• 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

It's already nearly June. Where have the days gone? I'm still very busy with work projects and by the time I get home I'm too stressed out to think about (or even remember) writing. It's a poor excuse but there it is. Very disappointing.

My goals for next week:

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

Same goal as always.

What did I learn this week?

I think I may have learned that if I don't do writing on the weekend then I won't get any writing done. My weeks are just too busy and stressful currently. Now, let's see if I can use that knowledge this weekend and get something done.

DREAMER'S ROSE: Work on chapter exchange revisions as they come.
Yes.

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

THE IGNORED PROPHECY: Catch up on the reveisions and make new ones as the critiques come back. Keep working on the revised beginning.
Yes to both. I'm really liking the new beginning so far.

BLOOD WILL TELL: Send out two more queries.
Yes.

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

OTHER:
Update my blog twice a week.
Send "Mage Storm" out again.
Do some more revisions to "Becoming Lioness".
Work on that new short story some.

Yes to all but the last.

Next Week's Goals:

All pretty much the same as last week's.

DREAMER'S ROSE:
Work on chapter exchange revisions as they come.

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. Keep working on the revised 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 twice a week.
Send "Becoming Lioness" and "The Bard's Gift" out again, after the holiday.
Figure out where that new short story is going, if anywhere.
I'm starting to think about possibly expanding "Mage Storm" into a YA novel. Cogitate on that some.

I have had lots of ideas coming to me for my next story- like I realized her real antagonist was someone totally different then I thought. I also discovered a potential best friend for my MC, fleshed out her husband a lot and am getting a much better feel for her as a person. I haven't started writing yet, but I am getting to that soon. This story has a lot of mystery and intrigue I hope and twists and turns. The opening scene in my head is MC walking through street and a beggar, who is not dirty enough to be a real beggar, pushes next to her, says "It is all a lie" and disappears back into the crowd. With that starting scene, there needs to be a lot of deception I think, which means I need to know a bit more where everything is going. I also know the end scene- she walks through the streets, now abandoned and destroyed from the bloody revolt and commits to certain lies of her own. In my head, it is working out great.

I also have another short story (WOTF quarter 4 perhaps) almost completely written in my head, so just need to let it out.

Next week- keep up with chapter exchange, revisions as needed.
Write a thousand words of short story.
A bit more world building for new novel- perhaps write first scene. For now, working title will be Babylon, but that would in no way work as a real title.

Oh- another thing I want to work on a bit. I have the nano free proof code for create space. I want to get it all formatted and stuff by July 31. I am going to put title as For the Gods, which I am pretty sure I am not going to submit it under, put all privacy settings on, no amazon all that- which I am told makes it the same as just printing a copy at kinkos in terms of loss of rights.

Science fiction novel: Reading and research.

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UPCOMING WEEK
Mainstream novel: Business as usual....although, that second chapter has been hanging around way too long. I'll probably make the first chapter open for those who would like to give it a crit.

Science fiction novel: Reading and research.

I have put two of my short stories back on the shelf for the time being, and will only deal with two others until further notice.

What did I learn this week? When I'm in the middle of a good writing roll (such as I have been recently), my home studio starts resembling an office supply store that was dropped on top of a public library, then exploded, then got hit by a tornado, then exploded again. During an earthquake. This is a reminder to myself to step away from the keyboard from time to time and attend to keeping my studio clean and organized.