Not quite beta request

[brigdh]

Lately it has occurred to me that I don't actually like these secret ficathons. Which, okay, means that I should probably stop signing up for them, but so many of the most interesting and popular events require the authors to be anonymous, at least for a little while. People who are not me must enjoy the secrecy, because I think Yuletide is the third one I've done this year.

But I find it hard to concentrate on writing without being able to talk about it; I'm sure you all notice my tendency to post word counts or complaints about characters not cooperating whenever I'm working on something. It's the best way I know to motivate myself, and so I don't really like having to keep it a secret.

So. Would anyone like to volunteer to let me babble at them? Obviously I'd have to spoil you for what story I'm writing, which is why I'm asking this as a favor, but I wouldn't require anything else; all I want is someone to send progress reports and whining. I haven't done anything more than make a rough outline yet, so you're not even likely to get an email from me soon. If you're also writing for Yuletide (or anything else), I will totally return the favor, if you'd like.

I feel weirdly guilty about this, because I know seeing someone else's wordcount is really not that interesting; I like making livejournal posts for this very reason- they're so easy to scroll past, and no one is required to comment. But it'd be much easier than being a beta, as you will not actually have to do anything. Except maybe reply with the verbal equivalent of a thumbs up, to keep me from turning shy with the certainty that I'm annoying you. Um. Wow, for some reason this request is making me insanely embarrassed, so I want to stress that no one has to volunteer unless you really want to.

Comments

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

Me, me! Babble at me! -- If you want, that is.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

But of course I want to! Would you like the babble just sent to your regular email?

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

Email works for me. If you'd rather, I'd be willing to try to figure out this whole chat/IM thing again -- I had it worked out in theory two years ago, but I never used it for anything, so that now I'd need to start all over again from the beginning -- but then you'd obviously need to wait while I did find the appropriate clients and glared at the services' privacy policies and stuff. And that glaring tends to take a while, even when the actual technical part is simple.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hey, I always support new technology. I usually run Trillian, which includes AIM, Yahoo messenger, ICQ, and MSN, but I also already have IRC, gmail chat, and a few others installed.

Essentially what I'm saying is: whichever service you find requires the least glaring, I bet I am equipped to use it. Though email is also fine, particularly since it doesn't require being online at the same time.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

Then I'd say, email me whenever you're ready, but in the meantime I shall use this as an impetus to look at the various IM services. Since I'm already using gmail, there's probably nothing more they're likely to ask me to sign off on than I've already agreed to. I can hope, anyway.

And now, back to my own anonymous ficathon issues -- at least, until I can find some other shiny distraction.

[pineapplechild.livejournal.com]

Hey, ya' can babble at me. If it helps you be less emberessed back, I'll find some writing to babble back about.

email= oakdoitter @ gmail . com

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I think I've got an embarrassment of riches now; I'll feel silly if I take anyone else, too. But thank you so much for offering! Man, there's nothing to reassure me like getting so many responses right away. I'd love you just for that.

[pineapplechild.livejournal.com]

Heh! No worries.


*warbles* Can you feel the love tonight...

[veleda-k.livejournal.com]

Gee, do I really want to listen to one of my favorite authors talk about her work?

Hm, would I like a million dollars?

The answer to both these questions is yes, but the latter seems slightly unlikely.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I can't imagine that it's really that interesting, particularly when it's not even a fandom you know (uh, I think). But thank you for the faith in my ability to be entertaining!

What email address would you like babble sent to?

[veleda-k.livejournal.com]

I think you could talk about your grocery list and I'd be entertained, but that might be more about my being very easily amused. I am very, very easily amused.

Don't worry about me not knowing the fandom. I'll consider it karma for all the times I babbled on and on to my best friend who knows next to nothing about manga or anime.

Me: And Hazel makes a very politely worded comment about Hakkai's limiters, and Hakkai just gets this look on his face. Minekura's artwork is masterful; she can show much emotion with so little space. Matsushita's art is very pretty, but she's just not in Minekura's league. The way they work with plot is also very telling. See, Minekura... *goes on about how Saiyuki works as a symbol of the creative process in general and how it compares to YnM*

Best friend: *nods and smiles, having never seen even one episode of either Saiyuki or YnM*

Anyway, my email address is veleda@sailormoon.com. You can also find me on YIM as veleda_k, and AIM as veleda k.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Man, lucky you. My friends don't have nearly so much patience for listening to me go on about my current fandoms. Which, hey, is totally not fair, because I once listened to the entire plot of Kenshin, that's like 500 episodes long.

Thank you again!

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

I'm game, and I've even caught up on my backlog so my inbox is shiny and...well, empty for values of empty that include "less than fifty messages." *G*

I already got Yuletide done, but I'm sure I can dig up a project to babble about in return, if you're dying to hear it. ;-)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

So that would explain why I got, like, 20 replies from you today. (Kidding. I'm actually always very amused to check my mail and see a whole row of your comments. Other people are all sporadic and mean I only get one or two things to read at a time.)

I would certainly feel less embarrassed if you were to babble back, yes. Should I just use your gmail address?

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

This is why I'm very upfront about my lax comment answering policy. Not only will you not hear from me for months, but then you'll get spammed. *G* Nobody's complained so far, or at least not so's I'd listen. ;-)

Congratulations, you've just been suckered into alphaing for me, which means you might get hit with pieces of the SSGSP. Aren't you glad you asked now? *G* Yeah, ranalore at the big G is good.

[rm.livejournal.com]

If it's a fandom I know anything about, sure.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

It is, but I think I've already got all the volunteers that even I could require. I can definitely include you if you'd like, but you shouldn't feel obligated.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Well, in that case, I think I want to be just to have stuffs for pondering eagerly.

[solo.livejournal.com]

Babble at me anytime! I'm not signed up for yuletide, have no requests in, nothing, so it's not like I'm being spoiled for anything. I might occasionally babble back about un-cooperative Sakurazukamori...

[solo.livejournal.com]

Hm, posted before reading comments and realizing that the timezones are against me and your cup floweth over. :-)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee. I really do appreciate the offer, though! And I'll have to keep you in mind for the next time I need betas.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

I am babblable, always.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've got it all sorted out for the moment, though.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Good!