| ::kicks away the tumbleweeds:: |
[Jul. 8th, 2007|07:15 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  okay | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Mythbusters | ] |
Hey All!
I posted an essay on betas and betaing at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) ds_workshop.
If anyone is interested in the topic, you can find it HERE. |
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| Season 2 fic |
[Aug. 25th, 2006|02:06 pm] |
I need a beta who's good with Buffy's characterization to review the next part of my Season 2 "Do Over" fic. Some of the dialouge feels...spotty.
TIA |
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| Beta? |
[Aug. 11th, 2006|12:42 am] |
So I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has the time to do a quick beta for me, Quick meaning a day or two.
( Read more... ) |
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| In need of a beta |
[Mar. 23rd, 2006|07:52 pm] |
I’m in big need of one or two beta's since the one I was going to work with has suddenly been 'hit' with a lot of personal issues. I’m rambling a bit here so I’m just gonna place my request under a cut.
( request ) |
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| Searching for a Beta Reader! |
[Mar. 14th, 2006|08:38 pm] |
cross-posted at beta_search
Pen Name Nitta
Fandom Original
Rating R (in later chapters)
Genre Romance/Drama
Setting High School, 1990's
Sensitive Topics/Issues Violence, Drug Abuse, Sexual Abuse
Beta Type Word usage, grammar, punctuality, content - Someone who can give me an all around verdict in less than a week's notice. I appreciate constructive criticism.
You can reply here or e-mail me at britishaccents@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested. |
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| Beta |
[Feb. 7th, 2006|12:58 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  grateful | ] |
Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me. I have two day's for spring_spangel and two days for spring_with_xan, I plan to write fic for both of these communities, a couple of chapters for each fic.
The first one is Spangel, and has Angelus seducing and turning Willian, then a straightforward season five Spangel. I have not typed them, and the starting date is March 26.
The Xander ones are a Lindsey/Xander road trip. I have chapter one on my lj. The second one for the community is a Spander one.
I would like you to be prepaired for NC17, and these pairings. Can anyone help me get a polished result for the communities please? I have worked with betas already, but these need to be kept to strict dates. My betas are tied up for this time with RL. We would have to work closely and quickly. |
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| Writing prompt community |
[Jan. 8th, 2006|02:15 pm] |
Whatever inspires a writer to start putting words down is a good thing.
promptlywriting
Here we will offer simple writing prompts. One word, a sentence or phrase – anything that might spark an idea that develops into some kind of written result.
Any member may offer a prompt! Just remember that we want to keep it SIMPLE, so that the writers have as much freedom as possible to let their imaginations go wild.
Read User Info for details. |
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| Question for cold weather swimmers or medical professionals |
[Nov. 4th, 2005|03:47 pm] |
Can anyone tell me how long it would take an average male to recover from a plunge into very cold (hypothermia cold) water before he could comfortably have sex? I have heard this varies from person to person and that some men don't suffer from retraction of the testes at all. Anyone? Bueller?
Appreciate any knowledge I can get.
Rae2 |
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| Latinate VS Germanic - Word Geek 101 |
[Oct. 23rd, 2005|10:50 pm] |
Are you aware of the word controversy that swirls around us even as you read this?
Yes! There is word prejudice in the English-speaking, or more specifically, the English-writing world.
You may have seen the argument pitched as an admonition to use shorter words, or fewer syllables. To KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Latinate words are seen as fancy, frilly, and full of themselves. Is this the truth or prejudice? Should a writer use Latinate words? What the heck are Latinate words?
One of the books I've read recently, Theodore A. Rees Cheney's 'Getting the Words Right - 39 Ways To Improve Your Writing' explains the situation much more thoroughly then I am about to do. Only one of the reasons why I recommend his book. Highly. Latinate vs. Germanic words is only 1 of 39 subjects that he discusses.
For the word geeks and curious writers among you
Ok, the word controversy is, perhaps, a bit too dramatic for the subject but I had to get you to look didn't I?
The actual dull facts: a high percentage of words in the English language are either Latinate, of Latin-French heritage, or are Germanic, coming to us from Old English (aka Anglo-Saxon). To simplify, around 1066, Norman nobles, speakers of Latinate-derived French, invaded England where the peasants spoke a Germanic-derived English. As time went on, the languages merged into one, and we were left with two words for many objects and ideas. Are you surprised to know that the Latinate words are usually considered formal and more elegant, while the Germanic are considered plain and forthright?
There is a definite preference for words of Germanic origin in today's English fiction-writing world.
Latin-derived words are considered fancier, stuck up, and just plain harder to understand. The Germanic words are viewed as powerful, strait forward and more exciting. Germanic words, unsurprisingly, are usually shorter and only one or two syllables long. Latinate ones tend to be longer and two or more syllables. Exceptions do abound. See a list of comparative words at the bottom of this post. You may be using fancier words than you thought, or possibly less.
Those among us (me) who like Latinate polysyllabic words find them more beautiful, believe they roll off the tongue, and provide poetry to a piece. They are widely conceded as words that explain concepts - you see them, to a high degree, in medical, scientific and legal works. Many find Latinate words dull, dry and uninspiring.
You do see them in poetry. All those lovely syllables are unsurpassed in providing meter and hinting at abstract thought.
Of course, you see those Anglo-Saxons words popping up in poetry as well.
Those among us (me) who sneer at Germanic-based, monosyllabic words find them uglier, rude and lacking in poetry. But even I admit you gotta love 'em, anyway. They are often imitative of sounds - they snap, crackle and pop. They pow, whack, and crunch. I would say they are ' onomatopoeic' but I suspect that is a Latinate word. A fist flying through the air, and smashing into a face just can't be written as convincingly with Latinate words.
The debate in writing usually boils down to the verbs. You are supposed to be eliminating those adverbs, and reducing those adjectives to a trickle. As the playwright Aristophanes would say, sometimes you have "to call a fig a fig; to call a kneading trough a kneading trough" so you don't always have a choice with your nouns, but your verbs … You can rock'em, sock'em or elevate your readers with visions of elegance.
The geographical setting of your youth, and the level of your education can predispose you to one derivation over the other. According to the latest book I'm reading - 'The Midnight Disease' by Alice W. Flaherty, there are brain states that can predispose you to one or another, based on whether you like symbolism or onomatopoeic words and so on and so forth, etc.
Does the Latinate VS Germanic debate affect you as a writer? According to Susie Bright, author of 'How To Write a Dirty Story', her editor didn't object to any of her erotic passages but he tried to replace all of her verbs. In this case, he preferred Latinate while she preferred Anglo-Saxon. He may have felt he was making her subject classier.
At some point you will probably be called on your word choices by an editor or a critic. A beta may argue that you aren't using the right words. You may be told your work is too self-conscious or pretentious - too many Latinate words. You may be told your work is simplistic, that it has no depth - too many Germanic words. You should be aware of why you made the choices you did. Your word choices will influence your diction, which will influence your style and the tone of your work.
Very few readers know why they think a passage is more active, more exciting, or why they think it is lovely and thought-provoking, but most are culturally influenced to react a certain way to certain types of words. You are as culturally/geographically/educationally influenced as your readers but should overcome it as a writer, and carefully choose your words to suit the tone of your story.
The debate does sometimes dwindle down to the number of syllables. However, take as an example: dour vs. 'stern'. Guess which is Latinate and which is Germanic. Dour is certainly simple enough, but does everyone know what it means? On the other hand, dour and stern don't mean quite and exactly the same thing. Maybe the character in your story exemplifies dour, and stern just won't do.
Sometimes, there are no Germanic substitutes that say it right. Sometimes, a Latinate word would stop the action dead. (strangely dead, kill, slay are all from Old English. Huh.) Does that fight scene falter? Are you unable to get an idea across? Look at your word choices and you might find the problem there.
Your choice of Latinate or Germanic words throughout will affect the tone of your story. Are you writing action-oriented works, or thoughtful, literate reflections on the human condition? Are you writing a biting modern piece or an historical epic? Is your character a free soul or an academic?
Do you need to haunt the dictionary to see if every word is Latinate or Germanic? Hardly. Unless you are a word geek like me or share Susie Bright's editor.
KISS will take you far and may be enough. You may have a fine instinct that gives you the ability to use Latinate and Germanic words to best effect. You may never have to worry about the origin of a single word. But when your scene just isn't coming to life, examining your diction, by studying the derivation of your words, you might find the answer to your problem. When the readers don't seem to get it -- maybe you aren't writing the right type of words for the readers you have in mind.
Yep, something else to worry about besides adverbs and adjectives. In essence, the more seriously you write, the more seriously you take every single word that you put on the page.
And if you're a word geek you can use that as an excuse to spend hours looking at words.
This chart was taken from wikipedia. For more information on this subject and related subjects go Here.
Germanic -----Latinate
Anger -----rage
wrath -----ire
ask -----inquire
baby -----infant
back (n) -----dorsum (> dorsal)
begin -----commence
belief -----creed or credence
belly -----abdomen
bodily -----corporal
brotherly -----frāternal
calf -----veal
come -----arrive
cow -----beef
cattle -----bovine
deadly -----mortal
deer -----venison
earth -----soil
fatherly -----paternal
feeling -----sensation
first -----primary
flood -----inundate
forbid -----prohibit
forgetting -----oblivion
foretell -----predict
fox-like -----vulpine
freedom -----liberty
friendly -----amicable
give -----provide
gladness -----joy
go -----depart
god -----deity
hearing -----audience
heed -----attention
height -----altitude
help -----assist
hen -----poultry
hill -----mount
horse -----equestrian
hound-like -----canine
itch -----irritate
know -----recognize
leader/president -----duke
leave/exit -----egress
length -----longitude
loving -----amorous
match -----correspond
mean -----intend
meet -----encounter
mistake -----error
motherly -----maternal
new -----novel
nightly -----nocturnal
old -----ancient
other -----different
rot -----putrefy
seem -----appear
sheep -----mutton
shut -----close
shy -----timid
skillful -----adept
sleeping -----dormant
sight -----vision
swine -----pork
teach -----educate
thinking -----pensive
throw -----catapult
town -----city
understand -----comprehend
utterly -----totally
wage/salary -----stipend
wait -----expect
watchful -----vigilant
whole -----entire
width -----latitude
wise -----prudent
wish -----desire
wolf-like -----lupine
yellow -----ochre |
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| Premise Challenge |
[Sep. 6th, 2005|08:42 pm] |
I've been thinking about premise (or theme) lately.
I love seeing behind the scenes, as it were, how other authors plan their work, or how they view what they've written, so I'd issued this challenge on my LJ and thought it would be appropriate here as well.
( Challenge: ) |
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| Lilah's background |
[Aug. 31st, 2005|03:51 pm] |
Hey all, a canon question: is it ever established where Lilah comes from? I can't recall it being discussed. Or is it possible to tell from her accent, or other incidental details? As a Brit, there're probably indicators I'm missing.
Thanks for any help you can give! |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 9th, 2005|11:54 pm] |
Did Sunnydale actually have a local newpaper to our knowledge? My tired, over worked mind can't remember. I'll be most embarassed if the answer is obvious. :S
Oh and do you thnk it would have a crossword?
. |
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| Looking for a beta. |
[Aug. 2nd, 2005|08:10 pm] |
Hello! I'm trying to find a beta for a fic I wrote for the watchersdiaries' reverse artathon. It's just over three thousand words long, Spuffy more than anything else, almost immediately post-NFA and slightly weird. Oh, and I won't mind if you think that I should rip it to pieces or do any major reworking because it's rubbish - I quite like it as a piece, but want it to be as good as possible.
Thanks in advance to anybody who wants to help.
Quinara.
(quinaraquin@yahoo.co.uk) |
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| beta reader? |
[Jul. 22nd, 2005|09:04 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  tired | ] |
Hi guys, i'm actually looking for a beta reader that is willing to beta my first spuffy story. Let me know so i can show you what i've got so far. Thanks! |
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| Narrative Distance - Anybody interested? |
[Jul. 22nd, 2005|05:43 am] |
I need me some writing discussion because I just enjoy talking about such things and when I try in RL, people make these shooing motions at me. I'll be posting this in a couple of places so I apologize to anyone who gets tired of seeing it.
I've been thinking about Narrative Distance quite a bit lately.
Narrative Distance. What is it?
I've read many explanations of it. My favorite comes from Orson Scott Card's 'Characters and Viewpoint'. I can't say I completely understand it and suspect if I ever fully do I will be one of the world's great authors.
So far I understand that it is a combination of POV, word choices, sentence structure and characterization. It is one of elements that give an author a Voice.
I would like to know what you think it is. Any books or columns on the subject that you would recommend? What kind of distance do you use in your writing? Why? Desire to publish? It's what you know? You think it is the best form of communication? You didn't know there was any other way?
I'll start but I warn you that brave and hardy souls have been stunned after reading my explanations. Not as in by the brilliance of it but rather as in ‘Huh?’
Feel free to discuss my thoughts or just give your own thoughts. I would like to know how other people use Narrative Distance or if they do, and how they would describe it.
( Are you Writer enough for Myfeetshowit's steps to Narrative Distance? )</></> |
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| Bibliography |
[Jun. 30th, 2005|10:15 pm] |
Bit of a leftfield one: can anyone recall the titles of any of the books on the supernatural, occult, demonic etc that were read on Buffy and Angel? I remember Phisto's Dictionary of Demons and Dimensional Spirits from 'Forgiving,' the Watchers' Diaries of course, and that big book labeled Vampyr. But can anyone think of any other titles we were told about?
Thanks! |
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| Beta Needed |
[Jun. 21st, 2005|03:23 pm] |
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I have a very dark Wesley & Faith fic that I need a beta for. It has violence, torture and character death, but no sex. Is anyone interested? |
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| A BIT OF PROMO |
[Jun. 19th, 2005|09:42 pm] |
Hey guys, thought you all might me interested in this.
As writers we all know what it's like to get a review. We love all of the reviews that we get. But we're not always completely sure about our writing and sometimes the reviews we get don't help us out that much. This new community is a place where you can post your fics and get complete honesty. People won't be nice about your fics just for the sake of it, but they also won't flame you. It is a community for complete honesty. Authors and readers alike will read your stories and tell you what they honestly think. Give you advice on where you're going wrong and how to make it write. Because as much as we love being told our fics are liked, sometimes to get better we need to be told what's wrong. It's the only way to get better. So, from one author to another, come on over and
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| Quick questions... |
[Jun. 14th, 2005|03:50 pm] |
Bit of a yukky one to start with:
As I skipped dissection in Biology, can anyone tell me what an eyeball feels like to touch?
and
If a US company had a buffet lunch (I take it you might do such a thing) for clients, would it be really unusual to have boiled eggs on it? |
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| Canonical questions |
[Jun. 5th, 2005|03:26 pm] |
I have a few questions regarding the AtS episode where Darla was brought back to life. The last time I saw this episode was around 2 years ago, and I only remember bits of it.
1. What was the episode name and number?
2. I remember a certain amount of vampires and humans had to be sacrificed to bring her back. How many exactly? What it four? Five?
3. Where there any other details surrounding the resurrection ritual? Symbols, formations, a specific location -- that sort of thing.
Thanks in advance! |
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