2024 GOALS – Third Quarter (the expurgated version)

I have to be honest, this was not a good quarter for my goals. My fault, I slacked off on a lot of things like my reading goals and even my writing goals. Even my weight has gone up. I’ve been lacking in self-discipline. I can’t blame the Girl Scout cookies for that. But I have one more quarter to go, I can still make up some progress. I’ve already started reading at night again. I stopped for a couple of months because I was too tired, or more often I just wasted time on the internet after working on writing. Again, I just have to be more disciplined.
1. PUBLISH FIRST STEAMPUNK NOVEL:
a. Finish rewrites, get novel up to about 80,000 words. In progress. My critique groups are looking at it and critiquing on Zoom and sending me notes. I am up from 72,000 words to 76,865. Now that my critique groups have gone through my novel, I’m ready to start the “final” rewrite. I put that in quotes because as Tony Todaro use to say, “The book isn’t done until the press starts to run.”
b. Update first steampunk screenplay based on changes to first novel.
c. Save up for an editor.
d. Get an editor.
e. Make changes based on editor’s notes.
f. Acquire literary agent.
g. Get published.
2. WRITE SECOND STEAMPUNK NOVEL: Gotta finish the first.
a. Go over second steampunk screenplay. It’s been a while since I set it down. Time to see if I can streamline it any further. I’ve also already gone through the screenplay and decided where the chapter breaks are going to be.
i. Write Chapter One
ii. Write Chapter Two
iii. Write Chapter Three
iv. Write Chapter Four
v. Write Chapter Five
vi. Write Chapter Six
vii. Write Chapter Seven
viii. Witte Chapter Eight
ix. Write Chapter Nine
x. Write Chapter Ten
xi. Write Chapter Eleven
xii. Write Chapter Twelve
xiii. Write Chapter Thirteen
xiv. Write Chapter Fourteen
xv. Write Chapter Fifteen
xvi. Write Chapter Sixteen
xvii. Write Chapter Seventeen
xviii. Write Chapter Eighteen
xix. Write Chapter Nineteen
b. Start submitting novel to my critique group.
3. START WRITING MY THIRD STEAMPUNK SCREENPLAY: Actually, I already have the first 36 pages done. Gotta finish the second. The second is done and now that I left it alone for a few months, it’s time to look at it anew and see if I can trim it.
a. Start on my “String of Pearls” – that’s a whole other blog – and I have covered it.
b. Put those pearls in an outline. I’ve never been one for an outline, other than in my head, but maybe it will help me write the screenplay faster like having the screenplay helps me write the novel faster. This is something new I want to try.
c. Start filling out the screenplay.
d. Finish the first draft. This may sound obvious, but it’s a big deal to actually finish a project, even if it is the first (vomit) draft.
4. READ BOOKS
a. Read a book in January: 01/24/24 finished reading, “Filmed in Supermarionation”.
b. Read a book in February: 03/11/24 finished reading the Star Wars novel, “Master and Apprentice”
c. Read a book in March: 03/29/24 finished reading, “C. H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership”. I am a few comic books behind, though.
d. Read a book in April: 05/28/24 finished reading, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain. A month late, but got it done. Three comic books behind.
e. Read a book in May: 06/01/24 Graphic novel, “Primer” by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski. Only one day late.
f. Read a book in June: 08/08/24, “Children of the Stars” by Neil V. Young.
g. Read a book in July: Still behind.
h. Read a book in August: Still behind.
i. Read a book in September: Still behind.
j. Read a book in October:
k. Read a book in November:
l. Read a book in December:
5. READ MY BIBLE: Every year my church encourages us to read the Bible in a year.
a. Keeping up with January’s reading: On Schedule.
b. Keeping up with February’s reading: On Schedule.
c. Keeping up with March’s reading: On Schedule.
d. Keeping up with April’s reading: Starting to get a bit behind.
e. Keeping up with May’s reading: Still falling behind.
f. Keeping up with June’s reading: Still falling behind.
g. Keeping up with July’s reading: Still falling behind.
h. Keeping up with August’s reading: Still falling behind.
i. Keeping up with September’s reading: Still falling behind.
j. Keeping up with October’s reading:
k. Keeping up with November’s reading:
l. Keeping up with December’s reading:
6. TRY SIX NEW COOKIE RECIPES:
a. Try a new cookie: Not yet. I still have some girl scout cookies left.
b. Try a second new cookie: Haven tried any new cookies, and Christmas is less than three months away.
c. Try a third new cookie:
d. Try a fourth new cookie:
e. Try a firth new cookie:
f. Try a sixth new cookie:
7. GET DOWN TO 185 POUNDS:
a. Down to 192.7 by end of January: 195.4 Yeah, I went up after Christmas. But considering I was as high as 198.4, I’ll take it.
b. Down to 192.0 by end of February: 196.4 It’s those darn Girl Scouts! They get me every year!
c. Down to 191.3 by end of March: 197.6 Yeah, that’s not good. But in my defense, I was down to 194.6 earlier in the month.
d. Down to 190.6 by end of April: 195.8. 5.2 pounds behind goal, but at least going down.
e. Down to 189.9 by end of May: 194.6. 4.7 pounds behind, but still going down.
f. Down to 198.2 by end of June: 197.0. Not doing so good this year. Keep bouncing around 195.
g. Down to 188.5 by end of July: 197.4. Still not doing good.
h. Down to 187.8 by end of August: 196.6 Going down, but still behind.
i. Down to 187.1 by end of September: 200.4 I’m starting to blow it.
j. Down to 186.4 by end of October:
k. Down to 185.7 by end of November:
l. Down to 185.0 by end of December:
8. MAKE SIX BLOOD DONATIONS: Did it last year, let’s do it again this year.
a. First blood donation: 2/10/24
b. Second blood donation: 04/06/24
c. Third blood donation: 06/08/24
d. Fourth blood donation: 08/03/24
e. Fifth blood donation: 09/28/24 At least this I’m doing good on.
f. Sixth blood donation: This will be at the Loscon blood drive Kris and I are hosting.
9. CREATE AND PRINT BUNSINSS CARDS: I want to have these by the time the West Coast Writers Conferences have their next in-person conference – or when my first book is published. it: Not yet. Probably won’t until I get an agent.
a. Take a new head shot.
b. Get a QR code for my website.
c. Design the card.
d. Have cards printed.
10. JUST A BUNCH OF LITTLE THINGS TO DO: Finally, there is always a bunch of little things that I mean to get to, but I never do. So, I’m putting them out here. If I do half of them, I’ll call it a win. None yet.
a. Reorganize bookshelf to my left.
b. Reorganize bookshelf to my right. DONE 05/25/24
c. Reorganize the three bookshelves in the living room.
d. Find our candy molds in our storage unit – hopefully before Christmas.
e. Finish all the exercises in the “Your Goal Guide” book.
f. Buy a new suit, I will need it when my book is published.
g. Make a video for my blog. I’d like to add videos, maybe a YouTube channel eventually. Done. In fact, I’ve done a couple.

By the way, WordPress hates bullet points.
Dennis

210th blog completed.
First Steampunk novel: 76,865 words.  Past 76,000. Goal: 80,000.
Second Steampunk novel: 783 words.
Second Steampunk screenplay: 157 pages.
First Steampunk screenplay: Need to update with notes from the novelization.
Third Steampunk screenplay: 38 pages.
“Well, last Sunday was a special day in the Cherry kitchen. Dennis got to experiment with something he had been wanting to try for a long time – homemade pizza! He used this Premium Pizza Crust recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18020/premium-pizza-crust/
The recipe says it would make two 12” pizzas. Mad Woman with a Box was coming over. Dennis wanted to make sure there was enough pizza for everyone, so he doubled the recipe. Using a large bowl, he made more dough than he ever made at one time.
He then divided the dough into three pieces. The first he made into his version of Topper’s Meatanator. It had Canadian Bacon, ham, peperoni and sausage.
Next was his version of Topper’s Barbeque Chicken Pizza. He used Sweet Ray’s Barbecue Sauce instead of pizza sauce, topped with mozzarella and cubes of chicken covered in BBQ sauce.
The Meatanator turned out good, but the center of the crust wasn’t quite done. Kris had been a pizza professional at one time – she worked at Round Table Pizza in her youth. She said the extra toppings need to cook longer to get the crust to finish cooking. So, next time Dennis will let it cook for 15 t0 20 minutes instead of the 10 minutes the recipe calls for.
When those two pizzas came out, he put in his third, a cheese pizza supreme. It had a crust stuffed with mozzarella, and covered in motz, ched and mizithra cheese from the Old Spaghetti Factory. Ralph’s use to carry it, but not anymore.
He let this one cook for 15 minutes and it came out perfect.
He was out of pizza pans, so this one was square.
Cooking time needs a little adjusting, but all three were definitely winners.” – Vincent Reinhart.