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Sweet Home Chicago!

No, I'm not from Chicago, but it has become a second home in the past few years. My girlfriend and I - along with her friends - are flying into O'hare tomorrow evening for a few days of baseball, Chicago dogs and pizza, and the obvious tourists things, like the Hancock building and Sears Tower, Lincoln Park Zoo and Grant Park, along with plenty of alcohol with some Blues music. And probably rain...

What do I have to do to get a sunny day in Chicago? I have never been to a prettier city with such crappy weather that seems to change its mind with every other breeze. Regardless, I'm sure it's going to be a great time. Now I just have to find the time to write.

This is the new progression as of late that I am going through. I'm beginning to take writing seriously. More seriously, I should say.

George Carlin just passed away (rest in peace, old man), and I watched quite a few things on him yesterday. All of a sudden I became a little more interested in characters. Listening to Carlin speak on a number of shows, I started to understand what it takes to make a character believable. You have to believe in the character you're creating (or in his case, inheriting). I know this sounds really obvious and simple, but for some reason, hearing him talk about it like that, I began to understand.

So with my query on its way to New York, I have begun to give the second book more attention. I hope this one will have a slant towards the characters. It's funny how inspiration and direction comes from the most obscure of places. And as always, I'm sure I will come home from Chicago with plenty more inspiration. There is just something about that city in particular that just inspires me to write.

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