This Weeks Goals 14-20th May

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So did you give the photo prompt a go yesterday?

I was thinking along the lines that it was a guy returning to his family home to introduce mummy & daddy to the latest girlfriend. Mummy & Daddy are Lord & Lady Hampton and the new girlfriend is a cockney, who drinks pints of Ale, smokes roll ups and works as a lap dancer šŸ˜‰

Right, where was I? Ahhhh, yes, the goals…..

I’m afraid, I failed miserably šŸ˜¦ My reason? I had to have my dog put to sleep on Wednesday night (the 9th). It was fairly sudden, she became ill over the weekend, vet gave her antibiotics for a chest infection (she was having trouble breathing) and by Wednesday night we ended up at the emergency vets, where an X-ray confirmed a tumour on her lung. Too large to operate on and causing her distress. Always a difficult decision, but we didn’t want her suffering any longer. The vet said it was only her spirit that was keeping her alive. She was 12.

So as you can imagine, I’ve been on a huge downer….bouts of tearfulness and generally the inability to even pick up a pen šŸ˜¦

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My darling Georgie, I will miss you so much….the house feels so empty without you….but, I know I have to pick myself up, carry on, because I know you’re somewhere, reunited with Bill (our Shih T Zu who died of a heart attack in 2010). I know in my heart that one day I will see you again.

*blows nose and wipes eyes* Does how you feel emotionally affect your ability to write? It feels like I’ve just been plunged into a dark space, and I’m finding it hard to focus my eyes. Oooo, that sounds a bit dramatic doesn’t it….I’m fine really.

Right, so lets crack on, I needto focus…… I needto get back into some kind of routine šŸ™‚

The original list from last week was:

1. Finish the spell check (and do it again incase there’s something I’ve missed). DONE
2. Check that’s it’s set out correctly (ie paragraphing and indenting dialogue). STARTED
3. Check punctuation (I have a tendency to forget all about it during dialogue). STARTED

The rest, I’m afraid, didn’t get tackled….however, I did print all 202 pages off. I find it much easier editing it when it’s on paper in front of me.

Yep, so guess what the plan is this week?

4. Change tense where needed (one of my worst habits, I tend to flit between past and present during a longer piece lol). STARTED
5. Print off to start the re-write (I’ve decided to change a few things quite considerably). PRINTED OFF
6. Do the research needed.
7. Write the ending (GULP).
8. Write a synopsis.
9. Decide who to pick on as Beta readers lol (Think of questions to ask Beta readers)
10. Think about what to do with it next (depending on Beta readers comments, I could be starting back at number 1 lol).

What are you hoping to achieve this week? And how about editing Do you do most of it on the PC or print off and use the red pen?

20 thoughts on “This Weeks Goals 14-20th May”

    • Hi Eliza šŸ™‚

      Thanks hon šŸ™‚

      I guess I never really realised how much my emotions would affect my writing, which seems like a really stupid thing to say, as it’s kind of obvious, but I never really thought about it lol

      Xx

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  3. Well a loss of a pet can be a bit hard, and a bit of a distraction. Sorry to hear about that.

    I do my editing onscreen where possible. The hardest thing is to read through a section then edit, not edit along the way. I likely mentioned it before, but Scrivener helps a lot in this regard and you can easily compare several drafts within the same project.

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    • Thanks Elliot, yeah, it has been very distracting šŸ˜¦

      Yeah, I’ve heard a lot of great things about Scrivener, but I guess I’m resistant because I prefer to edit on paper. I think I really should download it lol

      Xx

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  6. Awwww, I’m dabbing at my eyes right now. šŸ˜¦ What a sweet little dog he must have been. Losing a pet is so tough, but it does really help to think of them in a happier place. It would be hard to write or do much of anything after such a blow.
    But you asked about editing.
    I print off everything I edit, even to the point where I type in one round of edits, and print off the next revision and edit again. The nice thing about hard copy is that once you move the words around, (and I literally move them by cutting the page into the sections I want to move) you can’t accidentally type them twice. And I also like handwriting the new material that goes in between.
    Good luck with the editing this week! Don’t be so hard on yourself, it’s got to be difficult to get back on track after such a sad event.

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    • Awwwww, sorry Kirsten šŸ˜¦

      Yeah, I knew I’d be devastated if/when something happened to her, but I never for a moment realised how much it would affect my writing! šŸ˜¦

      Ahhhhh, a woman after my own heart!!!!! I think I’d go cross eyed editing on screen lol.

      Thanks hon….I’m not too sure much will be achieved this week, but, if I try to work to a list I think it will help šŸ™‚

      Xx

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  7. I’m so sorry to hear about your lovely little friend. I dread the day – after seventeen and a half years, I can’t imagine the hole. Emotional upset always impacts writing – sometimes for ages. Go easy on yourself.

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    • Thanks Sue šŸ™‚

      It’s crazy really that I never realised how it would affect my writing, I haven’t written a word since last Wednesday morning! šŸ˜¦

      Yes, the hole, the quietness is the worst….I’ve tried to go out a lot šŸ˜‰

      Xx

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  8. So sorry about George! I have two beautiful dogs so I can’t imagine how you must be feeling but commend you for “getting on with things.” My goal this week is to write more on my book and to work on a short story I’m struggling with. It seems I neglect them sometimes because of blogging which is not good! Best of luck to you, Vikki!

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    • Thanks Brigitte šŸ™‚

      I think I have to get on with things, or I’ll go crazy šŸ˜¦

      Ha ha ha….yeah, I have to admit, my writing often gets neglected due to blogging lol.

      Thanks hon, and good luck to you šŸ™‚

      Xx

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