• 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 am pleased to say that I accomplished my writing goals for the week. Chapter one is complete and I wrote two blog entries. The blog is less important, of course, but I still wanted to track my progress so I can go back later and see what worked for me and what didn't.

Chapter one was a good experience. I tried something new for one scene (as I describe below) which I think worked out well. As I wrote the final line to the second to last scene of this chapter I felt that would be a great place to end the chapter. However, I had one additional scene that I wanted to write. After analyzing the original purpose I had for that last scene I decided to remove it entirely. I can easily use another scene to present the information I was going to show there.

I almost added an unplanned scene to this chapter but instead decided against that. I could not think of any tension or conflict for that scene so I decided to leave it out. So far each scene has some form of tension or conflict that I can build upon. I did not want to add a scene just to present some information unless I could bring out some tension or conflict as well. Instead, I added a sentence to transition between scenes. Later I may think of a way to bring out some conflict for that scene and add it then.

My goals for next week:

• Chapter 2 / 3, first draft
• 2 - 3 blog entries

It may sound ambitious to set a goal to complete two chapters but I only have one scene outlined for chapter two and a couple scenes for chapter three. So, I will do what scenes I have and see how it goes. I thought of another scene for chapter two last night but the only tension I can pull from that one would be inner conflict. It could be a good scene but I don't know how my writing skills will handle the tension of pure exposition. That can be tricky to pull off (for me at least) and keep the reader interested. In any case, it could be good practice.

What I learned this week, which I describe in my blog, is that I need to slow down my writing process and enjoy the experience. I find myself concentrating on getting the novel finished, which is important, but I should not let my writing suffer because of it. I think this is a case of "to have written" versus "to write." I am in such a hurry to get this novel done so I can try to get published that the novel suffers. I want to eventually get published and hopefully make a career out of writing. Therefore, I need to focus on the "to write" and less on the "to have written." In my rush to get this first chapter done I did not slow down and enjoy the experience. I learned a few things about my characters as I wrote but I sped by that experience. I think a goal for the future, perhaps not on this book, would be to slow down and enjoy the writing rather than rushing to The End.

I wrote one scene where I decided to slow down and get a better feel for what was going on. Sure, it took a lot longer to complete that scene but the setting is much better than in scenes where I concentrated just on the "initial draft." I would encourage everyone to take one scene (preferably one from scratch) and take the time to write a complete scene (inner conflicts, tension, setting, dialogue, all five senses, feelings, etc.) and see what you can come up with. Even though the scene I focused on can be improved I was quite happy with the result.

I think you can see why I like to write epic fantasy. I can get a bit verbose. Sorry about that.

I did complete new revisions for both the short and long synopses.

I started a map for Dreamer's Rose. The learning curve on AutoRealm is a little steep, so I had a couple of attempts that weren't worth saving.

I even went back and made some revisions to the short story. I need to do a little more to it, still. I did finally find a title I like for it.

I surpassed my goals for Book Two. I'm on Chapter 24. And I got some insight into what was wrong with the start of Book Three. A good portion of the outline is likely to change for that one.

The only thing I didn't do was continue working on a list of agents to query for Book One. I let myself off on that one for the holiday weekend and I haven't gotten back to it. So far, I have two rejections from the first six agents I queried.

This week's goals:

I'm at the part of Book Two where a lot of things from the first first draft have to be deleted or changed significantly. So I'll be satisfied with getting to Chapter 28 this week.

Put the finishing (hopefully) touches on the short story and get it ready for another round of critiques.

Keep thinking about the world of Dreamer's Rose and finish the map, at least. I think that's my next project, before I come back to Book Three. Something different for a change.

And, of course, do what I didn't do last week. The hard part. Find and research six more agents to query for Book One.

Does anyone else find they work best with they have at least a dozen different projects going? And if so, how do you (or do you?) make yourself focus on just one?

Goals this week: finish my current chpt of TSB and work more on revising the beginning. Also get back to WotF if the Muse strikes me.

2) I did a rough for KJA's map, but I'm waiting for him to return from his Vegas booksigning to make sure of the Soldanates.

3) I just finished the first quarter of APTW's edits.

4) Brainstormed a bit with my coauthor for PotD. I think we are going to destroy a city.

I've decided to hold off on my WotF story, so I can have fresh eyes for next time. I'm in no rush.

Kitti, I usually do have more than one project, but I try to keep them in different stages. Forward-progression writing is Exile--for its nostalgic value--and my editing is of APTW (my historical fiction set in the early years of the American Revolution). My partner and I are brainstorming an Historical Fantasy (we have been writing and outlining on it for a while now), and may begin in earnest very soon--hopefully Exile's first draft is done by then.

It's usually very slow on the weekends, but some of us just can't get away from other duties and chores.

Goals for Next Week:

1) Finish Chapter 4 and half of 5

2) Get another fifty or sixty pages edited on APTW.

3) Get KJA's map done and out to him.

4) Tighten the Brainstorming up into more of a game plan.

I guess I don't get here as quickly because my novel is in a boring review stage. I'm still chapter-swapping though, and still waiting to here back from agents on the partials of my manuscript.

This week's goals:
-Do research for my WOTF story
-ignore my story "M" for the week, so I can look at it with a fresh perspective next weekend and get it ready for submission then
-work on chapters 9,10 and 11 of Graveyard
-get all the crits back that I owe to people!\

On the light side though, I finished reading Wheel of Time five(the Fires of Heaven) this week. I wonder if reading five 300,000 word books in two weeks could contribute to a lack of writing time? Hmmm. On to book six.

The good news is that I have learned a lot about writing descriptions.

My goals for this week is to read just book six and leave it at that. Also, I need to actually write. I don't care what I write, just something to get me back in the flow.

My goals, finish working on chapter two of SS and write anything of TG

The first day’s assignment was to write the back cover of the book you want to write. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. I’m mostly doing this to help me stay accountable. Plus, Mike has some great ideas about story planning, and maybe you’ll find them useful.

quote:

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Earth’s Spy is the third book in the Earth’s Gate series. When Arram returns to Earth with Jenny, his family is missing and he finds growing signs that the Gate between Terra and Earth has been breached. Who runs the mysterious Earth Regulation Committee, and are they responsible for the disappearance of so many humans, including his own family? To find the answers, Arram must learn to trust the fairy who has already destroyed his life once.

ERC rescued Jack from a torturous prison sentence and gave him a new life. But the liberty they promised him came at a steep price, and Jack thinks he would do anything to be free. Jenny believes in Jack, and convinces Arram to help him. But make no mistake, Jack isn’t interested in being a hero, he just wants to be free, and he will use whatever means are necessary...including pretending to be in love with the most aggravating and unpredictable human he has ever met.

---

Well--that was a much needed boost. Thank you for the kind words.

No, this is not the horror story. This is another Historical Fiction. I posted the first 13, and down further, the first 13 of the new, in medias res version. You tell me if you would turn the page.

quote:

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Identify and describe the genre and major restrictions of that genre

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This story is a mix between contemporary fantasy and romantic fantasy, with a touch of quest fantasy somewhere in the mix. I have to watch myself because writing romantic fantasy is fun, but I only like to read romance when the characters don't have time for it, and have to snatch at it during the action. My world is already pretty developed, so I don't have to worry too much about the restrictions. Once I've set up the rules, I'm not tempted to break them. Except that one tantalizing idea I have deals with time travel, and that would require some major world revision. We'll see.

I'm on my fourth version of mine. This time, I think I finally got it right. We'll see.

I'm not formally taking part in Midsommer Madness, but I am checking out the assignments that OWASM is posting. I can't guarantee from day to day that I'll have the time or the proper frame of mind. Usually, I do. But then there are those days, like last Monday. And I have no control over that at all.

Last night, I tried to write a blurb for my next project, Dreamer's Rose. And I think I may have discovered something. I did not, actually, end up with a blurb. But I did end up with a pretty decent synopsis.

Lesson: It may be easier to write the synopsis before I write the book. This one is more idea-driven, rather than event-driven like the one I've been struggling with for The Shaman's Curse. Now, if I could just find a way to do the same thing for The Shaman's Curse . . .

I keep thinking I am going to catch up with midsomer madness, but yesterday's assignment almost killed me.

quote:

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What is your main conflict? (This is a good place to start as it relates directly to your theme and climax.) What is your introduction, your rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution? Is there a denouement or will you leave this up to the reader’s imagination? (Post-modern writers often leave denouements up to the readers.) Remember that this story arc can and will likely change over the course of writing your novel. That’s okay. At this stage, you’re just drafting.

GUYS, DON'T AGONIZE OVER THIS. ODDS ARE MANY OF US WILL BE CHANGING THINGS UP AS WE GO ALONG ANYWAY. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE STRUCTURE ABOVE IS JUST GUIDANCE. FEEL FREE TO CHANGE THE ARC STRUCTURE; IT'S YOUR NOVEL, AFTER ALL.

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I don't know all the definitions for words (like conflict, so I may not have interpreted this in a way that would get me an A in college, but it was still a very useful exercise.

My conflicts are:
Turning my two anti-heroes into a hero and heroine
and
Having them figure out what ERC is up to in time to stop it

My actual story arc is too long and embarassingly incomplete to put in this thread, but I had several epiphanies in the past 2 days that have helped move my plot forward.
1. Jack now has The List--stuff he was looking for back before he knew ERC was bad; stuff that ERC presumably still wants. He doesn't know what it's for, but it's the only clue they have, so that will move the plot line forward.
2. I know what the stuff on The List is for. YAY ME!