Writing Goal for the Day?

You people are so... fun. ;)

Well, not sure how much will stay, but I made some headway on changes in later chapters of R&B. Hopefully later I can write more.
 
I have a new humor piece out - 3 errors I saw - darn it, but that is the way of life is it not. I may have to give in to the patience needed for an editor.

But today I am hoping to continue working on the story I was talking about yesterday. Hubby comes home later today - he's been out of town all week.

I got to talk to my daughter's about writing last night; we didn't read what I wrote, but I did dig out my stories and show my eldest how much I've written since 2005 and thanked them for letting me share my happiness with them in regards to writing. That was fun. :) I thank all of you guys/gals too. It means a lot to be able to talk to others that "get it". :rose: :)
 
Did about a page of edits yesterday, and can only hope to do so much this evening. Today's one of those "make or break your career" days, and the events will go long, I'm afraid.

But I'm prepared:
Suit and heels? Check.
Qualifications? Check, though on the lower end.
Talking points and prepared answers? Check.
Habit of either waffling or stating my position too forcefully? Check.
Spit stain on my shoulder from when I dropped the kid off at daycare? Check, dang it.

Send me positive, don't-fuck-it-up vibes!
 
I have a new humor piece out - 3 errors I saw - darn it, but that is the way of life is it not.

I hate that! Over the past week, I've had to re-read older chapters on lit looking for stupid information (how many brothers someone has, the name of a town, etc), and re-read an old article I wrote.

Both were cringe-worthy endeavors, and I found tiny mistakes in each. Luckily, the latter had a tiny bit of entertainment value, too. The article was published in a British journal, so I kept going back and forth between panic and relaxation (crap! I misspelled labor! oh, no I didn't; it's supposed to be labour).
 
I hate that! Over the past week, I've had to re-read older chapters on lit looking for stupid information (how many brothers someone has, the name of a town, etc), and re-read an old article I wrote.

Both were cringe-worthy endeavors, and I found tiny mistakes in each. Luckily, the latter had a tiny bit of entertainment value, too. The article was published in a British journal, so I kept going back and forth between panic and relaxation (crap! I misspelled labor! oh, no I didn't; it's supposed to be labour).

One error is because when I submitted and separated a paragraph I accidentally deleted a word.

The stuff I submitted in 2005 (more so than any other submissions) make my head hurt! I have considered at times slowly working through all that stuff and editing it - but there are over 200 stories and 140 poems, that's way to much to edit. So I just tell folks, try not to cringe too much if they read the earlier stuff. :D
 
Did about a page of edits yesterday, and can only hope to do so much this evening. Today's one of those "make or break your career" days, and the events will go long, I'm afraid.

But I'm prepared:
Suit and heels? Check.
Qualifications? Check, though on the lower end.
Talking points and prepared answers? Check.
Habit of either waffling or stating my position too forcefully? Check.
Spit stain on my shoulder from when I dropped the kid off at daycare? Check, dang it.

Send me positive, don't-fuck-it-up vibes!

Lots of positive vibes from me. :) Best of luck. You'll be great.
 
Positive vibes are where it's at.

I have a new humor piece out - 3 errors I saw - darn it, but that is the way of life is it not. I may have to give in to the patience needed for an editor.

!!!!!!! Don't do it. Changing flavor is always in bad taste. If a reader stops reading for a few errors, well, fuck them.

But yeah, I too can proof read a bajillionzillion times, and still find an error after submission. I agree, that it is the way it goes. I've even had other types of writing edited professionally, then corrected, and still had errors.

Besdies, filling in the blanks is fun sometimes.
 
Lots of positive vibes from me. :) Best of luck. You'll be great.

Thanks, PL!

!!!!!!! Don't do it. Changing flavor is always in bad taste. If a reader stops reading for a few errors, well, fuck them.

:confused:

There's a difference between a copy editor and a beta reader. A good copy editor will only note problems in copy; with the use of track changes, you can go through and accept or deny each change. A beta reader has the potential to ruin a story, but only if you let them.

Think of it like salt. A little salt (like copy editing) enhances the flavor of a dish; adding too much salt (not trusting your instincts and blindly following the advice of a beta reader) will ruin it. I like things just right (and a little salty ;) ) so I use both.

While three mistakes would not be enough for me to dislike a story, I have stopped reading otherwise good stories if they have numerous mistakes. Errors (and I make them, which is why I like editors) make me twitch, and not in a sexy way.
 
All well as it is all opinions.

There's a difference between a copy editor and a beta reader. A good copy editor will only note problems in copy; with the use of track changes, you can go through and accept or deny each change. A beta reader has the potential to ruin a story, but only if you let them.

Think of it like salt. A little salt (like copy editing) enhances the flavor of a dish; adding too much salt (not trusting your instincts and blindly following the advice of a beta reader) will ruin it. I like things just right (and a little salty ;) ) so I use both.

While three mistakes would not be enough for me to dislike a story, I have stopped reading otherwise good stories if they have numerous mistakes. Errors (and I make them, which is why I like editors) make me twitch, and not in a sexy way.

I am aware :D

...and you forgot some people don't like salt at all. :eek: + :)
 
Thanks, PL!



:confused:

There's a difference between a copy editor and a beta reader. A good copy editor will only note problems in copy; with the use of track changes, you can go through and accept or deny each change. A beta reader has the potential to ruin a story, but only if you let them.

Think of it like salt. A little salt (like copy editing) enhances the flavor of a dish; adding too much salt (not trusting your instincts and blindly following the advice of a beta reader) will ruin it. I like things just right (and a little salty ;) ) so I use both.

While three mistakes would not be enough for me to dislike a story, I have stopped reading otherwise good stories if they have numerous mistakes. Errors (and I make them, which is why I like editors) make me twitch, and not in a sexy way.

I am aware :D

...and you forgot some people don't like salt at all. :eek: + :)

Thanks for explaining a bit what the difference between the two are. Recently I have seen a lot of posts about "beta readers" and I had no clue what they were talking about.

If a beta editor is someone that grossly changes things because they think it works better one way or another, I've had one of those and didn't care for the experience.
 
Here's a tip for finding errors, even after proofing it to death. Read your story out loud, as if you are doing an audio book, It will make you concentrate on the words more, instead of glossing over what you think it says. Missing words suddenly appear and you get a better sense of how a reader reads it.

Hope it helps. :)

ETA: my goal today is to have a long talk with my characters and tell them straight up that they have to stop wanting me to write more about them. I already know what I want, but they insist on wanting more story time. I'll have to remind them that they are working without a contract, lol.
 
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Here's a tip for finding errors, even after proofing it to death. Read your story out loud, as if you are doing an audio book, It will make you concentrate on the words more, instead of glossing over what you think it says. Missing words suddenly appear and you get a better sense of how a reader reads it.

Hope it helps. :)


I've done that with some of my work and it does help a lot. I tend to write more when the kids are not home and edit more when the kids are home, so reading out loud is limited. :eek:

Another quick question for whomever desires to answer.

I've always copied and pasted my work into the submission page with the exception of audio pieces and illustrated pieces. When previewing the work, do many of you find the spaces between paragraphs missing and so you have to sift through the entire story to make sure you separate everything properly? Would uploading the story end this hassle, or would it still appear when the story editors or bots load it?
 
I've done that with some of my work and it does help a lot. I tend to write more when the kids are not home and edit more when the kids are home, so reading out loud is limited. :eek:

Another quick question for whomever desires to answer.

I've always copied and pasted my work into the submission page with the exception of audio pieces and illustrated pieces. When previewing the work, do many of you find the spaces between paragraphs missing and so you have to sift through the entire story to make sure you separate everything properly? Would uploading the story end this hassle, or would it still appear when the story editors or bots load it?

I do the same, Red. It loads in the space given on submission, but the bot sorts it out when it's posted. I just try to make sure I put spaces in and that helps. ;)
 
I do the same, Red. It loads in the space given on submission, but the bot sorts it out when it's posted. I just try to make sure I put spaces in and that helps. ;)

I have spaces when I copy, but they seem to disappear when I past them, then I have to go back and forth and make changes when previewing, but if uploading the story will end that hassle, than I'm all for uploading! lol
 
I have spaces when I copy, but they seem to disappear when I past them, then I have to go back and forth and make changes when previewing, but if uploading the story will end that hassle, than I'm all for uploading! lol

I believe the submission page just crams everything in to the smallest area and then it's sorted out during posting. I used to gets denials because I didn't space it properly. Since I have, the submissions are approved, mistakes and all, lmao :D
 
I believe the submission page just crams everything in to the smallest area and then it's sorted out during posting. I used to gets denials because I didn't space it properly. Since I have, the submissions are approved, mistakes and all, lmao :D

Hmm... So next question.

When I do the copy/paste method and I preview the work, it shows me not what the reader is actually going to see? When submitted the work "changes" by some magical techno process.

Pardon my ignorance on this rather easy subject I'm sure.
 
Hmm... So next question.

When I do the copy/paste method and I preview the work, it shows me not what the reader is actually going to see? When submitted the work "changes" by some magical techno process.

Pardon my ignorance on this rather easy subject I'm sure.

That's right, Red. What you see on submission, isn't what is in final printing. I had to ask the same question, so many of us ponder the same things. :D
 
That's right, Red. What you see on submission, isn't what is in final printing. I had to ask the same question, so many of us ponder the same things. :D

Well you'd think after being here since 2005 I would have asked it a lot earlier. :eek:

Thanks so much for the clarification. It's going to save me a lot of cussing!
 
When previewing the work, do many of you find the spaces between paragraphs missing and so you have to sift through the entire story to make sure you separate everything properly?

I've submitted more than 500 stories via the cut-and-paste-into-the-submissions-box option and never encountered that problem.
 
Here's something I've been mulling over as I'm writing. How much detail in a sex scene is too much for mainstream? I'm not doing any cum shots of anything, but I do describe what the characters are doing in clear enough detail. I figure I'll just end up with an Explicit Content warning, but I don't want it ending up as a glorified porn story.
 
I am aware :D

...and you forgot some people don't like salt at all. :eek: + :)

shhh! I like to pretend those people don't exist. They ruin my popcorn.

Thanks for explaining a bit what the difference between the two are. Recently I have seen a lot of posts about "beta readers" and I had no clue what they were talking about.

If a beta editor is someone that grossly changes things because they think it works better one way or another, I've had one of those and didn't care for the experience.

Again, though, the beta reader (and I have a feeling I'm one of the people who has posted about that) doesn't make changes in a way the author can't see. I use comments in the margins to indicate when I think a wording doesn't make sense, when I think a character is doing something out of character, etc. Other times I just give feedback in an email.

I have no idea if I'm helpful or not, lol, but I have found beta readers immensely helpful for my own work. They've told me everything from how they feel a character is coming off (usually not in a good way), to when an entire section needs to be cut, to making helpful wording suggestions.

But I think a lot of the experience has to do with having the strength to say, "thanks, but no thanks." Even then, though, I find the process of defending myself (even if only in my head) to be helpful.

Then again, I have a personality that loves a good debate. :)

Oh, and yes, I lose spaces (and gain others) when copying and pasting. Because of this, I always do another read-through when I click the preview button, then make a list of mistakes to fix (italics that I forgot to close, for example, or paragraph spacing). I've always had the final version look like the preview.
 
I've submitted more than 500 stories via the cut-and-paste-into-the-submissions-box option and never encountered that problem.

That's great to know!


Here's something I've been mulling over as I'm writing. How much detail in a sex scene is too much for mainstream? I'm not doing any cum shots of anything, but I do describe what the characters are doing in clear enough detail. I figure I'll just end up with an Explicit Content warning, but I don't want it ending up as a glorified porn story.


I just read some of my story out loud and I've caught a lot of stuff and got to one part and now - well - I need a cold shower.

Lately I've read a lot of sex in the newer mainstream books, and I'm surprised by the detail. It's not like it was years ago, when you hit a juicy bit and were left panting. Now the bits are everywhere in most books, and most are very detailed. They aren't using "come" yet in the detail, at least not the ones I'm reading, and they are still flowery and romantic, but they have no trouble focusing on slickness, heated center, slamming, thrusting and various other descriptions.

Also a lot of mainstream do have a lot more sex in them too. Usually you get the one long section of where the girl and guy hook up the first time and that takes like 6 pages if not more before the deed is done, and then you'd only get a couple more scenes after that. Now though I'm not surprised at all if the main folks haven't had each other a dozen times before the story is finished.

Again, though, the beta reader (and I have a feeling I'm one of the people who has posted about that) doesn't make changes in a way the author can't see. I use comments in the margins to indicate when I think a wording doesn't make sense, when I think a character is doing something out of character, etc. Other times I just give feedback in an email.

I really appreciate the explanation. I think a beta reader would come in handy, especially if you're looking at selling your work. Which I've still not decided if I'll do or not, though the hubby did finally suggest maybe I look into it, since I can pack so much writing in one day.
 
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