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.