picowrimo | July Pico, Day 11

Trying to get back in the groove after a lazy weekend! Managed a little over 300 words before I was interrupted. No snippet because they're really first draft words mapping out a scene with bits of dialogue and bits of description. But I'm pleased enough to be feeling my way back into writing this piece.

I also need to spend time today to beta a story I was asked to look at. I agreed in a moment of high energy--I usually try to accommodate people who need betas but this is over twenty thousand words so it's really going to take some time and the energy seems to be fading as the story sits here before me ;)

That is a lot of work! Let's hope that the writing will continue apace.

You are very brave to accept such a monster story to beta!

I haven't done much writing today - just a single paragraph for my Victorian Sherlock story because it really annoys me that two chapters before the end I just can't kick the plot into moving. *sigh*

Also, I've just got back the next chapter of the Enterprise story from a very nice, helpful American lady who's offered to beta it. As a rule, I'm pathetically grateful when someone dares to brave my creative grammar. Still, when an eager and helpful beta sends back some stuff with grammatical, stylistical and God knows what other errors highlighted in different colours, I'm seriously tempted to give up. It seems I'll never figure out what makes the dratted English language tick. *is depressed*

Another three pages of longhand. I have a shedload to type up, but I've got a day off to do it in tomorrow.

Hey, a paragraph is a paragraph.

I know the feeling re. betas.

Eek - sounds like a mammoth job! Good luck!

I'm back, I'm back! Such an adventure. I can deal without electricity, but no having running water was tough. And I wrote! :D

4800 words or thereabouts - three stories and a long journal entry - life is good... especially after a hot shower.

Have you ever tried to write backwards? it sounds a bit odd, but I've used that to shake the Muse lose a time or two.

I can't believe that you aren't a native English speaker - seriously, you handle the language better than I do. perhaps she was being too helpful.

Can't wait to read some of what you've written!

Yikes, 20,000 words? You are a brave and wonderful beta! *hugs*

400 words today, of the dialogue between White Collar's conman Neal Caffery and Stargate's Jack O'Neill...

"Remind me why I volunteered to be seen in public with what looks like an explosion in a 1980s Christmas kitsch store on my head?"
"Height of fashion among the aliens where we're goin'."
Neal sighed plaintively. "Then it is very clear that humans are the only race with what could be called taste in the entire galaxy. Some humans," he added, casting a jaundiced eye over O'Neill's ill-fitting jeans and yellow windbreaker. "Don't you have a linguist of two who could pretend to be - what did your P.R. inexpert call them? - 'The Evil Enslaver of the Galaxy' - for a day?"

She means well. I just hate being confronted with the fact that I'm still making so many mistakes. And I'm trying sooo hard!

I often don't write the linear way. Sometimes big chunks of later chapters, or even the ending, get written long before the start. Of course, working them into the story where they belong is always a pain in the backside.

Don't I know the feeling...

Respekt, as the Germans would say!

Hehe! Neal is such a breezy guy! Although considering the hats he tends to wear in the series he shouldn't criticize the fashion sense of other people. Even if they are Goa'uld.

Yeah, the better they mean the more they can depress me sometimes. Still, I'm grateful to have them. My understanding of English syntax and grammar is still somewhat nebulous.

Started the day with some *cough, cough* research - watching an MFU episode! But really, it WAS research! Verifying a couple of story-related bits based on the episode!

I got a good amount of time in working on the story. One full hour, plus bits and more bits throughout the day.

One baby robin has flown the coop. One left. I predict tomorrow will be the day. It had better launch early morning, because tomorrow promises to be very hot.

Of course it's research {looks shifty at one's own eveningin front of the TV...}

Whether he should nor not... he will :)

oh well done!!!

I'm impressed... I haven't actually written in pen and ink for, oh ages (edited yes, but written? - and my handwriting is even worse than it was...)

You have written. That is the main thing.

And i do understand about the feeling of seeing all the corrections... I consider my English good (have an honours degree in it) but the number of typos/spelling mistakes/grammar glitches/just plain stuff ups (and what a beta once called "impressionistic punctuation"...sometimes makes me wonder where my connection with the language went, if I ever had one...

Good on you for agreeing to beta, it's often daunting... but so helpful.

I've been away on holiday, and I haven't made any words at all (I made lots of knitting instead). I've got things to catch up on now, though, and I would like to write some fic this month...

But I like to opportunity of being able to work backwards at times, too. It allows for later brainstorms.

*hugs* From what I've read, you are doing an admirable job!

July Pico, Day 11

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