Results of January

This January wasn't one of my best considering my goals and all but I learned a thing or two along the way about editing. I'm not sure if it's just for this particular novel but that's something I'll figure out as the year goes on.

My totals for the year are:

• Editing: 50 hours
• Writing (typed): 22,515 words
• Writing (hand-written): 1,219

I think that's all I have for this month's goals. I didn't finish editing Call of the Piper but I did figure out where I wanted to go with the story. It's not going to be perfect but after I finish rewriting some of the scenes, I'll be on the right track. I won't have to go through and change everything again.

February is going to have a nice range of goals. Some of them are more personal.

• Finish editing Call of the Piper
• Continue working on handwritten novellas
• Write Hush for the Keeping Warm in February challenge
• Consistency Challenge (750 words a day)
• WriYe Blogging Circle 
• Work on creating a healthy lifestyle
• Apply for Jobs

 That is all I have for now and frankly, that's all I really want to have for the month of February. There are going to be small challenges during the month that I might partake in but I'm not sure I'll have time. I want to keep them simple. I want to start working out again and eating better. Hell, eating more at home would be a good start.

I have my art goals that I want to do as well but I think I'll leave that for my crafting blog.

Progress Update: Software and Planning

I got sucked in to trying a new 3D program because it was free. Yeah, I get sucked into this stuff a lot. I just wanted to give it a try to see where it goes. So far, I suck at it. I need to play around with it a bit to get used to it and maybe watch tutorials.

I want to try to make novel covers or just artwork with it, just to try it out. It's just something to try out to see if I like it. If I don't, it's not a big deal. I can easily remove it from my computer and stick to Photoshop.

Other than software, I did manage to get a bit of editing done. I'm at a total of 39 hours with plenty more to come. Hopefully, next month I'll have Call of the Piper (temp title) finished. Well, at least finished with the first edit and where I want it to be for me to edit again later. I was going to take that month to write but I think I'm going to stick with editing this. I want to finish it and I think I know where I want it to go.

I finally finished my new storyboard and I'm keeping a lot more scenes than I thought I was. And I'm getting over another bump in the editing process. I'm hoping for some smooth sailing soon.

Progress Update: Plot Bunnies

I figured out my editing hour total. I currently stand at 26.75 hours and I still need to add more to it. I'm half way to where I want to be by the end of the month but I need to really buckle down on this editing. Once I get into the fun part of it, I think it'll just breeze on by but I need to push myself to get there.

A lot of the rewriting is setting me back. I have to make a new outline and a new story board. I just need to remember to stay on track. So, I'll continue doing that.

Lately, I've been really into writing everything out by hand. I have those moments and that's usually when paper ends up everywhere. Now my room is a mess. That's probably why I can't be creative in my room. It's messy. I should really work on that.

On another note, thanks to work, I got hit with a plot bunny and I'm considering using the idea for the Handwrite a Complete Novel challenge on the WriYe forums. They are probably going to end up being Novellas. 4 of them. I already started outlining them because it wasn't leaving my head. I'm not sure how I'm going to write it completely. I always get stuck with the 1st person VS 3rd Person POV. I'll have to do some samples later.

Writing Resolution: Editing

 Goals: What is your one main goal for this year? Call it your writing resolution. Not two. Not five. Your main and only one. And why is it your goal? 

Bonus:Make a mantra to tell yourself all year when you feel as if you can’t reach this goal. Share it with us! 

(WriYe Blogging Circle Prompt)

  

This year, for me, my focus is all on editing. I have a lot of projects to get through this year. One might not be fully finished by the end of the year due to the massive changes but I want to get it out of the first draft stage. There will be writing but it's not what I'm working with this year. Most of my writing will focus on short stories rather than full on novels. I will write a few novels this year but I don't have many planned. 

Editing is my primary goal because it's the next step I need to take if I want to try to publish something soon. It might not be a novel just yet but a short story or a series of short stories. Whatever it is, I just want to get something ready for publishing.

As for a mantra, I don't have one that goes with my current goal. At least, I don't have one right now. One might come to me later, as I continue to edit.

Progress Update: Writing By Hand

Today, I have no idea where I stand when it comes to editing. I haven't plugged in my chart yet but I did most of it by hand. There are times when I get really distracted with things around the house. So, I think I need to clean my room and get focused again.

I did get pretty far with writing by hand but I'm not sure how much was written. So, I'm hoping for a better week.

Progress Update: Discovering New Things

I started editing the first novel of my Radley series since the first of January. Well, technically, it was the first of March. Between then and now, I realized that my novel didn't flow, so I changed it a bit and added the flow. I moved around scenes and let everything come together like it should. Though, now I realize that the process is going to take a bit longer. That, or I'm going to have to work double time on this.

So, even though it's been a few days into the new year, I've discovered a few things that help me with the "dissection" of my first draft. I don't think I need to use these all of the time, for every draft. This is just for me getting back into editing and changing certain scene significantly without rewriting the whole darn novel.

The one thing that really helps me is taking notes on my scenes so I know what needs to be added and where it needs to be added. Also, keeping my workspace distraction free is key to getting things done.

Thanks to my brother, Lee, I'm not obsessed with Pentatonix. I've been avoiding listening to their music for a while but now I have a few of their albums. I have to keep my phone and my headphones off my desk if I want to get any work done.

For now, I don't really have a set method for editing but I'm hoping to discover something that works for me as I continue to edit novels and short stories throughout the year.

A Year of Editing

It's finally the new year! That means, setting goals. For me, it's editing. I mean, all editing. I have several novels and short stories that need to be revised and looked over. There will be some writing, but only 2 or 3 novels this year and some short stories randomly scattered about the year.

The goal is to bring at least one novel to the final stages and possibly releasing it into the world, published. There's still a lot of work to get to that stage though.

The first novel I'll be working on is Call of the Piper (temporary name). I've been working on this since March (2014) and I have so much work to do on it. A good chunk of the novel will be changed. I can't wait to get started.