Monday, January 31, 2011

The Rockford Files and Simon and Garfunkel



I like ducks.

It's been one of those eclectic weeks, as you can see by the heading for the blog. Before I get into the dissection of said topic, I want to thank Rediscovered Books and Megan for hosting my book signing there last Thursday. Also, thanks to Kathy, another Partner in Crime, and Ashley, a friend and the author of Fins (YA fiction) for helping make the evening fun.

Now. I need to attend to the Middle Portion of the Book. Sigh. It's a great feeling to reach the 100 page mark, but the joy is short-lived. After all, it's about one-third of the way through and the MIDDLE is often the MUDDLE for writers. Stuff needs to happen. So...

I've been recalling what experts have told me. One important thing is to consider what the worst possible thing to happen to your characters might be and then make it happen. So I'm doing just that. Fortunately, I've got the MOB to work with and they do some really bad stuff.

I'm thinking kidnapping, extortion, car chases (that's from Rockford), and some poetic moments (Simon and Garfunkel). Going to work on this now.

This Christmas we got the entire Rockford Files series as a present. I am a serious James Garner fan. The Mob is ever-present in these shows, so I'm taking notes. Have my pen and paper by my side while I'm viewing.

If you're curious about the Simon and Garfunkel connection, I'll get into that next week. Hope your writing is going well. Going to check out some of my favorite writer blog sites tomorrow. Also going to scope out a possible root canal. I hate my hair and my teeth. Grrrr.

3 comments:

  1. Yes, all of that and ducks is quite an odd mixture.
    Just make the beginning really long and the ending really long so they touch in the middle!

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  2. Oh, you know what? I think that duck looks a lot like Angel. And any time you get Angel and the mob together, brother you BETTER duck! lol!

    Marian Allen

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  3. My grandfather used to collect all things duck related. My Grandma hated it. I like ducks and inherited several from him. :)
    The saggy middle, the means to get from A to Z (but not too quickly), is a challenge. Steal away. I included saving a baby from falling through ice on a river as a plot booster (it also helped with my character's growth). So maybe I pulled from Ice Road Truckers instead of Rockford Files. I write romance, so my poetic moments were also passionate ones. I don't think Simon and Garfunkel would be much of an inspiration. Althought now I do have Song of Silence stuck in my head. :)
    Good luck with all and sundry.

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