• 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

=-=-=-=-=

Last Week's Goals

I was able to accomplish my goals for last week. The summary that I wrote does not have much yet for the middle section. I only have the main plot so when I add subplots that should help fill out the story.

My goals for next week:

• List out plot and character motivations
• Map out scenes for one motivation story arc

With this new project I have several ways that the book could end so I will need to list out all of the potential motivations and create story arcs for each of them. I have the ending I want in mind but it may change. I hope not, but I want to have all story arcs mapped out ahead of time.

What did I learn this week?

I didn't really learn that much this week. However, I do feel that I needed a change with this new project. I think I was so stuck on keeping story elements on the previous project that it prevented me from making progress. So far this new project is moving forward, but only a week has passed.

Last Week's Goals:

Dreamer's Rose: I didn't set a specific goal on this. But if I had, I would have blown past it. I'm on chapter 11. Of course, this is a mix of old and new material. But it's feeling good this time, at least so far.

The Shaman's Curse: Continue editing the first five chapters with the checklists from SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS. Work on the query.
Yes to both.

The Ignored Prophecy: Let this one rest except for the chapter exchange.
Easy goal. The more I think about it, the more I'm liking the one major revision that occurred to me last week.

Blood Will Tell: Continue to let it rest before going back for the revisions.
Another easy goal.

This Week's Goals:

Dreamer's Rose:
Keep working on this. Since it's an odd mix of new material and revisions, it's hard to set a specific goal. Let's say 5K new words. That's roughly the equivalent of two new chapters. It's at 42K now (calculated).

The Shaman's Curse:
Go through the first five chapters with the checklists for beats, paragraphs, and saying it only once. Keep working on the query. Force myself to go back over the synopsis. I'm fairly happy with what's in the synopsis, now. But I think the writing style sounds like I tried too hard. I want to make it sound more like the same tone and voice as the novel.

The Ignored Prophecy:
Let it rest a bit longer, except for the chapter exchange.

This should be a big week for me, editing wise. I'm going to have more free time than usual, so I'm crossing my fingers that I can get a lot accomplished.

quote:

---

I think the people that would like the subplot will feel cheated that the rest of the book is so heavy on romance, and the people looking for romance aren't going to keep reading long enough to find it.

---

I think I may have a similar issue with the current project of mine. I've only just started it so I'm not certain yet. One aspect of this novel is romance, which I have never thought of doing before. The primary plot will be the main goal of the novel with the romance as a secondary theme in the novel.

I am also looking for a non-writer to read Panix. I learned about Alpha Readers today at an authors' panel. Meredith did a great job with helping me get the 'micro' parts of Panix straight. Now I think I need a person who hasn't seen the novel tell me how they feel about the plot and the characters and if they want to read on... the highly subjective stuff. I have a brother who's said he'd read, but he doesn't always come through.

I didn't get much else done on my Meddle novel as I am still concentrating on my new job.

Next week's goals?
More Meddle.
Bellian character sketches for NaNo
Deal with getting a reader reader for Panix.

Next week: Finish Chapter 6.

THIS WEEK'S GOALS

mainstream novel: I'm looking forward to fleshing out some of the ideas I came up with during the trip.

Metzgerhund Empire: My invitation to swap agent query letters still stands. I'll be glad to read yours, even though mine won't be ready as quickly as I wanted...although I'm close.

science fiction novel: I want to finish my primary research phase in time to start writing by January 2010.

'Infrastructure' (aka the Mass Cleaning and Reorganization Project): I have some damage to assess, thanx to my pets. I'm surprised it wasn't the kids this time.

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK
Although I was incorrect about being able to concentrate on set projects while in the Bahamas, the scenic view and the warm weather (not to mention the warm water!) allowed my mind to wander towards new ideas.

S!
S!

quote:

---

Kind of lonely around here recently. Not as many people checking in and making goals. Is everybody getting ready for NaNo? Is this place going to go dark for the whole month?

---

quote:

---

I was thinking the same thing. It may be because school has started for many. Sometimes it's nice to be old(er). No school.

---

That could be it, too. Being forced to write term papers instead of novels, eh?

Of course, the moms on the list should have a little more free time--theoretically, anyway.

Those of you who are plugging ahead on your novels: Good luck.

*Corrected a misspelling.

quote:

---

Hi, I'm trying to focus on projects that aren't writing-related. Anyway, I strongly doubt my ability to write novels, or stories in general. I don't know that I know what I'm doing. I can't tell what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. I need help, but the kind of help I want isn't available. Ever. Anywhere. Maybe depressive shouldn't aspire to write.

---

You know, I have been feeling the same way for the last few months. And then some.

Learning to critique made me hypercritical of my own work, and made the learning process seem insurmountable. This was amplified by a particularly challenging year in general, a resulting lack of sleep, and a slump in creativity. Dealing with depression is a touchy subject and, I feel, often avoided, but when a family member attempted suicide earlier this year I found the radiant negativity to be difficult to shrug off. Add to that all the usual (crying children, tight finances, the 9-5 job, keeping the spouse happy) and finding the energy to drive my creative aspirations was harder than it had been in a long, long time.

I cope by reminding myself that, firstly, situations really can get out of control at times, but they'll improve (or we'll adapt to them), and in the meantime I can further develop a sense of what I think is worth writing about. Secondly, it's okay for my writing to not live up to my high standards at this stage: It took me many years to become a decent software engineer, so I shouldn't expect to be a decent author overnight.

Writing is still my ideal creative pursuit; it's something I can share easier, it has a lower cost of entry (in terms of tools) and it has such a huge depth of available expression that I can't help but want to improve it. I'm sure I'll often fail. But that's okay I guess. I don't imagine I'll learn quite so much by succeeding.

I call it the "critical skills have outpaced writing skills" plateau, and it can be recognized by how much the writer hates what he or she writes.

As long as you keep writing, even if you think it isn't good enough, you will improve.