Ready, Set, Write: Week 1 Goals

Last summer, I wrote a book. I wrote it fast—faster than I anticipated—and I take absolutely zero credit for the motivation that made me open Scrivener every night. That goes to Ready, Set, Write, a summer writing intensive hosted by Katy Upperman, Alison Miller, Jaime Morrow, and Erin Funk. Thanks to the constant Twitter writing parties, I hit wrote like I was running on coffee spiked with Red Bull.

That’s why I’m participating again this year. For me, accountability equals words. Lots of ’em. RSW starts today, so here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish this time around:

World-building: I’m still building the world for the fantasy novel I plan to write. I could write the book, then go back and add details, but for my last WIP I did a ton of pre-work and I think that’s part of the reason my story worked. So I’m planning to spend many RSW nights hammering out the details of my world.

Outlining: I always thought I was a pantser until I outlined my mystery WIP and realize how much better my writing was when I planned ahead. As much as I want to jump right in, I’m going to force myself to outline this time, too. I’ll thank myself when it comes time to revise and my notes consist of more than THIS ALL SUCKS—REDO.

Writing: I’m hoping to begin the actual writing of this project before the end of the summer, though I know I’ll be moving at a slower pace than I did last year. My wrists still hurt, so I can’t work for as long as I’m used to. On the plus side, setting lower goals will make me feel more accomplished—said underachievers everywhere...

As for specifics, here are my goals for this week:

Brainstorm the following details for each of the countries in my fantasy world: language, ethics and values, religion, population, government, politics, and the crime and legal system. (If you’re curious, this is the checklist of prompts I’m using to answer questions about my world. It’s super detailed, but incredibly helpful.)

What are your writing/revising goals this week?