Alaysia

I had the same issue, once, but in reverse. I had written a huge novel on characters who were teens. I had a hell of a time writing the sequel until I realized I was trying to fit teens into an adult world. Reconfiguring characters for different stages in their life can be surprisingly tough, so you have my empathy!

Day 1 11/10/16 Workout 1A Bodyweight Squat: 3 sets of 10 Elevated pushup: 3 sets of 10 (2 at desk level, last at bathroom counter level) Doorway bodyweight Rows: 3 sets of 10 Notes: Tough. Switched to a higher elevation to do the dreaded pushups just so I could complete all three sets. I think I'll stay at counter height for a while. Squats are harder to balance when I don't have a weight on my shoulders. Weird.

I've decided to drop the gym for a few different reasons. I'm going to do the nerd academy, the thing I paid for and then never used.

Ah, well, I would say for the past few days it has been lack of writing time. Which I consider a win since I don't have a lack of writing want. I want to write, I'm just being pulled away. There have been years where the time was plentiful and the will was absent. But I keep writing when I can, little snippets here and there as allowed. My schedule is chilling out this weekend and I plan on doing some catch-up. I'm a few thousand words behind of the NaNo timeline, but I think I can make up the lost ground with a bit of sweat, closed doors, and silenced phones.

Ugh! I have spent most of the day catching up. I wasn't feeling so hot the past couple of days and wasn't even close to any sort of word count. I still wrote every day, and since that was my main goal, woo hoo to me! However, I just laid down about 2000 words just to catch up to where I should be. Thank goodness for showers. I was coming to a place that I needed to be but couldn't figure out how to get there. Then boom! One shower later and I've got the transition figured out while offering more insight into a character and a culture. I swear, if I wasn't in a drought-stricken state, I'd take a few showers a day just for the inspiration. Who else has a muse that lives in your shower?

WOW! That is really awesome! I've got about a 1/3 of your total right now. I'm thinking you are right on it being your year!

So, I'm just gonna go ahead and pre-order all your books now, ok? I'm seeing so many excellent ideas for books. I can't wait to read them, so you better make sure you finish! Little encouragement: don't make me all

Your novel sounds very exciting!

Yep, I totally see something like that as an amazing play. I've been to one write-in but it was pretty meh for me. It was a clique of people and a couple of outsiders, so it made things a little awkward. But this year our area has a lady who works in the local library setting up write-ins every Sunday. I think I'll try it. How'd yours go? Think you'll go to another? Get many words?

Your story sounds engrossing and intense!

I'd never heard of it before so I looked it up. They're offering for free for the month of November so if it interests you, I say go for it! What about it makes it look cool to you and why would it not be cool after November? (Just trying to help you brainstorm. )

Oh, boy, I hear ya! I have switched which story I was going to write at least five times already. I made a book cover and that has stopped me from wanting to change. Ok, I still think about writing another story, but I have committed to this one since I made the cover and I put those other stories right out of my head for like an hour or even more! It's tough. I feel your worry.

Your story sounds absolutely fascinating! I hope I get to read it some day. Or, I imagine, it could become a play.

I'm LdDurham on the site. I'll look you up!

Hello, everyone. This is my first accountabilibuddy group and I hope I do right by you all. It's not, however, my first NaNoWriMo. I've done it several times, and have yet to win. I did win at Camp once, though. 1) What excites you the most about NaNoWriMo this year? What has you the most worried? I am most excited just to write. I've made a promise to myself that I'm just going to do it. No whining about motivation or inspiration. I'm going to use this to teach myself to write like its a job and to push through all the little things that would normally stall me. That's what I'm most excited about. What I'm worried about is life sucking me away. It's so easy to put everything and everyone in front of this "silly hobby." I'm worried I'll do it again, because it's always somehow just fine to bale on my own things and rush to help everyone else do theirs. 2) When it comes to writing, are you the plan ahead type, or the spontaneous type? I've been all of it. I wrote my biggest, most complex stories all while pantsing the hell out of it. Now I've gotten into the habit of planning. For this month, though, I only have a rough outline and since the real goal is just to get words written, I'm open to this story going wild. You can't edit an empty page, after all.

Man, there are so many things that I would happily avoid if I could flip tires instead, too. I mean, who wouldn't want to, right?

It is motivating, but only when you can get the person there. She bails at least once a week, so we're only doing strength training twice a week. I used to go right after my class at 11am. She won't tell me she's not going to make it until 12 or later. Which means I have to decide to either drive back the twenty minutes to the gym, go later in the evening when it's crowded, or not go. I always talk myself into option three. If I wasn't switching my schedule just to work out with her I'd just go anyway. But now its gotten all complicated. Or maybe I'm just being a whiny baby. Probably the latter.

Following and cheering!

I'm totally down with what you're throwing down. This challenge looks like a lot of fun.

It really is and it's been quite fun, actually. I wasn't sure if she'd get into it, but she really is. It's been motivating to have someone there struggling for the same goal, trying hard to push through it. It also made me remember how much upper body strength you build when you have a small child. Lugging toddlers has made her as strong, and sometime stronger, than me when we are on the bench press machine. (As an aside, I was able to bench press 50 pounds, but when I got on the machine I couldn't move the same weight and had to go significantly down. What's up with that?) And I think that her outdoing me has really boosted her confidence to branch out to more variety. I'm excited to see how far she can go.

Following! I love come-back-and-dominate! stories.

I've been waiting and waiting for the new challenge to start! A lot of loitering about, really. Glad to be able to show my face again.

Lift, lift! I love your goals! Also joining your cheer section!

Ugh! If I used burpees to motivate me I'd burn everything to the ground. You are pretty awesome to be doing that! I'm very interested in this mini-cut you're doing. You are pretty controlled in what you do, so I can see it working. For me, I'd probably gorge after the four weeks because I am an idiot. lol But I think you're going to smash it!

And just like my little goat friend here, I needed the help of a friend. I've been to the gym every week since I got back from New Orleans, just, you know, sometimes only once a week. Which obviously is going to suck the gains away. I was even contemplating giving up my gym membership. I was lonely doing this thing on my own. So, I have a friend who has a way different schedule than me and we try to walk on the treadmill at the gym at the same time. So I says to the friend, I says, "I'll come in the busy, busy evenings if you agree to do strength training with me." And she's like, "Sure!" But she is not of the Warrior class and we've been doing weight machines for the past couple of weeks. Therefore... Goal of the First: Branch into free weights to ease my friend into it and so I can go back to what I love most. We will do at least two free weights a week for this goal. The main impediment to this goal is that we are at the gym during a busy time and we usually only have an hour to workout. But I found the app Jefit which has a hybrid routine using both machines and free weights which I think will be a good bridge. I am still still struggling with food. I know that it is a perennial favorite goal, but there's a reason for that. The science of eating while strengthening has got me all worked up. Add to that I have gained three pounds and am now within a pound of being at my heaviest again. My body measurements have shifted to being a little wider in the hips and thighs and a smidge leaner in the arms. WTH that means, I don't know, other than I still haven't figured out the kitchen part of my workout. So... Goal of the Second: Increase protein while staying under calorie goal. I'm not exactly sure how I'll do this, but, hey, that's why it's a challenge, right? Edited to add: I'm shooting for 60+ grams per day. And, it's November, which means NaNoWriMo. That means... Goal of the Third: Write Every Damn Day I have a goal of 30 minutes.