• 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

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Last Week's Goals

Not much to say this week. I did not do well on my goals for the week. I had a programming project come up and took much of my time.

My goals for next week:

• Outline Focused Conflicts

I want to continue focusing on the specific conflict threads I have in the novel before I integrate them together. However, this programming project may take a few weeks to complete so I may not be able to get much writing time.

What did I learn this week?

Not much this week unfortunately.

Hopefully everyone else had much better luck than I did this week.

DREAMER'S ROSE: Finish up the new section at the beginning and start work on the revisions.
No. I let myself get distracted.

THE SHAMAN'S CURSE: Let it rest a little before trying to cut some more.
Easy goal.

THE IGNORED PROPHECY: Make the revisions as the critiques come back.
I'm one chapter behind because of a scene that basically needs to be rewritten.

BLOOD WILL TELL: Send out four queries.
Yes.

SEVEN STARS: Let it rest. Keep making notes as things occur to me.
Yes, and I had a really good idea, too.

OTHER:
Update my blog and try to keep it updated at least once a week.
Work on my new short story "The Wrong Lion". Revise "The Bard's Gift" as appropriate and send it back out.
Mixed results. Yes to the blog. Yes to "The Wrong Lion". No to "The Bard's Gift".

Next Week's Goals:

DREAMER'S ROSE:
The same goal as last week (and the week before).
Finish up the new section at the beginning and start work on the revisions. I really want to get this one ready for a reader.

THE SHAMAN'S CURSE:
Let it rest a little before trying to cut some more.

THE IGNORED PROPHECY:
I've got a chapter exchange going on this one. Get caught up on the chapter revisions and make new revisions as the critiques come back.

BLOOD WILL TELL:
Send out three queries. I may have to go to snail mail, now. That'll slow me down, some.

SEVEN STARS:
Let it rest. Keep making notes as things occur to me. I had a really good idea for this one last week. It will change the story significantly--and it may be exactly what this story needs. Or part of it, anyway. I can feel enthusiasm for this story starting to build again. I want to get through the first revision of DREAMER'S ROSE, first, though.

OTHER:
Update my blog and try to keep it updated at least once a week.
Finish my new short story "The Wrong Lion". Revise "The Bard's Gift" as appropriate and send it back out.

Finished editing final chapter of FTG (perhaps just now, but it still counts)! Also, sent out WOTF story to be critted.

So, now, I don't know what I want to do. I have finished an entire edit/rewrite of FTG. The plot and characters feel pretty good to me now, word choice and description, not so much. So, I know I need another editing round, but I am thinking it might be at the place were taking a few weeks away from it will allow me to come back with fresh eyes, ready for fixing the nitty gritty stuff, able to catch any big stuff I missed this round. Novel is currently at 84k, but my two beta readers have both complained that descriptions would occasionally be nice, so I think it will get longer still.

I also am waiting for feedback on the WOTF story. I want to read all the feedback and think before trying to make edits. So, that one is kinda on hold too.

I have another short story idea (WOTF Q4 perhaps?) and I have several novel ideas. So, I just need to decide if I want to start another project. I worry that putting my novel aside for a few weeks and starting a new one will make me lose momentum and I won't come back to it. But it might be just what I need.

So, right now, I am torn. After more thought I will try to post an edit with a plan.

ETA: right now I am going with the nice, ambiguous plan of plotting out some of my potential ideas a bit more, so that I can decide what I want to work on next. Right now, I have some vague ideas, but I want to see which one really sparks and calls to me.

TGS revisions are getting closer and closer to being done. I'm going to sit down this weekend and try to devote some serious attention to them. My fingers are already crossed, so I guess I'll have to cross my toes or something on this one :-)

Update: TGS edits done! Now it's off to the Beta readers again...

Written / Projected - on a week by week basis
171 / 250
177 / 250
180 / 250
185 / 250
188 / 250