*facepalm*

WHY is it so difficult to find the specific piece of information I need for this damb beefic?

It's a well-known fact that if you cut off a cockroach's head, it will live until it starves to death. Cockroaches are tough little buggers.

However...what happens to a bee if you whack its head off? How long does it live? Can it still fly, or sting?

I called a beekeeper. He didn't know, but suggested trying the library. I've looked through Google until I'm blue in the fingertips.

And I'm squeamish about catching a bee and cutting off its head to find out for myself. That just seems...I don't know. Unnecessarily cruel. To a bug.

Yeah.

And the damb story is stalled until I find out one way or the other. CRAP.

In other news, apparently the author I've been stalking reviewing at FFN has taken the reviews to heart...in a way. She's fixed the script format, but now it's all one big block of text. The word "sinus" is gone, so yay for that.

It looks like she can be taught.

*facepalm*

WHY is it so difficult to find the specific piece of information I need for this damb beefic?

It's a well-known fact that if you cut off a cockroach's head, it will live until it starves to death. Cockroaches are tough little buggers.

However...what happens to a bee if you whack its head off? How long does it live? Can it still fly, or sting?

I called a beekeeper. He didn't know, but suggested trying the library. I've looked through Google until I'm blue in the fingertips.

And I'm squeamish about catching a bee and cutting off its head to find out for myself. That just seems...I don't know. Unnecessarily cruel. To a bug.

Yeah.

And the damb story is stalled until I find out one way or the other. CRAP.

In other news, apparently the author I've been stalking reviewing at FFN has taken the reviews to heart...in a way. She's fixed the script format, but now it's all one big block of text. The word "sinus" is gone, so yay for that.

It looks like she can be taught.

For my own records...

Because I know she's going to delete it AGAIN, and there goes my review. So, here it is:

Okay, better...

But one big block of text is impossible to read. Start a new paragraph when a new character begins talking.

Commas are useful. They make your sentences more coherent and easy to read. Try reading the story out loud. If you're turning blue because you can't take a breath? That's a bad sign.

"Hay" is for horses. The word you're looking for is "hey." Most word processing programs have a handy "find and replace" function under "Edit."

The first word of a sentence has a capital letter, even if it's in quote marks. If a character asks another character a question, it ends in a question mark, thus: "So what do you want to eat?" asked Shayera.

I know this writing thing seems like a lot of hard work, and it is, but it's ultimately rewarding when you have something on the page you can be genuinely proud of. No one's asking you to be perfect (because I go over my stuff ten times and STILL find mistakes on the eleventh run-through), but it should look like you've polished it as well as you're able. :)

My inbox is still empty. But she did fix the script format and get rid of "sinus," so...maybe there's hope yet. But she really needs a beta reader. Or six.

I haven't even attempted to touch her plot, although many many things could be said about it. But she needs to fix her mechanics before she worries about the actual story, I think.

For my own records...

Because I know she's going to delete it AGAIN, and there goes my review. So, here it is:

Okay, better...

But one big block of text is impossible to read. Start a new paragraph when a new character begins talking.

Commas are useful. They make your sentences more coherent and easy to read. Try reading the story out loud. If you're turning blue because you can't take a breath? That's a bad sign.

"Hay" is for horses. The word you're looking for is "hey." Most word processing programs have a handy "find and replace" function under "Edit."

The first word of a sentence has a capital letter, even if it's in quote marks. If a character asks another character a question, it ends in a question mark, thus: "So what do you want to eat?" asked Shayera.

I know this writing thing seems like a lot of hard work, and it is, but it's ultimately rewarding when you have something on the page you can be genuinely proud of. No one's asking you to be perfect (because I go over my stuff ten times and STILL find mistakes on the eleventh run-through), but it should look like you've polished it as well as you're able. :)

My inbox is still empty. But she did fix the script format and get rid of "sinus," so...maybe there's hope yet. But she really needs a beta reader. Or six.

I haven't even attempted to touch her plot, although many many things could be said about it. But she needs to fix her mechanics before she worries about the actual story, I think.

I was right.

That JLA fic? She took it down. We'll have to see if she posts again, or if I've crushed her little writer spirit. I hope not; that wasn't my intention, and I really tried to keep the snark to a minimum. Still nothing in my inbox by way of reply.

ETA: And it's back. Still one big block o' text...but now it's double-spaced! I don't know whether to throw my hands up in the air and give up, or just flat-out offer to beta it for her. The problem is, her "plot" sucks so badly that I don't think I could save it...and it's not my fandom anyway. She incorporated the question mark I told her about, and she fixed the "hays," but she obviously has no idea how to format it so it's halfway readable.

She's trying, dammit.

In other news, I'm reading "The Warrior's Apprentice" by Lois McMaster Bujold, and enjoying it tremendously. It's well-written and the characters are drawn very realistically.

Da Boy is in bed; the Hubby is off at work until late tomorrow night. I should write. Especially since I have the info I need on the bees.

*cracks knuckles and whip* Okay, fuzzy-butts. Let's go.

I was right.

That JLA fic? She took it down. We'll have to see if she posts again, or if I've crushed her little writer spirit. I hope not; that wasn't my intention, and I really tried to keep the snark to a minimum. Still nothing in my inbox by way of reply.

ETA: And it's back. Still one big block o' text...but now it's double-spaced! I don't know whether to throw my hands up in the air and give up, or just flat-out offer to beta it for her. The problem is, her "plot" sucks so badly that I don't think I could save it...and it's not my fandom anyway. She incorporated the question mark I told her about, and she fixed the "hays," but she obviously has no idea how to format it so it's halfway readable.

She's trying, dammit.

In other news, I'm reading "The Warrior's Apprentice" by Lois McMaster Bujold, and enjoying it tremendously. It's well-written and the characters are drawn very realistically.

Da Boy is in bed; the Hubby is off at work until late tomorrow night. I should write. Especially since I have the info I need on the bees.

*cracks knuckles and whip* Okay, fuzzy-butts. Let's go.