#best way to invest 80k

[dduane]

Buenas tardes:

I’m writing you this ask with fear that it might seem weird but, do you have any advice about starting to publish books nowadays? I have seen some Amazon auto publishing in kindle, but I’m not sure how trustworthy that is, with all that AI going around. Nor what other options might be.

Thank you so much for your time, I loved your Star Trek novels

A

P.S.I apologise for the broken English, it is not my first language

First of all: your English is fine—don't worry about it. :) (And thanks for the nice words about the Trek books! I very much appreciate them.)

About getting into self-publishing in general: There are a lot of pathways into it, and some that (for various reasons of ethics) may rightly be seen as superior. But Amazon does seem to some folks as the most accessible "way in" for people who don't have a lot of money to invest in their startup. For the moment, therefore, let's stick with that.

There's no question that starting selfpub at the Zon is a lot more dodgy than it used to be. But I think your odds of success—and don't forget, there are a lot of metrics for "success"—are as good as any other real person's.

It's also worth noting in passing that Amazon now requires you to specify whether or not your submission contains any AI. (And naturally, AI-using scammers and other people eager to game the system are going to lie about this.)

For the moment, never mind the AI. Your job as a new Amazon-based writer is mainly to write some books, publish them, and then market the hell out of them, any way you can, while you write some more. It may seem daunting, but there are well-traveled pathways to start doing this.

Adding a break here, because this is likely to run a bit long. Warning: contains work, work and more work, without any ironclad guarantee of success; also incredible oversimplification of a long and complex process. (But I'm already working on three books at the moment, so forgive me for not escalating this into a fourth.) :)

Very briefly, here's a nod toward general strategy. (And forgive me for glossing over, here, the admittedly huge effort and commitment required for conceiving and writing just one book, let alone a series of them. Or numerous series of them. Self-publishing involves gigantic amounts of hard work... but I think you've already suspected that.)

Having talked to people who've worked exclusively in Amazon and have (or had) no previous publishing credential, they've emphasized to me the importance, when you're getting started, of having at least a few books ready to go when you're ready to start publishing. Meaning that you can't write just one and fling it out there into the cold cruel world on its own. Readers who immediately look for more of your work and don't find it are likely to dismiss you, and it, as not worth a second look... mostly because the Algorithm has trained them to.

So let's pretend you've got a series of books to publish—and this can be open-ended or not: at this point it doesn't matter. Let's say that, to launch yourself and your work, you've written three books (ideally no shorter than 50,000 words, and between 60-80K is thought to be better). The idea is that those will be plenty to start with, and enough to let your readers decide whether they like what you're doing. (Writing them will also serve as useful proof of concept that you can actually write novels, if you don't already have any proof already.)

The strategy that's been described to me is for you, at this point, to release those three books into Amazon a week (or two or three) apart. Then, when they're all out there, you publish to Kindle Unlimited, as a "free sample", a shorter work in that series—ideally some kind of prequel—containing links to the three main novels.

Then you keep repeating this kind of pattern as often as is comfortable for you, while carefully studying the analysis of results Amazon will provide for you so that you can see what seems to be working best and/or what's not working at all.

Now comes the question of how best to support those novels (and the ones that will follow them). Leaving aside the complex question of how and when and where to advertise (and how to afford it!), you need a way to make it easy for readers and other interested parties to reassure themselves, if they need it, that you're a real person: and that you are in fact a writer who's serious about their business and in it for the long haul. For this you need at least two things:

A website

A social media presence

The website can be handled a number of different ways... though I'd suggest you avoid build-your-own-site-easy platforms like Wix if you can: they don't seem to be terribly good at the customer support end, and I'm not convinced that they're any cheaper in the long run than buying your own domain name, buying hosting for it, and posting a WordPress site in that online space. But at the very least, you need a site where you can talk a little about yourself, and mostly about your books, and publish links to their locations on Amazon.

The social media presence can be in one or two places, or lots, depending on how much energy you have to spend on this part of the effort. The main advice I can offer you here, both from my own experience and others', is to absolutely NOT have your entire social media presence—especially in the shortest-form types of social media like Twitter and Bluesky—be about pushing your own work. There seem to be few things that will turn people off you faster. And also, these days maybe such an approach would make people likelier to mistake you for AI. Let people see who you are, and at intervals let them know that you write, too.

(sitting back and looking at all this) If all this sounds like a ton of work? Make no mistake, it really is. It can get exhausting. But this is just one of the areas where your passion and determination as a writer will be tested over the long haul.

It might have been simpler, back in The Day, to just write and let your publisher get on with all the stuff that surrounded bringing a book out. But there was also a whole lot less control for the writer, in that older paradigm. The newer one offers you a lot more control... and a lot more work, which may or may not yield a lot more profit. All you can do is give it a shot and see how it works out for you.

In any case, however you decide to proceed: I wish you good luck on the journey!

[thesapphireprincess]

Software Engineer 👩🏾‍💻

I recently learned that you can become a Software engineer without a degree. I found a free Introduction to software engineering course on YouTube. It was created by a computer science professor and he goes over everything that a beginner needs to know and what is learned in a full semester. I also found these free Harvard courses and after you complete them you can purchase a verified certificate. The certificate will look so good an a resume and it will show that you know the material.

💌 Being a Software Engineer isn’t the only option for a high paying job without a degree. This is just the one I am choosing.

There are so many resources online but after this I will most likely enroll into a software engineering boot camp since this is what most people do. I found that there are a lot of software engineers who do not have a degree but are still making a ton of money because the work is so valuable. I learned that you can get almost any 6 figure high paying job without a degree except in the medical field. This job will not be replaced by AI which is a relief.

The starting salary for an entry level position is around 70-80k in the United States as of June 2023. Even 60k would be great but there are people making 100-250k a year as a software engineer. The people who work at the big companies make even more than that.

This is a great way to set up your financial future. Imagine being able to save $1000-$2000 a month. Imagine where you’ll be at in 10 years. You can even use this as a starting base to set your life up financially. You’ll be able to afford to live anywhere in the world especially if you get a remote job. Places like San Diego, New York, London or Hawaii. You can afford the cost of living. You can afford to live in any of the major cities and have a really comfortable life. You will have lots of money that you’ll be able to multiply. You’ll actually be able to save up for a house and have actual money to invest. So many opportunities will be available to you. You can live below your means in the best way possible.

Personally I’ve always wanted to live by the beach in a city. By this time next year I’ll be living in a new city with a great high paying job. My current job will look amazing on my resume because I work side by side with engineers and technicians on a daily basis at a reputable company so I can totally jazz up my resume to sound really good. Which totally counts as ✨experience✨. I’ve been working here for a couple of years now which will look even better because it shows longevity.

I definitely plan on moving to San Diego or Hawaii next year when my lease is up. I will update y’all in a week on my progress.

[akalikai]

Hello! I just finished reading "Are You Mr. Schadenfreude?" on Ao3! And dare i say it is the best fic I've ever read yet, LIKE I'M NOT KIDDING the amount of suspense, thriller and horror.. I was at the edge of my seat and not to mention how well written the whole story is and the lore itself is just so 😩😩😩.. I am not familiar with vocaloid and even the music video (sorry!) itself but I did watch it just after reading the fic and how impressed I was that you came up with your own version and even wrote it in a MONTH 80k words and all, kudos to you <3.

I was having goosebumps throughout reading the fic! I LOVE the dynamic between wonhan and especially I've been addicted their 'This Man' album since it was released and how they were stuck together like glue and the moments they share together was adorable and as a jeonghan biased myself (i have 6 biases actually hehe) i love every bit of it and I fell in love with the characters and the fic itself. Another thing I'd like to point out is the way you portrayed their relationships that can be interpreted as romantic and/or platonic so that readers can enjoy more of the story. Aside from wonhan, i also adored the dynamic each members have with each other and then there's verkwan VERKWAN FOR THE WIN! I was devastated when both of them died and I was awestruck to find out that seungkwan did it to avoid vernon from suffering the same fate with the others and that my friends is love and if that's not love I don't know what is. I was saddened that all of them have met their deaths whether they were murdered or have ended themselves BUUUUUT HELLO THE PLOT TWIST??? I was clearly not expecting for wonwoo to wake up and then it goes back to beginning but then I understand it was his turn to break the cycle like wonwoo was the real mvp here, basically the whole story was supposed to be in hoshi's timeline but man's was sidetracked and ended getting killed earlier in the story (still love him tho but a huge facepalm for him). At the beginning of the fic I was caught off guard that jun had died immediately like it was so sudden but I was pleasantly surprised to find him still alive the end and was working below the church to try and help his friends and speaking of the devil... I really can't put my finger on it but since the beginning I've been very suspicious of minghao, but I did suspect either jeonghan or wonwoo to be the devil but I was more suspicious of minghao and the scream I let out when it was actually him who the was the devil though I have to admit it was pretty conflicting but in a good way lol.

It was fun spotting easter eggs all throughout the fic that connects with gose and for real though the fic was definitely a mix of bad clue, don't lie and ego as the og lore is similar to a mafia game and I absolutely ADORE how you came up with your twist. I'm gonna be honest it was the BEST read, I've been so invested in a fic before like how invested I was in the fic and not to mention the endless roller coaster of emotions I've read throughout, you really did pour all your hard work on this one and I really really appreciate it!!! ('appreciate' is an understatement) There are a lot more words to say but I think I'll stop here, I've been rambling too much lol. Please excuse my English as it's not my mother tongue.

HELLO???? OMG THIS IS SO SWEET IM GONNA SCREAM

I'm so flattered oh my lord I was kicking my feet and giggling as I read this you're SO sweet

I'll be totally honest, there was one specific scene that really made me want to write this and I actually drew it here. This was the catalyst for this whole fic I saw this scene and I was like "wonhan. i need to draw wonhan like this" and yeah here we are. honestly I was NOT expecting it to be like 88k, I thought I'd have barely enough for 30k 😭😭

Wonhan has been a new recent obsession for me (same as you, This Man really made me go OH HELLO WONHAN) their dynamic reminds me a lot of a ship I like (wangxian from MDZS, jeonghan reminds me of wei wuxian and wonwoo reminds me of lan wangji). I actually wrote a wonhan fic based on wonhan (and I'm gonna add a chapter to it soon as well ehehe)

Writing their relationships as ambiguous was so nice as an aroace person who feels strong feelings that aren't entirely romantic but not platonic either. Jeonghan-biases unite, as I was writing it I literally went "if I'm in love with him, everyone is in love with him". Verkwan are sooooo they're so soulmates (in whatever way)

Wonwoo being the one to figure it out is kind of like him in Ego because he figured out almost everything but he just got caught by the time limit. If it weren't for that, I think Wonwoo could have figured it out.

As for Jun, I really love seeing his caring side because he cares SO MUCH for the members. That's why I wrote him quietly helping his friends because that reminds me of him in the early days, even when he couldn't communicate, he was always silently helping everyone.

As for Myungho, I wanted to channel the energy he had in Bad Clue because the final confrontation between him and Mingyu was sooooo like it had me SWEATING. But at the same time, I couldn't make him ACTUALLY want to hurt his friends, Myungho would never do that. Hence the binding ritual ending I came up with. But I'm so glad you like my plot twists!!

The Easter eggs were my favorite part everytime I wrote one I was giggling a little bit.

Thank you so much, seriously, I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much, especially since I think this was probably one of my favorite fics I've written, so it makes me so happy that you like it so much!!

(Idk how much svt I will write other than my ongoing kpopfic Only You and adding a chapter to my wonhan fic, but I'm glad you enjoyed this!)

[risingshards]

Hello! This is your friendly inquiry to answer this ask with whatever you'd like to talk about right now! Whether that be a story you're working on, something you're excited or worried about, or just something random you happen to know.

All the love,

~ toribookworm ❤️

I got some stuff I wanna talk about so thank you very much for this!! 💖 IN PARTICULAR I HAVE THOUGHTS following up this post I have things to say about my like...Philosophy of Fluff™ writing. This may contain spoilers kinda for overall tone and goals for Rising Shards but I don't think I'll get anything too detailed there. (ramble incoming)

For Rising Shards, I spent a lot of time studying my favorite stories going in, and while I have a lot for fantasy/action/etc., for this I will focus on the romance side. For me I don't see RS as too subversive to the genre, just more in tribute/heavily inspired by the yuri romances I like rather than tradpub stuff.

If I'm subverting tradpub or the tradpub romance genres, it's pretty much all unintended because I hit a wall with Rising Shards and tradpub (there were a lot of things I didn't vibe with for the tradpub system, but the invasive personal "tell us all your personal LGBT secrets so we may market you through them before we even consider your work" made me real uncomfy). Also influential: working for a publisher, seeing what in the publishing system would not mix with what I wanted from Rising Shards, and then layoff from said publisher really made me like "is struggling for an 80k manuscript with forced drama and straining to get lit agents' attention right for Rising Shards?" Fortunately realized RS would be perfect for a web novel and have been rolling that way since.

So for like fluff philosophy! Following up me being more inspired by yuri manga and light novels than western tradpub romance, I also am like. Immensely sensitive and get way too empathetic in stories. So I write stuff to make me feel better. The concept of the iyashikei genre I vibe with so strongly, and I wish I had learned more about it wayyy before I did. TVTropes definition of iyashikei:

Iyashikei (癒し系) is Japanese for "healing", a term used for anime and manga created with the specific purpose of having a healing or soothing effect on the audience. Works of this kind often involve alternative realities with little to no conflict, emphasizing nature, the mundane and the little delights in life.

In my work there's definite iyashikei inspiration in addition to the yuri. Rising Shards isn't fully iyashikei, I still have action-y arcs in there, but I think my absolute best stuff in there is the healing slice of life stuff. So for me I feel like it's less subverting and showing what for to tradpub romances and the like and more just putting my heart and soul out there, the writing of which lines up with different subset of genres than what (from I found) traditional publishers are looking for. Also with a webnovel I can get really gay with it and no one can stop me muahahahha 🏳️‍⚧️

FLUFF WISE for Rising Shards I really like stuff that's healing. I like when characters have had a bad time in the past that they recover from with supportive partners, where the parties involve heal from their past traumas together. I'm less into the "ups and downs of a couple that breaks up and gets back together", like in a sitcom when that main ship breaks up I care significantly less about them even when they get back together. And I'm very empathetic and get very emotionally invested in stories, so calming stories that are hopeful and happy and peaceful help me maintain mental peace.

One of my thoughts for Rising Shards is to have some real stable couples that the story is less about like "ARE THEY REALLY RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER WILL THEY CHEAT SPLIT UP AND EVENTUALLY GET BACK TOGETHER" but rather couples dealing with all the stuff above, growing together and being peaceful and helping with that aforementioned me stability, and I hope I can help readers with that too.

With my web novel I have like a gajillion characters, so at some point I do think some of the side romances will be more tumultuous, but my philosophy is the main stable couples have to stay stable, and that the hurt will always be equal to or less than the healing that follows. I don't wanna make people really stressed, like lure them in with soft fluff romance then pull the rug on them with intense heartrending drama. I want the drama sure but I want it bearable. I see that post going around about like "I need my romances to be toxic to enjoy them" and I'm the opposite. I've dealt with enough toxic romances in my life that I wanna heal from them, not remind myself of past pain unless it's in a way that helps me take steps forward.

Also a closing thought; a vitally important part of my fluffy romance writing relating to the above yuri inspiration: like 99% gay stuff gimme lemsbebians gorls pretety

SO TO SUMMARIZE:

-I feel like my fluffy romance is less intentionally subversive and more me taking inspiration from my favorite stories mixed with the kind of writing I like best

-I have heavy yuri and iyashikei influence on my fluff

-I really like fluffy romance that's healing, I like characters overcoming their pasts together, building new families and finding themselves and helping each other be the best they can be

-I like having stable couples in my stories as pillars even if there are other relationships in the stories that aren't as stable

-I'm very easily emotionally rattled and empathetic with characters and stories so I like the peace that calm stories bring

-woman kimses pretty woman good

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE AGE OF ADDICTIVENESS

Startups don't seem to spread so well, partly because the guy had done nothing wrong, but more as an exploration of the lower bound of what it might have been. In most places the atmosphere pulls you back toward the mean. Suppose you screw up and underestimate the 20th best player may feel he has been misjudged. In another year you'll be making $80k a month instead of $160k. There will always be lots of Java programmers, so if the programmers working for me now quit, as programmers working for me now quit, as programmers working for me mysteriously always do, I can easily replace them. I think acquirers may eventually have chief acquisition officers who will both identify good acquisitions and make the deals happen. There's a lot of people were surprised by that. Agriculture itself was an instance of this pattern.

The trouble is, you can probably get some of the work for them long before they went public. Maybe successful people in other industries are; I don't know; but not startup founders. The first component is particularly helpful in the first Java white paper that Java was designed to be a matter of degree. What difference does it make if they alienate a small minority of their users? They don't have time to work, there was no point in making anything else return a value, because there could not be anything waiting for it. When it reaches a certain concentration, it kills off the yeast that produced it. The good news is, the highs are also very high.

Most people will shy away from this question. The third reason you need a community of expertise, as you do in the movie business. And such random factors will increasingly be outweighed by the pull of existing startup hubs. That's the idea their thoughts will drift toward when they're allowed to drift freely. One Canadian startup we funded spent about 6 months working on moving to the US. In a big, evil company is trying to be with the App Store. For example, after Wozniak designed the Apple II to use a forum with a lot of things for the better. And so instead of correcting the problem Aristotle discovered by falling into it—that you can actually solve this problem. But you can always make them break if you push them too far.

A few years ago I read an interview with a mathematician who said that most nights he went to bed discontented, feeling I didn't get enough done. A large part of YC's function is to accelerate that process. Why are founders fooled by this? They've built something that's going to have to do all our investing this way, but there seems a decent chance it's true. For outsiders this translates into two ways to win. Nearly all the judgements made on children are of this type, so we get into the novel business, but in distinct elements. Though ITA is also in a sense using a mainframe-era programming language. This too seems to be hard to start a startup. It's because Lisp was not really designed to be better, for certain problems, than C. This is in contrast to Fortran and most succeeding languages, which distinguish between expressions and statements was entrenched. A lot of founders mentioned how important it was to launch with the simplest possible thing. I hated it so much.

[stockninjas]

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[esorxy]

daily updates of thoughts while reading crimson rivers

afterthoughts::

this was so beautifully written and well plotted, it had some of the best scenes and dialogues, and had me swooning, in shock, all of that

(particularly regulus') character development!!! insane!!! this has left me unsatiable, jegulus has me in a chokehold

oh the romance was so sweet, and ever so rewarding after all of the hurt, both jegulus and wolfstar

my only complaint is that its way too long like i lost so much sleep over this, at the end i was so impatient i kept skipping all the side characters povs cos i just wanted to be done with it

🟥⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛

day 1. 10% (games just started)

it took 80k words to get to the start of the games .... what did i get myself into. and i saw tiktoks going like the jegulus WEDDING ?!?!?!?!?! love it when sirius cannot form coherent sentences around remus, but he needs some distraction they literally have the worse luck ever. I'm so glad they dont have horrible communication issues, maybe because theyre all about to die.

oh and if the jegulus parting 'present' wasnt the saddest way to separate especially since they think theyre going to die

aside, i keep comparing sirius to quackity in that hunger games fic and then i remember how much better the dsmp fanfics were especially since i can actually recall the details after like 2 years. back when i thought 100k+ was a long fic oh how naive

so so far, pretty good, im invested in the story enough to not be bored but not THAT invested

🟥🟥🟥⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛

day 2. 31% (games ended, just before interview)

im fuckin invested. why whyyyy so much pain. regulus never fails to be the most hurt in any room aye. and james being touch starved?!? i lived for that shit.

why was it that reading about the games was so thrilling. the life/death oml give my boys a fucking break. they're out now and still no comfort, the only break theyre getting is a break up wtf!!

asides about the games, james was just a dumbass about peter, evan my beloved as always (and glad that the author shares that sentiment), and what the fuck regulus just realising at the end that he had nothing to live for if james died asfhhdsjjfsgjjf

why the fuck was i not satisfied with reading cute one shots or 100k fics,,, the length of this, i don't want to sleep i don't want to eat god help me with this addiction

🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥⬛⬛⬛⬛

day 3. 60% (second games started)

honestly the lack of a mcd tag is the only thing getting me through this. the hope!! i relate to regulus so much on that.

and that's also the only reason im forgiving them for all being fucking IDIOTS and not making the most of their time together. now is the time to profess your love and get your spine realigned my darlings

why is there literally a force field preventing james and regulus from being happy together??? well im not complaining too much because that means that anything they do now is extra special. regulus not being able to resist james??? gahhh im gone.

also them having tea together and actually starting to heal oh theyre so sweet they dont deserve that cruel world.

they literally chose the worst time ever to make up, at least they did at some point, but man they really confessed and got engaged right before... probable death...

oh the amount of pain my poor boys are going through, i wish they can all escape and live in some cozy domestic paradise with everyone they love. but they have to suffer first otherwise the happiness in the end doesn't count for anything.

oh. my. god. CRYING regulus trying to get sirius to kill him and then going soft at the last moment, and i can't believe sirius almost got baited like that and was really about to kill him. but REGULUS, oh my, my sweet gentle boy, he tried so hard, and the aftermath left everyone in fucking pieces.

it is 2.30am, and it takes literally half an hour to make a 2% dent, and i am HOOKED

🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥⬛⬛

day 4. 80% (healing at phoenix)

regulus is on his way to being my favourite and it's entirely cos he's so angsty and unhinged. following through with all of his threats??? fucking hilarious, and his desperate love confessions and having a meltdown every 2 seconds. hes a wreck GET HELP.

sirius, such a literal icon, i strive for his level of don't give a fuck. "what pasta"?!?! my god i love him. hes so gone on remus its sickening. when dumbles asked for his blood, sirius being possessive?!?! if i was remus i would have folded right then and there, literally sold, this man owns him

james high and being obsessed with regulus the angel?!!! im swooning, literal heart attack material. best scene so far.

i love regulus' character development, hes levelled up to be james' first man. goodbye sirius but tbh he has more than enough problems on his own. oh jegulus is so achingly sweet i will not shut up about it. this is the reward after reading through so much couples angst. they love each other so much IM CRYING, the way regulus looked after him after the rescue mission, in all the ways that James didn't after the first games, oh they're finally together and happy, i would die for them.

i am PISSED at how long this fic is. the amount of nothing that I've done these past few days to read this, after this im going to exclusively read one shots for a whole entire week.

🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥

day 5. 100%

sirius dissociating on the roof and remus sitting with him, im sobbing

yeah im deadass sick of the comfort now, theyve had too much that its not special anymore. i just want it to end already.

jegulus finally getting their dream life and dancing by the fireplace,,,, aaaand theyre getting married ahhhhh, my boys,, theyve come so far, i have no words

james holding regulus in bed while they watch the rain to help with his aquaphobia?!!! if thats not the most angsty romantic beautiful scene ever, im in love

why is it so fucking funny that james gets high from getting railed with a dagger to his throat, like legit my man CANNOT even form thoughts anymore hes so far gone 🤐

happily married with 4 kids, its too perfect, domestic, im in shock

aaand guess what im finally finally finished. that took way too long, reading fanfiction should be a full time job.

im never reading anything over 200k in the near future, that was way too much emotional commitment.

[niladri123]

ProfitResolution Review - In 2023, Get 11 Profitable Products That Will Cover Every Passive Income Source.

What is ProfitResolution?

In 2023, there will be 11 ultra-profitable products that will cover every passive income source. The vendor bundled top-performing 2022 products. And giving you the opportunity to get them at a huge discount. ​

These aren't just any apps.  On average, each app generated $80k in revenue. And resulted in hundreds of success stories. See the list below for the biggest bundle deal in 2023…

ClickCash Extended

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CloudDrive Extended  

TVPayz Extended  

Swirl  Extended   

TubePayz Extended  

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GooglrCash Extended   

PhotoPayz Extended   

Maxima Extended

Vendor:

Name – Seyi Adeleke

He is on the list of top vendors. With his experience in affiliate marketing, he has launched several products at incredibly low prices, including FreebieCash, TVProfitz, GooglrCash, TubePayz, Swirl, and others. These products consistently provide users with amazing outcomes. 

Details of the 11 products:

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An automated app that handles all of the heavy lifting. Imagine automatically sending your link to over 3.8 billion buyers with the click of a button. They are all targeted and want to buy whatever you are selling.

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We are all aware that cryptocurrency prices are currently low. This is the ideal time to invest in cryptocurrency. However, purchasing now is risky. ​

Instead, using your phone and laptop, CryptoPayz will generate free Bitcoin and ETH for you. And you can now exchange them for money or wait for the price to rise again.

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Unlimited Websites, Landing Pages, Videos, eBooks, PDFs, Audio, Images, and Media Files can be hosted at lightning fast speed. For a low one-time payment! Say goodbye to monthly fees for Google Drive, Dropbox, Namecheap, and other services.

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With the click of a button, you can create and host live TV channels and receive free targeted traffic.

Create a Netflix-like website without any technical difficulties. Furthermore, TVProfitz includes a built-in traffic option that will flood your website in seconds.

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Build "Scratch-Off" websites with millions of DFY videos pre-loaded. People can't get enough of this kind of site,  and they will go out of their way to find it. And it only takes three clicks with Swirl to get started. Swirl will also quickly flood your website with targeted users.

​TubePayz Extended:

Unique app that allows you to create a website similar to YouTube, and drive free traffic to it without having to do any of the work. Imagine owning a website like YouTube and having hundreds of thousands of people visit it every day. TubePayz will do it for you.

FreebieCash Extended:

Now you can get paid to give away free stuff. Yes, it sounds crazy, but it works with FreebieCash. You will be able to create eBooks and software that you can distribute for free in exchange for a massive email list.

Interaction  Extended:

With a single line of code, you can turn any website into an interactive sales, lead, and conversion machine. Not only that, interaction enables you to accept voice calls, screen recordings, and Live video calls directly on our website, which alone more than triples the conversion rate.

GooglrCash Extended:

They recently discovered a system that pays $89 per hour to answer Yes/No questions for Google. Yes, the tech powerhouse is Google, it doesn't get any better than this.

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Now you can get paid $7.95 for each photograph you own. All you need to do is take pictures with the phones, upload them to this website, and collect money. The best part is that it is instant payment.

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Now you will be able to create beautiful websites with just three clicks. Not only does it create a website, but it also creates a sales funnel, collects leads, and sells on autopilot. All of this without you having to pay anything on a monthly basis.

READ MORE

[wabashmfginc]

Service Deck Truck Mattress Flat Mattress Body On The Market In Ramsey Mn

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[exultedshores]

Ohhhhh weird writer asks! 1, 2, 15, 19, 21! :3

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

Times New Roman and Times New Roman only. 12p or go home. If you try to make me write in Arial or Verdana or, god forbid, Calibri, I will stomp you to death with my hooves. I care about this a normal amount.

2. If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it?

Honestly, I don’t think I could. My handwriting is atrocious and I can’t write by hand fast enough to keep up with my brain – I already have trouble doing that when I’m typing ^^"

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends?

No, no, no, oh my god absolutely not. I like to keep my books nice because I often re-read stories I love, so having dog-eared pages or water damage or my initial (probably incorrect) observations written in the margins would drive me insane. If you do these things to your books, I will be side-eyeing you, but no harsh judgement and we can definitely still be friends – everyone has their own way of enjoying things!. However, try to do any of these things to my books and I will be throwing hands.

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

I think I started writing when I was about eight years old? I was wildly obsessed with the Harry Potter series, like a lot of children at the time, and I wanted to write a fantasy book that would be just as good and just as popular. I got to chapter four before I gave up. That set off a trend of me starting to write ‘books’ in whatever genre I was reading at the time; I’m pretty sure I accidentally re-invented Jekyll and Hyde when I was in my thriller phase. It was very much the carefree (and careless) writing of a child.

I wrote my first piece of fanfiction when I was fourteen, which was also the first thing I ever wrote in English. It was for Yu-Gi-Oh! and it is atrocious in every sense of the word. I still look at it fondly sometimes when I need to remind myself how far I’ve come as a writer. I kept writing fic throughout high school, until I got utterly burned out on a longfic (which I never went back to finish and is still sitting at like 80k). With the burnout and also starting university, I took a three year long hiatus from creative writing.

Then I played Dishonored, got a brainworm, made an AO3 account, and here we still are!

21. Could you ever quit writing? Do you ever wish you could? Why or why not?

I don’t think so, and I wouldn’t want to. I quit writing for three years, and still inevitably I was pulled back into it. We all have a creative drive of sorts and mine is best expressed through words. I also like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at writing over the years, and it’d just be a shame to toss all that practice in the bin, really. Can’t stop now, I’m way too invested.

Weird Questions for Writers

[keirametzbrassknuckles]

Art Discourse™ in the F1 fandom, we need your expertise.

Exhibit A and B:

Okay. First of all: Yikes Valtteri I hate everything about that. It looks like one of those horrible non-liscensed murals of Disney characters on a daycare center wall that gives the children nightmares.

Second of all: objectively Charles has the better taste and no I won't be swayed.

Anyway. Both artists are relatively known contemporary artists. I'm not Italian so I had no idea who Simone D'Auria was until now. He's been featured at Art Basel though which is one of the rubber stamps of art market approval. He's more of a designer than a painter, known for his sculpture work. Like so:

This is on the side of a hotel in Florence.

His works are reasonably priced for the most part - $48k to $80k but with the exposure he's gotten recently the value is definitely on the rise. Sound investment on Charles' part.

Yaniv Edery I was familiar with. He's French and the French contemporary pop scene is A Lot - most of it looks basically like this. He's best known for his large paintings of credit cards with Disney characters on them that fetch around $35k on the primary market.

This:

Thing. Is $35,000.

I hate. I hate .

Simone D'Auria is objectively the better artist imo. He has an actual message and theme in his work. His little spoon character is everywhere and a lot of his work features sculptures of spoons. He works within the historical framework of Italian industrial design and clearly has the intellectual chops to back up why he does what he does. Love that for him.

Yaniv Edery is definitely running with the wolves of contemporary pop art. There's nothing wrong with that per se but I just find the whole thing so fucking boring. It was interesting in the late 80s/early 90s, was even groundbreaking then, but it's 2021 there are better ways to critique our society of overconsumption and rampant capitalism than technicolor monstrosities. (The Chapman Brothers have imo the most relevant take on this - major TW if you decide to look their stuff up though).

Anyway: Charles actually has Taste but Valtteri collecting work by Edery definitely lines up with what I know of him. The man has unplumbed depths, he's a memelord at heart I swear and this whole thing has me in stitches.

[imaginedhaven]

Rules of Engagement: Chapter Eleven

Link to Masterpost

Holy crap, we’ve cleared 50,000 words of this. Things are really starting to pick up now, so if I had to guess this will probably wind up being... maybe around 75k-80k in total? It still has to be WRITTEN, though, so... lol.

Also, we’re going to start earning that warning in the masterpost for canon-typical violence from here on out. Just so you’re aware.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

“So, let me make certain I have this absolutely clear,” Aedion drawled in a way that immediately set Rowan on edge.

Rather than reply and risk growling rather than speaking, he nodded, the movement tighter and less smooth than he would’ve liked.

“Aelin came here to Rifthold fully intending not only to continue her relationship with the prince, but to apprehend a criminal—not just any criminal, but an assassin—who was originally from Terrasen and moved to Rifthold.”

Rowan gritted his teeth and gave another silent nod.

“She elected to do this for reasons you are aware of, but that she has not told me and that you refuse to tell me.”

Another nod and another clenching of his jaw.

“And so the two of you have been sneaking out at night, which Captain Westfall”—the name came from Aedion’s lips as though it were a curse in and of itself—“condoned, if not outright allowed.”

The captain spoke up then. “Given the information presented to me, I had little other choice.”

“I’m not finished,” Aedion snarled, and the captain fell silent. “While you were sneaking around the slums of Rifthold, you got into more than one brawl, and you destroyed at least one business, which as of now still has yet to recover, if it ever will.”

This time it was harder to stifle the growl, but as Aedion’s expression didn’t change he must have managed it with at least some success.

“And then last night, it all finally comes to a head when Aelin allows herself to be abducted by said assassin. And you allowed all of this to happen.”

Rowan’s grip on his temper, already tenuous due to the nature of the situation, finally slipped enough for him to snarl at the other warrior. “Do not presume to think I made my decisions lightly,” he growled, “or that I have not spent a single moment wishing it could have been myself in her place.”

The shifter—Lysandra—delicately cleared her throat, and Aedion immediately turned his attention toward her. “If we’re done yelling at each other about whose fault it is,” she said pointedly, “then perhaps we can come up with a plan for how to handle the fact that our princess is missing?”

Rowan nodded shortly, and unfurled a roughly-sketched map of the city over his desk. He watched as the captain’s brow furrowed, likely at the idea that a foreign soldier had been able to acquire this much information about his city, but Rowan chose instead to focus on the plan he had been given. “Aelin’s request was that she be given twenty-four hours as a head start,” he began, “and I see the merit in that. If she’s not able to get the information she requires now, this assassin will go to ground and it could be years before we hear of him again.”

“It likely won’t be years,” the captain interrupted, ignoring Rowan’s scowl. “I did some research on my own into the man she’s hunting. He’s too proud to go completely unnoticed for that long.”

“Be that as it may, this is our best opportunity.” Rowan tapped on a building on his map. “She was taken here. Her captors didn’t notice me following them. It appears to be a stronghold of some sort, almost a guild hall for cutthroats and killers. I think it’s unlikely that they would move her from this place.”

“Unlikely but not impossible,” Aedion retorted. “We should keep an eye on the place.”

“Once you’re satisfied with my explanations, I intend to go there myself. If you can promise to adhere to the plan, you may join me.” He had long since given up on keeping the frosty bite from his tone, but he fisted his hand at his side to keep it away from his blades.

“And how can I trust that this is actually her plan?”

It was the mark of a good soldier and guard, to be skeptical of his statements. If this were any other situation, Rowan would even be grateful that Aelin had someone such as this as family and protector. But this was not any other situation, and Rowan carefully called up a hint of the ice that swirled within him in the hope that it would cool his temper before he killed Aedion. “Whatever Aelin did or did not tell you is between you and her, and I refuse to be pulled into that fight. The only thing that matters right now is making certain that she exits that building safely. Are you going to help with that or not?”

Aedion growled, eyes glinting in a way that strongly reminded him that this male was indeed related to Aelin of the Wildfire, but nodded. “When do we leave?”

“As soon as we’re finished here. Captain? Lysandra? Anything to add?”

Captain Westfall cleared his throat. “If I may, I can’t keep Dorian from noticing she’s missing all day long. Do we have a plan for that?”

Rowan frowned thoughtfully, and Aedion and Lysandra glanced at each other. “That’s a terrible idea,” the shifter said as if in response to some unspoken question.

“It’s the best one we have,” Aedion replied. “This entire plan, such as it is, hinges on secrecy. And you had best believe I’ll be having words with Aelin about coming up with better plans later, but right now we’re stuck with the mess she left us in.”

“Have we considered just telling Dorian?”

“No, he’s right,” the captain interjected. “The less Dorian knows about this for now, the better. He’s terrible at keeping secrets like that from his expression; if we tell him everyone will suspect something is amiss.”

Rowan quickly turned his attention to the guardsman, frown deepening. He very much suspected that this was not actually true, and that the prince was far better at keeping secrets than he wanted anyone else to believe. Perhaps the raw magic that lived in his core was less well-controlled than he had believed?

Ah, of course. The magic. It wasn’t public knowledge that the crown prince of Adarlan was burdened with such a strong gift of magic. It was likely the captain was aware of the secret, and didn’t want any upset to risk a flare-up of the young man’s power at an inconvenient time.

Rowan carefully set aside the thought that Aelin’s disappearance would possibly cause an emotional disturbance in the young prince that was severe enough to unleash his magic. Better to think his control was simply a work in progress like Aelin’s rather than wonder how close they could’ve possibly gotten in a few short weeks.

Lysandra sighed, interrupting his thoughts, and when he looked up at her he froze for a moment as Aelin’s face looked back at him.

It wasn’t truly Aelin’s face, though. Lysandra was trying to adopt her usual confident smirk, but the gesture looked stiff and unpracticed. If he looked more closely the color of her eyes was ever so slightly darker as well, and the scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose was in the wrong pattern. It was deeply unsettling to be looking at this face that both was and was not his carranam, and Rowan quickly looked away. “It should be close enough to fool the prince, for a short time,” he managed.

“So we’re decided, then,” Aedion declared.

“I still hate this plan,” the shifter cautioned.

Captain Westfall scowled as he stood. “It’s the only plan we have. I’ll do what I can to limit your interaction with the prince. I’m assuming you don’t want a guard sent to the building?”

Rowan nodded. “Best not to call attention to our movements. But be ready, in the event that we do not return.” He suspected all would be well, but it never hurt to have a backup plan.

The captain nodded, the motion tight and precise as he would expect from a soldier of the man’s status, and quickly left. “You can get there on your own?” Rowan asked Aedion.

The younger male stared at the map carefully, then nodded. “I can get there.”

“Good,” Rowan said. And then he flew from the room in a flurry of wings and frosty air.

~*~*~

“You take me to such nice places,” Aelin purred as Arobynn led her into another chamber, slightly larger than the previous one. Her arms and legs remained chained, but with slightly more freedom of movement she could carefully roll her shoulders and her ankles in preparation for moving quickly should an opportunity arise.

“Such a valuable player in the game should be treated with exactly the respect she commands,” Arobynn replied smoothly, though Aelin carefully suppressed a shudder at the bite beneath his words. She needed him to keep talking, to give her time to find the truth beneath the layer of lies she knew he would present.

“Well, I do believe the next move is yours. I await it eagerly,” she smirked.

She glanced at his face, focusing on the way his eyes didn’t move at all when he smiled. “I have a proposition for you, my dear.”

Oh, how she wished she could free a single arm. It was all she would need to make him regret the way he was speaking to her, as well as the bargain she believed he was about to suggest. Instead, though, she relaxed into one of the chairs as he sat in the other. “I’m listening.”

“See, we each have something the other wants,” he continued. “I have information I know you seek, and I would very much like you to stop being a pain in my ass.” Again, that undercurrent of rage slipped through his ironclad control, and Aelin hid another smirk. Riling people who claimed to have excellent self-control was a talent she had developed from the moment Aedion had come to their home from across the sea. It seemed this man was no exception.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” she replied.

“Ah, so you weren’t aware when you and your… companion… trashed the Vaults that I had a significant investment in the business?”

“One of your hulking brutes didn’t like that I beat him fair and square. I could hardly control what happened next.”

“And the safe being cracked open before you left?”

“Complete coincidence, I assure you.” She was well aware that he would have no proof it had been her who had broken open the safe, and she knew that refusing to admit to what he suspected would only make him more angry. That was good. She needed him angry enough to let information slip.

“I see. Then I presume you don’t want to know how your parents died?” Another biting remark overlaid with false sincerity, velvety smoothness underlaid with sharp fangs and claws.

Aelin went cold, sensation fading from her limbs as she stared at him. “I was there. My parents died of an illness.”

“Ah, yes,” he drawled, kicking his legs up and over the arm of his chair. “An illness no healer could cure, or so I heard. I had left Terrasen by then, of course, but word spreads quickly when rulers fall.”

Aelin bit her tongue to hold in a sharp reply before glancing back over at him, expression carefully uninterested. “And assuming I can believe you’re telling the truth,” she said, “what would you ask in exchange for this information?”

“Why, what could any man want from a lovely princess such as yourself?” he asked, and Aelin once more carefully mastered her own expression to hide any disgust. “You have power, and yet you cannot access it without aid. I have that information and more, and yet I lack the power that would ensure my own safety. I’m certain we can come to some kind of… arrangement.”

“That’s a high price you ask,” she replied. “And you haven’t done nearly enough to prove you’re worth such an arrangement. After all, it is I who would need to convince the lords of Terrasen to accept you. If you can’t convince me…” Aelin deliberately yawned, and cheered internally as Arobynn gritted his teeth, silver eyes alight with anger.

“If knowledge regarding your own parents isn’t enough to convince you,” he snapped, “then what about information regarding your former lover?”

“It’s quite bold of you to assume I did no investigating when I discovered his body,” she retorted.

“Ah, but I would wager you have yet to learn who bid me send him to Orynth in the first place, and who gave the command to cut his life so tragically short.”

The callous admission that he had passed that command along lit a fire in her veins, and she reached for it before recalling that she was bound in iron. The wildfire fizzled, mere sparks that slipped from her fingers. “And what assurance could you give me, that you would tell me and that you have proof?”

Arobynn stood, and Aelin did finally cringe as he slid two fingers under her jaw to tilt her head up. “My dear, do I look like a man who leaves anything to chance? You’ll have your proof once I have our agreement.”

Aelin jerked her head back, freeing herself from his grip. “That’s a shame, for there will be no agreement until you’ve presented your proof.”

Almost immediately, Arobynn’s casual expression melted into steely anger. “What a shame indeed,” he murmured. “Perhaps you would care to enjoy some more of my… hospitality… first.”

As the man stepped away and opened the door, someone else entered the room. Aelin carefully stood as well, but even with a single glance she knew this wasn’t a fight she would win. Not with her limbs and power both bound by the iron chains clamped around her ankles and wrists.

At Arobynn’s nod, the newest arrival to the room gave her a predatory grin and dragged her toward the wall. Her face made contact with the wall as he shoved her against it with a hand between her shoulders, and while she was stunned by the impact he attached her chains to hooks affixed to the wall. “Do let me know if you decide to change your mind,” Arobynn called, and then the door closed behind him as he left.

Aelin heard the sound of a whip cracking, and as if from a distance she heard herself screaming as fire spread along her back.

~*~*~

Lysandra finally relaxed into her role as she sat beside the prince for the evening meal. True to his word, the captain of the guard had kept him busy for most of the day, giving her time to overcome her nerves at having to pretend to be someone like Aelin. Oh, she had acted before. She had played roles for clients and courtiers alike, and she had certainly changed her face many times.

None of them had felt nearly as important as this. Everything was on the line, completely dependent on Dorian believing her performance as his potential future wife.

It’s only for one day, she reminded herself as her fingers twisted around each other. She had complete faith in Aelin’s ability to execute a plan, as well as Aedion and Rowan’s ability to keep her safe. It was up to her, now, to give them the time they needed.

Dorian’s parents seemed to be completely unaware of the swap, and Lysandra had spent enough time listening to Aelin’s tutors to be able to follow the light political conversation that was taking place. Even Dorian was engaging with her just as he would with Aelin, and when he grinned at an offhand remark she awarded herself another point for her acting.

As the meal came to an end, Dorian looked over at her again. “So tell me, did you want me to do something terribly predictable and show you the gardens? Or can we skip that part?”

Lysandra laughed in reply as Dorian grinned. “Perhaps another time. I still have to read several of the books you’ve loaned to me, if I hope to finish them during this visit.”

Dorian stood, then, and turned to face her with an ostentatious bow. “Then I hope you will grant me the honor of allowing me to escort you back to your rooms, Your Highness.”

Lysandra chuckled and shook her head in what she hoped came across as a fond gesture. “You’re impossible,” she accused.

The prince laughed in reply. “I assure you that I am not,” he said. “I am here, after all. Unless you’d care to discuss the philosophy of such a statement, of course.”

“I rather suspect we would be here all night,” Lysandra grinned back as she stood, allowing him to take her arm and lead her away.

It was easy enough to allow Dorian to escort her back to Aelin’s room after the evening meal, though she couldn’t help a moment of surprise when he followed her into the main seating area. He glanced at the book Aelin had left open on her desk, humming thoughtfully as he read a few sentences. “Ah. I thought so,” he muttered.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, mimicking Aelin’s easy grin as she relaxed into a chair halfway across the room.

He turned to her then, and a chill in the air matched the frost in his eyes. “If I invited you to share my bed tonight, shifter, would you demur like the princess you claim to be? Or would you say yes, believing she’s already given into my charms?”

~*~*~

In another situation, or if he were simply an observer and not a participant in this conversation, Dorian might have been amused at the nearly-comical widening of not-Aelin’s eyes. Instead, though, he only felt a cold rage at the deception.

To the shifter’s credit, she immediately dropped the guise of Aelin and returned to her usual appearance. “I told them this was a terrible idea and we should just tell you,” she grumbled. “What tipped you off?”

“A few things,” he replied, “though the most suspicious to me was that this book is open to where Aelin left off last night when I left. She hasn’t read it today.”

The shifter—Lysandra, if he was remembering correctly—nodded. “I didn’t think you would come back here,” she confessed.

Dorian sighed. “Why don’t you start by telling me exactly what it is you’ve all been keeping from me today, and why the captain of my guard appears to be working with you.”

That was the part that was the most shocking to him, if he were being truly honest with himself. He had never once had cause to question Chaol’s loyalty, and he didn’t want to begin now. He only hoped there was a reasonable explanation for why he had been so eager to ensure he spent as much time as possible embroiled in his training and studies.

As he thought about the possibility that his captain and friend was conspiring with these people, as good as he believed Aelin’s intentions to be, he had to take several deep breaths to stop a layer of frost from forming on his hands. His control over his magic was much better than it had been when it had first manifested, but strong emotional responses still riled the power that slept within him. Unless he wanted to entrust his deepest secret to agents of Terrasen, he needed to keep his feelings in check.

The frost finally ebbed, and the shifter began to speak. “Your captain is only involved insofar as to keep you removed from all of this,” she said quietly. “We provided him with enough information to ensure your safety, nothing more.”

“That still leaves a foreign princess, her most loyal soldier, and a blood-sworn of Doranelle in my capital city, with a purpose of which I am not aware, causing an unknown amount of chaos.” Dorian fought back a sigh at the thought of the headache this would no doubt cause for him, and that was if he was fortunate enough to avoid worse fates.

“They’re… dealing with a threat that could bode ill for you and Aelin both.” The woman was clearly trying to decide how much to reveal and how much to hide, and if he wasn’t the person she was trying to deceive in this manner he would have respected it far more.

“What is the nature of the threat?” he asked.

She sighed. “A former crime lord of Terrasen, who left a few short years before her parents died. He’s created a new home for himself in Rifthold, styling himself the King of the Assassins. She’s been attempting to find him for years, to bring an end to a career that’s gone on for far too long already.”

Dorian sighed. “And I presume if I ask you’ll have absolutely no idea why a crown princess of Terrasen is involved in hunting an assassin, and didn’t simply leave it to her warrior cousin.”

“It isn’t my story to tell,” she replied, looking away.

“Of course it’s not,” he grumbled. “Apologies. I believe you when you imply that this wasn’t your idea and that you’re only involved out of necessity. But this puts me in a… delicate situation.” That was an understatement; if word of Aelin’s actions got out it could be disastrous.

“I understand,” she sighed. “Which is why I wanted to tell you what I could.”

Finally, he nodded. “And when do we expect her to return?”

“By morning,” she answered.

“Very well. I will do what I can to keep this quiet and out of the public eye. But I will be asking Aelin about this later.” It was the best he could offer, and by the look on her face she understood completely.

Without another word, Dorian turned on his heel and returned to his office, asking a guard on the way to send Chaol to him. It appeared they had much to discuss.

~*~*~

“I detest this plan,” Aedion hissed in the direction of the hawk on the nearby roof as the sun began to set. “We should be going after her.”

The hawk took flight, circling the square before landing behind a box and turning into Whitethorn in a soft flash of concealed light. “We have to trust that Aelin can get herself free,” the warrior said. “We’re foreign actors in Adarlan’s capital city. If we break into that building without cause, it puts Aelin and her prince both in a difficult situation.”

It was interesting, how a subtle difference in Whitethorn’s tone was able to so clearly indicate that he wouldn’t mind causing a little trouble for the Adarlanian prince. “You don’t like Dorian,” he realized.

The statement earned him a scowl from his Fae companion. “I have no feelings one way or the other about the prince.”

“You realize my senses are better than a human’s, right? I could hear that you don’t like him.”

Whitethorn’s response was the carefully crafted words of someone used to diplomacy. “I have no reason to dislike him. And we’re not talking about this. It’s almost time.”

Finally. He’d hated sitting in this alley waiting for something to happen. “Time for what?”

“If Aelin is going to keep to her schedule, she’s about to make her next move.”

“You think she can get out of there without us?” It wasn’t that Aedion didn’t trust his cousin’s abilities. No, he knew she was a capable fighter and a powerful magic user. But he knew that she would be unlikely to use her magic unless absolutely needed, given the possibility of a tense political situation if she were recognized.

When he turned to face Whitethorn, the other male wore a small but ferocious grin, eyes positively glowing. “It’s not her I’m worried about,” he responded. “Anyone who crosses her on her way out will deserve exactly what she gives them.” And judging from the look on his face, Whitethorn would revel in their suffering.

The house they watched over was quiet, its occupants likely asleep given that their profession meant being out at all hours of the night. Aedion sighed. “I still don’t like this,” he admitted several minutes later.

“Given that I don’t like it either, I could hardly expect you to.” For all his posturing, and for all the strange glee that had come over him when he had spoke of what Aelin would do to those who crossed her, now the warrior was tense, eyes dark with what Aedion suspected was worry.

Even though the Fae beside him was sworn to a queen that was not his own, Aedion realized he wouldn’t rather have anyone else at his side for this particular mission. He had watched Whitethorn and Aelin grow close over the previous weeks, closer than anyone would’ve suspected. He didn’t know much about magic, but he suspected that sharing it as they could was a rare gift. If he could trust anyone to feel the same urgency he did to ensure she got out of this alive and as unharmed as possible, it would be this warrior.

Suddenly Whitethorn’s head tilted and his eyes narrowed, much like Aedion would have expected in the male’s other form. “What is it?” Aedion asked, only for the other male to gesture for his silence.

Soon enough, Aedion could hear it as well. There was shouting coming from inside the house, at least two masculine voices. He couldn’t make out the words, and based on Whitethorn’s expression he couldn’t either, but something had changed. As he watched, the warrior pulled two knives from his boots and twirled them gracefully around his fingers. It was a good choice, and Aedion went for his own knife as well, knowing his sword would be nearly useless in these cramped alleys. “We stay here,” Whitethorn was saying. “Those are male voices. I haven’t heard Aelin yet, which means they haven’t discovered her. We only go in if it’s absolutely necessary. When she leaves, she’ll come this way. If anyone else makes it this far…” The grim smile on his face indicated their fate clearly enough.

Three men burst through the door of the building, exchanging panicked instructions before departing in different directions, and Aedion and Whitethorn crouched behind a cart to conceal their presence. One man ran for the alley they had chosen for their hiding place, and before Aedion could do anything the Fae warrior was already in motion, clutching the man to him in a twisted parody of a lover’s embrace before drawing a blade across his throat. “They’ll notice when this one doesn’t come back,” he whispered as he dragged the man behind their cart. “We don’t have much longer.”

A slim figure stumbled out of the door next, and Aedion grinned. “We don’t need much longer. That’s Aelin.”

She was almost unrecognizable, golden hair turned red with blood and darkened with ash, but there was no mistaking the eyes that met his, pained but determined. Then those eyes shifted away and he knew she had seen Whitethorn standing beside him. From the sharp intake of breath at his left he knew the warrior had seen her as well, and soon he had abandoned all talk of secrecy to cross the small crossing in several quick strides.

Aelin moved, trying to meet him halfway, but her motions were fumbling and clumsy. She said something to the warrior that Aedion couldn’t quite hear, smiling up at him…

And then as he watched, she collapsed into the male’s arms.

Whitethorn quickly lifted her, carrying her into the alley and out of sight. By the time they reached Aedion she was already unconscious, either from pain or from exhaustion. Judging by her face, Aedion suspected it was a combination of both. “Get her out of here and back to the palace,” he said quietly, adjusting his grip on his knife. “I’ll stay here and make sure you’re not followed.”

Green eyes met his, clearly searching for something. Aedion didn’t know what the warrior was looking for, but finally he nodded and adjusted his grip on Aelin.

Before he could get far, though, Aedion called to him again. “Oh, and Whitethorn?”

“Yes?” he replied, expression tight with concern.

“Take care of her.” And then Aedion turned his attention back to the house with a grim smile. He didn’t know what its inhabitants may have done to his cousin, but he had absolutely no problems with delivering justice to any of them foolish enough to come his way.

~*~*~

Tagging:

@ireallyshouldsleeprn @queen-of-glass @fangirlprincess09 @sassys-world @morganofthewildfire @superspiritfestival @perseusannabeth @sis-it-dont-add-up @jlinez @julemmaes @emilyoftheshadows

[iamproductstech]

10 Best Gaming Laptops Under Rs 90K in India 2021

If you are looking for a decent machine and portable, a gaming laptop is the best option you have. This is the Best Gaming Laptops Under Rs 90K pick right now , the one that I would buy for myself. Today I have compiled a list of the ten best gaming laptops available for purchase in India under the mark of Rs 90,000. Enough to download one portable gaming computer that can handle a host of other tasks at hand and offer the benefits of full functionality with the added bonus of consistent travel and solid build quality. Before I go any further I would like to lay out the basics on which laptops were chosen on what basis as we talk about the big investment here :

Things Are Remembered While Making This List

2021 towards the end of September. 1) The picture card should be about 1650, 1650ti, 1660 Ti or RTX 2060 6GB best. 2) The screen refresh rate should be 144Hz or 120Hz, according to the IPS panel preference. Although some have an LED screen. 3) A good SSD is required, with fast start times as the HDD slows down over time. 4) We've tried to get the Ryzen 5-4600H more, as it can compare to the i7, but there's an intel mix with Ryzen on the list. 5) Decent RAM, Backlit keyboard, good quality built-in priority. Tip: Bookmark this list, cos you won't find another one like this!

Best Gaming Laptops Under Rs 90K

1) Victus by HP Ryzen 7 5800H ( Ryzen 7 5800H , 4GB RTX 3050Ti , 144Hz , 512GB SSD , 16GB RAM , IPS , 100% sRGB )

Victus by HP Ryzen 7 5800H This is the best pick right now , the one that I would buy for myself. The new HP offering comes with an excellent combination of 4GB RTX 3050Ti and Ryzen 7 5800H, which is enough to put this animal on top of the list from September 2021. A portable computer looks stylish, like a high-quality portable computer with a strong build and retains weight (2 kg 480 g). While playing you can expect a good backup of up to 3 hours. HP has done well to keep fan noise low and heat well, even when playing high performance. Provides a comfortable, unobtrusive, no-bleeding screen. The start time is quite fast with a 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM. You will enjoy typing on this machine, the keyboard is set back (static). The only part I didn't enjoy was the weeding and cultivating. See Cheap Price: Amazon 2) HP Omen  ( Ryzen 5 4600H , 1660ti , 512 GB SSD , 8 GB RAM , IPS display 45% NTSC )

HP Omen There are so many laptops out there, we just need some research. That's how I find these hidden treasures. 1) Now, tell me where you can get Ryzen 5 & 1660ti for this price. 2) Obviously this would be our only number one choice if the display (60 hz) and battery would have been much better. As a measure of better refreshment perhaps. 3) Highly speaking, the built-in quality is very decent and the thermals are good in this laptop, which means less heat. Yes! Yes! 4) This laptop is often compared to the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 which is much better than this screen-friendly HP option, builds quality etc but is more expensive and can go out of your budget. If your blast with a 60 hz screen you can also look at the Hp Omen 144 hz, but it is very expensive. Only if the Refresh Rate was better than this !!! See Cheap Price: Amazon 3) ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DV ( The Best Laptop Right Now with RTX 2060 6GB , Ryzen 7-3750H , 16GB RAM , 512GB NVMe SSD , 120Hz Refresh Rate ,  IPS-level Panel 45% NTSC )

ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DV The market has great potential by introducing new beast laptops every month, going out with older ones as soon as possible. This laptop from ASUS will blow your mind with great features at this price. The bottom line is that Asus as a laptop manufacturer has taken the Indian market by storm and laptops are a real beast. Let's talk about some of them. 1) It comes with an RTX 2060 6GB Graphics card at this low price, which you probably won't find on another laptop in this price list. 2) Comes with storage expansion options and RGB ofcourse. 3) Works well with most AAA games, as you would expect with an RTX 2060 6GB. Note that the trackpad is very large and very smooth. 4) You will love the solid quality built. 5) One pin that the Ryzen 7-3750H, will bottle RTX 2060 6GB. See Cheap Price: Amazon 4) HP Pavilion Gaming ( Ryzen 5-4600H , 512GB SSD , 8GB RAM , 144Hz , 1650ti 4GB , IPS display )

HP Pavilion Gaming Although it is 1650ti and not 1660ti, I agree but this is what we have now from HP in this price range. I hope they will introduce a different 1660ti soon. 1) The best thing about this laptop is that you get a Ryzen 5 with a 144Hz refresh rate on a portable computer for less than 80k. 2) I would say that thermals are better compared to playing Dell G5 and a few other laptops, these HP games have increased air flow and a larger operating area down just before. 3) It has 6 cores of power processing, integrated with 8GB DDR4 RAM, which can be expanded up to 16GB. 4) Everything on this laptop offers stiff competition in our choice of ASUS above considering the huge price difference and other good features you may not find on other laptops. See Cheap Price: Amazon 5) Lenovo Legion Y540 ( i5 9th Gen , 8GB RAM , 1TB SSD , 6GB GTX 1660 Ti , 144Hz , IPS Panel )

Lenovo Legion Y540 Another great thing out there, which is not a lot of laptops can compete with! 1) With a 1 TB SSD, you can expect some faster start times with all the best operating systems. This laptop has an amazing design. 2) The problem with this laptop is that it can overheat and the battery drains quickly with a strong stream. So remember that. The 3) 144 Hz upgrade and GTX 1660Ti (6GB) are two things that keep this laptop in the gaming laptop race on our list for less than 90k at the moment. Read also: Laptop Purchase Guide: How Can You Choose the Right Laptop? 4) Powered by Dolby Atmos speakers and reusable keyboard, I mean most people use good gaming headphones and never need built-in laptop speakers. But you still have it here. See Cheap Price: Amazon 6)  Acer Nitro 7 (1660 Ti , 8GB RAM ,  9th Gen Core i5 , 1TB SSD , 144 Hz , IPS display 72% NTSC )

Acer Nitro 7 Also the highlight features of GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB Graphics and 144 Hz refresh rate. Although the 9th Gen Core i5 may be bottlenecks. Few temperature problems. Well this laptop has odd numbers and has a higher value than our picks above, which is why it is number 5 on our list. As you can see the 144 hz screen and 1660 Ti graphic card, that is already a game made in heaven for many players. Here we have a 1 TB SSD and as in our Lenovo Legion Y540 pick above, deeper if you are a lover of SSD than this is the way to go. This really does make boot ups and all programs faster. Read also: Best Gaming Headphones Under Rs. 5,000 in India This laptop is said to look good with a metal lid and the perfect quality of construction is decent, depending on your expectations. IPS shows 72% better NTSC compared to many others on the list. Few things like battery capacity, thermals can be upgraded. But that can be true of all other laptops. See Cheap Price: Amazon 7)  ASUS TUF Gaming A15 ( Ryzen 5 4600H , 144Hz , 1650Ti 4GB Graphics , 8GB RAM , 1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD ,  IPS-level Panel 45% NTSC)

ASUS TUF Gaming A15 The combo for this season is 1650Ti 4GB Graphics and 144Hz band rate. By that means this is our second choice of ASUS TUF on the list, some people may say it is an expensive laptop. Probably so, prices are always volatile. Another unique feature of this laptop is the 1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD combination, while the SSD provides sufficient speed for applications that require faster processing. HDD gives you enough flexibility for file storage. Ryzen 5 4600H, still rigid. Some people find it much better than the i7 on the benches. Keyboard lights are great with RGB elements. All in all, I would say it is a decent choice for this price point. See Cheap Price: Amazon 8)  Asus ROG Strix G  ( GTX 1650 4GB , 16 GB RAM , 512 GB SSD , 120 Hz Refresh Rate , LED Display )

Asus ROG Strix G You might be thinking that this laptop should be way above in the list and maybe you are right! You might think this laptop should be at the top of the list and maybe that's right! But one sad note is that this laptop comes with an LED display and not a single IPS, let me tell you that the IPS display has better color and viewing angles. While the refresh rate is 120 hz, which sounds good but is not the same as the one chosen above our 144 hz above. Mainly from Lenovo and HP. Some would argue that while the GTX 1650 4GB is large, it is still lower than our 1660ti and 1650ti options. One unique thing is that this laptop comes with 16 GB RAM which you don't see in most of the above options. So if you are thinking of the ASUS ROG, this might be for you. See Cheap Price: Amazon 9) MSI Alpha 15 (AMD R7-3750H , 16GB RAM , RX5500M GDDR6 4GB , 1TB + 256 SSD ,  120Hz IPS-Level )

MSI Alpha 15 We know that MSI support has not been high in India, but if you are still looking for a pick from MSI in this price range. And then now this is it. This comes with AMD R7-3750H and 120 Hz screen refresh rate. Now you can imagine that 120 Hz sounds close to 144 Hz and there shouldn't be much difference. But there is a real difference, 144 Hz at another level. This laptop has high build quality and is designed to be very fun, with good keys and strong sound quality. You can be sure the performance of the RX5500M GDDR6 4GB + AMD R7-3750H has enough power in most of your AAA games. The MI dragon center works like a charm, the thermals are also beautiful. It also comes with an Ethernet system that can get you better internet speed. See Cheap Price: Amazon 10) ASUS TUF Gaming (FX505DT) Laptop: ( 120Hz , Ryzen 5-3550H , 8GB RAM , 1TB HDD + 256GB PCIe SSD , IPS-level Panel 45% NTSC )

ASUS TUF Gaming (FX505DT) Laptop One of the lowest price options on the list with decent features. The CPU model is the AMD Ryzen 5-3550H with a core speed of 2.1 GHz to 3.7 GHz. The speakers are down, so you may not enjoy the sound without the headphones. RGB background light keyboard with bright ‘WASD’ keys. It has 8 GB of DDR4 RAM with a bus speed of 2400 MHz This laptop is made of plastic material, which also helps to keep it lightweight and easy to carry. Read also: Top laptops for less than Rs 40,000 in India Additionally, this one has 1 TB of HDD and 256 GB of SSD storage space. The display of this monitor comes with a refresh rate of 120Hz. You can find fans sounding great at times, even though thermals can only be considered central. The trackpad can be upgraded. On top of this, you will receive an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GDDR5 (4GB VRAM) graphics card. Which is better for this price. See Cheap Price: Amazon I have down around 48 hours of research on various forums , searched through 50 plus laptops and picked these 10 gems with amazing features for today July 2020. As you know newer models might come out tomorrow and these models may get outdated pretty quick. My suggestion is go from top to bottom of this list and think deeply which laptop or brand are comfortable with most.

Does Color Accuracy Matter?

I would say only if your doing professional work of color editing , working at a CGI studio. Otherwise not much , in this budget these are best picks one can get for now. If your coming from a potato laptop then you will find huge positive change in these latest laptops. I will recommend buying an addition monitor for deep professional work. Good Luck! Next : https://productstech.in/4-best-laptop-brands-under-rs-25000-in-india/ Read the full article

[theastrophilearchitect]

I started writing a book.

And I’m mad about it, because I just started this post, brought up a new tab and lost it because I didn’t save my draft.

Anyway. That’s a thing I did. Wow.

As of this moment, this post won’t be going up until April 19th, but I’m starting writing this at 10.30pm on Sunday, February 21st, 2021. I’ve done a lot in the last couple weeks, and I want to have some record of all I’ve accomplished without just letting most of it fade over the next two months.

I’ve always wanted to be an author. From when I was reading under my covers with a torch past bedtime, through the years I wanted to be an artist, through the years I wanted to be a lawyer. It’s always been there - no matter what primary career path I went down, I wanted to be an author. The last few years, I’ve been invested in becoming a biologist, and that dream really took a backseat.

In the start of this lockdown, my mental health went downhill, and some advice my therapist gave me was just to prioritise myself. It sounds simple enough, but, even in my free time, I’d been focusing on schoolwork - revising constantly for exams I’m still not sure are actually happening. (Boris Johnson is apparently making an announcement tomorrow about beginning to ease lockdown, but we’ll see) So, on Saturday, February 6th, I started an attempt to coalesce the ideas I had floating in my head into something tangible.

I’ve tried to write books countless times (not technically countless - I have all the documents on my laptop, so I could if I wanted to), but mostly, I’ve never gotten further than a couple bare plot points and some characters, maybe some ideas for subplots, before I’ve stagnated and given up.

Three times, I’ve finished a skeletal outline. Twice, I’ve started to go back over those outlines only to realise they made no sense or just seemed week, and simply not cared enough to fix it. Until now, I guess.

February 6th, 7th, and fast-forward to my week off beginning the 15th, up until the 19th, I kept developing this concept I’d managed to form, but I was struggling to establish a coherent plot. I had up until and including a midpoint (which was later condensed into just a first act), but everything after that was just a void. I began searching for some skeletal structure I could apply to it, both to work on pacing and fill in the blanks. I tried several, and got a little further, but was about to give up hope.

Then I remembered a video by Katytastic I’d watched years ago about the 3-act, 9-block, 27-chapter structure she used, and couldn’t see the harm in giving it a go. And something clicked.

You can find the video here - the structure’s detailed and easy to follow, plus she even gives an example of using it to generate a plot.

I started binge-watching her writing vlogs in the background, and even started using her same writing program, Scrivener, which just made every a thousand times easier by taking away the need to juggle a billion Word documents. It’s fairly pricey, but I’m currently using the 30-day free trial - it’s 30 days of use, not of ownership, too: if you use it every day, it lasts 30 days, but if you use it once a week, it lasts 30 weeks.

Where Kat used the 27 parts the structure broke down into as chapters, I chose to refer to them as beats, and separate chapters later.

On Saturday the 20th, I finished defining my scenes and started writing an actual draft. I wrote two scenes, putting me at a collective word count (not including notes, synopses, etc.) of 2,580 words.

This morning, Sunday the 21st, I started over. I hated my opening. I’m not going to go through the mess of today’s process, but I currently have around 80 one-line-outline scenes, split into 3 acts. I wrote a draft of my prologue and detailed-outlined (which I’m mentally referring to as zero-outlining because it’s similar to how Katytastic does what she calls a zero draft, but is very much outlining, not a draft) two and a half other chapters. Scriver also tells me how many words I wrote in total, across notes, character profiles, location lists, a document I’ve named ‘Train of Thought’ for my ramblings as I go etc.

Today, I wrote a grand total of 4,141 words, which, rather counterintuitively, puts me at a draft total of 2,598. That makes sense. Anyway.

There are a lot of unknowns in the world right now, and I have no idea how much time I’ll have in the next six months to invest in this project, but I’d like, at bare minimum, to have one complete draft by the start of the next school year in September, which gives me just over 6 months. Which is probably too much time to actually motivate myself, but that’s not the point.

A manuscript needs to have a minimum word count of 50K words to be considered a novel, so, even though my ultimate goal for this project is around 80K words, 50K is going to be my goal for this draft.

I’m being optimistic about sticking with this.

Tuesday 23/02/2021 - Word Count: 3,099 I wrote nothing yesterday; planning to focus writing solely on days off rather than work days, but last night, watching through the incredibly long queue of Alexa Donne writing videos, I came to the conclusion writing every day, even just a little, would be the best way to ensure I keep working on this, so I set myself a goal of just 500 words a day.

Wednesday 24/02/2021 - Word Count: 5,350 After doing a little bit of maths as to how long this outlining and draft would take me if I were to only write 500 words a day, I decided to boost that goal to 1,000. I got started around 1pm today, online school draining me so much I couldn’t face another two hours. I worked on and off until 6pm, and around 4.45pm, I finished outlining Act One!

Thursday 25/02/2021 - Word Count: 7,022 I continued my scene outlining into Act Two, but I hit a brick wall around the midpoint. I have to write chronologically - some people jump around, but I have to write linearly, or it feels like I’m trying to make something in a void. It just doesn’t work. I didn’t know how to get from one scene to the next - there were so many things I needed to establish to get there, but I didn’t want to backtrack. I decided to re-jig the whole thing, but, after dinner, I realised I didn’t have to, and instead, decided to just start a draft, conscious of the things I need to establish as I go.

Friday 26/02/2021 - Word Count: 8,208 Starting draft one, I rewrote the prologue I’d already written, technically putting me to my second draft of it, because I’d been thinking about it for days and just wanted to revisit it, and it was so much better. Then I moved on to chapter one, but decided I wanted to re-jig my chapters. While outlining, I’d split the whole book into only about twenty chapters, but decided to go for shorter ones for more effective divisions of the story. I got most of the way through the first scene of chapter one, but basically ran out of both time and motivation, since I hadn’t heavily outlined that scene. in total, I wrote over 2000 words today, but because I only increased the prologue word count by about 100 words, it didn’t do that much to the total count.

Saturday 27/02/2021 - Word Count: 11,050 I got some chores done Saturday morning and focused on finishing my book so I could include it in my February wrap-up, but I still had time to get some writing done around mid-day. My goal was just to hit 10K this weekend, but I though I could do it in one day. I wrote about 1,000 words before feeling a little word-drained, but took a break for lunch, got back to it and wrote 2,400 words. Though that only added a little over 2,000 to the word count, it took me to 10K! I’m 20% of the way to being able to call it a novel! We’re in quintuple digits!

And then eight hours later, I wrote another thousand words and got to 11K.

Sunday 28/02/2021 - Word Count: 13,722 I spent most of my Sunday morning writing, though it took me more than two hours to write about 1500 words, though it only added about 1100 to my count. I decided to set myself an overall and weekly deadlines to hold myself accountable. Due to the fact I don’t yet have a clue how many words this will work out as, I decided I wanted to have either a complete first draft or 100K words (which I doubt I’ll reach, but it seems like a good way to make myself finish the draft before my deadline) by the end of April. Which works out to a little under 1500 words a day, or just under 11K a week, which is perfectly doable. Bearing in mind my current word count is including outlines, but I still believe in myself.

I wrote another 1600 words later, which took me to 14K, until I deleted the 300 word outline I wrote for one scene, but I worked out my words per day for the next two months with the assumption of a 10K word count as of March 1st and a target of either a complete draft or 100K words by the end of April, so I’m nearly 4,000 words ahead of schedule. Which gives me 6,606 words to write this week, instead of 10,328. (If you couldn’t tell, I like numbers. They just make sense to me.

Monday 01/03/2021 - Word Count: 15,005 I didn’t quite hit my daily goal, but I was completely leached of motivation today, I’m ahead of schedule anyway and I was only under by less than 200 words. It’s alright. But, hey, we hit 15K! Two days after hitting 10K!

Tuesday 02/03/2021 - Word Count: 21,119 This was an insane writing day. My end-of-day target was only 16,480, and that was still ahead of schedule - if I was sticking to the 100K by April 30th, I’d only actually need to be at 12,950 today. This was the best writing day I’ve ever had. I wrote before school and during breaks, which kept both my writing and working momentum up.

I didn’t read a page of my current read, but I wrote a total of 7,681 words and increased my wordcount by 6,114 words, or literally an additional 40.75%. I hit 20K three days after hitting 10K, and am 42.238% of the way to being able to say I wrote a novel, be it a shitty first draft that won’t be complete at 50K words.

I also finished chapter three, which I’ve been working on for three days and came out ~5,000 words, and wrote chapters four and five in their entirety.

Note to self: this is day 10 of vaguely outline-drafting this project.

Wednesday 03/03/2021 - Word Count: 23,364 I've only written 490 words today, as of writing this update, but I just wanted to make note of the fact I've done some calculations, and can reasonably finish my draft this month. I'm still not completely sure how long it'll work out to be, so I can't quite work out my daily words to finish on the 31st, but if I stick to my current 1,475 words a day, I'll hit 63,894 words by the end of the month, which is a little less than I imagine this draft will be, but if I stick to that as a minimum, my first draft won't have to go into April.

I'd like to post this later this week, but I already have a post for this Friday, so God only knows how long this will be by the time it goes up. So far, I've written 1,900 words today, and I don't think I'm out of fuel yet, but I'm stopping because I need to read today, and I'd rather not burn out. I'm over my goal, anyway.

Oh, also, I'm nearly at 25K, which is halfway to a novel, but I haven't broken into Act Two yet, which means this book will be 75K minimum. I'm going to do some maths and work out how many words a day to hit 80K by March 31st. 2,030. That's doable. So I haven't read, but back to writing for like ten minutes.

I've now hit an additional 2,245 words for the day, though I wrote a total of 2,663

Thursday 04/03/2021 - Word Count: 25,415 I've decided to work out how many words I need to write each day to hit 80K by March 31st, and watch the fluctuations. (I like statistics). It should steadily go down throughout the month if I surpass it each day. Today's minimum word count is 2,023, already seven words less than yesterday's. How exciting.

The last scene of Act One was very heavy on world-building I haven't yet figured out, so I stuck what was meant to happen in brackets and just moved on, meaning I have now broken into Act Two!

I think, during the week, I'm going to focus on just meeting my minimum word count rather than exceeding it, just to save fuel for the weekends, when I can write so many more words.

And, we hit 25K! I'm halfway to a novel!

Friday 05/03/2021 - Word Count: 26,693 In complete honesty, I'm beginning to lose momentum. Maybe it's just today, but I don't really want to write and feel like I need a break, but I'm going to make myself write anyway. I'm going to make myself keep writing until this draft is done, however shitty it may end up. I really hate first drafts.

When you say 2,000 words is only 7-8 pages, it doesn't sound like that much to write per day but my god. Luckily, most of the stuff I've had to save to a Pinterest board called 'Writing Motivation' says if you write when you don't want to, it should pass instead of worsening. I wanted to hit 35K this weekend, but I'm not sure I'll have the momentum. I'll at least hit 31,270, though, which is my minimum goal for this week. I'm still over 700 words off my goal for today, but I'm taking a break because my head is foggy and there's still eight hours left in the day. Besides, 700 after dinner is easy. She says, realising she's probably jinxing it. Oh, well. 80K by March 31st would be difficult, even if I weren't going back to school soon, but that's a stretch goal. 100K by April 31st is my minimum, and I'm 9,000 ahead of where I need to be for that.

I think I’m stagnating because I’ve hit the ‘Fun and Games’ section, which I find really boring. I’m going to try to keep going with it, but I may just skip it and come back later.

Saturday 06/03/2021 - Word Count: 28,150 So, I did not get the extra 700 words in. Before dinner, some stuff I had to deal with came up, and by the time it was done, I just wanted to go to bed, so I did. Today, I'm going to try to make up for it, which I think is reasonable because it is now the weekend. I'm still kinda exhausted this morning, but I'm going to do my best, and my wrist hurts, but I'm not sure why. You'd think it would be from all the typing, but only one wrist hurts - you know what? Never mind. They do both hurt. I'm just not sure why, but it doesn't hurt typing this, so that doesn't make any sense. Anyway, to hit my word count for the day, I need to write 2,555 words, which doesn't sound like too much, but it kinda is because I'm primarily writing Act Two at the minute, and for every thousand words I write, I lose like 400 from my outline. You'd think I'd just not include my scene outlines in the word count, but it's too late for that now.

I'm thinking this over, and I really don't think trying to write 80K by the end of the month is going to be good for either my motivation, mental health, or ability to function back at school, so I'm going to stick to 100K or a finished draft by April 30th, and re-work out my goals from there, based on yesterday's word count, so I'm not making myself do catch-up today.

So, to hit 100K by April 30th, I only need to write 1,309 words each day (which will decrease over time because if that's my minimum now, I'll probably surpass it, decreasing the amount of words left etc.). That's so much less pressure.

God, I really don't want to write today. I just want to watch YouTube and Netflix and read.

Okay, so here's the thing. I've been working on this story straight for three weeks and I'm kinda exhausted of it. I'm not done with it, not at all, and I want to keep working on it because it exists, which makes it workable.

I watched a writing vlog by ShaelinWrites yesterday, and she said she writes different projects at once, alternating in week- or multi-week-long blocks. I think I might try that.

My plan with this post and the following updates was to keep updating it until the day it goes up, the day after which is when I begin drafting the next, but, since I may be switching projects for a while and this is really about the project I've decided to dub 'Bay Tree' (which is just, I guess, a pseudonym for here because while I have no idea what it would eventually be called, I know that's nothing like the title I'd want to give it) so I'd want to start a new post for a new project.

I'm now doing a little outlining instead of actually continuing writing, but I think this will help me, though I'm still not certain about whether or not I'm going to directly continue with this specific project for the minute. Instead of setting daily goals based on a target, I'm also just going to say 1,000 words a day, and see where that takes me.

I've just been outlining into Act Three, and I've met a major plot stumble, but I'm going to work that out and explain what I'm doing in my next writing update.

So, go drink some water, eat if you haven't eaten in the last few hours, stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself how wonderful you are and how much happiness you deserve, and, if you want to write a book, stop thinking about it, and go write.