Writing Update: December

Some of my absence has been due to me trying to continue writing my series the Calpurnia Mission.

Let me give you the counts:

1. The Calpurnia Mission: 9,298 words
2. The Rebel Lion: 13,360 words
3. Between Life and Dark: 12,480 words
4. The Stark Truth: 14,978 words
5. Of Haves and Wants: 30,516 words
6. Safe Harbor: 15,799 words
7. Rebel Valley: 26,781 words
8. Of the Best Intentions: 15,724 words
9. Eight o' Clock: 19,395 words
10. Underground: 17,944 words
11. Salon des Refues: 15,338 words
12. Into the Smoke: 12,273 words
13. The Human Twist: 18,817 words
14. The Pitch Black: 13,166 words
15. Den of Foxes: 11,272 words
16. The Sky Lure: 7,124 words
17. The Body Thief: 12,082 words
18. Unknown: 200 words. . .?

So that's 243,885 words total. I originally assumed this would be about 30 chapters, so. . yep. There is that.

General Updates

I missed finishing a story in October. I really lost it in October with writing. And even November. It just got a lot harder to come up with ideas. I think I lost a lot of where I wanted to go. I also introduced two new characters in Den of Foxes which left me sort of. .arrrrggg. .because everyone else is more well-developed and characters can take a little time to create. It's important to me characters have their own motivation and voices - and their own actions with different people.

I also ran out of short-story ideas, since each is generally a short story. Although, I also feel as if I lost some of that series fiction type stuff from before. Oh well. I mean. . .stuff.

ALSO. . .The Body Thief is mostly erotic fiction and I don't know how to feel about that for the following reasons:

• Does it make sense for the characters: Sure, I think I did a good job making it seem plausable. Did I build the situation up enough that it seems logical? Maybe.
• Porn:. . .*giggle*. . .*snort*. . .I'm not mature enough to deal with this.

Forward Thinking
I think I have some concepts and bits set up for Chapter 18. I'm just not sure. I want to return to the style of the series which I think I got away from because I had to build up characters independently and create their own story lines. Now I got to sandwich them back together and keep the hunt going.

Do the 7 Day Core Challenge

I decided to give the Core Workout 7 Day Challenge a try. This is what I will be doing attempting to do everyday starting today for a week, if not longer. The challenge is 7 days, might I add. I write "attempting" because I don't think I have enough core strength to do the requirement, but, I shall try.

Also, my boyfriend is super-hot right now but he is going to get all cut through running and lifting. I should probably up my game.

I think the timing is pretty right - people like to make resolutions to be health and do stuff. Right?

What? Drinking. . .

The Core Workout 7 Day Challenge

• 50 crunches
• 15 push ups
• 1 min plank
• 30 secs side plank each side
• 1 min bridge
• 15 push ups
• 1 min plank
• 30 secs side plank each side
• 50 crunches
• 1 min raised plank
• 2 mins bridge
• 50 crunches

Rules

1. No stopping between exercises
2. Not all types of physical activity are suitable for everyone. Users take Challenges and training advice at their own personal risk.

Be Part of the Adventure

Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Listen the Radio

Mission Level
Fail

Buuuzzzzz

Sounds simple, right? It's not. I don't listen to the radio. I am not "into" music. I think everyone thinks they are "into music" and I like music - look, I played classic piano for 12 years.

A lot of times, coworkers come up to me and say, "Hey, did you hear on Preston and Steve that. . ." or even general comments about my lack of knowledge when it comes to popular artists or songs. I just don't listen to the radio.

I tried - really, I did. I can't do it.

Why Failure?
I hate radio deejays (DJs) are annoying. They talk over the music, yak without getting to the point. And then they yak some more about other stuff that no more cares about. Additionally, more often than not, they are inaccurate.

I hate advertisements - well, not totally, I hate it when they get in the way of my objective.  I think I once had a whole commute of 20 minutes full of me searching for a radio station not playing some commercial. Or someone talking. Or prank calling. I hate the prank calling.

I listen to a selection of music that is familiar and known to me. In my world, everything was always out of control and each second was always a huge unknown. I like sort of knowing what music is coming up next. Also, humans link music to memories which is why music is so powerful to everyone.

For me, it was a method I used to remind myself of things. It didn't work too well as far as remembering the day of the week, season or even when to take my medication but it did remind me how to feel and that I did feel a certain way. Forgetting, literally, how to feel is the worst.

So, I stick to my ipod because I don't want to forget.

Some Silver Lining
I must say, listening to the radio during the afternoon on the weekends or on my way home from work is much nicer. I would be open to doing that more - for two reasons:

1. I'm too lazy to plug in my ipod.
2. I can have an influx of new music. 

I use to use Yahoo! Radio or music or whatever they called it and would have it running while I played my all-time favorite game, Mystery Case Files. Then they started using more and more advertisements and then I stopped.

I think I will pop into the radio-world if only to add to my music collection. It is a collection, by the way, I know every song on my playlist like the back of my hand.

Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.

Image Credit
Radio from experiencepros.com