In Need of Prereaders · 7:07pm Apr 25th, 2016
So after a long, long wait, I got the Queen of Hearts sequel on the way, The Heart of the Queen. I'm not happy with how long it took to get this going since the first story ended, but writers block, rewrites, and life kept getting in the way. Right now, I have the entire story outlined and I'm happy with what I got. I have the rough drafts of the first three chapters just about done and am working on the fourth along with several other chapters already worked on. I want to have a few people preview any upcoming chapters to not only sort out spelling or grammar mistakes, but to ensure things such as good jokes and interesting character development are present, maybe even suggestions to improve scenes or dialogue. However, I will only take a few people as prereaders, only up to four, as I want to avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen. I already have one prereader, atikin, but they are not always on and it would be nice to have some extra eyes. I could go to prereader groups and ask them, but I'd prefer people who already read The Queen of Hearts as they'd be up to date on what's going on.
If you'd like to help out, let me know.
I have read, and loved, the original Queen of Hearts. I would be interested, but I have never Pre-read anyone else's work before. Still, should you find yourself in need, I will gladly offer my somewhat limited services.
The Queen of Hearts was hardly a masterpiece when it came to descriptive metaphors, sensory detail, or just prose in general. But I was consistently surprised with how good the core story was - the characterization, character arcs, plot points, and humor were generally spot on. The romance wasn't perfunctory, Chrysalis's behavior and character development were believable throughout, and while I normally kind of hate how Pinkie Pie is used in most stories, I felt she fulfilled her role perfectly in this one.
And it didn't hurt that TQoH hit many of my sweet spots as an epic length, villain protagonist, villain redemption, villainessXprincess shipping story.
All that being said, I'm not really sure what you're planning to do in a sequel. I believe you mentioned yourself at some point that Chrysalis's character arc was mostly over (she's [mostly] reformed, she found a new home for herself in Equestria, she got the girl, etc.), and her sister seemed like she was already a good person in her proper place as Queen; I can't really think of any obvious character flaws or plot problems to use as hooks for a sequel. Still, you did a good job with TQoH, so I assume you wouldn't be planning a followup unless you had a compelling story idea.
So, I'll throw my hat into the ring as a prereader or editor or whatever you need. I've never really edited anything but my own stories, but I think I have a reasonable grasp on grammar/mechanics and storytelling techniques.
Even if you choose to decline, though, I certainly wish you well on The Heart of the Queen. I'll be keeping an eye out for it in my feed, for sure. ~ Sable
I can't wait for it to start. I won't pre-read for you, because while I can do that, I don't particularly like pre-reading things... But still, I'm stoked for the sequel!
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
2:6_4/26/2016
I would be happy to, but I don't have a lot of experience in pre-reading.
More specifically, none.
4638072
I'm getting close. The first five chapters are done. I'm laying out the groundwork for the rest before I consider submission. I'm aiming for this month to finally get the damn story out there. I've got well over 100k words written up, but I want to make sure I know what I'm doing before going forward. Rewrites have been common and I need a solid story ready or else there will be more waiting for chapters.
4638143 Well hot damn, I better re-read Queen of Hearts again for a 5th time.