(no subject)

[turps]

I started The End 3 last night. I'd been procrastinating a little as I know this part's going to be bleak too, but Starwatcher gave some good advice. I'm going to write Chapter's 3 and 4 then post one after another because the good stuff starts to happen in 4. SW also said that you don't immedialtey have to post what you write, and that's good advice too. But I have to admit it's something I find difficult. I write something, I want it posted *now*. I am getting a little better, but it's a fault that I still need to work at. So I'll do two parts and hopefully they'll even the balance a little for all the readers that I bummed out last time.

I also got a mail today from Pat about part 2. ( Hope you don't mind me mentioning it Pat.) She told me what she liked, then what she hadn't, and that was good to read. I think it's the first time that anyone other than my betas has spent the time to tell me where I fell on the job and what she said was spot on.

There was one point she mentioned that had been brought up by both my betas, and I thought that I'd solved it by adding some description in a few paragraphs. It was a bone of contention for both ME and SW and in the end I think they settled for the way I solved it, because looking back now I should have wrote more, not just tried to modify what I had. They tried to tell me, I didn't listen, and I suspect it's a plot hole that would have been picked up by a lot of readers. Like I said, I'm an impatient writer.I love the actual act of writing, creating scenes and worlds, I hate editing but it's something that I have to improve.

I've no illusions that I'm a great writer yet. I'm better than I was a year ago but I still need to master the fine tuning. Realise that papering over plot holes is sloppy writing, that attention to detail is vital. I can describe well, but it's like having a beautiful mural on a wall with the brick crumbling behind the paint. It looks good from a distance, but look closer and there's bumps and holes that spoil the effect.

I could easily stay at the level I am now. I've people that will praise everything I post, even the crap, and I've posted crap many times. Hell I could post at FFNet and be seen as some kind of genius. But I don't want that. I don't know if that makes me an egotistical bitch or not. Maybe some people can only rise to one level and not go higher, but hell, it doesn't mean that I'm not going to try.

Comments

[castalie.livejournal.com]

I don't think wanting to improve your writing and claiming it loud and clear is being 'an egotitical bitch', on the contrary.

Some people can be content with the way things are, and that's okay, but when you feel the desire to improve things, then it's the right thing to do.

Improving our work is important to us. I think it's also being respectful to our readers, to always want to write better, and be able to give them even better stories to read. It's not always easy, but it if was, it wouldn't be fun, right? lol

The End 2

[patk.livejournal.com]

Hey, Terri, no, of course I don't mind mentioning that I sent you a mail. *g*

But I did not only tell you where you *fell* on the job, I told you too where you did *good*. :-) Don't forget that when remembering my mail. *g* I know *bad* or scary things tend to stuck more, but don't forget the praise you got too. *g* Otherwise it's just too depressing to think of feedback, when all you remember is the *bad* feedback. *g*

And be reassured, I do the beta for a friend (she only writes in german) and she tells me I'm a "Korinthenkacker". *g* No she doesn't use this word actually, but if you bring down what she means to one point, yes, it is exactly this. Means a person who goes after every single tiny bit that *seems* to be a mistake or could *probably* develop in one, if you fertilize and water it carefully. ;-)

So, nothing wrong with wanting to improve your writing, everbody should strive to the next *higher* step on the ladder, but be aware that among some people I'm more or less famous for being hard when it comes to tiny little things nobody may actually notice. *g*

And yes, I *do* wait for The End 3. *g* And I'll comment on that again, *if* you still wish, that is. :-)

Pat

:-)

Re: The End 2

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Of course I want you to comment. I'll answer this more fully when I e-mail you back but your comments were *really* helpful. I do remember the good points too don't worry about that *g*

I think everyone should have a Korinthenkacker *g*( cool word btw ) especially when you write a long story/series. That tiny mistake at the beginning could grow to a huge one by the time a few chapters have gone by.

Like this car thing. I'm going to have them find another car soon because I never thought about the slowing down while chasing the owners of the footprints. You think that's bad. Before it was beta'ed I had everyone in the car ( this was before they found Simon and Daryl) One of my beta's had 'are you nuts' in red on that part of the story *g* The other one pointed out the same thing, but in a more 'normal' manner lol So we researched biggish cars that would fit them all in.

My point is you give great comments that make me think, and that's the best feedback anyone can give.

Re: The End 2

[patk.livejournal.com]

Love to hear back from you via e-mail. *g*

Don't call someone you will befriend (or keeping as a friend) *ever* a "KK". *g* It's not a very flattering term. *g*

*grins* on the car-problem. Well, if you would try to follow every idea I had you would need a truck to make it believable (or a bus, Cascade City Line No. 7, every ten minutes from airport to the inner city, stops at the main train station too *g*). Think of that poor car-roof. *g*

But you know what? It's way easier to see such things when you read the text of another author for the first time. You often can't see it in your own text. You go over your own text this often, concentrating on other problems, and you tend to overlook such things. It's normal, so don't worry. *g*

Pat

:-)