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Hi! I'm writing a novel this month. For those of you just tuning in, this is not new. I've done this most years around this time, but I think this is the... 2nd ever time that I walked in with a really concrete idea of what I wanted to do and where I wanted it to go. (the first time was a sci-fi riff on Ragnarok meets A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I would definitely not write it the same way this time, but I should probably go back to it someday since it's the story that taught me the most). As you might imagine, though, that's my only official goal. As if the other stuff is going to be put on hold; it won't be. But keeping all the plates spinning with this new wrinkle going on is going to be challenge enough, I think. Goal is 50,000 words. I will provide my word count here as my goal for the challenge. I do note that the challenge cuts off on 11/26. I might carry past it. I might not. I don't know if I'm going to finish the draft before I get to 50K, so if I do, I'll consider the challenge a success. Had tournament this past weekend! Best showing yet - got to medal contention and went the distance on that match, even winning points, which is the first time that's ever happened. I still didn't win. It was fine. I showed growth, and when I went to class yesterday I was recognized along with a bunch of other people for having gone out and done stuff. Yesterday was also our last day in the old building. They're going to the new building tonight; they're still capping class sizes, and I thought I'd have an errand tonight that it turns out I don't, so I reserved a spot on the waitlist. Might not make tonight. That's okay if it happens. Also, last night was Halloween! Went to hang with my friend for Sci Fi night; the Halloween tradition when that happens is for us to sit outside with Adult Beverages and pass out candy along with treats for the adults. This year, the entire cul de sac got in on it and it wound up being more of a block party than anything, especially since there weren't that many kids on account of inclement weather. Today is the first day. I will update with my word count later.

New challenge. New respawn! Recently I started watching Supergirl, and I loved how Wonder Woman was a badass in the Batman vs Superman movie. What do these women have in common? (Besides being superheroes.) They're strong as hell. My butt is also complaining about all the sitting around I've been doing while working on my novel, blogs, and freelance job search. You see I recently changed cities and am looking for new employment, so there's a lot of time spent on the computer. Traditionally I've been a ranger who enjoys both running and lifting, but given the heat this summer (and saving my pale skin the sun exposure) I'm swapping running for yoga. I want to use this 4-week challenge to test out how I feel when lifting without running. So here's my down-and-dirty challenge for the month. How To Be Supergirl Lift every other day Use the Academy Barbell Brigade Level 1 Workouts Record lifts in my Fit Happens journal Start every day with a 20 to 40 minute yoga session 6 days a week Use either NerdFitness Yoga or youtube videos from Yoga with Adriene Check a box in my Fit Happens journal Track my food intake using MyFitnessPal daily Check a box in my Fit Happens journal Life Quest: Send out my novel to beta readers by the end of the month. This means the novel has to actually be ready for beta readers! I'm not going to hold myself to anything like "write 2000 words every day" because I'm at the point where there's more going into the writing process than strict word counts. The quest will only be accomplished when I have the finished product. Well, mostly finished. It will still need editing, but it will be so much progress I'll need a week to celebrate. My reward for accomplishing my quest? I'll get myself a purse from Disneyland for my birthday! (I'm girly like that!) Wish me luck!

Good morning, So purely out of curiosity, how many people here are novel writers? I am currently working on a Fantasy fiction and as part of my epic challenges, I want to finish draft 1 of my book by the end of 2016.

GUESS WHO'S BACK! Back to the Monks for a brand new year! W00t! You awesome Martial Warriors remember me as BlackTezca and you may also remember me as a gif-crazy-make-your-browsers-crash-artistic-nutsy-code-MONKey! I have started out my journey in Nerdfitness in my introductory post From Lurker to (Newb) Rebel!, outlined last years daily struggles in BlackTezca's Daily Battle Towards Feline Greatness and had my final, most violent, uber challenge of 2015 known as BlackTezcas' 7th Trial: An Artsy, Geeky Amazon Pumps Up! Now this time I am here with a new inspiration! I want to take on this new challenge, this quicker, fast-paced challenge with the lackadaisical care and ease as the best of the best heroes. A hero who is heroic as a hobby! Which mean that things are fun while adding strength, dexterity, stamina, and all that jazz! I want to ONE PUNCH the crap out of this challenge and begin this brand new year with ultimate power! Thus the theme of this challenge shall be... Watch this show... Not only do I have a theme that is meant to decimate, I am returning to my Monk folks in order to enhance the foundation I have laid out last year and become the amazon hero I was meant to be. I have started out kickboxing which helps with my conditioning and technique and now I want to further my knowledge of Muay Thai beyond the bag and into the (light) sparring ring! I want to work with partners to learn clinching, practice footwork, and (lightly) punch them . Also, Considering it was just the holidays, I want to have my diet strengthened further, as well as get back to enhancing my core and agility. Not only that, but I also need to get my act back together for my art and even add on my novel planning for that! This is needed to enhance my mental agility as well! All this is needed in order to continue my main quest (may change when it comes to tying in Character Creation): My Main Quest is to be as POWERFUL and BATTLE READY as Wonder Woman I have worked out and lined up my quests and though the format is shorter, I am still gonna tackle my challenge format as I have had before! I really have been working on the challenge format as well through out last year and while the character creation may impact this challenge, it shouldn't impact what I have laid out here. I'm gonna be interested in how to add this as a 'quest' for the character as well as what kind of background I'll give her. Also will give me some ideas for art! Without further delay, here are the first quests of 2016!! Bang Silverfang: Muay Thai Sessions for finesse and technique application Details: I have just started going to Muay Thai classes with Easton to add with my kickboxing classes. Kickboxing is about learning techniques and conditioning, while Muay Thai is about finesse and working with partners in order to practice techniques learned in kickboxing along with gaining advanced knowledge. They also include sparring drills, which are ton of fun. I want to solidify this class as part of my full training and thus I needed to come to Muay Thai at least once a week this challenge. Contingencies: Weather may prevent me from getting to class. In this case, I need to consider and acceptable substitute. Sometimes, the coaches would change up the kickboxing class to be more of a partner/Muy Thai class, so I should be able to count those here as well. Tracking: I'll be tracking the Muay Thai sessions using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) with the workout listed as 'Judo, Kickboxing, Martial Arts' for this thread. This thread will also be updated with details of the class. Grading: A for Muay Thai at least 4 times this challenge - 20 exp ( 2 Dex 2 Sta) B for Muay Thai at least 3 times this challenge - 15 exp ( 2 Dex 1 Sta ) C for Muay Thai at least 2 times this challenge - 10 exp ( 2 Dex ) F for all else Genos: Handstand practice for added core stability and diligence Details: I need to get back in the saddle for handstand practice since I have yet to actually reach the handstand last time! Thus time to get back into gear and make this a habit so I can finally each this goal in 2016! Contingencies: None for here. I can strengthen my wrists if I need to do that instead and this is a low impact practice. Tracking: I'll be tracking the handstand practice using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) with the workout listed as 'Calisthenics- Light/Moderate' for this thread. This thread will also be updated with details of the practice. Grading: A for Handstand Practice at least 5 to 6 a week - 20 exp ( 1 Dex 2 Str ) B for Handstand Practice at least 3 to 4 a week - 15 exp ( 2 Str ) C for Handstand Practice at least 2 a week - 10 exp ( 1 Str ) F for all else Saitama: 100 gram of protein for an undefeatable hero! Details: I have been okay with upping my protein and have noticed that for the most part, I can hit 100 g of protein. So let's make this a challenge! Let's make sure I consistently hit that protein goal and really fuel my muscles as much as I can. Since its' still winter, I'm not limiting my carbs just yet, but that will be coming up as an idea for Spring. For now, let's EAT ALL THE MEAT!! (and eggs...and yogurt...) Contingencies: None. I should be able to stuff my face with yogurt and protein bars if I need to and while I don't want to go over my calories too much, I'm NOT cutting. Thus the daily amount should not scare me. I need the protein, I need that fuel! Tracking: I'll be tracking the stretching sessions using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) with extra accountability done here. Grading: A for 100 g of protein 6 to 7 times a week - 25 exp ( 2 Con 1 Wis) B for 100 g of protein 4 to 5 times a week - 20 exp ( 2 Con ) C for 100 g of protein 2 to 3 times a week - 15 exp ( 1 Con ) F for all else Tastumaki aka Terrible Tornado: An Esper uses her mind for power...Empower my mind Details: So as I have planned and mentioned last challenge, I want to start a novel for next year! Though I aim for writing it during NaNoWriMo, I do want to start planning it out using the snow flake method (planning on getting to step 5 here depending). I also have character portraits to draw and will use this novel for inspiration! Here are my character portraits to do: Theresa (done but have a chibi fun image being worked on)Connor (second protagonist)Human 'cattle' escapee who like an older brother figure to the macguffinThe magcuffin character. May hold cure for 'vampirism'Extra Credit: character portraits for Starpuck and Mrs Feanor peeps.Let's hope I get far...without stressing out! Contingencies: I won't be able to keep track of this too much when I'm on ski trips. But while I'm not drawing those trips, I can brainstorm my novel and send ideas to myself through email, or save it on a google doc. Thus still adhering to this quest! Tracking: I have an art Tumblr and I also have a DeviantArt (WATCH ME FOR ACCOUNTABILITY). I shall use those and this thread to keep track. I shall also post up WIPs of my work on this thread and I will also count ideas and brainstorming I come up with during my daily status. So ya'll will be here to listen to my ramblings! Grading: A for at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week - 25 exp ( 2 Wis 2 Cha ) B for at least 30 minutes 2 to 3 days a week - 15 exp ( 1 Wis 1 Cha ) F for all else Bonus Quest- Speed O Sonic: FASTER FASTER DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!!! Details: It's ski season!! W00t! Time to work on my speed, making cleaner turns, stopping more quickly, and just getting braver on the slopes! This is a seasonal quest and I want to track and reward my efforts for these excursions! Also, gives me a fun fifth quest too! Contingencies: I have rented the places, booked hotels, but sickness is always a possibility. Thus why this is a bonus! I rather be healthy enough to make it down the blue (or even black) runs, then sick and hurt myself. Tracking: I'll be tracking the skiing funtimes using MyFitnessPal ( username BlackTezca ) with the workout listed as 'Downhill Skiing' for this thread. I'll also, of course, be updating this thread with details of my adventures! Grading: A for Skiing this challenge! - 10 exp ( 1 Sta) F for all else This may look like a lot for the first challenge of the year but at the same time, considering all my quests are in chunks (except for the skiing one which is mostly for funsies) this shouldn't be too bad! Maybe not one punchable, but surely worthy of an S-class hero such as myself! Here are some starting fitness measurements: Starting Measurements: Date: 01/04/2015 @ 6:20 am Weight: 129 ***Body Fat***: 21% Waist: 23 Waist @ Navel: 23.5 Hips: 34.5 Neck: 12 Chest: 32 Left Bicep: 10.5 Right Thigh: 16 Wrist: 5.5 Forearm: 8.5 I'm really looking forward to a new year with my Nerdfitness peeps and to check out all the changes that have added to the rebellion! This may look tough, however, challenges are suppose to be tough in order to be fun and make sure we keep pushing out limits. Not everything can be so easy! Let's go my fellow Monk folks and KICK SOME ASS!!! Let's become... ULTIMATE HEROES!!! (That hopefully won't get bored by being ultimate heroes...)

INTRODUCTION: My name is Ted and this is my second challenge. I am looking forward to being a part of the assassins during during challenge 44. If you are interested, my first challenge thread can be found here. When I found Nerd Fitness, I joined the academy first. I was searching for how to build intrinsic motivation into a fitness routine and Nerd Fitness came across my path. Thanks to my first challenge, I am getting closer to my goal of intrinsically motivate fitness. My hard work and my look into essentialism has really helped me focus my efforts. I chose the assassins because I enjoy bouldering, calisthenics, and balance work done through yoga. I want to build a learner stronger frame. People I admire and look to as I train would be Kevin Poeung and Simon Park. I am a 33 year old English and History teacher and live in San Francisco, CA with my husband and our orange bob-tail cat named Cha-cha. We have been in the Bay Area for about a year. Before California, my husband and I were living in Japan (I was there for seven years and he was there for his whole life). I am a lover of science fiction and have been a fan of all the Star Gate seasons which is why my topic titles reference the dialing sequence. These challenges are a way I can take back control of my dreams by making my fitness and health a priority in my life. I am excited about doing this for myself and glad I have gained some great support and friends along the way. MAIN QUEST: I will have an active life full of movement and activities I find joy in so I can live a life of peace and adventure with my husband. CHALLENGE GOAL 1: "Be-Four Dawn" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will exercise for a least thirty minutes in the morning, at least four days a week, for a total of 24 workout sessions over the course of the challenge. REASONING: During the last challenge, I scheduled a workout everyday of the week. On any given day, I was either practicing yoga or doing the body brigade workout. This left little to no time for recovery. This challenge, I am giving myself three days for potential recovery. I also want to work towards enjoying morning workouts since I can take full advantage of the after-burn over the course of the day and be more energized. I also would like to have my evenings open in order to spend more time with my husband. Up until now, getting up early in the morning and working out has been difficult for me. I am a teacher and wake-up really early already. MEANS OF EVALUATION: I will post on my thread the details of each workout for the previous week by Sunday evening of that week. The details of my workout will include the time started, duration, and what I did to workout. If I have at least 24 workouts recorded by the end of this challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: STAMINA A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] CHALLENGE GOAL 2: "Pull It Together" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will work for 10 minutes, at least four days a week, on my training to do a complete, unassisted, pull-up for a total of 24 sessions over the course of this challenge. REASONING: I have enjoyed bouldering and have some pretty solid upper body strength. Unfortunately, I do not have the muscle strength needed to do a complete unassisted pull-up. Systematically working on my pull-ups throughout this challenge will help me build the needed strength in order to get close to doing an unassisted pull-up. MEANS OF EVAULUATION: I will post on my thread the details of each training session for the previous week by Sunday evening of that week. The details of the training session will include what I did to train and the time I started. If I have at least 24 training sessions on my thread by the end of the challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: STRENGTH A=+4 B=+3 C=+2] CHALLENGE GOAL 3: "This End Up" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will work for 10 minutes, at least four days a week, on my inverted poses foundation for a total of 24 sessions over the course of this challenge. REASONING: In my practice of yoga, I have always felt inspired by inverted poses. In the beginning, I had a fear of going into an inverted pose. I thought, if I went into an inverted pose, I would drop on my spine and break my neck. Several years back, I trampled that fear by running into a handstand. The momentum of this method got me into a wall-assisted hand-stand. I want to work toward doing an unassisted tripod headstand. To do this I will need to work on building my foundation on a consistent basis. MEANS OF EVALUATION: I will post on my thread the details of each foundation building session for the previous week by Sunday evening of that week. The details of the foundation building session will include what I did toward building the right foundation and the time I started. If I have at least 24 training sessions on my thread by the end of the challenge, I will have met this goal. [Attribute: A=+4 B=+3 C=+2] LIFE CHALLENGE GOAL: "Write On Track" GOAL: By 14 December 2015, I will write over 40,000 words towards a new novel which I will plan with my husband. REASONING: My husband is an illustrator and a graphic designer. We have been playing around with the idea of me writing a novel and him drawing illustrations for the story. We have floated ideas and concepts around but never got anything seriously together. Since November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and this challenge covers the month of November, I thought I would inspire our project to head in the "write" direction and get my husband and I "write" on track towards completing our novel. MEANS OF EVALUATION: I will have met this goal if I have written at least 40,050 words on my novel by the end of this challenge. My word-count progress can be seen on my NaNoWriMo page. I will also give weekly updates on Sunday evening on how I am progressing towards the 40,000 word goal. [Attribute: WISDOM A=+3 B=+2 C=+1] PRE-REFLECTION: Setting new goals fills me with such great energy. I feel geared-up and ready to begin. I feel even better this time around since I have already engaged in one challenge and know my goals are challenging yet attainable. Learning what works well for me and what needs tweaking I believe will help me towards an intrinsically motivated practice. I am proud to be part of the assassins and growing stronger with everyone!

jtggodqos - go bigger Main Quest ultimately, I will achieve a body weight of 130lbs and a body fat percentage under 25.Goals Exercise: I vow to adhere to the following workout plan every day, with the rare exception.Mon, Wed, Fri: upper body (bench press, military press, seated row, bicep curl, sometimes tricep curl, lat pulldown)Tue, Thu, Sat/Sun: lower body (calf raise, squat, sometimes lunge)Diet: I vow to consume no more than 1700 kcal every day, with the rare exception.Alcohol: I vow to drink only socially; no more solo drinking, with the rare exception.Writing: I vow to work on either of my novels at least 30 minutes every weekday, with the rare exception.My Motivation I vow to adhere to the above requirements, because I'm fucking sick of how I look, and I'm tired of this Depression.healthy eating and regular exercise are good for the body, alcohol is not; and writing is good for the soul.Notes the "with the rare exception" clause must be validated by Brian -- if he deems it acceptable, then I can evoke it. this ensures I don't let myself "cheat" too much.I must input every day's progress on both my spreadsheet AND my NerdFitness thread. this ensures accountability.Links spreadsheetMyFitnessPalFitbitFitocracy Numbers Date: 06-05-14Weight: 167.0 lbsBody Fat: 38.4%BMI: 27.0Lean: 102.9 lbsFat: 64.1 lbs (my goal is lose 40 of these)Neck: 34.0 cmBicep: 30.5 cmForearm: 26.5 cmChest: 93.5 cmWaist: 95.5 cm (ew...)Hips: 105.0 cm ("Shamu hips", as my dad always called them)Thigh: 63.0 cmCalf: 38.5 cm Total Scores Week Zero: 1/26Week One:Week Two:Week Three:Week Four:Week Five:Week Six:Total:

I really need help finding the title of a book I read several years back. It was about a girl, who took a science class. Only with this science class, it was a one project type thing, and they got their topic in the beginning of class. She got a card showing a woman defending a kill from wild animals. So she decided to live like that woman, and take a paleo type living to the extreme, and the book follows her exploration of herself in the paleo lifestyle. Does anyone happen to know this title?

It is still dark when I awake. I slip out of bed, already dressed, and gather up the things that I laid out the night before. I put on the warm cap and jacket, and stuff a cloth bag in my pocket, then sneak downstairs to the kitchen. I am in luck. Most of the preparations for tonight's celebration were finished yesterday and no one is in the kitchen yet. So I stuff a couple of biscuits and several slices of meat into my bag and exit out the back door that opens onto the kitchen garden without having to make up any stories about where I am going or what I am doing. All is quiet as I pass around the back of the armory and the two buildings where my mother's students live. I am so excited at what today will hold! I have waited almost a year and a half for it, ever since I saw my older sister receive her training sword the day she turned seven. Today it will be my turn and I intend to be ready. My Main Quest: Become as unstoppable as the heroine in my novel! (The gory details of the following can be found in my Battle Log.) 1) Build effective, efficient, and sustainable systems WIS-2 CHA-1 To achieve my Main Quest and Life Quest Goals, I will follow the Plan of Action as detailed in my Battle Log. The Plan addresses these areas with specific, measurable actions: A ) "Basic Systems," the Foundational Success Plan B ) "Eat Well," the Food Success Plan C ) "Train Hard," Fitness Success Plan 2) Lose 12 pounds and 6% BF CON-4 3) Become a sleek, strong, and supple ranger with lots of stamina STR-4 DEX-1 To achieve this goal, I will use a mix of mobility, strength, and endurance exercises: 3 x 1 minute planks, 30 sec rest interval 5 regular pushups 1 exercise band assisted pullup 2 x 25 bw squats 2 x 10 bw lunges per side Complete Tai Chi form (24 movement) and saber form memorized 15 minute mile on level ground, no pack weight 4 ) Creativity Quest WIS-2 CHA-1 

 ART/CRAFT
 - Knit a pair of socks 

MUSIC
 - Complete the the repertoire goal started last challenge and share with accountabilibuddies. WRITING - Write 18,000 words All of the above goals will be graded with the standard A, B, C, D, or F system using the usual percentages. EDIT 0823 11/17/2013 - Removed previous challenge gamification storyline in anticipation of inserting new material. EDIT 1530 11/17/2013 - Changed Topic Title from "Lt_Laurel - Becoming One of ha'Cathach's Rangers" to "Lt_Laurel: Becoming the Shadow Lion, Episode 1 - Earning My Sword" EDIT 0039 11/19/2013 - Added first part of new storyline to head of topic post.

My Motivation: I resolve to not die with my dreams still inside me For I can bring beauty, joy, and healing into the world through my art, music, and writing My Epic Quest of Awesomeness To Bring Out the Best That is Inside Me To succeed in this I must conquer my Fears and Bad Habits I must be HEALTHY, FIT, FOCUSED, and PRODUCTIVE I MUST BECOME UNSTOPPABLE My Main Quest: BECOME AS UNSTOPPABLE as the heroine in my novel! She's a kickass fit ranger who doesn't take "No" or "You can't" for an answer, never gives up on her main objective, and always, always, always follows her heart. So, first things first. (She keeps her priorities straight, she does.) Over the next six challenges, I will get in the best shape of my life through healthy eating, lifting heavy things, moving around A LOT, and creating routines that support my quest. My first three missions are very similar to my second challenge as they're still the best fit for my Main Quest. I have updated my Life Quest to reflect my relatively better performance in that part of the last challenge, plus some new developments. 1) Eat for health and performance Continue to clean up my diet and maintain at least a 80/20 paleo-primal to Standard American Diet (SAD) split. I will maintain my compliance and momentum on this in the following ways: a ) Increase the variety of meals that I eat by preparing one new recipe per week and planning my menus and shopping ahead for the week so as to maximize variety. b ) Minimize failures (due to my taking the easy way out and eating bad foods when life gets in the way of my aspirations) by having some fast and easy snacks and meals prepared and ready to go at all times. c ) Allow for a certain amount of social and emotional eating by building in some limited cheating, to be fully enjoyed without guilt or remorse. d ) Keep a detailed food journal to ensure I'm meeting these sub-goals. Weigh weekly; take measurements at beginning, mid-point, and end; take photos at beginning and end. Aim to lose 6 pounds and 3% BF. STR-1 STA-1 CON-2 CHA-1 2) Become a sleek, strong, and supple ranger with lots of stamina a ) Do a daily mobility workout of at least 10 minutes a day, six days per week. New focus area - working on posture and back/neck flexibility and alignment. b ) Strength training at least 2x per week using primarily body-weight exercises and modified cross-fit style workouts. More than that - BONUS POINTS! Each additional workout earns $5.00 towards videos and music. (Hmmm, or maybe a new wardrobe a few challenges hence?) c ) Move! Walk, bike (stationary or otherwise - just move!), dance and/or do tai chi for a minimum of 30 minutes per session, at least 3 days per week. More than that - BONUS POINTS! Each additional 30 minutes earns $5.00 towards videos and music. STR-2 DEX-2 STA-1 3) Build good, simple, and sustainable systems to support the above goals a ) Participate actively in an accountabilibuddy team. Aim to contribute at least 7 posts per week. Limit thread following to a manageable number. b ) Get enough recovery - a minimum of at least 4 hours uninterrupted sleep, and at least 6 hours sleep per night, plus naps as needed. Track this in journal, too. c ) Learn from last challenge's "challenges" and create fallback plans and advance creative solutions for those days when I'm crazy busy, feel crummy mentally or physically, or "life happens" and causes my willpower to falter or my time to be limited. Whenever possible, do challenge activities early in the day and the week - front load - so as to have some reserve if I get crunched later on. d ) Create spreadsheet/tracking system for this challenge's many goal components. Experiment with Kanban board, mindmapping, and app solutions the first two weeks of challenge, put system into place during third week, and maintain for the remainder. STR-1 DEX-1 WIS-1 Level Up Life Goal(s) Ah, yes, I am definitely a ranger, a jack of all trades. I've been a musician/teacher, artist, firefighter/EMT, multimedia software developer... despite all that I've been told all of my life about the value of specialization! ART a ) Complete my two portrait commissions by end of challenge. (Due date of Nov. 1, 2013) b ) Update personal business card, logo, and web avatar c ) Design and create guitar society logo Bonus Points - Create portrait of one of my novel's characters. Post for NF enjoyment. MUSIC a ) Learn one new (or complete one "half-done but abandoned") song per instrument and have each memorized and performance-ready by end of challenge. The songs don't have to be long or terribly advanced repertoire, but they do have to engage my interest and be something that would be pleasing to an audience. Guitar, Harp, Violin, Piano, Voice (may double with one of the other instruments). Bonus points if a piece is an original composition. b ) Review and revise lesson policies, mission statement, other business docs, in light of the new realities of being a traveling teacher and working with co-op studio. c ) Progress, however small, on music method and associated game. Consider outsourcing game development. Bonus Points - Record one or more of my new songs and post for NF enjoyment. WRITING a ) Finish outlining the series - Is it three novels, or four? Do I go with the one that is almost done first, or change the order? b ) Get information on self-publishing and building an audience; keep working with my mentor. c ) Most important of all - WRITE. Write a lot. Write at least 20 minutes a day, 6 days per week, even if crazy busy, tired, don't feel like it, blocked, yada, yada, yada. Then write some more. Write 30,000 words by the end of the challenge. Bonus Points - Post an excerpt for NF enjoyment. Done 9/22 WIS-2 CHA-1 All of the above goals will be graded with the standard A, B, C, D, or F system using the usual percentages. I feel good about all of my goals except the eating clean. I've been so bad the last few weeks, I'm not sure I can do it. This is where I get to choose to be like my hero, or not...

Hey there guys. Sorry if I'm making the guild hall a little bit more crowded with it, but I couldn't figure out how to add a poll on to my topic as it was. I do apologize and will attempt to improve my mastery further. For those of you who haven't followed my challenge thread, I'm trying to keep myself writing. This is not easy, because I want to write a bunch of different things, and it's hard to figure out how exactly to keep momentum going on any one project. That said, I've done okay so far having done an article and a short story. Now it's time for me to begin work on a novel. I have a bunch of drafts from having done National Novel Writing Month, so churning out the words isn't the problem. The problem is that I lack the discipline to stay with any one project because, as I said, I keep trying to do everything. So I wanted to ask for some help and get some accountability from my fellow Monks, and anyone else who happens to be visiting. Thanks to some preliminary research from some RL friends of mine, I've managed to narrow it down to three possible stories. I could work well with any of them, so all that's left is to figure out what is most exciting to you, the readers! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm a writer. I love talking about my work. Anything to keep me from actually doing it.