gr4nt

Hey all! I just finished up the fourth draft of a 170,000 word epic fantasy novel I've been writing and am in need of a test reader or two. It's been through a professional edit and I have an editor lined up with a publishing house that will take a look once it's been through the critique process. The problem is finding people to critique it that aren't intimidated by the word count (comes to 637 pages, double-spaced, in MS Word), a new fantasy world, and an epic sized cast of characters. That's where I need some fit nerds to help me out. So, if you're up to the daunting task of reading a new author's massive tome knowing you will only be compensated with love and gratitude and hopefully a good story to read, here are the types of feedback I'd be looking for a test reader to provide: -Be able to articulate what scenes you did or did not find enjoyable and why -Same with characters and pretty much anything in general. -Point out parts where the writing gets confusing, to include POV shifts (this is written in classical 3rd person omniscient style). -Glaring typos and inconsistencies (you said character X had green eyes in chapter 5, but now he has orange eyes!) -While it will be obvious my story is influenced by the like of Tolkien, Terry Brooks, and Warhammer Fantasy, call me out when it appears I am blatantly ripping things off. Also, look for the following things that editors, agents, and publishers will be looking at within the story -Is there a beginning, middle, and end? -Does the protagonist have a conflict that motivates him/her/it to change over the course of the plot? -Is there strong, plausible conflict in each scene? -Do we understand who, what, where, and why everything is in your realm? Again, this isn't a task for the faint of heart. I'm in need of some serious, realistic feedback from someone who is willing to do this for no other reason than wanting to make sure the next epic fantasy novel published isn't utter garbage. I know hugs and kisses don't go a long way, but if you are up to the task, I can throw in a copy of two horror anthologies I had short stories published in signed by as many of the authors I can round up in a realistic timeframe. They are titled Never Fear-Phobias and Never Fear-Christmas Terrors if you want to check them out on Amazon. So, if this sounds interesting to you and you'd like to participate, feel free to shoot me an email at aidangoestonod@gmail.com or hit me up on the Twitter-verse @aidaninnod. Thank you so much for sticking with this post as long as you have. -Aidan

I'm doing a bunch of training for work right now, but can do an evening meet up somewhere somewhen.

Woot!

So long as what you're eating supports your training (caloric intake, proper macro-nutrient levels, etc) there's nothing wrong with eating the same thing everyday from a nutrition perspective. Yes, it can get boring, but if you're doing it temporarily and cravings for other foods aren't interfering psychologically with your output in the gym (ex. you're so hungry for a slice of pizza that you can't deadlift/run/swim/jump/whatever). Some professional athletes eat the same thing day in and day out when they're training up for a fight or the Olympics so it shouldn't hurt you. Just don't go googling Olympic athlete diets now, because their massive training volume let's them get away with a lot of stuff we mere mortals can't.

I'm local to Vegas. Just started back up here on the forums. I go to Crossfit Max Effort down off like Sunset/Dean Martin for all my fitnessing needs.

Welcome and good luck on your goals

Thanks!

Check out www.crossfitendurance.com for ideas on how to work running specific work into your regular CF work.

Hey everyone, I'm Grant. I actually started here a ways back but have been MIA for the past year or so due to being deployed. Anyways, I'm back now and trying my darndest to get back into something resembling the shape I was in a year ago. I have a few new aches and owwies in the ol' back and knees that I'm working on. I attend a crossfit gym here in town and right now am working on getting in there 5x/week, doing some extra running to burn off this muffin top and get my run time down for a PFT in a few months, and getting my diet to resemble something along the lines of "not an abomination to nature and mankind." Since being gone, the gym has introduced a level system for the athletes, Level 1 being new to crossfit, Level 2 being "you know what you're doing/majority of the folks," and Level 3 being the advanced folks. Despite doing CF for five years now, this thing or that thing has always gotten in the way of me being consistent and dedicated enough to reach most of the standards for being in the Level 3 groups, so as soon as I get consistent and get back into something decent fitness-wise, I'm going to start training to hit all the various wickets required to reach Level 3. Also, I need to clean my carpets.

Awesome job on the pull-ups and progress. Sorry to hear about the extreme leg and buttocks pain. I have squats today and 10k tomorrow so you will have company soon enough. . .

Ok, work week's over, back to work (insert smiley face raising his eyebrow in confused manner here) Thursday: On the minute for as long as possible: 2 power cleans, 2 jerks, 4 burpees. Done with 160# which is 80% of 1RM jerk. Completed 6 rounds. 160# was definitely too heavy, although it shouldn't have been. Friday: 5-5-5 Back squat (225#, 235#, 245#) followed by 3 x 50m prowler pushes and 3 x 50m sled drag. First time doing prowler pushes and these definitely need to add these to the routine more often. Saturday and Sunday: REST! Monday morning: JT. . . again: 23:12. Did 12-9-6 rep scheme on the handstand push-ups again so I could go head to deck. Form felt much better and the first round seemed to go a lot faster, but second and third rounds slowed way down on the HSPUs. Mini-challenge for the weekend: Post on 5 other rebels' challenges. Either advice, encouragement, or just something funny. . . right after I drop off dry cleaning, get a haircut, go to bed, wake up, go to gym, go have dinner at friend's place, and whatever else life will try to throw at me

Wednesday: Once again, refused to get out of bed until it was drop-dead time to go to work. Did run workout after getting off: 5:00 on, 2:30 off. 6:00 on, 3:00 off. 7:00 on for 2.56 miles. Would have been awesome to get close to 3 miles, but I bonked on the last 7 minutes. Now having post-WOD pre-bed beer to replenish my glycogen stores or whatever other bullshit I have to tell myself to justify a pre-sleepytime beer.

Your goals are insane in an awesome-and-not-cutting-up-your-neighbors type of way. I don't think I possess the focus and motivation to organize my posts as well as you do, let alone actually execute those posts. Awesomesauce. I'm so motivated, I'm going to get up and do something. . . right as soon as I get done doing what I'm doing now. . . which is nothing. . . damnit.

Weekend of BS excuses: Saturday: Planned rest day Sunday: Planned rest day where I had to hold myself back from working out. Monday: Planned on doing JT. Wound up falling asleep on couch until about an hour before friends were coming over for dinner. No workout. Tuesday: Planned on doing run workout and going to gym. Wound up in bed until 10pm (keep in mind I work graveyard so don't go to bed until the sun is coming up. . . still an impressive feat though) Knocked out JT at around 1am in 23:54, did 12-9-6 rep scheme for handstands so I could go head to deck.

An entire thread about beer, bacon, and social awkwardness. . . I really need to check the forums more often, I feel like I've missed out on one of life's precious opportunities. Mini-challenge for the night: Step #1: Drink beer. Step #2: Put self into socially awkward situation. Step #3: Don't give a single fuck because, hey, I got bacon.

There is entirely way too much bed-making going on this challenge. I may actually get guilt tripped into making my home presentable if this keeps up.

I thought bugs would be a staple of a Wookie Ranger's diet.

To help with the paperwork, I suggest buying a shredder and filing all things made of paper within. Clears things up real quick. Good job on the goals, and hey, what's life without wine and cake?

Pause squats are exactly what you think they are: The fall of Empires. Hit full depth, hang out for two seconds, see if you can hear the faint sound of Nero playing his fiddle as Rome burns, try to stand back up without popping a blood vessel in your eye. I'm hitting handstands particularly because, despite Crossfitting for 3 1/2 years, I am still absolutely terrible at them and my absolute overhead strength is a big thing holding bakc my progression. Thrusday's WOD: 15 minutes to find 1RM Front Squat (not really enough time for such a feat ) : 235# (5# PR). Then every 2 minutes for 8 minutes: 12 Front Squat at 55% (130#) and 12 Toes to Bar: 1st round 1:27 2nd: 1:57 DNF'd on 3rd and 4th rounds. Friday: Power hour: Find 3RM push press (175#, which was my previous 1RM so ) then some turkish get-ups. WOD: Filthy Fifty 35:07 (insert smiley that is vomitting all over himself and barely able to contain the contents of his bowels) REalized that wall-balls will have to be on the next challenge.

Quick WOD log before I zonk out: Wednesday's WOD: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 Hang Squat Snatch w/ 5-10 strict ring dips in between sets. Got to 135# on fourth set and hit a mental block that prevents me from actually hitting squat snatch depth (PR for power snatch is 150#, and more like a muscle-snatch due to same inability to drop beneath weight). Strung three muscle-ups instead of dips on last set. . . So I can do three muscle-ups but can't squat snatch 135#. . . well, we know what I need work on [next challenge]. Thrusday morning endurance WOD: 9 rounds of 1 minute on/1 minute off run: 1.51 miles. Today's metcon at the gym is front squatting and toes-to-bar. Hopefully will get some handstand work in before.

Just remember an old goal from a previous challenge that never got accomplished and needs to get tacked on to this one: Get cat-called while out for a run! (Can't remember whose challenge I stole this from initially) Also, is "Sparkly Vampire Ranger" an acceptable race/class combo?

Those are some pretty damn solid lifts! You using any specific programming to up your numbers? Also, with all the motivation to adultify our lives on this thread, I feel a need to maintain a balance in the Force and de-adultify my life. If anyone needs me, I'll be standing outside the gas station asking grown-ups to buy me cigarettes.

There's a Star Wars Celebration??? Hmmmm. . . interesting indeed.

This is definitely a "shoot for the moon and at least try to land in the stars" goal setting. Previous records are 5 RX HSPUs, 305# back squat, but that was over a year ago and last time I tested I only got 285# yuck. I think the last mile I ran was in the 6:40~ range. So, I've got a lot of work ahead and with the goals being so quite diversified, hopefully I can balance the training and hit all the things I need to focus on. Yesterday's workouts: Power hour (because it can't just be called Strength Class): 5 x 3 pause squats (185#, 205#, 215#, 225#, 230#) 8 x 3 Broad jumps 3 x 12 weighted sit-ups (50# dumbbell) 2 x 12 Russian twists (20# med ball) Crossfit met-con: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Strict Pull-ups Handstand push-ups (use 1 ab-mat plus a 10# bumper) KB swings (1.5 pood) Workout for today: Nothing. Go grocery shopping. Mobilize.

Well, I think it's been about five months since I've posted on here, which may have directly influenced the massive amounts of laziness for that time period. Well no more! Time to get my ass back into gear. Fitness Goals: 10 RX Handstand push-ups PR on back squat Sub 6:00 mile run Life goal: TBD How I plan on going from lazy sack of crap to PR-machine: Do JT once a week plus random handstands throughout the day Participate in gym's strength classes, particularly heavy squat days Two run/endurance WODs a week