Some public goal-setting -- *gulp*

How you comin' on that novel you're working on? Huh? Got a big stack of papers there? Got a nice little story you're working on there? Your big novel you've been working on for three years? Huh? Got a compelling protagonist? Yeah? Got an obstacle for him to overcome? Huh? Got a story brewing there? Working on that for quite some time? Huh? Yeah, talking about that three years ago. Been working on that the whole time? Nice little narrative? Beginning, middle and end? Some friends become enemies, some enemies become friends? At the end your main character is richer from the experience? Yeah? Yeah?

No, no, you deserve some time off.

-- Stewie Griffin to Brian the dog on Family Guy
said in an extremely sarcastic tone of voice,
tempo and pitch rising throughout

Have you noticed that the writing posts in this online journal of mine have been pretty scarce lately? Me too. Well, it's time to get off my rear and start committing myself publicly to some fiction-writing goals.

In two months I'll be attending the RWA national conference, where I'll get to attend some fabulous writing workshops, hang out with other writers, and potentially meet an agent or editor or two. In fact, I've signed up for an appointment with Susan Swinwood, who is the Spice editor. I'd really like to be able to talk about my writing being in full gear and focused.

First goal: Finish the erotic novella I've been working on within the next 10 days. Working title is The Viking's Tale. I have about 4,000 words written. I'm shooting for about 12,500 words, which is 50 pages in standard manuscript format. Basically, I need to write 850 words a day. My problem is that I keep trying to shove too much plot into a short story. Simplify. Oh, and I need to actually write the intimate parts. Yeah, that's been kind of slow for me on this one. Mental block?

Second goal: Whip my other erotic novella into shape. Clio's Tale, this one is called. It's blessedly short on external plot complications and is meant for inclusion in a novel-length work that I've been working on with two other writer friends. I need to dust this one off and see where I'm at on it before I can get more specific with goals. I'd like to have this one solidified before the conference, too.

Longer-term goals:
Re-imagine the opening section of my finished novel-length manuscript, Prairie Fire. As I've been developing the companion book, Witch's Fire, I've solidified the universe a little better. Thus, changes need to be made, which is OK, because I think the opening was feeling a little tired to me anyway. And when I'm finished with the new-and-improved Prairie Fire, then start actually writing Witch's Fire.

OK, so those are my current writing goals, put out there publicly for you all to see. Feel free to ask me every now and then, "How you comin' on that novel you're working on?"