Request for Pre-Readers · 5:06am Sep 28th, 2017
I've got a fanfic I've been working on since April, and it's just getting harder and harder to summon the will to write it. So maybe the opinion of a pre-reader or two on the story in progress will help me to write more.
Well...the middle chapters are pretty skimpy, and I can't really think of anything to fill them with, so more like "pre-reader with a teensy bit cowriter added in". I'm not perfect with spelling and grammar, but I'm pretty good (if I may be allowed that bit of self-congratulation), so "editing" would be a really minor part of the job description.
I don't really have a good reason why I keep finding excuses to do anything other than write. I've got a good idea to work with, I have the free time on weekends, and I don't have any hesitations about reader response like I did with "The Invisible Alicorn". It's just...I look at the electronic page and nothing comes out, despite thinking about what I'm going to write during all the time when I'm not in front of my computer. Or I force a chapter out and it leaves me utterly unimpressed when I re-read it.
Now normally when I get like this, what I do is publish what I've got, and let the enthusiasm of my readers push me into finishing, so I don't even need a pre-reader. Only in this case I have a main character introduced in the first chapter that I still haven't come up with a name for yet. (So I need a "pre-reader with a teensy bit cowriter added in, who's also good at inventing Equestrian names".)
Also, when I publish stories without pre-readers, I get stories that end too quickly, with obvious plotholes that I have to fix by editing chapters after lots of people have already read them...that kind of thing. So maybe I should commit to pre-readers as a general principle. I'll definitely give kudos in my Credits & Acknowledgments chapter, and the Credits & Acknowledgments chapter is half the reason why anybody reads my fiction, right?
Now yes, I can obviously get a professional for this job elsewhere on this site. But I've never taken well to professional criticism, which is good news for you, as otherwise I might get the mad idea into my head to actually try writing original fiction on actual printed paper or something. So I'll try asking you my followers first, and only turn to the pros if it turns out you all have real lives or fiction of your own to work on instead.
So, for anybody still reading this who actually has some free time at this time of year, let me tell you a little about this story: it's set about 95% in the "Equestria Girls" setting, but in the year 1985 (don't worry about research--I've already done that). It will surprise no one to learn that the main canon character is Celestia (albeit not Princess Celestia). The story is about how a scientist obviously based on Richard Feynman teams up with an equally-famous (made-up) historian named [Provide Name Here] to investigate the trivial matter of the marks worn on clothing and jewelry by the inhabitants of Canterlot, and how this intersects with an international crisis that threatens to culminate in World War III. Mostly, though, it's an excuse for me to outline my fan theories about the EG setting in one story after another that various characters tell each other. The whole thing is looking to be around 80,000 words long when finished, of which 43,000 words are already written.
(Bonus points awarded if you know who Richard Feynman was. The Grand No-Prize awarded if you've ever played the Infocom text adventure Trinity, because that was a major inspiration for the story. <-- Don't read that bit unless you want to have the ending spoiled.)
So, any takers?
I'd be happy to offer, but I'm fairly sure that pre-reading isn't my bag, except to a limited degree. Plus, I'm honestly not into the EqG scene (shock! gasp!), so I have little knowledge of it. Sorry. I'll happily read your story when you publish, though.
A better question about Richard Feynman might be who here doesn't know who he is. For myself, if I were to compile a list of personal 'heroes', he would be pretty near the top.
I'm getting a slight Twilight Zone vibe from your description, so maybe the historian could be a Professor Serling or some such?
Yeah, sure, I guess, but what genre is it supposed to be? Unless it's something really dark and depressing, I'm in.
I'm not sure you Richard Feynman is and I don't know if I'd be able to help you with a name for your character, but I wouldn't mind helping you out with your story. I think I'm fairly decent at finding spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. The only question would really be this: Are you using American English, or British English?
4680615
Yay, a guaranteed post-reader! I'll take what I can get.
4680659
No, not quite Twilight Zone, although I can see where you're coming from. And the reason the naming is so hard is because of his backstory: he was convinced as a child that he was meant to be a medical researcher, before a bizarre/horrifying adventure pushed him into historical exploration instead. So I need a name that points equally at medicine and history, or maybe just at exploration, whether medical exploration or historical exploration? You know, like "Chiffon Swirl" could either be the name of a fashionista or of a baker, because chiffon is both a fabric and a cake.
4680713
Well, the genre is kind of all over the place, which could be a problem for a reader deciding if they want to commit to reading this thing. Mostly it's a drama, with alternate history, and technobabble explanations, and then there's that horror bit regarding the unfortunate backstory of my historian character (which I really need to tone down, as it comes out of nowhere). Oh, and a bit of a race-against-time bit at the end. But I will say it's not really a comedy or a romance, and I definitely wouldn't call it dark or depressing. So I'll count you as Pre-Reader #1. I'll PM you a link to the Google Doc.
4681310
American English, and you don't have to know Feynman (or any other references from 30+ years ago) to be a pre-reader for me--heck, most of my projected readers for this story were born after the year it takes place in. And while I certainly welcome somebody catching spelling and grammar issues, what I'd really love is somebody to tell me that "this character's motivations don't make any sense" or "you completely lost me in Chapter 3 when the professor goes into alternate universe theory and never comes up for air". But I'm happy to award you the Pre-Reader #2 title. Expect a link in your PM inbox.
I might not be good at inventing Equestrian names but I do have free time to spare if you want my help
.
4681786
Sure, OK. I'll PM you the link
Everybody else: I absolutely suck when it comes to inventing names for characters. If somebody doesn't come up with a name for at least the historian character, this story is never going to be published. Maybe I should just name him Eureka. (Shouldn't that be a mare's name though?)