What would you say are the trademarks of my writing? What themes or quirks or turns of phrase have you noticed? What is it that makes a story by me -- well, a story by me?
Your early stuff wasn't crap, but the stuff you're doing now knocks me on my ass - and I suspect the stuff you do later is going to blow the top of my head off.
okay now I'm blushing here... But I'll admit a lot was finally gathering up the courage to take up unfeathered's beta offer. Having a beta is a huge help.
Having a beta is fantastic. Having her is incredible. Because without her and Karen, I'd still be doing things to commas that are illegal in most of the western world.
I am so glad to hear that I'm not the only grammar-rule deficient person. I really think one of them is going to smack me on the head for some of the things I've done to the poor comma. And the semicolon? *shudder*
That post helped me quite a lot, too. Though obviously I still get bitten in the ass by stuff now and again (See unfeathered's comment to my Myfanwy fic).
Funny thing is, out of all the writers I know, most of them are either naturally good at grammar/punctuation OR spelling. Seldom both. That's not meant to sound rude (I'm a godawful speller) but it's an odd thing I've noticed lately from talking to people. I wonder if it's a left-brain/right-brain thing.
You know, that's a good point. Worth noting, too, something that a writer friend of mine told me, recently, and I've seen in some of those 'writing inspirational' things.
Writing is not editing. Editing is not writing.
I'm a *crap* editor. I'm learning to let that go and not carry it over into saying I'm a crap *writer*, because the mechanics are something I have to pay attention to/work at.
Editing is a mystery to me. I just... don't do it. What first comes out of my head is pretty much what gets posted up.
I've done beta work before, but I don't make a habit of it... actually, I've done it for you, haven't I? (And for some reason that reminds me I was going to pester you to write femslash). Eh, I'm rambling now. But editing... It's an alien world.
You have beta'd for me before, and you did a good job. I can't do it at all. Oh, story and characterization I ca prod, but I'm wary of telling someone what's wrong with either of those, so. Yeah, completely alien world.
I'm trying, slowly, to start doing some shorter stuff that hasn't been beta'd to hell and back. That makes me a bit of a hypocrite, but it's also making writing fun for me again.
That's interesting, because I seem to be naturally good at both.
Though, actually, it could be that I'm not naturally good at grammar; I just learned it a long time ago so it feels natural now. Hmm.
I think an interest in language helps - in the mechanics of language, I mean. I don't know all the fancy names for the rules, but I am interested in why we do one thing and not another.
Ahha, an exception to the rule! There are a few, but the majority seem to be one or the other. And that doesn't mean people are really good at one thing, and really bad at the other, but significantly better at one over the other.
And yes, you're absolutely right, it does help to have that interest, although I maintain that spelling is something that isn't easy to learn (at least, for me). English spelling just makes so little sense.
No, English spelling is NOT easy to learn. For me, though, I think it's the same as with grammar - and interest in why, and having read lots. I've kind of learned by osmosis.
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http://community.livejournal.com/fanficpen/15493.html
That post helped me quite a lot, too. Though obviously I still get bitten in the ass by stuff now and again (See unfeathered's comment to my Myfanwy fic).
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And hey, that was one little tiny mistake! Everyone forgets the rules occasionally! :-)
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And. Thank you. A LOT.
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Writing is not editing.
Editing is not writing.
I'm a *crap* editor. I'm learning to let that go and not carry it over into saying I'm a crap *writer*, because the mechanics are something I have to pay attention to/work at.
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I've done beta work before, but I don't make a habit of it... actually, I've done it for you, haven't I? (And for some reason that reminds me I was going to pester you to write femslash). Eh, I'm rambling now. But editing... It's an alien world.
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I'm trying, slowly, to start doing some shorter stuff that hasn't been beta'd to hell and back. That makes me a bit of a hypocrite, but it's also making writing fun for me again.
...>.> Will do. (Femeslash)
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Though, actually, it could be that I'm not naturally good at grammar; I just learned it a long time ago so it feels natural now. Hmm.
I think an interest in language helps - in the mechanics of language, I mean. I don't know all the fancy names for the rules, but I am interested in why we do one thing and not another.
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And yes, you're absolutely right, it does help to have that interest, although I maintain that spelling is something that isn't easy to learn (at least, for me). English spelling just makes so little sense.
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