I'm Getting Excited

First of all, I lost 6 lb.

Second, something remotely resembling a routine has been emerging in the two weeks I've been riding to work with my husband. (No, we don't work at the same place, but our respective offices are just five minutes apart.) I've even worked in 20 minutes for exercise, which has given me more energy.

Finally, as I get more into the reading over of what I've already written on my overdue WIP, I'm finding that I truly like what I've written. I'm having fun with my heroine, who is more visibly flawed than most of the others I've created. Not that she has a port wine birthmark or some physical flaw, but it's her personality. She's refreshingly, sometimes even brutally, honest . . . at least she thinks she's being honest. You know the type. When a news story about a truant kid who gets run over by a school bus airs, she's the who says, "That's a shame . . . but if he'd brought his ass to school like he was supposed to he'd still be alive."

My story is taking on a definite shape, the characters are jumping to life, and I couldn't be more pleased about it. While I've still got some writing to do in a relatively short period of time, I've read over the first 135 pages and am more than satisfied with them. Unless I find I've contradicted something said earlier, these pages are as good as turned in.



I'll be busy tomorrow, so I'm going to wish everyone a good weekend now.

4 comments:

PatriciaW said...

Way to go, on the weight loss and the manuscript!

And this heroine sounds like one I definitely have to read.

Lori said...

Let me second what Patricia W. said, your heroine sounds like my kind of gal (LOL).

But what I'd REALLY like to know--how exactly did you lose those 6 lbs?! What kind of exercises are you doing? I've been walking a mile and half a night and haven't lost a thing. Of course, I come home and eat chocolate ice-cream after my walk, which I'm sure doesn't help (smile).

bettye griffin said...

Thanks, Patricia! I'll be posting excerpts early next year. No need to do character sketches; the book is written in first person.

Lori, I think that chocolate ice cream is doing you in. I do stretches in the morning (if I want to get down the stairs without pain), and in the afternoon I do aerobics for 10 minutes, followed by sidebends and crunches for another 10 minutes so I can whittle down my waist and tummy. The key is what I'm eating. Either a bowl of cereal and fruit for breakfast or a small helping of scrambled Egg Beaters - I allow myself real eggs only twice a week - a spoonful of potatoes, and two sausage links (preferably turkey) or bacon strips, plus fruit. No bread. Lunch is a salad with limited dressing. Dinner (when I have it) is a piece of meat and vegetables. No potatoes, rice, or macaroni and cheese. I've also cut back on sweets. Now that I'm seeing some results, it's easier to stick to!

Lori said...

Bettye,
Thanks for the tips. Of course, the ice cream has to go (LOL). I've recently changed it to a single low-cal chocolate pudding cup. Gotta get that chocolate in there somehow (smile).