• 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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I came very close to reaching my goal this week. I am a couple hundred words from finishing the last scene in the chapter of this week's goal. However, one scene I wrote is twice the length that I normally write so I exceeded the number of words I typically write in a week (2,700+). In addition, I had one more scene to write this week than I have had in weeks past. So, even though I did not quite finish the chapter I can certainly feel that I accomplished a lot.

My goals for next week:

• Chapters 1 - 6, Miscellaneous scenes

I may not have much time to write this week because the family and I are taking a weekend break. I may not have the opportunity to sit down and write until next week. Thankfully I have this laptop now so I hope to get some writing done this weekend anyway.

For that reason I think I will focus on some of the new scenes I came up with as I worked on chapters 1 through 6. I have some transition scenes that I developed and now may be a good opportunity to work on those instead of focusing on the next chapter.

What did I learn this week? I learned, again, that coming back to writing after ten years is not easy. In fact, it can be absolutely painful at times. For anyone contemplating quitting: don't. The longer you are away from writing the more difficult it is to get back into the flow. Just keep writing even when you're writing a crappy fantasy quest cliche like I am.

For those who participated in my Novel Viability thread; thank you.

I realized that CtD is finished. The story arch is complete at 27,000 words, and there is nothing I can do to make the story streach without makeing it feel like it has been. So that Novelette has been effectively shelved.

So my two current open projects are Dragon Fate, and Dragon Fates prequel Dragon Beginnings. I've rewritten chapter one of DF, Woo hoo. Second drafts aren't so bad.

Dragon beginnings has been outlined, plotted out, and has almost two finished chapters. Someone is going to die before the end of chapter two.

My goals for this week. Kill of that "guy," and finish chapter two.

Last Week's Goals:
Continue work on Dreamer's Rose.

I have. I finished up chapter 3 and got a start on chapter 4. But I haven't spent as much time on it as I should.

Work on the synopsis and query letter for Book One.

Again, I have. And thank you to everyone who has helped. I still think the query needs work, though. Now it's too long.

[/b]Submit Dragons Are Forever. [/b]

Check

This week's goals:

Get back to work on Dreamer's Rose. That sound you hear in the background is a whip cracking.

Finish up a draft of a novelette/novella The Music Box. This one climbed out of my backlog and claimed my attention last week. I've made some good changes to it. But I need to finish it, so it will let me get back to Rose.

Continue working on the query letter synopsis for The Shaman's Curse. Taking another week to work on this before sending out more queries. Currently sitting at fourteen queries and six rejections.

Politely requery one agent. Her website says she responds in three weeks. It's been five. She does say to query her if you haven't heard back, so . . . .

Work on Chapter two of TG

I got about a page and a half written towards the second chapter and also worked on world building.

Edit Chapter Three of SS
I got through all of chapter three once but I need to read through it again.

Goals for this week

I'm still highly dissatisfied with my synopsis, so I don't see it as a failure that I did not yet make contact with an agent.

Current: Resuming work on my SF novel
Goal: The trick here is that the later chapters heavily involved a theoretical physics concept that I'm still learning about. The smart move at this point would be to put the manuscript away for a while and continue my studies, so that's what I am going to do.

I've made very good progress here. Success!

Current: Resume work on my "main project"
Goal: I just recently came up with an enhanced idea for this project, so I'm expecting to complete a good chunk of it within the next week.

I've hit a good streak of creativity and clarity on this project, so I'd call this one a success as well.

UPCOMING WEEK

Current: Working on the "Metzgerhund Empire" synopsis.
Goal: Finish the synopsis, and make contact with at least one agent.

Current: Studying and researching for my upcoming SF novel.
Goal: Finish the chapter I'm currently reading...and actually understand it.

Current: Working on my "main project"
Goal: Complete at least one 'section,' and start at least one more.

S!
S!

I am currently working on a fantasy novel about people who fly and people who swim and people who only walk. It'a little more complicated than that, but that's about as bottom-line as I can make it. I am about half way through the first draft. It is going relatively well--I have a mostly clear idea of where I'm going and where I want to end up.

My goals for this project:
1. Write everyday, even if it's only a few lines.
2. Actually read the research I've collected.
3. To finish the first draft by the end of August. (That may be a little ambitious.)

Also just got my HM certificate in the mail for last quarter's WotF Happy Birthday to me (a few days early).

* What were your goals last week and did you accomplish them?
Rework of the first chapter got far enough that I think it's ready for someone else to look at. I posted a revised 13 lines in F&F for novels. The second chapter got some of the same treatment, as planned.

* Describe what you worked on.
Most of the work was in tightening the writing, then looking that over to be sure that the voice and the depth expected in a novel weren't removed.

* Set goals for next week.
I expect to work the rewrites of two chapters, keep up with promised crits and work in the comments from anyone who crits the first chapter.

I almost met my goal this week of writing a chapter. So I think that is a realistic goal for me.

quote:

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My goals for this week. Kill of that "guy," and finish chapter two.

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For a minute I thought I was on my hit man board. Don't confuse me like that Sheena!

last week's goals: Write a short story about my villain, just to firm things up.

I didn't do too badly on this one, except I was writing it on paper, and I lost it. With a little good luck, I'll find it and finish it this week. It's been really fun. It's nice to not have to worry about whether my character is behaving in a moral manner--he can be as bad as I want him to!

DONE!!!

Now, begins the waiting game.

Skip that. I've got an incomplete SF novel that's been calling my name for days.

S!
S!

My current project is Bitrazer. It's a cyberpunk thriller/action novel. It's in its first rewrite. Yes I decided to start all over but I'm sure pieces of the first version will make it into the second.

My goal is to finish chapter three this week - the first draft that is. I'm not sure how many words that will be yet, but I'm trying for at least one chapter per week.

Did I miss anything?

I certainly understand about rewrites. I'm in the process in doing a rewrite of a novel I finished over a decade ago. However, this version is so much different that I've started this one from scratch. Sounds like you will be lucky enough to reuse pieces.

Starting from scratch has been a good exercise for me. I'm learning (and relearning) a lot. So far it is going well. Sometimes I even pretend that this version is better.

I'm not sure how much of the old I will be able to use. I have nearly one hundred pages already and was able to weasle in only about three pages from the old manuscript so far. It's not that the new is that much different than the old (although it is taking it to new depths) just that I haven't gotten to some of the old scenes. Or there is the problem of characters deciding to tell me I had the wrong take on it before.

We'll see what happens though. I'm not losing sight of the goal.

Onward and upward!

-John