Weekly check in post *waves hello*

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone. Time for the weekly check in and as usual I am jumping all around the place something my work colleagues are starting to find a little annoying *g* so I have slightly random post for you.

First, while I am sure everyone knows about this, I just wanted to link to the transcripts page over at The Hatstand. These are always a massive help to me when I am thinking about matching things up with the episodes.

Second I wanted to highlight the LJ comm little_details which helps writers with the research and fact checking. Well worth looking through the old posts here as well as potentially posting as the comm is watched by a large number of LJ users.

Next some Tips to Increase Writing Productivity and Hints and Tips for Distraction Free Writing. This is something I desperately need as I keep letting myself get distracted by the phone, the TV, spring cleaning, staring at the wall, everything *hangs head in shame*.

And lastly a bit of fun, how about a couple title generators to help you think of a title for your story, Title-o-matic and Random Book Title Generator. Clicking a few times gave me the options of: Haze Moccasin, Crystalline Blue, Icewater Series, Snow in the Memory, Hard Consort, and Stray Dog Kiss. *grins*.

Anyway now is your chance to check in and let us know how you are getting on, ask any questions, tell us that the suggested title Haze Moccasin fits your work perfectly, and so on.

Comments

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I really wasn't kidding when I said I am letting myself get distracted by everything. So I thought I might put a pledge up that I would write at least 500 words this weekend, hopefully more, but I'll publically pledge to that and maybe it'll make me get off my behind and do it.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

*Cheers you on!!*

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

I'll publically pledge to that and maybe it'll make me get off my behind and do it.

Yay you! I'll buy you a pint when you're done (or maybe before if you prefer??)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I think I should probably be joining you in this pledge as it's only 16 days to go to my *other* BB's deadline. *headdesk*

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

You can do it!!! Just go for the 500 words and don't think about the rest of it.

[nickygabriel]

Next some Tips to Increase Writing Productivity and Hints and Tips for Distraction Free Writing

Thank you for the links! :)

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

My pleasure, now I just need to see if they work for me at all :D.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

*runs in slurping coffee as fast as she can go*

Hard Consort and Stray Dog Kiss, now those are titles for Pros stories if ever I've seen them. *g*

*runs out to drive to work*

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

I admit that hard Consort may have actually given me a few ideas, most of them around rentboy!ray but then my thoughts frequently turn to that.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I absolutely loving titling stories, mine or anybody else's! I think it's almost the most important thing. It's like naming your baby. If it sucks, the kid suffers its entire life. If it reflects the contents and is a bit of a tease, it draws folks in. Now my idea of a super title might not be yours, but I still am totally baffled when anybody posts a story, even a drabble and it says, untitled. To me, rightly or wrongly, that means the writer didn't care enough to even name the creation. *slinks away*

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

I universally suck at titling anything. If any of my stories have decent titles they tend to have been someone else's suggestion. I am not sure why but it is a complete block for me.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

oh I love titling as well - much more than writing sometimes :D Although I take my hat off to those who can title other people's stories... *that* I find hard. And I agree that titles can draw me into stories or possibly unfairly put me off. I don't think it's a question of subtlety or originality either - it's just what strikes a chord. Heh because I'll always read something titled "Pain" (shush!) but really looong titles made up of song lyrics ... not so much :D

[inlovewithboth.livejournal.com]

I'm happy with my title, the only thing that's winding me up is my main proof reader is too busy polishing his motorbike to bother reading the story..... grrrr....

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

I say hide the motorbike :D. Sounds like you are doing brilliantly though.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

So far my favourite Title-O-Matic title is Vague Oppression... sounds like a fandom trope to me. :D

I completely endorse your rec of little_details a really, really useful site... and well, actually just really fun reading if you look through the tags. Of course my idea of fun might be a be warped.

I'll definitely be looking at the productivity and distraction free tips... Oooh shiny! <-- *Has the attention span of a goldfish when it comes to writing*

I have to admit that I'm a title junkie too although my titles often only make sense to/amuse me. I still don't think Ninety-nine Yew Trees was the most obvious thing to call a Pros story, nope. *g*

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

The title-o-matic is every so slightly addictive. I keep clicking it just to see what it comes up with next. I think Vague Oppression sounds very promising though.

The shiny always distracts me as well.

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

So, as of last night I was just shy of halfway. \o/

I've been inserting more bits around Bodie (Doyle's always been fine, if a little OOC; the story really came to life through his pov). And I haven't even really started the "conflict" part of the story. So I think 20,000 words will happen with only moderate angst.

Boy, is this ever going to need revising when I get through the first draft, though... :D

I think I'm not prepping for betaing, though. The person I've been talking to has been busy and I haven't heard from her recently. I think the more betas the better (at least three: two canon and one grammar), but finding a beta *is* a bit of an art. So I'm a little worried about getting feedback. (Plus there's lots of extreme RL drama right now, which might be leaking into the story, bleh.)

I might ask my flist for first readers (to just read the story through for "impact"), although only one or two have a passing knowledge of The Professionals. Some of them are really good writers.

Any other betas tips anyone can pass on?

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Oooh just shy of halfway, that's brilliant! And I'd be happy to knock around ideas or do a first read or whatever if you think it would help :D

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Just shy of halfway is seriously brilliant, I am very impressed and very jealous as well :D.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Half way, woohoo! That's great.

Find a beta/editor who will give you honest, concise, detailed ideas and/or suggestions if you want a tough yet helpful beta. And be willing to read the advice even if you make a decision not to use it.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

In my experience, for both fanfic and original fic, the main beta focus areas need to be consistency (of voice, as well as things like the car colour...), plot holes, awkward scenes, the need for explanations, Americanisms, anachronisms and, of course, grammar. Canon can be sorted via things like the Hatstand site and besides, if you don't have a really good grasp of episode detail you will be writing your own episode rather than trying to 'fill in gaps'. I think betas who aren't familiar with canon are fine because your story should be accessible to readers who also aren't experts. They can pick up on where you should add more explanation, something a fandom expert might miss. So - ask your f'list and then find a first reader who has some canon expertise just to make sure...

[scherwood]

I'm kinda stuck... but I'm too busy with school work right now, and my one month visit to UK coming up in June. *flailing*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Get unstuck! Come on, you can do it! I haz faith. :)

Weekly check in post *waves hello*

[judesmk.livejournal.com]

Interesting about titles: I find I have a title before I even have an idea for a story and the rest follows on. For my BB story, I've had the title in my head for years (it was originally going to be a Mills and Boon novel but don't kick me for that!!) and I find that the title and some of that original plot are working very nicely for B&D. That said I've only got to the end of Chapter 3 (around 6000 words). And that's the other thing, how trustworthy is the word counter on Word. I read somewhere the other day that it counts anything with white space around it so a dash becomes a word, etc. Anyone know. Still it at least gives me some clue as to how I'm getting along.

Luv

Judes

Re: Weekly check in post *waves hello*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Titles are such fun. I'm glad I'm not the only one with titles and no stories yet. :)

I wouldn't worry about the word count unless it's off by thousands! . Nobody's going to be counting every single word to be sure you hit 20,000 if Word says you have 19,867. But if you have 14,000, then we might need to talk.

You could check it in another program like Open Office, which BTW is a much nicer program than Word and NOT owned by Microsoft! *beg* Or upload it into one of the automated archives and just do a preview rather than post it which will make it visible to other folks.

If it's really worrying you, you may send me your draft and I'd be happy to put it into Open Office and tell you what I have as far as a word count. Then you can then be reassured or freaked out. :)

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

Um... *scuffs toe* I'm pleading jetlag. (gotta blame something for my lack of progress!)

I have grand plans, but so far, nothing has come of them. :(

little_details is very distracting helpful! Lots of info about bullet wounds there.

On the matter of titles - I don't always have a title straight away, but I find that the story goes much better when I have a title for it.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Oooh jet lag, yes, I have jet lag too. Oh, you have to have been on a plane? Drat, I knew there would be something so that just still leaves me with... AMNESIA!

I do enjoy a good title and always find it's a really bad sign when I can't think of one for a story.