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

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

*g* I'll give you flight details if you want to pretend!

Yep. And I can't even stick an interim title on, because then I start referring to the story as that and can't come up with a proper title! (I put 'Orienteering for Beginners' on my big bang story when I was surreptitiously working on it at work ... and now I can't think of a proper title! lol)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I'll let you know if I get desperate... Erm, more desperate.

Titles with me tend to be jokes that are only funny to me/only I understand, classic understatement or focused on a really small detail no one else would notice.

Orienteering for Beginners suggests all sorts of dodgy double entendre to me. *g*

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

No worries. ;) If I get more desperate, I'm totally nicking your amnesia ploy!

Sometimes it can be really fun to give a story a title that means something complete obscure and different to you than it does to the reader.

The really weird thing is, the title actually could work for the story! *g* (I think my mind is probably in the same gutter yours is in)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Well, Amnesia is VERY common in fandom land. *g*

I think it's a great title and you should seriously consider it. *g* Of course it's not quite in the same league as the one The Random Title Generator just gave me, The Naked Sliver.

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

*g* Yes, it is... and very selective too!

I have a feeling the story is going to be called that by default. My internal title generator seems to have decided that the story is titled so its job is done!

LOL That's a great title! (although I read it as The Naked Silver first *g*) One has to wonder if we're talking about naked slivers if certain individuals might suffer from feelings of inadequacy and need to just duck off to the loo to make sure you're not referring to them!

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

As said, it's a great title. *g*

The title generator just gave me The Sharp Ring... put that together with The Naked Sliver and we've got a party.

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

I reckon The Sharp Ring and The Naked Sliver could have one hell of a party if they get together! *g*

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

*cheers you on too*

You could start some kind of club...

[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...

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

*offers something or other that will melt glue painlessly*

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

During your jetlag and your distractions your subconscious is busy working it all out... *nods*

[scherwood]

LoL *hoping it helps*

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Jetlag works for me *g*.

And I like spending time at little_deatils as well, I can get very distracted though.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Thanks, petal.

Vic and I along with ND and some mates in another fandom have banded together to torture encourage each other with these word pledges before. It does really help to not only know others are suffering for enjoying writing for the BB, but to know that in the same weekend we're trying to accomplish the same thing.

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

You know, I never thought of it in terms of lack of familiarity = seeing problems more easily. I think you have a really good point with that.

Hmmmm... And maybe I can convert some of my flist to the Pros side, to boot! :D

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I beta'd three or four stories for a friend in Due South. I'd never seen an episode and she had me read because she felt if I could understand the story, then at least she had that part covered! I would assume when something happened that wasn't explained, it was canon so it wasn't a big problem not actually knowing the source material. I'd make a note about it, just in case, but it almost always turned out to have been a canon tidbit not a mistake on her part.

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

I sure hope so! I'm beginning to panic that I won't have the rough draft done in time!

[liriel1810.livejournal.com]

Oh good! I was having a problem coming up with an original excuse for why I haven't done any work on the story recently. *g*

You can lose hours with little_details! I have all the research I need to do (I think) now I just need to sit down and write the damn thing! lol