7 Week Year: 2023 Jan 2-Feb 17 (Book 2)

7 Week Year:
January 2 – Feb 17, 2023 (Book 2)

Weekly Scorecard

Week Tactics
Planned		 Tactics
Done		 Weekly
Score		 Running
Score		 Hours
spent		 Prose
written		 Chapters
finished		 Goals
met
1 6 6 100 100 9.25 0 4 2/2
2 5 4 80 90 3.5 1513 2 2/3
3 5 (+4) 7 80 85 6.5 2333 2 2/3
4 5 3 60 80 4.25 0 1 1/2
5 — — — — 9.25 0 0 —
6 — — — — 2.5 0 0 —
7 — — — — 6.25 0 0 —
Sum 25 20 — — 35.25 3846 9 —

Week 1

Week 1 tactics and goals

Tactics

  • Chapter Worksheet for reaction to plot point 1
  • Outline reaction to plot point 1
  • Write reaction to plot point 1 ✔
  • Scene card for pinch point 1 ✔
  • Chapter Worksheet for pinch point 1 ✔
  • Outline pinch point 1 ✔

Pulled forward from Week 2 plan:

  • Revise resist ✔
  • Revise date ✔
  • Revise falling in love ✔

Goals

  • Write reaction to plot point 1 ✔
  • Be ready to write new scene “pinch point 1” ✔
Week 1 work sessions

Tues. Jan. 3

  • 2 caves / 1.75 hours (10:30-12:30pm) — incorporate reaction for plot point 1 into scene
  • 1 cave / 45 minutes (12:30-1:30pm) — reorganize and revise scenes
  • 2 hours 45 minutes (5:30-6:30pm, 7-8:45pm) — reorganize and revise Resist, Date, Black Moment
  • 15 minutes (8:45-9:00pm) — update scorecard and note changes
  • Total = 5.5 hours

Weds. Jan. 4

  • 25 minutes / half a cave (12:10-12:35pm) — scene card for pinch point 1
  • 40 minutes / three-quarters of a cave (12:45-1:25pm) — chapter worksheet for pinch point 1
  • Total = 1 hour

Thurs. Jan 5

  • 1 hour 15 minutes / 2 caves (11:10-11:20, 12:00-12:20pm, 12:30-1:15pm) — outline pinch point 1
  • Total = 1 hour 15 minutes

Changes to plan

Tactics to add:

  • Revise More Love
  • Black Moment: Scene card
  • Black Moment: Chapter Worksheet
  • Black Moment: outline
  • Black Moment: write
  • Revise Relationship Advances

Week 2

Week 2 tactics and goals

Tactics

  • Write Pinch Point 1 ✔
  • Revise More Love ✔
  • Black Moment: Scene card ✔
  • Black Moment: Chapter Worksheet ✔
  • Black Moment: outline

Goals

  • Revise More Love ✔
  • Write Pinch Point 2 ✔
  • Be ready to write Black Moment
Week 2 work sessions

Mon. Jan. 9

  • 45 minutes / 1 cave (12:30-1:30pm) — revise More Love

Weds. Jan. 11

  • 3 caves / 45 + 45 + 30 minutes (10:30-1:00) — write Pinch Point 1 (501 + 623 + 389 words)

Fri. Jan 13

  • 1 cave / 45 minutes (2-3pm) — scene card and chapter worksheet for Black Moment

Week 3

Week 3 tactics and goals

Goals

  • Write Black Moment ✔
  • Revise Relationship Advances 1 ✔
  • Revise Relationship Advances 2

Tactics

  • Black Moment: outline ✔
  • Black Moment: write ✔
  • Relationship Advances: scene cards ✔
  • Revise Relationship Advances 1 ✔
  • Revise Relationship Advances 2

Changes to plan

  • Relationship advances 1: outline ✔
  • Relationship advances 2: outline ✔
  • Write new elements of Relationship Advances 1 ✔
  • Write new elements of Relationship Advances 2
Week 3 work sessions

Tues. Jan 17

  • 3 caves / 2.5 hours (10:30-1:30)
    • wrote outline for Black Moment (35 minutes, 733 words)
    • completed scene cards for Relationship Advances
    • outlined Relationship Advances (30 minutes, 705 words)
    • started writing Black Moment (35 minutes, 508 words)

Thurs. Jan 19

  • 2.5 caves / 1.75 hours (10:30-1:00)
    • finished writing Black Moment (58 minutes, 810 words)
    • started revising Relationship Advances 1 (44 minutes, 52 new words)

Fri. Jan 20

  • 3 caves / 2.5 hours (10:30-1:30)
    • finished revising Relationship Advances 1 (2 hours, 963 new words)
    • started revising Relationship Advances 2 (10 minutes)

Week 4

Week 4 tactics and goals

Goals

  • Revise Relationship Advances 2 ✔
  • Rewrite Midpoint

Tactics

  • Revise Relationship Advances 2 ✔
  • Scene Card: Midpoint ✔
  • Chapter Worksheet: Midpoint ✔
  • Outline Midpoint
  • Write Midpoint
Week 4 work sessions

Mon. Jan 23

  • 15 minutes editing

Tues. Jan 24

  • 2.75 hours / 2 85-minute caves (10:30-1:30)
    • 2.25 hours editing
    • 15 minutes working on scene card
    • 15 minutes working on chapter worksheet
  • 30 minutes editing (6:30-7pm)

Weds. Jan. 25

  • 50 minutes / 1 cave (12:30-1:30pm)
    • 10 minutes finishing chapter worksheet
    • 20 minutes outlining
    • 5 minutes working on next scene card

Changes to plan:

  • Confirm midpoint plot approach before outlining and writing
  • Push forward Midpoint outlining to Week 5
  • Push forward Midpoint writing to Week 5

Week 5

Week 5 tactics and goals

Tactics

  • plot check-in – notecards / freewrite
  • Midpoint – outline
  • Midpoint – write
  • Scene Card – attack problem
  • Chapter Worksheet – attack problem
  • Scene Card – something’s missing
  • Chapter Worksheet – something’s missing

Goals

  • Confirm plot order
  • Write Midpoint
  • Be ready to outline Attack Problem
  • Be ready to outline Something’s Missing
Week 5 work sessions

Mon. Jan 30

  • 3 hours / .5 caves (12:45-1:30pm)
    • analyzing plot alternatives

Tues. Jan 31

  • 1.5 hours / 1.5 caves (3:30-5pm)
    • organizing Scrivener file
    • evaluating organization in beat sheet
  • 1.5 hours (7-8:30pm)
    • analyzing plot alternatives
    • notes for book 1

Weds. Feb. 1

  • 1 hour (12:45pm-1:45pm)
    • working on outline
    • re-read early scenes
  • 30 minutes (6:45-7:15pm)
    • calculate average scene length
  • 1 hour (8-9pm)
    • brainstorming plot complications
    • working on outline

Thurs. Feb. 2

  • 15 minutes (7:15-7:30pm)
    • working on outline

Fri. Feb. 3

  • 30 minutes / half a cave (1-1:30pm)
    • working on outline

Changes to plan

I realized that I had hesitations about the midpoint, so I took a big step back. In reviewing my progress and outline, I recognize that I oversimplified and the book was heading to be too short. 😲 This is a good time to realize this! I spent the week rethinking the outline instead of writing prose, but making sure I’m writing the right material is the best possible use of time. Because of this, I’m calling this week a bye instead of a failure.

I’ll need to update my writing plan before I can say what makes the most sense to write next week. I will probably add several scenes in the first half, so I’ll want to write those before proceeding on. I’m also going to reintegrate a sequence that I wrote previously, which will regain me about 4000 words (though I’ll need to revise it).

Week 6

Week 6 work sessions

Wednesday Feb. 8

  • 15 minutes (2:45-3pm)
    • brainstorming character background and motivations
  • 2 hours 15 minutes (7:15-9:30)
    • working on outline

Week 7

Week 7 work sessions

Tuesday Feb. 14

  • 45 minutes / 1 cave (12:45-1:30)
    • Did Story Grid exercise for ending
  • 1.5 hours (8:15-9:45pm)
    • Worked on Story Grid exercise
    • Explored antagonist options

Weds. Feb. 15

  • 1.5 hours / 2 caves (11:30-1:00pm)
    • Misbelief freewriting / brainstorming

Thurs. Feb. 16

  • 30 minutes (6:30-7:00pm)
    • Misbelief freewriting

Fri. Feb. 17

  • 45 minutes / 1 cave (3-3:45pm)
    • Misbelief brainstorming
  • 1.25 hours (7:45-9pm)
    • Misbelief brainstorming

Wrap-up

As I was working to resolve my challenges with Book 2, I zoomed out to the series level. It feels like it makes sense to transition back to working on Book 1 now that I’ve resolved, or at least narrowed in on, a number of the questions I needed to know to set up Book 2 properly. So, I’m calling this first attempt at a 12-week year a wrap at 7 weeks, and creating a new 12-week plan for Book 1.

One reply on “7 Week Year: 2023 Jan 2-Feb 17 (Book 2)”