2022 Goal Check – First Quarter
Well, it’s the end of the first quarter of 2022. Time to check on how I’m doing on my goals for the year:
2022 Goals – the expurgated version (the one without the gannet).
For the full version see my January 16th, 2022 blog, https://dennisamadorcherry.com/writing/2022-goals/
- POLISH OFF MY FIRST STEAMPUNK NOVEL: I plan to have this done by Presidents’ Day. I’m about 30 pages from finishing. The reason for this is that I’ve been working on my second steampunk script. I finished the vomit (first) draft so I could present the ending to one of my critique groups – the one that has been reading it as I have gone along. Now I’m cleaning up the vomit draft to submit a more polished draft to my other critique group where we often submit entire scripts.
- MAKE CHANGES TO MY FIRST STEAMPUNK SCRIPT I’m also still trying to shave down the 143 pages. Optimally, a script should be about 120 pages. I expect to be able to do this by the end of February. Haven’t finished the above, so this isn’t done either.
- SAVE UP FOR A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR: If I can do this by the end of the year, I’ll be happy. Still working on it, that’s all I can say.
- SUBMIT MY NOVEL TO A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR: Again, if I can do it by the end of the year, I’ll be happy. If things get better, I can always add new goals. It all depends on the above. At least I’m not behind schedule.
- OUTLINE MY THIRD STEAMPUNK SCRIPT: I’m thinking maybe an outline will help me write the script faster. That doesn’t mean that I won’t stop and write a scene that really catches me, though. I’ll set this goal for the end of March. Nope, still working on script two.
- WRITE MY THIRD STEAMPUNK SCRIPT: I’ll break this down further once I start doing it. Something like, if I can write ten pages a week, and I assume my first draft will be 180 pages, then I should be able to write it in eighteen weeks. Still in the future. Haven’t gotten there yet.
- EDIT MY THIRD STEAMPUNK SCRIPT AND SUBMIT IT TO ONE OF MY CRITIQUE GROUPS: Which will lead to more edits. I’ll break this down as I get closer. Same as above.
- WRITE MY SECOND STEAMPUNK NOVEL: So, let’s break this down into manageable sub-goals: Still in the future, but getting closer as I finish my second steampunk script.
- Read twelve books this year.
A: Read a book in January: 1/28/22 finished. “What Jane Auston Ate and Charles Dickens Knew”.
B: Read a book in February: 3/3/22, three days late, finished, “Art for God’s Sake”.
C: Read a book in March: No book finished, but I am reading Brandy June’s, “Gold Spun”. As if didn’t already have enough to read this year, I also bought Steve Kaplan’s, “The Comic Hero’s Journey”, serious story structure for fabulously funny films. Sci-Fi comedies are hard to find. I want to write one someday.
D: Read a book in April:
E: Read a book in May:
F: Read a book in June:
G: Read a book in June:
H: Read a book in August:
I: Read a book in September:
J: Read a book in October:
K: Read a book in November:
L: Read a book in December:
- READ MY BIBLE: Every year my church, Calvary Bible Church in Burbank has a plan to read the entire Bible in a year. This year I’m dedicating myself to keeping up and writing this down as a goal as a part of my accountability.
A: Keep up with January’s reading: I’m about a week behind.
B: Keep up with February’s reading: I’m about three weeks behind. Don’t want to make excuses, but having kidney stones, covid and a writer’s conference didn’t help.
C: Keep up with March’s reading: I’m now four weeks behind.
D: Keep up with April’s reading:
E: Keep up with May’s reading:
F: Keep up with June’s reading:
G: Keep up with July’s reading:
H: Keep up with August’s reading:
I: Keep up with September’s reading:
J: Keep up with October’s reading:
K: Keep up with November’s Reading:
L: Keep up with December’s reading:
- TRY A NEW RECIPE EACH MONTH: This was a goal of mine last year and it worked out very well. I ended up trying out fifteen new recipes. So let’s do it again:
A: New recipe for January: On 01/30/22 made: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/brioche-bread?utm_source=pocket-newtab
B: New recipe for February: On 02/26/22 made: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/mango-habanero-bbq-chicken/
C: New recipe for March: On 3/13/22 made: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/279239/deep-fried-tilapia/ And on 3/14/22 made: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16311/simple-beef-stroganoff/ At least here I’m way ahead of my goals.
D: New recipe for April:
E: New recipe for May:
F: New recipe for June:
G: New recipe for July:
H: New recipe for August:
I: New recipe for September:
J: New recipe for October:
K: New recipe for November:
L: New recipe for December:
- Ever since my company moved its offices, my job has been more sedentary. I know I can lose two pounds a month if I stick to it, so here’s me making myself accountable:
A: Down to 208 by end of January: On 1/31/22 weighed 208. Right on schedule.
B: Down to 206 by end of February: On 2/25/22 weighed 202. That’s three times as much as I expected to lose in February. And all it took was a kidney stone and Covid…I’m not sure I can recommend that diet plan.
C: Down to 204 by end of March. On 3/31/22 weighed 200. That’s halfway to my goal for the year!
D: Down to 202 by end of April.
E: Down to 200 by end of May.
F: Down to 198 by end of June.
G: Down to 196 by end of July.
H: Down to 194 by end of August.
I: Down to 193 by end of September.
J: Down to 192 by end of October.
K: Down to 191 by end of November.
L: Down to 190 by end of December.
13: Finally, I want to keep up my blood donations with the American Red Cross. Either six whole blood donations or three power reds – that’s where they take out twice the red blood cells, but give you back half of your plasma. Up until now, I have been giving whole blood because I’m CMV negative, which means my blood can be given to infants. But with my last donation, they found I have rare antigens and asked me to consider power red donations. On 3/26/22 I gave Power Red. If my calculations are correct, that should complete my thirteenth gallon.
107th blog completed.
First Steampunk novel: 72,191 words.
First Steampunk screenplay: Need to update with notes from the novelization.
Second Steampunk screenplay: 174 pages, bing unvomited.
Second Steampunk novel: 0 words.
Third Steampunk screenplay: 38 pages.
And here’s the book I bought – as if I didn’t have enough…I found it at my favorite comic book store, Collector’s Paradice.
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