Back to the book and more on Andrew Speaker, the TB passenger

I spoke to my editor yesterday. She really likes my book and I should be getting her editorial report this weekend. Very excited but also freaked out. I have to re-work the beginning of the book. This is note I heard from several readers. They enjoyed it but felt it takes too long to get into the meat of the story, which is set in Rome not Los Angeles. I wrote the ms in a linear way and might start the book with my protagonist in Rome and flashback to the horrific two weeks that proceeded her arrival.

I haven't worked on the book in 7 weeks. While I have enjoyed being able to get things done (gym, downloading CDs to my iPod, watching Good Morning America, spending time reading blogs and other things on the internet), I missed my book. Sometimes at the gym funny dialogue (to me anyway) that one of the characters might say pops into my head. I started to keep pen and paper next to my bed. I never felt like getting out of bed to write down good ideas and assumed I would remember them in the morning. I never did and it would drive me crazy all day.

Taking a walk or walking on the treadmill listening to music gets the creative juices flowing. Being in the shower and driving also seems to work. I read on one screenwriter's website it's because your subconcious is at work. This is why I like to write in the morning. After working all day my brain is fried and I'm not a night person.

I am looking foward (fear aside) to getting back into the swing of things. I love writing. I love the world the book is set in. Working on the book again will bring some non-caloric enjoyment back into my sad little life. I was in a foul mood all week (my co-workers even noticed) because the long weekend was so booooooring. I was glad to go on a hike with a friend Sunday morning but sitting at home Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night made me salty. I thought "why am I spending every night at home watching Emmy DVD screeners?" or "would it be a really bad idea to bake a cake for one person?"

I watch the GMA interview at the gym with Andrew Speaker. He has changed his attitude. Before he said "I'm a smart, successful person, I'm not going to do that" meaning staying in Rome until the CDC could figure out a way to get him to Denver without him flying commercially. Now he says he's sorry, started crying and saying he never meant to put anyone at risk.

What is outrageous is when the border officer swiped Speaker's passport it said to detain him. The officer thought Speaker "looked" healthy and let him through. WTF?!! The report said not to let him in the country. If Speaker wasn't a good looking lawyer with his pretty wife next to him, would they have stopped him. What part of DO NOT ALLOW ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES did the officer not understand? This person should not be protecting our borders.