There has been quite a bit of discussion lately on the benefits and detriments of editing and proof reading.

From the mouths of babes. This gem was found on a blog post elsewhere.

Me: "It's about a DVD"

Child #1: "What gender is it?"

One thing that really burns my biscuits is Circumstantial Exposition. This is my name for when a sloppy writer wants his characters to act in a way that makes absolutely no sense, and they just drop in an explanation right along with the offending behavior.

For example:

And then, Billy decided to get into the car with the stranger. Did I mention that Billy was extremely trustful of strangers? Well he is. Cause he was raised in an orphanage in Ecuador where he lived with deaf mute monks. Since he couldn't speak with them, they were like strangers.

Thanks for the well wishes you sent Janet; she appreciated them.

Now another on-line friend, Itinerant/Nichole Harrison has had a hard time of it recently. Things finally got back to reasonably close to normal then another RL crissis hits.

Today, I went off to help at a bike-jumble held by my cycling club. Not something especially exciting to blog about, spending most of the morning with the other women in the kitchen, toasting tea cakes and washing plates. The men of course, were dribbling over assorted bike bits, brakes and derailleurs, cranks and handlebars; they were also eating most of the teacakes I was toasting - if ever I get fed up with healthcare, I could have found my vocation!

So the first chapter of "Being Christina Chase" is posted. I'm not sure what the response is going to be considering that it's a chapter of a novel as opposed to a self-contained story. Also, it's pretty damned long, and there's no tg content to speak of. Not that there won't be any tg content, just not in the first chapter. I hope people like it; I know I sure as hell wouldn't read anything that long, But I digress...

For some reason, some comments have been disappearing and others are linked to wrong titles. I may have to do a database cleanup which might cause more comments to disappear. Hopefully, not any stories.

Hugs,
Erin

I have been conflicted for a long time about the appropriateness of commenting on authors' works for whom I don't 'work'. There is no question that I have a particular style and set of standards and it may not be compatible with every author.

Yet, I also want to help others grow in the craft and that can not happen without constructive criticism.

It seems, though, that some may have misunderstood my goals and intentions. I truly regret that.

Bob's Stardust First Anniversary Sci-Fi Story Contest is over, the votes have been tabulated by the esteemed accounting firm, Dewey, Fleecem and Howe and the awards ceremony is being prepared even as we type. I don't know who the guest presenters are going to be but I understand that the MC is going to be WFS, old Mr. Sincerity himself. :)