Georg editing fun - Weird things that happen in the editing process · 2:27am Oct 11th, 2017
There are times during the editing process when the Muse of What Was That? strikes with all the force of an Orbital Friendship Cannon. I'm helping Winston (who is an excellent writer) edit a futuristic history of how Equestria was started similar to the excellent Days of Wasp and Spider by Luna-tic Scientist, and the Muse Moose made an unscheduled visit to leave droppings. I'm not sure if it will make it into the final story, but I'll put it here so you can see what Winston has to live through when I get creative in the margins. (below the break)
(comment) I'm going to go further and recommend rewriting the whole "taken to heaven" section three times, top to bottom. Honestly. I did that with Monster's transformation, and it really helped make the whole thing flow.
Celestia burned.
All around her, endless fields of floating stars and drifting nebulae bore witness to her glory, a pyre of limitless fire on display for the cosmos. No mere flesh and blood, she could feel the flames of her new body, a mix of the familiar and the fantastic. A touch of her magic and the universe would bend to her will, melting and warping to be whatever she desired. Fire was life, the power that made flesh move and worlds turn, and in this infinite moment, it was all hers to command.
Let there be... me.
The fire leapt to her words, filling her new body with solidity and life. Blood pumped in a thunderous roar as the forces of the cosmos forged a new tool for their powers, of bone and flesh and hair instead of ionized plasma and power. She breathed in the power, and let it flow away again while the process continued, from nose to tail with... differences than before. Trivial things of little importance compared to her purpose. Her goal. Her destiny.
Honestly, sometimes I'm so difficult to the poor people I'm editing for. I don't know how they can stand me. Heck, I have a hard time standing myself sometimes too.
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People need that person who is a nitpicker to help them get better. Make no compromises, take no chances. They want your help, give them the good, the bad, and the ugly.
4694216 Oh, nitpickers we have a plenty. It's when the writer has a line like "Celestia opens the door" that triggers my creativity Muse and I go on for a paragraph or more in the comments as a suggestion, frequently in a spot where it makes little or no sense to add. Still, I can't beat the entrance line that Horizon has for his upcoming (from the Writeoff site) story, Time Enough for Love (I love this entrance)
Clover was approaching Queen Platinum's throne for his usual Sunday morning report when a boom split the air and the Great Hall's seven-thousand-pound iron door sailed past his shoulder.
"I am Imperatrix Celestia Invicta, Slayer of the Dragon Legions, Tamer of Tartarus," a voice thundered from the doorway as every pony in the room froze statue-still. "And alla you prancers better clear on out, because you're raising the sun too rutting early, and I've decided I'm gonna take over and do it myself."
Ah, editing. Where things frustrate you to no end and you can have unlimited fun at the same time.
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That entrance is beautiful.
Very Noice. The kids grow up so early these days.
Of course the door went flying, bleeding cheap muled accountants. Frankly Im suprised given the ratio of stresses that the old plumbbob didnt end up going past the moon. I mean, a shaved monkey hauling floating mass can move tens of thousands of tons, not pounds. Id hope even The Royal Doorkeep would be better than a shaved monkey. Still. Move the Sun? To the Moon.
*nebulae
But seriously, those are some glorious muse droppings. Mine usually comes by in the shower, so at least I can wash y hands during the initial refinement.