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Welcome to this week's Novel Support Group. 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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As for me:

Last Week's Goals:

DUAL MAGICS SERIES (THE SHAMAN'S CURSE, THE VOICE OF PROPHECY, BEYOND THE PROPHECY,and WAR OF MAGIC): Nothing this week unless the revisions to the audio book come back.
Revisions received and approved. Woohoo!

Continue process of taking my books from exclusive to Amazon to a wider distribution. Refresh existing catalog, including links to BECOME: BROTHERS as I go. Get BLOOD IS THICKER up on Draft2Digital. Most of the others are still tied up in Kindle Unlimited, either directly or through boxed sets, but I can go ahead and do the formatting to have them ready.
Yes.

BECOME: BROTHERS: Promote on social media.
Some.

BECOME: TO CATCH THE LIGHTNING: Hopefully get back to this.
Sort of. I thought of a new chapter I need to insert. That counts, right?

MAGE STORM: Probably nothing this week.
Good call.

OTHER:
Update my blog twice a week.
Yes.

Next Week's Goals:

DUAL MAGICS SERIES (THE SHAMAN'S CURSE, THE VOICE OF PROPHECY, BEYOND THE PROPHECY,and WAR OF MAGIC):
Nothing this week unless the revisions to the audio book come back.

Wide Distribution Project:
Get the CHIMERIA boxed set up on Draft2Digital. Prepare WAR OF MAGIC and the DUAL MAGICS boxed set to go up on Pronoun next.

BECOME: BROTHERS:
Promote on social media.

BECOME: TO CATCH THE LIGHTNING:
Hopefully get back to this.

MAGE STORM:
Probably nothing this week.

OTHER:
Update my blog twice a week.
 

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Posted by Grumpy old guy (Member # 9922) on :
 
The Ascent of a Man: Flash Fiction 1,000–1,200 words

I missed making a contribution to NSG last week which simply added to my frustrations. These basically boil down to two things: First, making my computer do what I want it to, which, since I gave up the tech game 10 years ago, means relying on web searches for programmes and browser extensions (Ugh!), and second, dealing with an irrational outbreak of fear.

I mention the fear because it’s cause is directly related to writing. The task I set myself two weeks ago was this:

This is where life gets really interesting. The story is plotted out so that the first third is the set-up (done!), the next half is the gag, and the last sixth is the pay-off. I am now at the pointy end of the story – the contest between Jonas and Satan for Jonas’ future.

And here’s the trick: I have at least five different paths this contest can take without even trying to think about it; all with different destinations. This is going to take a lot of planning for me to get where I want, in the way I want, with the resolution I want.

I could be at this one task for weeks. Which is probably why I've started procrastinating over the last few days.

To put myself in the right writing mood I turned the lights down low (to stop the bulbs from getting hot), put on my writing mood-music, and stood in front of my blank whiteboard; marker in my right hand and wine glass in my left. Two hours later, problem solved.

When I first thought about this ‘conversation’ I imagined a dynamic contest where the moral positions of both could be influenced by the arguments put forward by the other. This is what made plotting a path to my desired destination so seemingly impossible.

This is when inspiration struck. In the case of this dilemma I split my whiteboard down the middle and on one side wrote the word Satan followed by the words Tone, then Arrogant Mockery. I then realised that Satan’s sin was that of Pride; overwhelming, unbridled pride. A pride so profound that He would change the world (and Heaven and Hell) rather than admit to His own fault. Satan will never change. This meant Jonas would have to. On the other side of the whiteboard, I wrote this:

Jonas:
Despair
Resignation
Anger
Rebellion
Revelation (Ah-ha moment)
Redemption

Problem solved! I now had a framework within which to craft my story’s central theme. Hooray! Then the fear set in.

It’s been four years since I seriously wrote anything; what if I’ve lost that ability permanently? This story will be the proof in the pudding, what if I fail? I still have all the words; I can still craft the sentences, the tone, the mood, and the emotion. But what if I can’t pull it all together? Sob!

I know, the fear is transitory. I’ll get through it. I just hope it doesn’t take too long.

Phil.
 

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Posted by Disgruntled Peony (Member # 10416) on :
 
I wrestle with very similar feelings every time I write a story. Each story poses a combination of unique challenges and recurring problems I've come to notice in my early drafts but don't necessarily know how to avoid on the first go.

The important thing I try to remember is this: It doesn't have to be perfect, especially not on the first go. Once I have a first draft I can improve it, but if I don't write that first draft there's nothing to improve.
 

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