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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 did very well this last week. I expanded the details on several scenes this week. So far I have 3,100 words written. I have found that getting a scene detailed in the evening really helps me write on my lunch break. I only have 45 minutes of writing time (after I microwave my lunch), but so far I have been able to write between 500 and 1,000 words during those 45 minutes. So far this method is working very well for me.
My goals for next week:
Improve scene details
Write detailed scenes
Basically more of the same. It's working well so why break stride?
What did I learn this week?
I have finally learned that I cannot write at night. I work best with getting outline details at night and writing during lunch breaks. Nearly 6,000 words in the last two weeks. I can live with that.
DREAMER'S ROSE: Work on chapter exchange revisions as they come. Continue to think about how I will change this to YA. There's one particular scene I really need to figure out.
THE SHAMAN'S CURSE: Let it rest for a while longer. When I've finished the revisions on its sequel, I'll take another look at it.
THE IGNORED PROPHECY: I hope to get back to this one in October, when MAGE STORM goes out to some readers. MAGE STORM and DREAMER'S ROSE, along with crits, seem to be about all I can keep up with.
BLOOD WILL TELL: Send two new queries out.
MAGE STORM: Sweep through for one more edit, polishing and looking for places where I need to get deeper into the POV.
OTHER: Update my blog twice a week. Make some revisions to a short story and then decide what I'm going to do with it next.
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited September 24, 2010).]
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PREVIOUS WEEK "Metzgerhund Empire" (YA): Again, I didn't get as much done as I wanted, but I’m getting so damned close to getting the results I want.
Mainstream novel: Last week, I spent time condensing two similar scenes into one. This week, I created the results I wanted.
"Agents of the Fourth Wind" (SF): Didn’t even touch this story.
UPCOMING WEEK "Metzgerhund Empire" (YA): Complete the last few scenes of the last chapter, and rewrite the agent query letter.
Mainstream novel: I’m anticipating getting back to a more consistent schedule sometime during the coming week.
"Agents of the Fourth Wind" (SF): I’m anticipating getting back to a more consistent schedule sometime during the next century.
NOTES Science fiction story overview: I have one science fiction short story that will be heading out the door for the Writers of the Future contest by the end of this week. Once I’ve accomplished that, I plan to spend more time working on my novels. However, by the end of September (and, perhaps, seeping into the first week of October), I will select one of my new short stories to work on next. My intent is to have it ready for market by the end of 2010. Now, for the veteran writers among us, a three-month window to complete a short story seems excessively long and completely unnecessary. I have two reasons for this: (1) I’m very serious about picking up the pace on my novels, so taking time away from my short stories is the best way for me to go; (2) three months is a sprint compared to my previous pace of creating short stories. Considering that, giving myself a month or less would be asking myself to perform recklessly, so I will use this opportunity to build up my proficiency of creating shorter works. After a few successes, I should be in better shape to work faster
To me, three months for a short story seems perfect, but I don't write short stories. Sometimes I think I should, but I can never seem to keep ideas small enough to keep within the word counts. Besides, I favor fantasy and the type of fantasy I like the write may be more difficult to get published. When I did write short stories, they were nearly always SF.
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I have been claiming I will pick up the pace after doing my WOTF story edits for a month. I am still working on them. For some reason, I am just having a total block when it comes to that (and a lot of the editing is just looking for typos). I am sure I can blame it on being pregnant. I have been doing edits on my novel though, so it isn't just being anti-writing. I think it might be the whole editing to submit versus editing for another round of critters. Missing a typo isn't as upsetting in the second case.
I saw Meredith is catching up on chapters, so I better crit faster!
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I have finally emerged from the dark tomb of the library. You know the part where there are a thousand history books that no one has touched in ages - where you never see another living soul during the whole day - week - two weeks - where you can set books out one day and no one will ever pick them up, and you find them in the same spot - because only you are brave enough to be by yourself in that part of the library. A vast wasteland of knowledge that would probably bore the average reader to tears. Where thousands of books are crammed together in darkness, and only the area you move threw lights up for energy conservation.
There is something definitely nostalgic about sitting alone - with only one light illuminating the small area you're occupying in a large dark valley of book shelves - it does give you the feel of you're in a tomb, combing through the secrets of history. Adds a whole new dimension to reading old writings, and absorbing historic pictures and artwork that you have to dig for to find in books you would never see. I love my computer and the internet, but somethings can never be replaced.
Now I just have to take my piles of notes and copies and turn them into something coherent.
Other projects got put on hold because I felt really drawn into telling this new story. It all started when I was doing research for a different story and came across this picture of a woman grasping this chain link fence about to be deported to her death. She looked like she could be any young woman from our own time, but the look on her face seemed to haunt me for some reason. I searched the internet far and wide for more info on it, but besides the photographer's name in that one book and his history, there was zero, the picture doesn't even appear anywhere on the net. So through tons of books, websites, e-mails, phone calls and overall research I started to piece the puzzle together of that haunted look. Till now I have finally emerged into the light only to bury myself into my office and try and put it all into novel form.
anyways, that's what I have been up to,
W.
[This message has been edited by walexander (edited September 30, 2010).]
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walexander, this post was as gripping as any first thirteen on this site. Loved the way you evoked the library. I hear you.
Posts: 456 | Registered: May 2009
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I was able to write about 5,000 words this last week or so on my Motes and Meddles novel. I have trouble generating excitement over it. I don't think that's a good thing. I keep writing hoping for the light of inspiration to glow, but I remain writing in a dull gray environment.
Posts: 1608 | Registered: Feb 2009
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