Once More, With Feeling · 4:48pm Aug 13th, 2012
So let's talk, pones. Heart to heart. Man to man. Platonically to platonically.
When it comes to FimFiction, I'm a person who prefers to count their blessings rather than their disadvantages. For example, I'm blessed to be surrounded by such kind and patient readers. I'm blessed to have gotten opportunities to talk with writers far more renown and talented than I. I'm blessed to have gotten this far in my writing and in the community. However, this is going to be a rare time where I talk about something I haven't been blessed with: editors.
I came to this realization during the time that I was re-editing Anno Domini for it to get posted on Equestria Daily. Once my fellow pre-readers were done editing my work, they gave me a list of fixes, and they seemed familiar. Very familiar. As in the same things people kept telling me over and over again to fix. That's when a rather unsettling thought hit me: am I stagnating? Am I starting to make the same errors over and over again? Whatever the issue might be, it indicates to me that there's something lacking in the way I'm writing, because I don't see myself improving in style or prose. That needs to change, not just for me, but for you guys as well. If my writing doesn't improve, I'm not only failing myself, I'm failing the lot of you, the readers, because I'm not delivering the level of content I'm satisfied with.
Therefore, I come to you with a humble offer. The Cesspool.
What is The Cesspool? Well, allow me to explain. The Cesspool is where happiness goes to die, it's where light is devoured by darkness, it's where we don't go anymore. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. More importantly, it's in this pit of filth that I'm going to strive to blossom.
Are you familiar with ponychan's /fic/? If you're a writer, you probably are, because us pre-readers tend to send stories there very often. It's a place where exchanges of the literary sort are exchanged, improving the abilities of writers and reviewers alike. And guess what? It's broken for me. I literally cannot utilize the single greatest utility of fanfiction writers. Abloo bloo. So I said screw it, I'll make my own. Hence the idea of The Cesspool was born.
The Cesspool is where I will provide links to the stories I'm working on once they've been written to a point where they can be read. And then you, the faithful readers generous enough to volunteer, will help me edit the crap out of them. Each new story or chapter or engraving would be put up as a thread, and readers who have confidence in their reading talents, are willing to spoil seeing a story before it's rightly polished, and are generous enough to spare their time, would get a chance to leave comments and point out errors.
So why am I doing this? Because I want to build up a sect of pre-readers, pre-readers who learn to think like me and as a result are capable of nailing my most common mistakes in an instant and bashing my head in for it. That way, fic quality will improve, and we all end up happier. I get to write better, and you get to cackle maniacally as you whip me with whips soaked in brine. If that sounds interesting to you, consider joining me in The Cesspool.
Of course, if you don't want to, you don't have to.
I also regret to inform you that green is not a creative color. Apologies.
Chromosome out.
Interesting. I just may have to partake.
I also wish to partake... in copious amounts. Even if the stories need a bit of spit and polish, it's always a privilege to see 'em before the rest!
I'll join. Sounds like a grand old time, and I'm always willing to help out fellow authors.
On a side note, the end of that video you linked was rather disturbing.
A valiant idea, but only for writers who have enough caring followers to pull this off.
Also, I didn't quite understand the part about /fic/ board. Would you care to elaborate why it's broken to you? Do you mean like--fundamentally broken, because of wrong set of rules or something like that, or did you meant technologically broken, and you can't use it because some software design flaws (is that even possible?
) prevent you from using it?
Side note: if the writer of your class and skills seeks to improve even further, it's high time for you to write a book.
But don't do it, because then you will certainly lack the time to write more of the amazing pony stories. 
EDIT: Dear God, what's wrong with this video?
i joined because of the pic
So... SALT, but just for you? I'm willing, I suppose. And Don't Hug Me I'm Scared is a masterpiece.
284437
Technologically broken. I get a PHP error no matter how I try to post. Believe me, I've tried everything.
And you're just not thinking creatively.
284473
That's the rough gist, yes. I've seen authors do it before on /fic/, and I'm starting to see the uses of a similar thing.
I'd be happy to help!
That's really boring.
284486
Lets get creative Chromo.
Also thanks I had just successfully forgot about this video, now I am burdened with the knowledge of its existence again.
Well that's... nice.
At least it gives me something to do whilst waiting between chapters for the other authors I'm helping.
Pre-readers awaaaay!
284486
Tried everything? I assume you already tried IE, Firefox, and Chrome. How about this: Make a 30G partition on your hard drive, install linux on it, and try that. (Or download VirtualBox, make a VM, and install linux on that.)
Oh hey, I've been looking for that video.
I think I need to steal this idea from you. I was just bemoaning the difficulty I'm having finding reviewers outside the TG in /fic/. Building a collection of
minionspre-readers sounds like a great alternative!Sign me up.
Supply the coffee and this'll work out nicely.
I didn't even click on the link. Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.
What's this? A chance to tear down someone else's hard work and not feel bad about it? Yep. I'm all over that!