New Year - New Resolutions by Diane Burton

The new year, new decade, is 2 weeks old. Almost. Each year, I start out with new resolutions. Rather, I recycle last year's resolutions. Eat healthier, exercise more, finish that d*mn book. 

Eat healthier: we're off to a good start there. Hubs is on a low salt diet (because of his heart and kidneys). That's motivated both of us to be more conscious of ingredients. You know, the label on the sides of packages? My eyes zero in on sodium grams. But, more importantly, reading the size of a portion. That's where we often fall down. I read "500 grams sodium" and think that's good. Until I look at the portion. Half a cup? Say what! Our "normal" portion is a cup. Now we're looking at 1,000 grams (half his daily amount). Don't buy that.

I'm also hitting Weight Watchers (now called WW) on a regular basis. I know it works...when I work at it. So, Wednesday mornings you'll find me at a meeting to get inspired to track what I eat and to eat healthier.

Exercise: not doing so good there. Yet. Snow, ice. Yep, that hit us this weekend. Our daughter told us about these things you put on your shoes (Yak Trax) that help prevent slipping outdoors. They came yesterday. I'll have to try them out today. Or maybe tomorrow.

Finish the book: I'm rereading Linda Howard's Kiss Me While I Sleep. How does that connect to the book I'm writing? No, I'm not procrastinating finishing my book. The Spy (4th book in my Outer Rim series) is about a rookie covert agent who has to bring in a veteran before his cover is blown. Howard's book is about a veteran agent who has to eliminate another veteran who's gone rogue. That's given me some ideas. I'm stuck at the 75% mark. I know the ending, but I think I've written myself into a corner. I've pulled back. Reading or rereading to fill the creative well helps. 

I've been sharing 8-10 sentence snippets from The Spy with the Weekend Writing Warriors on my blog each weekend. The comments have inspired me more than I expected. My fellow Warriors anticipate things I never thought of. They've made me step back and rethink the motivations of the main characters. Better than a critique group.

Since I don't have a cover yet, here's the rest of the series.

Tentative blurb for The Spy.

Rookie agent must rescue veteran before his cover is blown.

Genna Nogaro, new to the Coalition of Planets’ Intelligence Commission, is assigned to bring in an undercover operative in Hallart’s organization. More experienced agents died before getting him out. Were they killed by the intergalactic gangster or has the operative gone rogue?

Quintall d’Sernin, con man extraordinaire, infiltrated the mob and moved up to be the gangster’s right-hand man. Hallart has his tentacles throughout the Coalition—business, industry, and government. Quin’s finally worked himself into a valued position. All he needs is the key to mob structure in order for Coalition forces to take down the entire organization.

Genna will pose as a new recruit to distract Hallart long enough for Quin to find the key. If they work together, they can accomplish more. But Quin and Genna’s lives are jeopardized by a mole in the Intelligence Commission. Will their true roles be revealed before they accomplish their goal?

How are you doing on your resolutions for 2020?


   

SMART Goals for 2019 by Diane Burton

On January 1^st, I posted about setting SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely.

In the comments here and on my post for Insecure WritersSupport Group, several people mentioned breaking down big projects into smaller more manageable goals. Mind you, sometimes parts of our goals depend on someone else. For my main goals, I have to depend on the time beta readers, my editor, and cover designer can get back to me.

So, as promised in my post, I’ve written out my SMART goals for this year.

Goal #1: Publish Rescuing Mara’s Father by March 31, 2019.

·         Final review and edit manuscript by Jan. 10

·         Contact cover designer by Jan. 15

·         Submit to beta readers by Jan. 20

·         Revise returned ms by Jan 30

·         Send to editor by Feb 5

·         Set up pre-order by Feb 28

·         Revise edited ms by Mar 15

·         Format ms for e-book and print book by Mar 24

·         Upload final ms by Mar 25

·         Rescuing Mara’s Father available for purchase on Mar 31

Goal #2: Develop promo plan by Mar 1

·         Promote Rescuing Mara’s Father on a minimum of 10 blogs by April 30, 2019

·         Set up blog tour by Mar 30

·         Write 10 blog posts by Mar 10

·         ???

Goal #3: Publish The Spy by Aug 15

·         (same breakdown with smaller goals as above)

Goal #4: Develop promotion plan for The Spy by July 15

Goal #5: Publish the 4^th Alex O’Hara novel by Dec 15

As you can see, I’ve taken big goals and broken them down into smaller ones. Some items overlap, and I can do certain steps during “down” time (e.g., when the beta readers and the editor have the manuscript. As I see what promo I need to do for Rescuing Mara’s Father, I’ll use what works for the other works. Or, I’ll try other methods.

Am I being too ambitious? I’ve never published three full-length novels in one year. But, Rescuing Mara’s Father is completed and revised/edited. The Spy is half-written, and the 4^th Alex O’Hara mystery needs 50k words. I think I have a shot at this.

Then again, maybe I’m expecting too much of myself. I need balance in my life. I have a family, grandchildren who need babysitting and/or would like my presence at their sports’ games and dance recitals. Even though Hubs is really understanding, he needs some of my time. We have vacations planned, vacations where it’s understood I leave the laptop home, willingly. LOL I need to refill that creative well with reading, movies, and other experiences.

Last April, I joined Weight Watchers. I lost 28 pounds by August. Then, I got negligent and, even though I attend meetings each week, I've gained back 8 of those pounds. I’m sure you’ve all heard of the yo-yo effect. I lose two, gain back one, or gain three, lose one, etc. If I let it, those pounds will continue to creep back on. With the new year, I’m determined to get back on track. So, here's my personal goal: I will lose 20 more pounds by April 1^st. No fooling. 😊

I hope you have your goals for 2019 prepared. If my example helps, great. But I’m sure you’ve figured out a better way to kick off your career this year. Please share.

Good luck.

The MacGuffin by Diane Burton

"In crook stories it is almost always the necklace, 

and in spy stories it is most always the papers."

— Alfred Hitchcock

I’m working on the fourth book to my Outer Rim series, The Spy. The bad guy—introduced in book 1, The Pilot—has his fingers in government, industry, religion, everywhere. They call Hallart a galactic gangster. Through his minions, he’s into every aspect of life. Yet, citizens go about their everyday business, oblivious to how he’s changing their lives. And not for the better.

One brave man infiltrated Hallart’s organization. In the five years, he’s been undercover, Quin worked up through the ranks until he’s as close as he’s going to get to the gangster, the inner circle. His time is coming to an end. He’d better get out before he’s exposed. But he has one more task. One that will bring down the organization and expose all who work for the gangster.

All he has to do is find . . .

Here’s my frustration. I don’t know what he’s searching for. If the story took place in present time, I’d guess a code book, a ledger, incriminating pictures, something like that. But this is science fiction, and the story takes place in the future. I’ve used terms like plexi-sheet instead of paper, an electronic reader instead of books. Where would a gangster keep his records?

Or is that really what Quin needs to expose him?

No one knows what he looks like, except his trusted inner circle. You’d think that a picture or holo-vid would expose him. Here’s the kicker I introduced in book 1: he’s a shape-shifter. And not just one shape. He can shift into anyone. I guess I should have thought more about that when I invented him six years ago. LOL

In the movie Casablanca, everyone wanted letters of transit, something resistance fighters (and just about anyone) needed to get away from the Nazis. The interesting thing is, in the 1940s, there was no such thing. It was a gimmick for the film. In Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, it was the plans for a silent plane engine. In Pulp Fiction, it was a briefcase. Movie goers didn’t know what was in the briefcase. That wasn’t important. In Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV), R2-D2 is the object. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy and the Nazis had to find the Holy Grail, the chalice Jesus supposedly used at the Last Supper.

Alfred Hitchcock called such an object a MacGuffin. It’s something everyone wants and is searching for. In the film, or book, the importance is how the object impacts/influences the characters. Finding the object is the motivation for the characters. It’s not important what the object is.

Back to my story, I’m a third of the way through. I know where it’s going. I know how it will end. But because I don’t have a name for the object of Quin’s search thing, I’ve been using the infamous “xxx.” It’s not important what I call it, but I do have to give it a name. Hence, my frustration. Maybe I should call it “the MacGuffin.”

Suggestions?

In your stories, have you ever used a MacGuffin? What was it?