Sorry, got very busy at work. I will need to update my post later today, but I wanted to at least have the post here for everyone.
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. Feel free to update the NSG Work in Progress thread with your current projects. 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
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Last Week's Goals
I completed my outline for the book I want to work on next. These are all what I call "Scene Segments," which are small notes of what "scenes" I need to make the conclusion of the book sound logic. Examples would be "Character X needs to learn Y but before Z." By themselves, these are not necessarily full scenes, but they help guide me with the core of the plot.
My goals for next week:
World Building
Scene Segment Consolidation
In the coming weeks (perhaps a month or more) I want to sit back and do some world building based upon the plot outline of scene segments I have now. These segments are not complete enough for me to know in what location to place the scenes. In addition, I need to bring out what other characters I will need to play roles for these scenes and get a firm grasp on how I will characterize each. I plan to start with the primary antagonist and go forward from there.
What did I learn this week?
When I completed the outline of scene segments last Saturday I was quite excited and felt that perhaps I could start some writing. One of the first things I wanted to do was to combine the scene segments into full scenes and then chapters. That would allow me to begin writing out the scenes. However, I quickly learned that since I have not fully fleshed out the world and setting I do not fully know where to place these characters. Do I have these characters outside in a courtyard or inside a banquet hall? How do characters of different ranks address one another? I don't have the answers to these questions. So, for me to start writing now would end up being a bunch of scenes with cardboard talking heads in a bunch of white rooms.
This situation has reminded me more fully how much setting is tied to story. Now, I don't have to spend the next year building the entire history of this world just to feel "comfortable" that I know how everything works. What I need to do is would build enough so that I know what locations to use, how characters may react, and perhaps add some flavor that could add some conflict.
As I go through the world building process I may learn more.
--William
[ March 16, 2012, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: WBSchmidt ]
Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
Last Week's Goals:
MAGIC'S FOOL: Wait for more of the crits to come back. Easy one.
MAGE STORM: Two more queries out next week. Only one. Well, it will go out in the mail this morning.
SEVEN STARS: Keep working on the synopsis. Eh. Nope.
BLOOD WILL TELL: I'm going to hold off on this one for just a little longer. Easy one.
BLOOD IS THICKER: Let it rest. Another easy one.
THE BARD'S GIFT: Continue research. Yep. Finding some interesting things, too.
Work on another novella I had shelved because it's more romance than fantasy. But romance sells, so I may want to rework this, get some crits, and e-pub it. Posted by axeminister (Member # 8991) on :
Hmm. Friday again.
I'm pausing to focus on my WotF entry. 3 months goes by quickly when one doesn't have his story finished. =)
Axe
Posted by Crank (Member # 7354) on :
I'm going to pretend this is the Novelette Support Group.
One of my YA novelettes is done and is in the hands of a few teen readers.
One is not quite finished, but its first scene is getting critted by a few of my fellow Hatrackers.
The rest are in various states of incompleteness.
Other than that, I haven't worked on any of my actual novels in months....not including some tech and physics research for a science fiction novel I've been itching to get back to.
Oh...and, if I join the WotF reading group for the upcoming quarter, my novels will end up getting shoved to an even farther back 'back burner.' I have a hideously large stove.
S!
Posted by EmilyS (Member # 9447) on :
The new query is ready to send.
I did some waffling this week about which piece of writing to send off to the workshop, but I made a decision, and that is also ready to go.
Goals for next week:
-Send 4 queries. -Submit packet to writers' workshop. -Get into brainstorm/research/plotting mode for my next project, working title NORTH (until I learn enough about the story to come up with a better one).
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
I glanced at Meredith's and saw how long her list is. I thought boy is she working on a lot of novels... then I noticed the Next Week's Goals. Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
quote:Originally posted by LDWriter2: I glanced at Meredith's and saw how long her list is. I thought boy is she working on a lot of novels... then I noticed the Next Week's Goals.
Yes, but they're in different stages, from planning to querying.
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