Only managed to squeeze in 15 minutes of writing time today — early in the a.m. before going into the office for a full day of online marketing. After work, I went to the gym and got in my 30 minutes of cardio before taking in a wine tasting event (FREE WINE!) downtown.

I decided that while I was on the bike at the gym I would try to read a book. I’ve seen people do it and figured it might be a good way to pass time — better, I was certain, than watching 30 minutes of Cash Cab. Ugh. So, I brought along my new copy of Sand in my Eyes by author Christine Lemmon, whose website I’m in love with, and managed to hold the book while pedaling. I was pretty impressed with myself, given the fact I am athletically-challenged and am not known for my balancing skills.

As I read this story, I found my mind drifting away from the pages from time to time, filling up with ideas to enhance a scene in my own book. Maybe it’s Christine’s writing style? The character? Not sure why, but page after page I found myself thinking of my characters and my plot…Weird. There are no similarities at all between Christine’s novel and my own work-in-progress so I can’t explain why the story has fueled my creativity, but it does reinforce my belief that “if you are a writer, you must read.”

When I got home, before I got ready for the FREE WINE TASTING (did I mention it was FREE?), I jotted down all of the ideas and tidbits of information that were sparked by my reading-at-the-gym experience, before they floated away. Complete sentences and descriptions of a scene were formed.

So now, I wonder if  I need to fill my gym bag with not only my latest read, but a notebook for those times when I need to jot something down for the book. Talk about multi-tasking. I’m tired just thinking about it!

Do you think all this reading, writing, and pedaling will help me regain my girlish figure?

Good day today. Small breakthrough with Claire’s character. Re-wrote (ugh….backwards, again) a part of the second chapter. Didn’t get in my 1000 words before leaving for the “day job.” Bummer.

Worked all day at the office, and then it was off to Emily Griffin’s book release party, for her new book “Heart of the Matter.”  It was held in a swank new Atlanta hotel. Beautiful. My friends and I bought our book, a glass of wine, and then waited in line (good people-watching) for about an hour to get the new book signed by Emily. You could feel the buzz in the air. Readers talking about the book.

I met Jackie Cooper — author, film critic, and book reviewer — who told us the book was great, and shared his thoughts on Emily’s latest book in his book review on The Huffington Post.

It was a night of high fashion (not mine…), cocktails, books, authors, good friends, and good food. After the signing we strolled down the block and had a bite to eat at Einstein’s. Living in the suburbs, as I do, with all of the Taco Bells and Olive Gardens, it was nice to sit outside (and it was after 9 p.m.!), enjoy a glass of wine and a salad with my girls — like a grown up. For a moment I felt like I could live in the city.

Back on track with the writing tomorrow.

Productive day today, writing wise. Finished two articles–one I promised to deliver by Monday. Put together a new page on the site, sharing my favorite books. Did some quick edits, and worked on a scene.

Decided to stop editing. Just write. Finding that by going backwards, already, before the final FIRST draft is done, I’m losing momentum on getting the pieces of the story together.

Had a nice chat with a writer friend. Always helps to talk to fellow writers. We are a unique bunch.

Spent far too much time on Twitter today. I’m obsessed with all forms of social media and online communication. It doesn’t help that one of my main responsibilitis at the day job is social media marketing –but I do love it. As a author, I love what it can do, as far as networking, spreading the word about you and your work. And the ability to engage with other writers, at various stages of their writing career, is absolutely genius.

I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with several great writers, both seasoned and brand new, through social media, including: Jacqueline Mitchard, Claire Cook, Jenny Gardiner, and more. Delightful women, all of them.

Goal for tomorrow? Up early. Two hours of writing before the “day job.”

After my evening with  friends / writers / authors :  Jackie Miles , Linda Sands, and Joshilyn Jackson, and Jack Riggs  (and all of the above, in some cases), and a bunch of other writers from The Atlanta Writers Club, I was inspired.

The 2010 Townsend Prize for Fiction was awarded to Kathryn Stockett, for her novel The Help. Kathryn was not in attendance, but her mother was there to accept the award on her behalf. Very sweet. There was plenty of good food, great conversation, and nominees were on hand to sell signed copies of their books. 

I wrote (rewrote?) 500 words before logging on to my computer for the day job. The book is there, in pieces, as I’ve said, but it needs tweaking, re-organizing, and pulling together. I am hoping to be done, first polished draft, by the end of May. Fingers crossed. 

The issue I have is with edits. I can get caught up in editing as I write. Going back over it, sentence by sentence. If I can’t get past that obsession for first draft perfection, I will never be done. 

A writer once told me that the best way to write the first draft is to “Vomit it out.” Just expel the story onto paper or the computer screen. Good advice. Get the story out — and it will be crap…rest assured. Don’t count on having anything but crap on the first expulsion. I have the “crap,” and now I have to polish it. Rewrite. Move things around. Add things (Jeff..). Lots to be done.

On a roll today.

Going to the Margaret Mitchell House to hang out with writers / authors tonight. Yay! I always feel so much more motivated after attending these kinds of events. Maybe it’s the “misery loves company” mentality that appeals to me.

Didn’t get much writing done this morning. Set the alarm to get up at 6 a.m., per usual, but made the mistake of rolling over and hitting the snooze button one too many times. As this was an “in-the-office” day, I didn’t have the luxury of skipping the shower before getting ready for the day job. My co-workers prefer it.

Showered, got coffee, and managed to write a blog about my AHA moment for my “other blog” (the non-writing-specific, just witty stuff about my daily life). That was it for my writing today.