The Great 2014 Writing Thread

[Plotinus]

That goes beyond "embarrassing irony" into "evil omen" territory.

Is it possible to edit something after it's been e-published? I just found out I could enable my Kindle to receive updated versions of the stuff I've purchased.

Yes, you can change it and re-upload as much as you like, though most people won't have enabled auto-updating, so anyone who's already downloaded it will probably still have the original.

Have you tried Library Thing?

Not yet, so thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Cutlass]

That goes beyond "embarrassing irony" into "evil omen" territory.

Or 'pride goeth.....'

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Not yet, so thanks for the suggestion.

I don't know how long it takes between submitting a book and seeing it offered in the monthly newsletter, but that wouldn't prevent anyone who reads it beforehand from posting a review. We're not limited to books offered there (I have a lifetime membership on that site).

 

[Luckymoose]

If anyone wishes to update their first post writing info/word count/what you're working on, just ask.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

If anyone wishes to update their first post writing info/word count/what you're working on, just ask.

Are you referring to Camp NaNoWriMo? How did you do?

 

[cybrxkhan]

At this point I'm jumping back and forth between multiple stories so much I'm kinda losing track of how much or what I'm writing (not that that's a bad thing). I do have one I'm working on more than the others, I think it's about ~15k words at this point.

 

[Tarquelne]

I'd never rely on automatic spell-checking/grammar-checking.

Someone, someday, will have to show me how you can check spelling without a computer. (What, by reading and consulting a dictionary if necessary? Like an animal!?)

One of my proofreaders keeps trying to explain to me the difference between "its" and "it's". I keep trying to explain that, if she's reading a first draft, the absence or presence of the apostrophe is more about muscle-memory than thought, and essentially random.

so I will almost always sport any errors

Hurray for qualifiers!
(You might also argue that was simply a novel use of the word.)

I'll look forward to that and definitely let us know about it. I'll be sure to give updates about my experience with this once I have any to give! So far the main thing has been contacting vast numbers of review sites asking for reviews.

Thanks, and thanks!

Contacting review sites wasn't even on my radar. Though it may have been on my wife's. (She's in charge of the publishing portion of the endeavor.)

 

[Luckymoose]

Are you referring to Camp NaNoWriMo? How did you do?

No, I mean the yearly writing goals and what we're writing as put in the opening post. I recently hit 85,000 of 200,000, so I was curious as to where the rest of you are.

At this point I'm jumping back and forth between multiple stories so much I'm kinda losing track of how much or what I'm writing (not that that's a bad thing). I do have one I'm working on more than the others, I think it's about ~15k words at this point.

I'll toss you on the OP, too.

 

[Takhisis]

Again, Mr. Plotinus, do you want a proofreader/test reader for your next novel?

 

[cybrxkhan]

I'll toss you on the OP, too.

Thanks. If I'm not lazy later today I'll go through all I've written recently to get a more accurate word count. I'm guessing including that biggest project it would currently be around 30-40k.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Someone, someday, will have to show me how you can check spelling without a computer. (What, by reading and consulting a dictionary if necessary? Like an animal!?)

It's what I used to do back in the '80s and '90s when I had my home typing business. Even after I started using a computer, the final proofread was always done manually. The computer doesn't know the difference between "its" and "it's".

One of my proofreaders keeps trying to explain to me the difference between "its" and "it's". I keep trying to explain that, if she's reading a first draft, the absence or presence of the apostrophe is more about muscle-memory than thought, and essentially random.

How hard would it be to train your muscles to add the apostrophe where it's needed?

Contacting review sites wasn't even on my radar. Though it may have been on my wife's. (She's in charge of the publishing portion of the endeavor.)

Just don't get excited if "Harriet Klausner" does the review. There's no such person; it's a house name that gets signed to the reviews*.


*Either that or she spends every second of every day of her life for years on end doing nothing but writing reviews. No one person could possibly do all those attributed to that name.

 

[Tarquelne]

How hard would it be to train your muscles to add the apostrophe where it's needed?

I suppose I have an aural orientation when "in the flow" and write down what I hear in my head. That would explain the frequency of other homophone-based mistakes.

For example, I think "yoo r" as part of a sentence. What ends up on the screen is usually the one that's supposed to be there, but I'm generally already looking at or thinking about the next sentence. So if it isn't the correct "yoo r," I don't always catch it. With "its" and "it's" the visual difference and mechanical "typing difference" is small enough between right and wrong that I very seldom notice the mistake when engaged in writing. ("Writing," as opposed to some form of revision.)

I should add that even if I do catch a spelling or grammar mistake when in the middle of writing, I'll often just keep typing, leaving it for my first revision.

One of my proofers - not a paid proofreader, a volunteer - likes to get drafts "hot off the keyboard". Sometimes before I've done any revision at all.

I like having feedback ASAP, but I really don't need to have "its" and "it's" explained each time.

Anyway ... sorry, I don't know. How hard would it be?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I suppose I have an aural orientation when "in the flow" and write down what I hear in my head. That would explain the frequency of other homophone-based mistakes.

For example, I think "yoo r" as part of a sentence. What ends up on the screen is usually the one that's supposed to be there, but I'm generally already looking at or thinking about the next sentence. So if it isn't the correct "yoo r," I don't always catch it. With "its" and "it's" the visual difference and mechanical "typing difference" is small enough between right and wrong that I very seldom notice the mistake when engaged in writing. ("Writing," as opposed to some form of revision.)

I should add that even if I do catch a spelling or grammar mistake when in the middle of writing, I'll often just keep typing, leaving it for my first revision.

One of my proofers - not a paid proofreader, a volunteer - likes to get drafts "hot off the keyboard". Sometimes before I've done any revision at all.

I like having feedback ASAP, but I really don't need to have "its" and "it's" explained each time.

Anyway ... sorry, I don't know. How hard would it be?

As with anything, it takes practice and consistency. Don't let yourself slide past it, and at some point it should become automatic.

If I could train myself to memorize Bach pieces for my Western Board of Music organ exams, I'm sure you could train yourself to use apostrophes.

 

[Luckymoose]

I wouldn't send a draft to a proofreader until you've made final revisions. There's no point in fixing grammar if you aren't settled on the sentence to begin with.

 

[Tarquelne]

I wouldn't send a draft to a proofreader until you've made final revisions. There's no point in fixing grammar if you aren't settled on the sentence to begin with.

I generally wouldn't either. Yet in the case of a grammar Nazi friend who volunteers, I'd just as soon indulge her when she wants to see the latest "bit."

Besides, it's* nice to start bickering about certain word-usages as soon as possible, to give me more time to come around to her point of view.

She's usually good about ignoring similar errors until I've had a chance to put things in order, but the it's/its-issue she can't leave alone.


*Look, ma! No hands!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I generally wouldn't either. Yet in the case of a grammar Nazi friend who volunteers, I'd just as soon indulge her when she wants to see the latest "bit."

Besides, it's* nice to start bickering about certain word-usages as soon as possible, to give me more time to come around to her point of view.

She's usually good about ignoring similar errors until I've had a chance to put things in order, but the it's/its-issue she can't leave alone.


*Look, ma! No hands!

The friend whose novel I proofread lived in London at the time -- 9 timezones ahead of me. We had a number of argumentsdiscussions about commas, semicolons, and other technical issues when it was 3 am for me.

 

[Tarquelne]

I had a tightly plotted short story, but, rather than actually working out the precise details of the next plot-points, or writing some difficult bits of dialogue, early-on I started adding material that wasn't part of the outline.

As of this session I've got something technically novel length, not short story length.

So if you hear someone bad-mouth procrastination, tell them to stuff it.
Not right then, but later. When you feel like it.


Of course I've got a other projects that still need revision, including another, much longer, work. But I'll get to them. Yeah ... sometime.

 

[Plotinus]

Again, Mr. Plotinus, do you want a proofreader/test reader for your next novel?

Test readers will definitely be needed - thanks!

 

[Mopean]

I've been writing a lot of short stories and more recently a 'novella' (if that's really a term) set in a scifi universe/world I've been building for about five years or so at this point (probably longer)
I have some completed short stories I hope to publish in an anthology at some point, and also the manuscript for the first half of the novella. I do need volunteers willing to read it if anyone here wants to.

Been toiling away exhaustively at trying to finish the novella, which is presently at 84 pages. For all I know now it could become a full-blown novel which I never thought I'd be able to write. So if it becomes that I'd be very proud!

 

[Mouthwash]

I'm going to assume there isn't a brick-and-mortar version. Is there at least an e-book? I don't have a Kindle and don't intend to ever have one.