• 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

Well, I did no writing at all this last week, again. However, this project that I've been working on is basically done. I have a few things left to do but it has been deployed and that should free up my time. I hope.

My goals for next week:

• Get familiar with current writing project
• Catch up on Hatrack

Now that the vast majority of this project has finally been deployed, I hope to take some time this week to simply get familiar with the novel I was working on before. I certainly don't expect to get much work done. It will be difficult enough to get back into the writing flow.

I also need to catch up on some Hatrack threads. I have not read anything here for at least two weeks. So much to read.

What did I learn this week?

Nothing again. Hopefully this will change soon.

Good luck to everyone else and I hope to participate more in the coming weeks.

I will set a goal for next week however: Write one page.
This way I'll at least be forced to read a few pages previous to new material, get the story back in my head, and take a baby step forward.

DREAMER'S ROSE: Work on the revisions.
The first revision is going swimmingly. I'm better than 2 / 3 of the way through.

THE SHAMAN'S CURSE: Let it rest before trying to cut some more.
Easy goal.

THE IGNORED PROPHECY: Make new revisions as the critiques come back.
No. I'm two chapters behind because I've been concentrating on Dreamer's Rose.

BLOOD WILL TELL: Nothing this week.
Well, it would have been an easy goal, but I beat it. I sent out one query and got a request for a partial.

SEVEN STARS: Let it rest. Keep making notes as things occur to me.
Another easy goal.

OTHER:
Update my blog and try to keep it updated at least once a week.
Maybe start a new short story.
Yes, and no.

Next Week's Goals:

DREAMER'S ROSE: Work on the revisions. As far as I've gotten this week, I might even finish the first revision by next week.

THE SHAMAN'S CURSE:
Let it rest before trying to cut some more.

THE IGNORED PROPHECY:
I've got a chapter exchange going on this one. Catch up on the reveisions and make new ones as the critiques come back. Get ready to make extensive revisions on the beginning.

BLOOD WILL TELL:
Send out two more queries.

SEVEN STARS:
Let it rest. Keep making notes as things occur to me.

OTHER:
Update my blog and try to keep it updated twice a week.
Maybe start a new short story.

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DREAMER'S ROSE is ready for a chapter exchange or two if anyone is interested. Fantasy, 91,000 words, about a man who succeeds at everything until he finally succeeds in becoming a god--and finds nothing has prepared him for that or for his failures.

Science fiction novel: I’m still not ready to get back to the writing phase of this story. In fact, with each research session I partake in, I come away with something new that convinces me it will make the story better than its previous version.

UPCOMING WEEK
Mainstream novel: I'm going to start on chapter 2, and keep going forward.

Science fiction novel: Research and reading.

NOTE: I'm also spending time working on three science fiction short stories.

What I learned: The vehicular assault scene in my mainstream novel was pestering me big time, so I grabbed my video recorder, went outside with my 7 year old and a handful of his Hot Wheels cars, and the two of us recreated the scene in miniature. Playing back the 'wreck' on my PC opened up a few points of description that never occurred to me. I'm sure I'm not the only writer to ever think of this idea, but I've definitely added it to my creative repertoire.

I did finish a bunch of my wotf edits, but not all. So that is my big goal (since it is supposed to be sent like today to crit group). I am thinking of starting a new novel and working on edits at the same time. That way I can always be working on something, even when I am not in the mood to edit. So, more on that next week.

I'm working on three novels right now. One alone and the other two are collaborations. (And one of those is frankly ridiculous, we only work on it when we hit one of those moods.)

Solo I'm about 12k words into it and I'm motivationally stalled on it.

Collaboration 7 chapters done, waiting on my collaborator to give me a verdict on them. I may be going in a totally wrong direction.