Progress Report 2023 Week 12

If I were a superstitious person, I’d say it’s my fault. I’d suggest that when I said I would just recognize Real Life Family Events (RLFEs) as part of the environment, accept them, and keep moving, I wasn’t being respectful enough of said RFLEs. Because this week, I discovered an essential truth: one can be involved in a traffic accident without even moving. Obvious, I know, but not something that was top of mind. Let’s look at the numbers before I get into the details.

Progress Report 2023 Week 12 By the Numbers

You might notice that this says “Book 5,” whereas last week it said “Book 6.” Yeah, that was my mistake. I’m only writing the fifth book.

I only managed 7,233 words this week. I should cut myself some slack, given the weekend I had. An SUV ran a red light, ricocheted off a car turning left, and slammed into me. The impact spun the car turning left around one hundred and eighty degrees. Sheer luck (if there is such a thing) saw to it that I wasn’t injured at all. They took the driver of the vehicle turning south away in an ambulance, but he seemed to only have minor injuries. I hope it wasn’t anything serious.

Why did that impact my writing? Do you know how much time it takes to close out an accident scene, arrange for a rental car, and deal with the insurance company to effect repairs? Three hours, two and a half days, and God knows how long, respectively.

I’ll say this: kudos to the local police department. They were professional and courteous. Even the at-fault driver was a polite man. But the time investment was huge! And to be fair to the insurance company, the accident happened on the weekend, and I was able to report the claim within an hour after finally getting home.

IT wasn’t only the time. What’s weird is that I could tell I was in a different state of mind for about a day. I could tell my speech patterns were off. I could even tell that my ADHD went into overdrive. All of that really toasted my focus. My output Sunday wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure how good it was.

I said “if I were a superstitious person,” and I’d like to think I’m not. But it’s amazing of how many irrational thoughts I’ve had after I watched that black SUV run into me. It’s just physics. That intersection has a certain crash rate, and I don’t need to modify my driving habits. I mean, I was completely at a stop! Still, I keep thinking there’s something I could have done to prevent it.

I don’t believe in a lucky rabbit’s foot. So I wish I’d stop looking for one!

Anyway, I walked away without a scratch, so I’ll put this in the “Good Week” column. Especially considering the alternative.

Fiverr is on a Roll

Fiverr’s on a roll. In my post last week, I mentioned that Fiverr’s jesshay proofread Evolution’s Hand Book 3: Primary Target. I’ve started incorporating those edits into Scrivener’s version, and jesshay’s work is as good as it initially appeared.

Not only that, but Jesh Art Studio put another fantastic cover together. My wife loved it, and if she likes it, then you know it’s good. Once I finish incorporating the proofreader’s output, I’ll schedule Primary Target’s release date. I’ll share the cover with you soon!

Looks like I’ll have to update this page soon!

Progress Notes

Here’s my progress against my goals from last week:

• Write the second half of Matsushita Sachi’s Pinch 1: Done!
• Write the next chapters for Mariam Al Khatib (stretch goal: finish Midpoint): Sort of; see below
• Finish Melchizedek Conrad’s Pinch 1; Not done
• Start Jadwiga Janczak’s Pinch 1; Not done

In addition to being the subject of a physics experiment involving an SUV, I also ran into a somewhat more cheerful problem: both Matsushita Sachi and Mariam Al Khatib let me know that their scenes needed more punch. Both of their scenes ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated. The end result feels more satisfying.

But it stopped me, again, from writing Melchizedek Conrad’s Pinch 1! I really, really want to get into that.

Goals for the Week in Progress Report 2023 Week 12

In the hopes I’ll have the time to write this week, here’re my goals:

1. Write Mariam Al Khatib’s Midpoint
2. Write Melchizedek Conrad’s Pinch 1
3. Write Jadwiga Janczak’s Pinch 1
4. Start Leon Weber’s Pinch 1

What Do You Think?

Do you make your own covers? Do you rely on Fiverr or another provider? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!