Dalekboy

There's a meme going around for first lines from published stories and for first lines from works in progress, so here goes... ( Read more... )

Finished, and only a friggin' week early! ( Read more... )

So Thursday night I had problems with my clutch (oo-er!), then the fridge died yesterday - and today, the internet exploded!

Long story short, someone attacked a reviewer for giving their work a bad review, which prompted someone else to write a piece effectively saying that if your writing is for public consumption - grow a fucking backbone (my wording, not his) and learn to take criticism.

My take on this is that I like criticism. I haven't had anything published for a while, but that's because much as I tried to continue on post-stroke, it was just too hard and disheartening. But I think I"m getting my mojo back.

I think good negative criticism helps you find the flaws in your writing, and bad negative criticism is something to be ignored. I'm not talking about anyone in particular here, but bad critics are usually more concerned with how cleverly worded their put-downs are, than giving a balanced review.

But for me, the unforgivable sin in reviewing is to spoil the story for the reader. You don't give away plot twists, you certainly don't tell people how it ends - but some reviewers do just that.

When I am actually writing, I put up all the reviews I can find, positive and negative. For me personally, part of being a writer is to take the negative reviews and acknowledge them. They are valid opinions. I don't have to agree with them, but they are just as valid as my hatred of Van Helsing, and my love of Zoolander.

So, am I wrong to write comments about the reviews, or to mess about and play silly buggers? I don't know. Given that virtually no part of my life is hidden in this LJ, it would feel weird not to comment on the reviews.

So here are links to my comments and reviews for Of the Mermaid and Jupiter, Best Seller, and two lots for Sold Out.

I'd be interested in people's opinions. Have I crossed the line without realising?

I wrote 764 words Tuesday night. It's the first bit of fiction writing I've tried in quite a while.

It's all tripe.

I don't normally come away from something I've written thinking it's crap. Rough, simplistic, needs work maybe, but not rubbish. I can see the gleam of the ideas and people, I just need to polish them. This was a turd.

What makes it especially interesting and frustrating is that I had this entire first bit in my head, and knew it worked, and what went down on the page wasn't what was in my head. Even now, I have it in my head, and I don't know how what came out on the page got there. Even as I typed it, I knew I wasn't saying what I wanted to. Never had that trouble before. Oh I may not have the exact words, I may not have captured the feeling I was going for, but I was usually at least in the right general area.

On the plus side, I don't think there's any random words or sentences, which was a big problem for a while after the stroke. And my spelling has gone to hell, but it's not like my spelling was brilliant to start.

Interesting to try and start again, but the new issues are disheartening. Oh well, I can but try.

Today's story is here for those that want to read it.

My favourite story so far is Memento by rwrylsin. Check it out.

Just after the penis post in 100 Days, I was put onto a series of posts by a young woman regarding her genitalia issues. Completely different to mine of course, we have different bits for a start! But raw, honest, powerful, and all the sorts of things people say about my posts. I didn't get around to commenting at the time, I wasn't reading much in general because of my concentration, and so after going through a chunk over a few days, life got in the way and I forgot to go back to it again.( Read more... )

Okay, well the other gods realised they'd made a bad call, and are gunna make sure I get lots of blood an hearts to eat. Yay for human sacrifice!

So I've put on a bit of weight. I'm eating a lot. Debbie says it's cos I've got so many mouths, and I'm like STFU bitch! I'm friggin' depressed, ok? My kids tried to kill me and I had a bloody big warrior pop out of me and massacre them all! Show some compassion, bitch!

Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca are a comfort though. And they make so many nice things to eat! Yum!

I have had the worst day ever! Seriously! It started when I couldn't find my skirt, you know, the snake one. I fuggin LOVE that skirt cos it shows off my legs an now I can't find it. I asked Coyolxauhqui if she had borrowed mummy's skirt for her doof, but she's acting like a little bitch right now, so I couldn't get a straight answer.

Anyway I was sweeping temple an I found a ball of feathers right? An like, no-one owned it or anything, it was just a ball of feathers. So I picked it up and stuck it down my cleavage, cos I thought it might feel nice, an it did. STFU anyone who calls me perve, it's like a feather boa for my girls, ok?

So I went to look for it a while ago and couldn't find it! I was like, WTF?! It's not like my titties could eat feathers! Anyway, I start to feel strange and guess what! Preggers again! How did I get preggers from feathers? What sort of feathers do that to a girl?

Man, I wish I'd had sex ed at school is all I'm sayin'.

Worst is my kids don't believe their mum :(