Master List of Progress Reports - 2002
2002: Year In Review
I finished two novels (Assassin, which was posted, and Book 1 of Kindari, which was not) and posted 36 chapters in the first half of the year. And then nothing until 2003.
If I'd kept up that pace for the second half of the year, I would have posted more chapters than I did in 2000.
So what went wrong? Or at least not how I would have liked?
I can't say for sure, but I think I've figured out several contributing factors. For one thing, I had taken several months off from work (April through July), partly because there was a lull, but also so I could focus on my stories. I think that's what let me post so many chapters, particularly on The Vampire Hunter and the rest of Assassin. But then things picked up again in August and I didn't have the same amount of time to devote to my writing.
I also started another new story called The Trine sometime in June and had completed 144 pages on the outline by the beginning of September, so what time I did have was going into an unposted story.
However, I think there were two things that affected my lack of updates more than anything else.
First, The Vampire Hunter got to a good stopping point and I finished Assassin. This gave me a moment to take a step back and look at my stories, and with all the things I was learning about writing, I could see all these flaws in my stories, things I felt needed to be corrected in order for me to move on.
Second, I had started figuring out what my plans were for various stories and had realized, particularly with The Vampire Hunter, that in order to take the story where I wanted it to go, I needed to add previous scenes or it was going to feel like one of those moments when you're reading and go, "Where the hell did that come from? Did the author just pull that out of their ass?"
I've learned that those moments come from authors who have no idea where they're going with a story when they begin, which is pretty much how all of my stories started off. A lot of the work I've done in learning about how to write is in the area of planning, of knowing where I want to go, so my stories don't wander. In retrospect, I think I've been lucky in that I somehow had enough of an innate understanding of story that I don't feel any of my stories are truly lacking cohesion, but it was around this time that I decided most of them needed serious overhauls (not to change the story, but to put in things I'd left out that would be important later, and to tighten the text so nothing superfluous could get in the way or distract the reader from the story I wanted to tell).
And that's when I started working on revisions. (To be continued in subsequent years.)
Moral of the Story
Sometimes you have to take a couple steps back in order to move forward again.
The trick is in knowing when you've gone back far enough, which isn't as easy as it sounds. I will say I'm glad I decided to rework my stories, since I think I've learned a lot in the process and my stories are better for it (note: most changes haven't been posted yet, as of 2013), but I think I got stuck for a long time and that's time I'll never get back.
December - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 | 31 |
Dec.10.2002 |
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The Kindari Saga | ~ | Worked on the timeline and notes |
November - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Nov.12.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on revisions for chapter 5 |
Nov.08.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on revisions for chapters 1-4 |
October - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Oct.11.2002 |
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The Vampire Hunter | ~ | Worked on revisions for chapters 1 and 2 |
Oct.05.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Followed up on the October 2nd interview with more questions |
Oct.04.2002 |
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New Gaia | ~ | Worked on chapter 22 |
Oct.02.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Interviewed a police officer through e-mail as part of my research for one of the characters |
Oct.01.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Finished Part 1 and fleshed out certain scenes and dialogue throughout the outline, expanding it to 168 pages |
September - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 |
Sep.30.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Finished chapters 5 and 6 |
Sep.25.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Finished chapter 4 Also broke down the original outline into a timeline of scenes organized by day |
Sep.12.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Worked on the outline |
Sep.06.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline (expanded to 144 pages) |
August - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Aug.27.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the story text |
Aug.24.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline (expanded to 112 pages) |
Aug.22.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline |
Aug.15.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline (97 pages so far), as well as notes and research information |
July - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Jul.11.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline |
June - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 |
Jun.25.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline |
Jun.23.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline |
Jun.22.2002 |
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The Trine | ~ | Worked on the outline |
Jun.17.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 26 |
Jun.12.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Sent the revised chapter 26 to BetaWolf |
Jun.10.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Worked on revisions for chapter 26 |
May - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
May.29.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 25 |
May.23.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 24 |
May.16.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Sent chapter 26 to BetaWolf (split chapter 24 into two chapters, so chapter 25 wasn't skipped) |
May.15.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 23 Worked on revisions for chapter 26 |
May.10.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 22 |
May.08.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Posted the final chapters, so the story is complete Reorganized the chapters, so the next new chapter is 26, not 17 Also added a new scene to the end of chapter 2 and corrected typos and grammatical errors throughout the story |
May.06.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 21 |
May.02.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 20 |
April - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 |
Apr.29.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 19 |
Apr.27.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 18 |
Apr.25.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 17 |
Apr.23.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Sent revised chapters 26-34 (not 23-30) to BetaWolf (reorganized the chapters again) |
Apr.22.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 16 |
Apr.19.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 15 |
Apr.16.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 14 Also sent chapters 20-24 to BetaWolf |
Apr.14.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 13 (not 11) (reorganized the chapters) |
Apr.11.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Sent revised chapters 15-19 to BetaWolf |
Apr.09.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Sent the revised chapter 19 to BetaWolf |
Apr.08.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Sent chapters 15-19 to BetaWolf |
Apr.07.2002 |
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Lights of Life | ~ | Posted chapter 11 |
Apr.02.2002 |
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The Kindari Saga | ~ | Finished the outline for Book 2 |
March - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
31 |
Mar.29.2002 |
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Lights of Life | ~ | Sent chapter 11 to BetaWolf |
Mar.26.2002 |
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The Kindari Saga | ~ | Worked on revisions for a major scene for Book 7 |
Mar.18.2002 |
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The Vampire Hunter | ~ | Worked on the timeline |
Mar.11.2002 |
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Bloodlines | ~ | Posted chapter 10 |
February - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
Feb.13.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Sent chapters 23-30 (not 17-30) to BetaWolf (reorganized the chapter breaks) |
Bloodlines | ~ | Sent chapters 10, 11, and 12 to BetaWolf |
Feb.12.2002 |
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New Gaia | ~ | Posted chapter 21 |
Feb.04.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Worked on revisions for the rest of the story |
Feb.03.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Worked on revisions for the rest of the story |
Feb.02.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Posted chapter 16 |
New Gaia | ~ | Sent the revised chapter 21 to BetaWolf |
January - 2002 | ||||||
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Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Jan.22.2002 |
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The Kindari Saga | ~ | Finished Book 1 |
Jan.18.2002 |
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Assassin | ~ | Sent chapter 16 to BetaWolf |
Jan.15.2002 |
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The Enchanted Queendom | ~ | Finished the outlines for Snow White and Rapunzel and started on the outline for Cinderella |
Jan.12.2002 |
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Lights of Life | ~ | Posted chapter 10 |
Jan.10.2002 |
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Lights of Life | ~ | Sent chapter 10 to BetaWolf |
Jan.02.2002 |
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The Enchanted Queendom | ~ | Worked on the outline for Rapunzel |
Jan.01.2002 |
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The Enchanted Queendom | ~ | Worked on the outline for Rapunzel |