Check the "First Class"
 

Current members should:
1. check the first class section
2. you will receive the PW once you PM your "benchmark" questions

Current topics:
- benchmark thread
- recent works/feedback links
- weekly writing exercise topic
- contact information for further collaboration

For those who still haven't provided their benchmarks, PM the below.

Include myself, @Rawn MacDon and @Mike Wrecker, as they've been very active in taking the lead in getting this established. One of us will respond to your PM with the password to the forum from there.

BENCHMARK SNAPSHOTS
Be ready to drop us your drops - most recent topical AND battle (and/or flex) - as long as you have done both.
Be ready to drop your backdrop - skill/evolution wise, a couple bullets on "where you were", "where you are now" (biggest strength AND opportunity)
What makes the best better than the rest? what makes a good writer in your opinion
Raising the bar for the ones we drop what is the SINGLE most important area you'd like to improve as a writer (creativity, wording, wordplay, imagery, wording without sacrificing flow/flowing without sacrificing wording, etc.......
What you plan to PUT IN and hope to be the OUT PUT? how do you think you will help be a solid supporter of this cause --- and what is the NUMBER ONE thing you hope to get out of this process?

Yeah, all yall get on ya job...this is to better yourselves, and yall signed up for it.

word up! I will be a lot more active in a week or two here --- even if it starts with just you, me, and Mike Wrecka collaborating with each other!

just sooo damn swamped with work and this tutoring tournament, which is monopolizing all the effort i was planning on putting into this concept out the gate.

That said - that ultimate writer tournament gave me a bunch of content and what not we can repurpose -- and some cool ideas I want to bounce of ya'll as well...

But word up everyone - hiphop to it!

:(

Lol.

hey fellas - no one needs me for this -- it's take a leading role, be a driving force behind it.

i look forward to doing the same - i wish snoop didnt do the tournament like day after i started to do this.

Hmm, well you could drop a good vote on my battle with Nik.. that might be proactive

Can someone PM me the password again for some reason it logged me out @namix @Rawn MacDon @Mike Wrecka

@Malachi - peep ur PM's

im just not to sure about the cap's I don't think there are any, but if there are it would b the first letter, or the first letter and then the first letter of the second word, but neither is spaced, that I am sure of.

But if i recall correctly, i dont think there are any

@namix
can u post up a updated/finalized roster for us plz?

as far as i know its

namix, rawn macdon, mike wrecka, malachi,

and im questionable on

king keith, genocide, immaculate and split

but yeah im not sure on who is officially in this elevation circle

also @Mike Wrecka, @namix or @Malachi someone spark something up in here as a writing exercise of sorts for this week.

I only say this because now a days I write pretty much as a vent, to keep creative thought, or to engage my brain...this is my lumosity.com of sorts LOL...and I want some more wrinkles to increase my brains surface area...(plus as a hobby I enjoy it, obv)
= D.

well timed post my friend -- i was just about to holla at you guys too


you around on IM today at all? get at me @ "world of chaos" @ aol bro -- because of a disgusting amount of work I have to do, I should be around for at least the next 13-14 hours or so haha.

but yea man - wanna bounce some things off you guys including:

1.0 - The "This is just BEGINNING" Topics:
1.1- updated roster/general logistics
1.2- a couple knowledge posts (subject matters to hit on and possibility re-purposing some content)
1.3- a couple ideas and potential areas of ownership (for you and Mike out the gate - nothing cumbersome, just areas you both seemed interested that i wanna bounce off you)
1.4- ongoing collaboration themes/process and evolution

2.0 - The "This is going to be BETTER than you think" Topics:
2.1 - process in terms of integration with the broader community, so there is always a healthy balance of 'behind the scenes' bench-marking/etc. without ensuring this ends up being on our own island --- @Mike Wrecka, really interested in your thoughts here as well, particularly in terms of what you've been seeing in the Open Mic forum, knowing you've been pretty engaged there lately.

3.0 The "This is going to be BIGGER than you think" Topics
3.1 - starting the general "idea road-map", the right core getting this going, there are some cool things we can do to ultimately broaden our audience across the net -- which is always an incentive for writers, but will also be mutually beneficial from an "AOB traffic, membership and general publicity" standpoint along the way (from direct traffic to site authority links - have a lot to share here with you guys, I think it'll be really compelling stuff).
3.2 - some general advancement/graduation principles that both create incentives for engagement and a general measurement for advancement
3.3 - some branding concepts to bounce off you guys -- ranging from ill to cheesy, and at times so ill they're cheesy, and at others, so cheesy they're ill lol --- this relates to everything from "onsite" branding, to more importantly, a general theme for some of those broader initiatives I'm alluding to above.

-- I believe what can start from a humble initiative can turn into something much much bigger, by having the right foundation, the right messaging, the right branding, the right writing and, most importantly, the right people. Something as simple as this can go from "collaborations and constructive advice to improve as writers" to a catalyst for literal published works and internet syndication --- with relative ease. Leveraging our networks in the right way, a lot of our works can and should be made available to a broader audience, which will also, as mentioned above, inevitably benefit AOB in the process as well -- while giving some the opportunity to make more out of this hobby than they really believed would ever be feasible (while also not utilizing that as the incentive alone, or we've already lost our way lol)

1.618034 - IMMEDIATE FUTURE drop!
Inspired by your post above, how about you and I do a quick collab on the theme "BRAIN WRINKLES"? (not only would it be a fun topic to hit up with you -- but it is relevant to the cause here as well -- have a couple quick things i'd love to bounce off you here even too)

After I discuss with you and Mike Wrecka directly (based on the leadership roles you guys have already proactively taken up for the cause) --- I'll summarize our next steps in a Monthly mag for the extended team, but I want to have get this fleshed out with you guys first and have a clear call to action for those who are still interested.

Again bro - i got muh ass glued to the computer chair today for better or worse, so let's get at each other on AIM -- let me know if there's a particular time you think you'll be around today and I'll be on the look out!

Holla!

There is a PW for the First Class forum (not those letters though bro lol) -- the others are public.

A lot of this will be public stuff, but thought it would be good to have that private forum for the more detailed planning/benchmarks/etc. type threads.

@namix - I skimmed ur post, will read it more indepth when i get home; I should b home around noon to one EST and my AIM is Rawnold_Macdonyall...

dope brotha

PM me this p/w

PW: growingstrong

ty sir