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Author Topic: NSG 1/8 - 1/15
WBSchmidt
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Welcome to this week's Novel Support Group (NSG). Anyone can join. If you're new, tell us a bit about who you are and what project you are working on. Although we can report on any number of things, here is a list of suggestions (suggestions welcomed).

  • What were your goals last week and did you accomplish them?
  • Describe what you worked on.
  • Set goals for next week.
  • Did you learn something during this week?

Here is a list of things that you can do each week as we work on our novels (suggestions welcomed).

  • Writing on a novel
  • Characterization
  • World Building
  • Relevant research

=-=-=-=-=

Welcome to all of the new members to the Novel Support Group. It's so nice to have new people.

Last Week's Goals

I actually did some writing this week. Yeah! It was only a couple hundred words on a character history but it was SOMETHING.

My goals for next week:

  • 2010 list of goals
  • Just write

Right now I just want to get back into the habit of writing. With the character history I'm writing I may take the history of events and write mini short stories for each of the significant events in that character's history. None of those would be publish but it would get me into the habit of writing and I may come up with additional details I may not have by simply writing a paragraph of what happened during that character's life.

I don't want have a word count goal right now because I have another story idea I thought of on the way home from work yesterday. I don't know anything about it other than how the story opens. It may be nothing, a short story, or a novel. I don't know but it was an interesting beginning to a story (for me anyway). So, I may write a little hear and there for that.

What did I learn this week?

Never giving up. I may not have been writing the last couple months, but I still stuck with the NSG and I'm slowly getting back into writing. I may have missed starting a couple NSG posts but I wanted to stay with the group and watch everyone else's successes knowing that I wanted to start back up. It has been many years since I wrote regularly when I joined Hatrack so it will take me a while to fully get back into that habit. So, for anyone else feeling they want to give up: don't. Come here every week and even if you merely write a post stating, "I didn't write" please keep returning. No matter what and eventually the writing will come back. Perhaps stronger than before.

That's what I learned. I hope you all learned something this week as well.

--William

[This message has been edited by WBSchmidt (edited July 09, 2010).]


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Meredith
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I had a reasonably good week.
Last Week's Goals:

DREAMER'S ROSE: Continue to let this one rest.
Love those easy goals.

THE SHAMAN'S CURSE: Have a look at the synopsis.
No, but I did at least send the query out to an agent that didn't want a synopsis. Got a form rejection the next day (on my birthday, too).

THE IGNORED PROPHECY: Make revisions as the chapter critiques come back.
Yes.

BLOOD WILL TELL: Make revisions as the chapter critiques come back. And finish typing in the revisions that were on the old computer.
Finished typing in th revisions, but the chapter exchange has been on hold this week. About to get started up again, though.

SEVEN STARS: This is still my playground. No specific goals.
No goals, but I've written some stuff I really like.

OTHER: I still need to work on revisions to Dragons are Forever and The Seeker.
Yes, I still do need to work on that.

MISC. Try again to install the router so I won't have that kind of computer problem ever again.
I still have to do this. Just as soon as my tolerance for frustration recovers.

Next Week's Goals:

DREAMER'S ROSE:
Continue to let this one rest. My plate's too full to go back for these revisions right now.

THE SHAMAN'S CURSE:
Have a look at the synopsis. Continue sending this one out.

THE IGNORED PROPHECY:
I've got a chapter exchange going on this one. Make revisions as the chapter critiques come back.

BLOOD WILL TELL:
Make revisions as the chapter critiques come back.

SEVEN STARS:
This is still my playground. No specific goals.

OTHER:
I still need to work on revisions to Dragons are Forever and The Seeker.

MISC.
Try again to install the router so I won't have that kind of computer problem ever again.



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Owasm
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Didn't meet my goals. I've got two short story deadlines to meet next week and am working on three stories as possibles.

Panix: Didn't touch. Not writer's block. Writer's laziness.

Bellian: Mostly thinking. One of my reader's comments talked about a romantic interest happening too quickly. I've solved that one by probably introducing the character earlier on and establishing a longer romantic arc.


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Kitti
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I fell through on all my goals for last week except to move. And even that almost didn't happen (kamikaze deer + trailer + snow = bad). I suppose all's well that ends well....

Goals for this week:
1) Continue chapter exchange on TGS
2) Real Life Stuff


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dougsguitar
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"Shana-na-na, Shana-na-na-nana... get a job!" couldn't resist... #1 project right now! Yep.

Started breaking the Ravencroft Pass behemoth down into two books. I plan to post topics in the open discussion thread next week.

I am sneaking up on a 20 year dream to write a full album length story set to music. Anyone remember albums? Each song would be like a chapter/scene.
i.e. - Rush, 2112; Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger; Pink Floyd, The Wall; Peter Gabrial, The Passion... etc. Wish me luck!


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InarticulateBabbler
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As far as "Concept Albums", dougsguitar, they are so many.

Iced Earth has:
Dark Saga
Something Wicked
Horror Show
The Glorious Burden
Framing Armageddon

Blind Guardian has:
Somewhere Far Beyond
Nightfall in Middle Earth
A Night at the Opera
A Twist in the Myth

Queensr˙che has

Operation Mindcrime 1 and 2

Savatage had Streets...I could go on and on...

Anyway, won't get any writing done until Monday, laptop's adapator went, again...


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Unwritten
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Last week's goals:

To finish editing at least one of my two remaining chapters of Earth's Gate. I just finished. YAY!

Next week's goals:

To completely finish this edit of Earth's Gate and get a beta reader or two (in addition to Meredith, who has given me some important things to think about).

To enter the mind-numbingly overwhelming world of publishing.

Melanie


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LAJD
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Last Week (1/1-1/7)
-Complete the second draft on the second 10K of SF
-complete 14K of Inbetween ( this gives me my 2K/day)
-meet standing goals.

Standing goals: (that's easy)
-write at least 2000 new words each day.
-keep my SuperNoteCard deck up to date on structural and character changes for my current WIPs (SF and In between)
-Read and crit at least 2 shorts or 1/2 of a novel each week.

That sound you hear is my goals crashing up against the reality of existence.
I got about 1/2 of my rewrite on SF done and realized yesterday that some of my structure is wrong. I also had a crisis of research akin to that last experienced when I wrote my thesis, and decided early last week that I knew NOTHING about 19th century Gold Rush San Francisco and promptly descended into heart palpitations. So I took a deep breath, a day off (to clean the kitchen) and scheduled a replanning day for tomorrow (sunday); just me, SF post-ets and a whole lot of butcher paper.

-So, I did get about 5K on the second draft, and some of that may be within the new structure.
-I kept the Supernotecard up to date but it will likely look very very different next week.
-I critted two shorts
-My new work is taking the hit in all the churn- I have not looked at this, except briefly, this week. That's probably best until SF settles down. Since it's not a fantasy historial it's looking really good right now.
-I made my 2K per day partly by a participating in the Liberty Hall flash challenge. It was nice to be back over there.


This week (1/8-1/15)
-Keep the standing goals (above)
-complete the restructure of SF
-For gods sake STOP RESEARCHING, I can fix any errors about the lace length in drawers in a rewrite! ::rolls eyes::
-make some headway on Inbetween (other work) I'm leaving this a soft (read bad) goal because anything I do here will be gravy and get me back on track. I can pound myself next week when SF is back in smooth waters.



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Crank
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LAST WEEK
I didn't set any measurable goals last week, but only promised myself that my daily work load would be more productive than it was the week prior. Simply put, I kept that promise.


THIS WEEK

* Mainstream novel: The continuity issues in the first third of the story have been resolved, so, unless I find more, I'm clear to crank out a few thousand new words.

* SF novel: I've already started writing a few scenes that test how well I know what I've been studying, and how it will fit into the story. I will continue this practice.

* Two of my short stories are hinting that they want me to expand them into full novels. I will spend some time this coming week exploring that possibility.

S!
S!


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Dark Warrior
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LAST WEEKS GOALS:

ISLANDS IN THE SKY Working Title

  • Brush up characterization
  • Begin outline
  • Didn't touch this. Decided I am going to focus on Lunar Wars for novel work.

    THE LUNAR WARS Working Title

  • Brush up characterization
  • Begin outline
  • Expanded my WOTF entry outline for novelization. Added two major plot lines and numerous sub-plots. Expanded characters from four to eight. Outlined four of twelve anticipated chapters.

    Misc-Practice for novels by:

  • Continue WOTF Q02 project Accomplished
  • Edit and Submit No Quarter (Sci-Fi short) for pub Accomplished
  • Research The First War(Historic/Sci-Fi short) for pub
  • Continue read of Writing the Breakout Novel Accomplished
  • Review Scene & Structure Accomplished
  • Review Handbook for Writers

    THIS WEEKS GOALS:

    ISLANDS IN THE SKY Working Title

  • Brainstorming only

    THE LUNAR WARS Working Title

  • Finish outline
  • Sharpen plotlines
  • Deepen characters

    Misc-Practice for novels by:

  • Continue WOTF Q02 project
  • Research The First War(Historic/Sci-Fi short) for pub
  • Continue read of Writing the Breakout Novel
  • Review Handbook for Writers

    [This message has been edited by Dark Warrior (edited January 13, 2010).]


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  • Lyrajean
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    I didn't met my goals this week. Mostly because I was really tired after escorting my realitves all over Japan, and its cold and damp so of course my allergies are acting up.

    MY goals for Heart of Silver were to write a significant scene. It's been coming out in dribbles. Not a cohesive chunk of prose. I think I'm having a (shortlived I hope) case of writer's block and still processing after my trip.

    I also meant to go back to some internet sites and review the research I did thinking up intereting medical tech for my story. I did this but failed to find some of the articles I looked at before. I knew I should have saved them or at least favorited the sites so I could find them again. -Aarghhh!


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    MAP
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    Didn't make my goals this week. I am having real motivation issues I need to work through.

    Next week. Write two chapters.


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    Unwritten
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    This is the chapter that NEVER ends. It just goes on and on my friend. I started editing it, not knowing what it was, and I'll continue editing it forever just because...

    I've been editing my last chapter for days now. It needed some serious revision, but still. I don't think I'm ever going to get to the end. Every morning I put real life on hold because I'm so close to finishing that I can taste it. And every night I stay up late thinking tonight will be the night.

    But you can't fool me anymore. I'm locked in the writer's version of Groundhog Day.


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    Kathleen Dalton Woodbury
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    Oh, Unwritten, you have my sympathy. Hang in there!
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    Unwritten
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    Thank you Kathleen. I really needed that.

    I have glued myself to the computer for the entire day, and finally the last chapter is rewritten. Of course, now it's as rough as a first draft, but at least it's written. I ended up cutting so many parts that I loved (my daughter is going to KILL me when she finds out how much I ended up cutting). I think it reads better now. At least I hope so.

    Someday, when I'm rich and famous, I'll publish my "alternate ending" on a blog somewhere and it will become a viral hit.


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