I normally like beginnings, and historically the start of the school year is one of my favorites, but I am feeling a bit melancholy this time around. Thing 2 is a senior in high school, so it is my LAST start of school for one of my kids... and it is the start of the University school year, too, and my day job is so much busier when the students are present.
But in the spirit of having a better attitude, I am hoping to approach all this like it's a good thing. A chance to start fresh, reset my goals that thus far this year have been sorely missed...
I think this is the only thing I've actually managed this year. I finished my edit Saturday. I am going to give it ONE MORE read to make sure there aren't any editing scars and then it is ready for my 2nd reader(s).
What That MEANS
It means I have 8 weeks until NaNoWriMo which is time to do TWO things:
1) Edit one fairly done story
2) And PLOT my NaNoProject
But What To Edit...
I think I am going to take a stab at Medium Wrong. I could do Kahlotus Disposal Site, but that has a different sort of problem than I feel currently equipped to deal with. Medium Wrong I think I can do... My goal is perhaps a “more or less” one... There is a paranormal element that I tried to keep very light, but I think I need to commit or tamp it down or it ends up deus ex machina. Committing would mean more clues or evidence Amanda has some sort of visions thing that she is capable of, the tamping would give her real ways of knowing stuff... I think the former works better.
As for My NaNo Project, I think I am going with a mystery. I still need to find my niche here. I want SO BADLY to walk the line BETWEEN cozy and actual dark mystery. I don't want humorless or just typical whodunnits. I want dark crime that affects real characters, but I want some of those characters to have tics and snark. I WILL do it!!! But I think I need to flesh out my characters better before I start and then I think I want to diagram the main murder plot. It is what I did for my cozy series and it helps me to not sort of get off pace or give too much away right up front.
So that is the rest of 2015 for me...
As for NON-Writing Goals for the rest of the year...
Um... wait, what? I really should have some fitness goals. I know I should... I think what I can commit to is some strength training and stretching stuff (I already walk a ton). And I should make some eating attempts, but I'm not convinced I will do a lot... Life is too full...
What about you? Do you have things you are trying to wind up in the four months left in 2015?
14 comments:
Hmm... lots to think about here. I don't think of this is the last kick of the year but the start of one. 13 years of schooling set that pattern in place and even though it has been a long time, I cannot resist it. I finished my revision yesterday with a new ending (more on this in my blog - but you know how tricky the ending of Bright Angel was) and I feel very excited. I sent it off to my mentor and he'll weigh in by the weekend (though further notes will be later). As to your dilemma - I vote for darker mystery from you. Dark and funny. You can do it! I'm not going to write anything new while I wait, but think I might go back to a shelved novel. I have a couple to choose from. Not sure about NaNo-ing but maybe. The fall one is always a bit tricky for me.
My only writing goal for the moment is to finish revising my scifi, NO REST again, and then send it out for reading. I'm about half way there.
My writing goal is to keep writing...on ANYTHING. I've been so distracted and need to focus. I recently started blogging again. It keeps my creative wheels lubed. I've missed connecting with other authors too.
Are there really only 8 weeks left until NaNo??!! Ack!
Good luck with all your goals! I'm determined to make the rest of the year creative and productive.
Oh you have a lot to squeeze in there! Best of luck, and on going dark. ;)
Glad your book is almost ready for its next batch of readers.
I can see you writing a dark mystery. With humor, of course.
4 months?! Noooooo! Ugh, goals. I have so many things I want to do. Exercise more, several writing projects, be better about cooking for my kids...
-Vicki
Isn't plotting your NaNo project months before hand cheating? Just wondering.
I got drop-kicked into my latest writing project: the short story contest for the INSECURE ANTHOLOGY. It consumed me until I finished it today on my last day off. I never win these things. But faint heart never won fair lady -- I will not depress the both of us with how fair ladies I won that way!
Enjoy this senior year for your youngster. It only comes once, but if you do it right, once is enough. :-)
Best of fun with everything
I just finished a just-over-a-week subbing assignment (kind of a long story), so at the moment I just want to catch my breath. Then I'll figure out my rest of year goals.
I have three big writing goals and I should be able to make all of them and even start something else.
Susan Says
Only four months left? Oh, crap! At least I can report that I had a mental breakthrough on my sci fi novel so after many months I'm working on it again. I also have a second consultation lined up on my restarted, completely new screenplay (first 15 pages plus a detailed outline will be reviewed/painfully deconstructed). Here's hoping I finish one or the other before the end of the year.
The immediate goal is to release my last two books on Kindle, so that I'm covered on multiple platforms. Alas, that requires a bit of spare cash that I haven't quite found yet. Other goal is to make some sort of headway on a writing project that I recently changed gears on. With the season slowly starting to change, I'll be able to start hibernating in the public library, thus have no distractions and will be able to carve out solid chunks of rewrite.
Father Nature's Corner
Only four months, oh dear, I better get some work done now! LOL
Lots to do and so little time. Thanks for the reminder, I think!
Good luck with all your goals!!!
I feel like such a slacker...you're the fourth blogger buddy thinking about NaNo. I'm not even there. I skipped out on it last year, but I'm trying to psyche myself up for it.
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