*beats story*

Well. I got the silver allergy thing out of the way. Probably knocked a page or so out of it.

The end is still too damn long. Although the corporate stuff is more organic, since I set it up better.

The base-jumping thing needs to be there. The entire story, I've alluded to not!Tony's risky behavior. Running with bulls, kayaking accidents, cliff-diving while drunk...all behavior he's engaged in. Now, I'd like to edit the cliff-diving thing so we actually see him do it, rather than have him limp into camp reeking of scotch afterwards (because this still smacks of telling rather than showing), and I have a way of doing it that would probably be even funnier than what it is now (if you find the idea of this guy base-jumping while intoxicated amusing). So that's fixable--although it might lengthen the end, which is the exact opposite of what I want to do.

And the last scene needs to be from not!Harry's POV. We opened on him (getting the crap beat out of him), so we should close on him (where he's got some modicum of happiness). And since it's All About Him anyway...yeah.

The problem is that I'm not sure I have a way to shorten this scene without shortchanging it.

FRAK.

I'm almost ready to just pass it on to y'all and say "have at it."

*beats story*

Well. I got the silver allergy thing out of the way. Probably knocked a page or so out of it.

The end is still too damn long. Although the corporate stuff is more organic, since I set it up better.

The base-jumping thing needs to be there. The entire story, I've alluded to not!Tony's risky behavior. Running with bulls, kayaking accidents, cliff-diving while drunk...all behavior he's engaged in. Now, I'd like to edit the cliff-diving thing so we actually see him do it, rather than have him limp into camp reeking of scotch afterwards (because this still smacks of telling rather than showing), and I have a way of doing it that would probably be even funnier than what it is now (if you find the idea of this guy base-jumping while intoxicated amusing). So that's fixable--although it might lengthen the end, which is the exact opposite of what I want to do.

And the last scene needs to be from not!Harry's POV. We opened on him (getting the crap beat out of him), so we should close on him (where he's got some modicum of happiness). And since it's All About Him anyway...yeah.

The problem is that I'm not sure I have a way to shorten this scene without shortchanging it.

FRAK.

I'm almost ready to just pass it on to y'all and say "have at it."

*blinks*

Holy CRAP, y'all.

I've seen authors do dumb shit before. I've blogged about it.

But I'm pretty sure I've never seen anything like this.

So, what do you do if a reviewer/editor posts a review on their LJ that's less than flattering to your work?

Shrug it off, saying "to each their own"? That would be the smart thing to do.

Rant about it in a locked post on your own LJ? Not as smart, but probably acceptable if you keep it locked to people you know won't blab.

Rant about it in an unlocked post on LJ? Eh, that would probably be monumentally stupid.

However. Not as monumentally stupid as suggesting that the reviewer kill himself. And then, as icing on the cake, suggest that he take his cat with him.

Because, you know, that reviewer won't out you on his own LJ by publishing an email you sent him. And thus any career you might have had gets flushed straight down the toilet, because no one is going to want to deal with you after something like that.

Gee, it's a good thing that Kevin W. Reardon / Cole A. Adams is only in it for "the love of writing." Because that's about all he's going to get from here on out.

ETA: And now Mr. Adams/Reardon is sending death threats??? Oh. My. Gawd. I'm a writer, but, seriously. I've run out of words.

Son of ETA: And the review that spawned this? Kevin W. Reardon | "The Portico Angel" - a bad opening crippled this story for me plus the various relationships felt off. Suggesting someone kill themselves and death threats over THAT? Oh. Em. Gee.

*blinks*

Holy CRAP, y'all.

I've seen authors do dumb shit before. I've blogged about it.

But I'm pretty sure I've never seen anything like this.

So, what do you do if a reviewer/editor posts a review on their LJ that's less than flattering to your work?

Shrug it off, saying "to each their own"? That would be the smart thing to do.

Rant about it in a locked post on your own LJ? Not as smart, but probably acceptable if you keep it locked to people you know won't blab.

Rant about it in an unlocked post on LJ? Eh, that would probably be monumentally stupid.

However. Not as monumentally stupid as suggesting that the reviewer kill himself. And then, as icing on the cake, suggest that he take his cat with him.

Because, you know, that reviewer won't out you on his own LJ by publishing an email you sent him. And thus any career you might have had gets flushed straight down the toilet, because no one is going to want to deal with you after something like that.

Gee, it's a good thing that Kevin W. Reardon / Cole A. Adams is only in it for "the love of writing." Because that's about all he's going to get from here on out.

ETA: And now Mr. Adams/Reardon is sending death threats??? Oh. My. Gawd. I'm a writer, but, seriously. I've run out of words.

Son of ETA: And the review that spawned this? Kevin W. Reardon | "The Portico Angel" - a bad opening crippled this story for me plus the various relationships felt off. Suggesting someone kill themselves and death threats over THAT? Oh. Em. Gee.

Okay, well...

That scene is ten times better. It was "okay" before. But now it pops. *snorgles my Writing Buddy, who suggested a "Hey, Megan, watch this!" scenario*

In fact, I haven't graced y'all with a snippet in awhile, have I? Here, have one:

---

They'd been in camp for about an hour when Alex called. "Hey, Megan! Watch this."

"Where are you?" Megan's grip on her phone was white-knuckled.

"Look across the river, up on the cliff." A tiny figure waved at them from the clifftop--and leaped.

"Oh my god! Alex!"

A parachute blossomed over his head before she got the exclamation all the way out, and he floated toward the ground. "Piece of cake, safe as houses," he said, and disappeared behind the trees. "Ow. Shit."

"Alex?"

"Ow. Gotta go. Be there in a little while." The call ended, and Megan stared in consternation at the phone. But, true to his word, Alex showed up in camp about a half hour later.

Limping. Still with the manic grin. And reeking of scotch.

"Oh, god, what happened?" Megan moaned.

"Did you know that base-jumping is a huge sport around here? And it's even legal."

"Alex..."

"You should try it sometime."

"What happened to your leg?"

He shrugged, elaborately casual. "Oh, landed wrong, twisted my knee a little and hit a cactus. Nothing big."

"Alex..."

"So, where are we eating tonight?" Alex said blithely.

---

Oh, god, I love these characters...

Okay, well...

That scene is ten times better. It was "okay" before. But now it pops. *snorgles my Writing Buddy, who suggested a "Hey, Megan, watch this!" scenario*

In fact, I haven't graced y'all with a snippet in awhile, have I? Here, have one:

---

They'd been in camp for about an hour when Alex called. "Hey, Megan! Watch this."

"Where are you?" Megan's grip on her phone was white-knuckled.

"Look across the river, up on the cliff." A tiny figure waved at them from the clifftop--and leaped.

"Oh my god! Alex!"

A parachute blossomed over his head before she got the exclamation all the way out, and he floated toward the ground. "Piece of cake, safe as houses," he said, and disappeared behind the trees. "Ow. Shit."

"Alex?"

"Ow. Gotta go. Be there in a little while." The call ended, and Megan stared in consternation at the phone. But, true to his word, Alex showed up in camp about a half hour later.

Limping. Still with the manic grin. And reeking of scotch.

"Oh, god, what happened?" Megan moaned.

"Did you know that base-jumping is a huge sport around here? And it's even legal."

"Alex..."

"You should try it sometime."

"What happened to your leg?"

He shrugged, elaborately casual. "Oh, landed wrong, twisted my knee a little and hit a cactus. Nothing big."

"Alex..."

"So, where are we eating tonight?" Alex said blithely.

---

Oh, god, I love these characters...