No new chapter yet...(Warning! Long and whiny!) · 2:35am Oct 4th, 2014
I actually have time to edit this weekend and there are some things I want to fix.
First - Magic vs Magick. To me the first denotes stage magicians and sleight of hand while the other denotes direct transformation of the universe through spell-craft or similar things. Honestly I waffled when I started the story about which one to use. In the end I chose against my gut feel. Consequently I changed the word about 2/3rds of the way through. I'm going to correct that so it's all consistently magick. Hopefully. IRL is a pain sometimes.
Second - Yes I do have a number of run-ons. I need to correct those. I've been putting it off because it's re-work and I like to see my writing evolve over time. From my point of view it's nice to see the warts disappear as I go along. Regardless I've put it off for a while but it really needs to be taken care of.
Third - I am going to find a proofreader but I'm not currently looking. I work 10 - 12 - 14 hours in I/T each day, have a 17 year old autistic daughter, a house to clean and maintain, vehicles to repair, bills to pay, home computer network things to maintain - I am SOOO sick of spammers, as well as a number of other people that physically depend on me. This eats up a lot of my time and makes me damn tired. (To top all this off my favorite pony soap maker is having trouble and will not be making the soap I like for quite some time to come. It's the little things sometimes.) All this leaves me with very little sleep and very little time or energy to write. A comment here and there is easy for me. It usually takes me a 2 - 3 hour session to get a chapter done. It's getting hard to block out that time.
Sorry - whiny, I know. Whiny, annoying, old, white guy. Sorry.
Fourth - In the end I write this for myself. I write this to help boost my spirits. If I'm constantly having to defend my writing to others then all it'll do is increase my stress. And I'm pretty sure I won't be able to handle any more of that right now. If it comes to that I'll wrap the story, I promise I won't leave it hanging, and then let it all go.
That's right! Do it for yourself. The only person you have to prove anything to is yourself.
2504906
Thank you.
Regardless there is editing to be done and I can't neglect that as it makes me a better writer.
I've changed all magic to magick and edited the first two chapters for run-ons. It's 10 to 11 at night here, and I have to get up early tomorrow, so I think I'm going to stop here and start again tomorrow evening.
2504920
In follow-up to my comment on the story, consider me volunteering my services as an editor or proofreader(whichever you need) for this story when you are ready. I'm pretty experienced in both of those roles, and have a few hundred thousand words worth of editing under my belt.
I'm volunteering because, as much as your story has problems, they're the kind that just need a second eye and then are done with. I intend on finishing what I have left of the story, and then I'll be back to you.
As an aspie myself, I just wanted to give you massive props for caring for your daughter.
I know that crud ain't easy.
2505037
I will certainly consider your offer. It's a bit difficult for me to let people in so to speak. In fact you're probably hired I just need to get things together.
I spent a lot of my time growing up being trolled, tricked, and in general hassled by a lot of people due to my autism. I had the unfortunate joy of being autistic before it was fashionable. Spent a lot of time failing because I "wasn't right" or "didn't fit". It makes me horribly defensive against criticism. Something I try and mitigate as much as possible.
Anyways I'll certainly get back to you for at least proofreading. I kind of like to edit myself when I can because the words are important to me and sometimes re-phrasing them makes me go "Why didn't I write it that way in the first place?"
2505605 Thanks.
It can be really difficult at times. I am self diagnosed in part because of my daughter. When she got her diagnosis and began to grow up on the spectrum a lot of things about my own past fell into place.
But as I am self diagnosed I lose respect from those who think I'm either faking it or imagining it in myself due to my daughter. OR I get people that just ignore anything that I say because "Oh it's just the autism talking.".
She can be a handful though. I try very hard to do two things though. One, I try and remember when I was 17 and the problems I had then. Two, I try and remember that other than her sensory and other issues she is still a 17 year old girl.
Wish I could get others to see that sometimes. Often people give in to her too easily. I'm hoping with her new teacher that may not happen as much. She needs the challenge.
2505608
If you wish you can check out some of the stories I've edited/proofread on my userpage, and talk with the authors there to make of me if you wish.
For the most part if you don't want me in as a full editor, I just mark a section as "doesn't feel right" or get more specific("show-don't tell") with what needs to change. And I can wait for you to be ready. I understand if you don't have time right now.
Question: would you want me to be a part of the clean-up effort for past chapters?
2506640 Question: would you want me to be a part of the clean-up effort for past chapters?
Actually yes that would be nice. Give me a few days to get things sorted out around here and I'll PM you about going forward.
And yes it would be a markup situation where I would do the edits myself. My hindbrain wouldn't let me do anything else at this point.
2506734
And it's official. I have shared the docs with conantheimp so he will be proofreading the existing chapters and anything going forward. Thanks!