• 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'm still busy with some work tasks so I have not done as much writing as I would like. Even so I feel that I need to go back a bit and work on the outline for this novel again.

My goals for next week:

• Oulining

I want to go back and review the overall outline for this novel. Instead of writing I have been studying in my spare time again. From this I have gained some new ideas for this story that I feel will improve it. However, this means that I'm no longer certain that the current scenes I'm working on will actually make it into the book. So, I think it would be best for me to outline for a while. I'd rather be writing but since that is not happening something I need to determine why.

What did I learn this week?

I think I'm getting "writer's block" on this novel. I'm hoping it's the Insufficient Planning Block rather than the This Sucks Block. Whichever it is I'm going back to outlining for a while.

Last Week's Goals:

Dreamer's Rose: Finish Chapter Eight.

Nope, didn't touch it. Like you, I think I'm getting a little blocked on this one. I may have to set it aside and see what bubbles up from the depths.

Shaman's Curse: Send out seven queries.

No again. I'm still fighting with my printer. I thought I had it for about a hour earlier this week. I've e-mailed Epson and have a set of instructions from them (they sent their instructions in about 5 point type, though). I'll try to work through those this weekend.

Between plumbing problems (ongoing) and taking one of the dogs to the vet (routine thyroid check, but still time consuming), I didn't get around to researching more agents that I can query by e-mail, either.

Current stats: Eighteen queries sent, sixteen rejections.

The Ignored Prophecy: At least work on some of the revisions.

I didn't touch this either. But I just started a new chapter exchange on it, so that should motivate me to spend a little time on it.

Blood Will Tell:

This one is the winner for this week. I started it just about a week ago and I have almost 17000 words. I'm really enjoying this one, so far.

Next Week's Goals:

Dreamer's Rose:

I think I'll let this one simmer for a while. I seem to get three or four chapters and then get stuck. Maybe I'm approaching the story wrong. I like what I've written, but it may just be backstory and I have to start someplace else. Not sure, yet.

The Shaman's Curse:

Alright, I'll back a little of the pressure off. How about three queries. (And get a working printer, one way or the other.)

The Ignored Prophecy:

Get back to work on the revisions so I can get this out to one of my local readers.

Blood Will Tell:

Enjoy the ride while it lasts. I finished Chapter Five last night. I've got part of Six already. At some point, I know this story is going to force me to slow down and work at it. But that hasn't happened yet.

I only typed a few words over a thousand, but I've hand-written at least another thousand, and audio dictated what will probably turn into a thousand more. I'm calling this a success.

Current: SF novel: research phase
Goal: More of the same.

I've run into some material that's making my brain scream, but that's just another form of growing pains. I'm calling another success.

Current: 'Primary' project: creation phase
Goal: My goal here is to increase my output. Even a 1% increase at this point would make me happy, but I suspect I'll do better than that.

I might have hit the 1.5% mark, but that's about it.

UPCOMING WEEK

Mainstream novel: Two thousand more words.

SF research: More of the same

"Primary" project: At this point, just keeping the momentum moving forward will bring good results.

Next Week’s Goals
Finish the chapter 6 draft.

Next week my mother in-law is coming into to town, so I doubt I will do well next week.

Put up a large paper on the wall and started sticking scene cards on it. I'm right there with you, William, needing to outline. At this point I need the big picture of how will each character arc/subplot tie in to the main plot and theme? It seems weak in the middle, and some main characters don't feel deep enough over the course of the project. They need to grow, darn it!

Some of the cool scenes in my outline will have to be tossed unless I can fit them into the overall picture. I have too much superfluous crap that I just threw in until I could decide what to do with it. That won't do.

quote:

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At this point I need the big picture of how will each character arc/subplot tie in to the main plot and theme? It seems weak in the middle, and some main characters don't feel deep enough over the course of the project.

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I had the same problem with the middle section of my novel. Just the other day I read something that inspired me to come at the outline in a different way. I'm hoping that this new technique will help me come up with a more solid outline.

MrsBrown wrote:

quote:

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I'm re-reading Elantris (B. Sanderson) and taking it slow, to see how its done. That is one tight story, weaving characters and subplot without ever slowing down.

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I have that book sitting on my shelf, unread. My wife has read it and she's reading the Mistborn books now. I usually don't like to read while I'm writing a book. I don't know why though. Too distracting I suppose. Gotta love ADD....

You gonna share or what? What is this ambiguous "something"?
EDITED to add: