Making Progress

Making Progress

Now it’s the end of the second quarter of 2021.   Let’s see how I’m doing on my goals:

2021 Goals

  1. Finish my second steampunk screenplay. This includes making changes based on the feedback from my critique group.  This will still be a vomit draft in the range of 200 pages.  I won’t make any big rewrites until after I finish the first draft.  Haven’t had time, still working on my novel.
  2. Edit my first steampunk novel. Again, I’m making some changes as my critique group reads through it, but the really big changes won’t come until they finish it and can give me feedback on it as a whole.  My critique group has now gone through my entire novel.  And… see below.
  3. Get a ProCritique on both in February. This will lead to even more rewrites on both.  This will probably overlap with #1 and #2.  I have now gotten both my ProCritiques.  I am making changes based on them and the notes from my critique group.
  4. Once I’ve done everything I can with my novel, it’s time to hire a professional editor. I’m hoping sometime between March and June.  A bit behind schedule.  I will probably finish my rewrites in August and then contact an editor.  I also have to save up the money for this.
  5. Pitch my first novel to agents at the August Writer’s Conference. I hope to be ready by then.  If I do get an agent, then everything could change depending on how much he needs me to work with him, work on my novel from his suggestions, and how much I have to do to promote my novel before publication.  The work doesn’t stop once you get an agent.  More likely the conference in October.  We’ll have to see if my novel is ready by then.
  6. Write my second steampunk novel. I’m shooting for approximately 100,000 words.  At 3,000 words a week, that should take me about 34 weeks.  So if I start in May, I should finish by the end of the year.  Well, this is getting pushed back.  I expect to be starting my second steampunk novel in August, but first I have to finish the screenplay.
  7. I should add keeping up with my two critique groups, which means reading and critiquing everyone else’s work. I was behind, but I’m caught up now.
  8. Read a book a month. I’m really behind in my reading.  And one of the best ways to become a good writer is to read good books.  Also, there are books you read for education, in my case, learning about Victorian England.  Forget about it.  I can write, or I can read.  I just don’t have time to do both.  I’ve read a graphic novel or two and barely kept up on my comic books – and I don’t collect that many.
  9. I also want to keep up on my comic books. I don’t even collect that many.  See above.  But, hey, Transformers in the Ponyverse and now ponies in the Transformerverse.  How could I not stop to read that?!?  If you’re asking, Huh?  Why?  How does that even make sense?  Only because both properties are owned by Hasbro.
  10. And finally, on a personal note, I’d like to try at least one new recipe a month. Cooking is a hobby of mine, and I’ve been doing pretty good so far since the lockdown.  In the first quarter I tried making Rustic Bread, Chicken Rice Soup, Garlic Bread Cheese Sticks and Granny’s Classic Meatloaf.  This quarter I made:

Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Easy pizza Casserole
Loaded Carne Asada Sheet Pan Nachos
Easy Macaroni Salad

  1. On April 17th I have an appointment to give blood at the American Red Cross. This will be pint 3 of 8 toward my 13th gallon.  I’m now up to 4 pints.

Tonight, being the 4th of July, I’m trying another recipe:  Summer Barbecue Sauce  https://theforbesfamilyfarm.com/summer-barbecue-sauce/

BEFORE:DURING:AFTER:

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