particularly South Street, Olde City, Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street.
People watch at the park for character trait ideas. (not like a creeper!)
Write two parts of Chapter One.
AA meeting tonight.

Ok, that’s all for now. Happy writing friends! 🙂

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