January 2007 Goals: How Did I Do?

So, as promised, here's how I did on my listed January 2007 goals.

I'm moving forward with the revisions of Erin's Rebel. I started with chapter 9 and am now revising chapter 31. The total number of chapters is 49, so I'm past the half-way point.

My second listed goal was to revise the outline of Katie Rose. I did start on that, but got distracted with the Erin's Rebel revisions. I did revise my synopsis, but still have to revise the outline.

I also wanted to start my "Women In the Ranks" series of blogs. I already posted the Intro blog this month. You can see it at: http://slipintosomethingvictorian.com/

I wrote two more blogs in the series. I'll be posting the first one on Sarah Emma Edmonds by the end of this week. The other one will appear in about two weeks.

Although I got a bit behind with the revisions on the Katie Rose outline, I feel like I'm making progress on both books. Since I've sent a partial of Erin's Rebel to my target publisher, I'm more focused on getting the revisions of that book done first, in case I get a request.

All in all, I'm happy with the progress I've made this month. Stay turned for my February goals that I'll list later this week.

Still Revising

I'm zipping along with the revisions on Erin's Rebel. But the history blogs I'm writing on women Civil War soldiers is making me want to continue the plotting out of my new Civil War romance.

But, got to keep focused. My critique group is a big help here, because I have to post a new chapter of Erin's Rebel, every other week. Then, I have to revise the chapter again after their suggestions. And they've all been a big help to me.

Of course, in my self-revisions I'm far ahead of the chapters I'm sending to the group. But it is the same book, so the critique group keeps me focused.

"Gotta get this done," I chant to myself.

But moving back and forth in the chapters like I've been doing, sometimes gives me brain fog.

Did I Write That?

As I'm rereading the chapters of Erin's Rebel, I'm sometimes amazed that I actually wrote this thing. I'm going back through the entire novel revising chapters as I go.

After writing the ending of a book, I sometimes forget what I wrote in the earlier chapters. Although I've revised the beginning again and again for contests, the middle chapters I've only seen once. In an earlier revision to expand the book, I actually rewrote a scene in a chapter that I'd already written, but had forgotten about!

Getting a breather from a book you're writing is a good thing. It gives you the perspective of a reader as you're revising. You can look at it with fresh eyes.

And, by the time you reach the end of a novel, you can forget what happened in the beginning.

It's kind of fun rereading something you wrote and thinking, did I write that?

Working On My New History Blog

This morning I thought I'd play catch-up by working on the new blog for my history research-based group blog, Slip Into Something Victorian Blog , on the life of Sarah Emma Edmonds.

Sarah, born in 1841, disguised herself as a man to obtain a better living than she could as a woman during the nineteenth century. When the Civil War broke out, she joined up under the name of Franklin Thompson.

The things I'm learning about her and other female Civil War soldiers is so interesting, I could spend all my time doing research.

I'm using a lot of these facts in my new Civil War romance, Katie Rose. I've posted the intro and invite all of you to take a look at http://slipintosomethingvictorian.com/

Moving Along

I'm moving along with my January writing goals. With my partial of Erin's Rebel on its way to the publisher, I can now concentrate on revising chapters beyond the first three. I've just completed the revision on chapter 11.

I'm also researching a series of blogs for my group blog Slip Into Something Victorian http://www.slipintosomethingvictorian.com , on women Civil War soldiers. I've written the intro blog, though I haven't yet posted it. I plan to have that up by the end of the week.

I'm also reviewing the outline for Katie Rose. I want to make some plot changes and get the plot in order before I start the actual writing.

Having all these different projects is giving me renewed energy. And if I get stuck on one thing, I can always turn to one of my other projects.

Life is good.

January 2007 Goals

As promised, I'm posting my goals for the month.

Two goals I've already accomplished were to send out the partial submission of my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, to Medallion Press. I did that today. I also wanted to enter a contest for the same novel and did that, too.

My remaining goals are to start the revisions of Erin's Rebel, starting with chapter 9. I've already revised the first 8 chapters and had some of them looked over by my critique group. My goal is to revise one chapter per day.

I also want to revise the outline of my Civil War romance, Katie Rose. Katie's a widowed Irish immigrant, turned Rebel soldier. I took a workshop on plotting and have my notes for changes in the work-in-progress folder. I want to look these over and revise the outline before I start the first draft of this novel.

And finally, I want to research women soldiers during the Civil War and post a series of blogs on my group blog, Slip Into Something Victorian. I want to post the introductory blog for this series in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for how I do this month and my February 2007 goals.