Current Project:Untitled Intrigue
Status: synopsis finished
Morning everyone, up and at em'. It's time for your weekly weigh in ... er check in.
Me first. I finished the synopsis yesterday, happy dance, spin and twirl, and am now back on the pages. With any luck, those will be done within the next week or two. I also got enough put together to suggest the direction of the sequel book. It struck me yesterday that I was doing this same thing last spring for three books that were not bought so I'm taking nothing for granted.
We also put our house on the market this week. That was a difficult decision and still scares the daylights out of us. Of course we've chosen the worst market in decades in which to do this ... timing, timing, timing. Oh well, now we see what happens.
How is everyone else doing?
17 comments:
Congrats on the synopsis, Alice and moving ahead.
I know what you mean about the scary housing market- Our house will be up for sale in another month. The realtor is waiting for the grass to green so we can get good photos. but we don't have to sell. It would just get us out to Princeton sooner if it sells.
As for check in. I'm on page 155 and trucking along today. The story is at the first major turning point and flowing well.
Paty, I envy the fact you know exactly where you want to go next (house-wise). We're still a little vague about that detail. Up on the Columbia River somewhere, but we can't buy another house until this one sells so it's all iffy. Spooky stuff.
I actually struggled with the decision to submit something right now. The way my luck runs, the house will sell on the day before a deadline. Then the deal will close on the day before the next deadline. You watch.
If the books sell.
Way to go on truckin' along and liking what you see.
Alice and Paty, having "been there, done that" with the house selling a year and a half ago (though in our case it was a condo), I wish you both good luck and success! Even when you have everything planned out, it's still a stressful undertaking.
As for my goals, let's see, I believe I said I was going to finish my character/plot analysis and start writing (2500 words minimum). I brainstormed all week -- in fact it got to the point where I now wake up thinking about my characters and plot. I did not start writing the actual story, but I've got about 3,000 words of backstory for both the hero and heroine and I've got a working title, though it's likely to change: Shadows, Inc.
Each week I inch towards enlightenment. :-)
My goals for next week:
1. Continue brainstorming/refining characters/plot
2. Start writing the story -- again I should be able to eek out a minimum of 2500 words
That's it. Everyone have a great weekend and Happy Easter! to those who celebrate it.
Debbie -- the backstory, for me, is 2/3 of the work. It's the most complicated part of writing and plotting, esp. in a mystery where everything stems from what happened in the past. I read somewhere that most books are written from the beginning to the end but mysteries are written from the end to the beginning. It sounds as though your trip toward enlightenment is right on schedule.
Can you tell us in such a public forum what happened at work this week? I've been wondering...
Alice--you can't leave us! You have to draw a circle of the distance you are willing to drive for meetings and stay in that circle :P:P:P
My goals & progress for this week were:
1) Finish and mail submission. I'm close to done, but it's not mailed b/c I am still waiting on information from the contest.
2) Email for help in making more professional website. Check.
3) Pick WIP and write 3 pages. I picked, and I've done three pages. I'm hoping to get some writing time later today, and I'll update with a word count.
Next week's goals:
1) Send submission as soon as I get packet.
2) Finish GMC/Beliefs/Values for Characters (Wednesday)
3) Write 10 pages (Saturday).
Oh--Debbie, I have an awesome booklet from Suzanne Brockmann on Character Development. Since you are so focused on that now, I can bring it to the meeting if you would like to see it? I also have a copy of building believable characters.
Wavy -- You are truly an inspiration. It looks as though setting goals is really working for you. Is the submission you're talking about connected to the contest you won?
Everyone is doing so well, it makes plugging away here a little easier!
Oh, Alice. You're always first. ;)
Hmmm...I don't think I got nearly enough done. I did manage to finish chapter one on the new para and am now deep in chapter two. I had a thousand things going last week so I'm considering this progress. Here's hoping next week is more productive.
Yay to everyone on their awesome progress!!!
Congratulations to all of you who are meeting your writing goals! You're an inspiration to me.
I'm still writing occasionally on Letters to My Younger Self (my inner 13 year old). I've written 23,812 words now, but my pace is slowing down. Thursday I went back and read the whole thing for the first time since I started writing in February. There's some good stuff there, but I still can't imagine who might be my audience (or publisher).
Good luck to Paty and Alice on your house-selling!
Eli -- Sounds to me as though you're making progress.
I wrote ten pages today, things seem to be shaping up well. Long day.
Barbara, Thanks for the good luck wishes, I have a feeling we're going to need them.
It's good to go back and read what you've written -- I have no ideas at this moment about an audience, but my first thought was I wonder if it could be greatly condensed into an article just hitting highlights, etc... A thought. Shame to waste all that wisdom!
Barbara--I think there is a bigger market than you might think. Wisdom is a huge subgenre right of the nonfiction market, and if you make it slightly funny, I could see you going a number of directions with it. The same readers who love Chicken Soup love those kinds of books. For inspiration and to see what I mean, read "The Last Lecture" which hit the NYT.
Well done everyone!!! Best of luck with the house, Alice :) I hope it works out well for you both.
My goal for this week is to finish rewriting the chapter I'm on.
Lisa, I'm rooting for you with the rewrites. Think of me as an annoying little hornet buzzing around your ears! "You can do it, I know you can." Wait, that sounded more like The Little Engine that Could....
Okay, think of me as train, whatever works!
Lisa, I'm rooting for you with the rewrites. Think of me as an annoying little hornet buzzing around your ears! "You can do it, I know you can." Wait, that sounded more like The Little Engine that Could....
Okay, think of me as train, whatever works!
Alice, for the last few weeks there have been a lot of rumors swirling around in the press about IBM being in talks to buy my company. Between that and the protracted RIF (layoff) announcements (my group still hasn't gotten numbers and the announcement was made last November), morale has been very bad. Everything came to a head last week -- the press said the announcement was supposed to happen on Monday. Monday came and the news was that the talks had broken down.
While, personally, I'm glad (being bought out would eventually mean even more layoffs), it's still been an emotional rollercoaster that hasn't stopped yet. Now I'm waiting for the RIFs to be done. Fun.
Wavy -- I'd love to take a look at Suzanne Brockmann's booklet! Thanks for the offer. :-)
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