I have nothing significant to add, but I think the work here is superb and I adore this thread.

Maybe after the second job goes by the wayside?

It'll have to be. I'll need posting space on a webpage or a list of volunteers or something. I've got something in progress that I'd like crits on, but posting it in the thread wouldn't work.

We'll see, come next week. I haven't even touched my taxes yet.

Victor, marked. Will go look when I can actually sit down and read without being snorted on.

Heh. Thanks, and thanks to all. Hope people enjoy it. Through the magic of the Internet, it may change depending on people's reactions. I'm hoping to use this as a means to launch it to some small press, then get it off my back all together so I can concentrate on new projects, like the magazine and such.

And I just don't *get* that model at all. I don't do that. I'm conscious of every single word and how it affects the text as a whole.

Rebecca, first the magic happens. Then I edit like hell. And iterate. Fix a little, create a little, fix a little, create a little.

Like, last night I started a weird sonnet-mutant. There were spaces in my mind where words had to fit. Something something heat, reduce. What's going to fit in there that matches my thought and matches the meter?

When I finally had a draft, there was that temporary-resolution moment. I had a plateau to rest on. Now I can nitpick every word, tune it, rip some bits out, but I know what the architecture is, I know what the poem is saying, I know what the time sequence is. I didn't know any of that when I set down the first line.

The torturous times are when the magic won't come and I have to plow through without it.

Victor, reading....

Meanwhile, a question/sitatuation:

Years ago, I wrote a suspense thriller with supernatural overtones (yeah, I know, there's a big surprise) called "Still Life With Devils." It was one of three casualties of my divorce from the publishing industry in 1993; my agent at the time did nothing for it, no clue how to deal with it, and I simply put it away and forgot it until about 18 months ago or so.

What with the splendid current agent, it's being revisited with a view towards submission, possibly under a psuedonym, although that's likely unnecessary, since ghosts and supernaturals are fairly closely linked with my work and name. Thing is, she (Jenn, the agent) made some really good points about things that need moving, dropping, altering, adding and whatnotting. A lot of the changes (infuriating) are things I changed at the request of the first agent, notably "They're black? You can't make the brother and sister in this black! You're white and you'll piss off the black community because you're, well, white!"

Gah.

Question is, if anyone wants to read and comment on this thing as it now stands, would you let me know? This is not not NOT an editing read; it's a read-as-end-user and so, tell me true, what strikes you about the story? read. No edits, typo checks, etc and whatnots required; read and review as a reader, not an editor, basically.

Anyone who does will be much loved and also added to the thanks/acknowledgments page.

If anyone's remotely interested, give a yell and I'll shoot a PDF over.

Deb, you sent me a copy many residences ago, and I have no idea where it is. Can you sling me another?

Deb, I *definitely* do! Can you send it to ivy_623 AT hotmail DOT com?

Also, if you're interested, here's the latest on my back-pain saga: Steph L. "Spike's Bitches 5: One... Good... Day" Mar 24, 2003 5:12:20 pm EST

Deb, I'd be happy to help out. My home email has a 1 meg limit, however, so if you could send it to my work addy, that would be best. It's aweber AT bernan DOT com.

Oh, yeah. My hotmail has a 1 meg limit, but I was assuming a PDF would be under 1 meg. Hmmm. Well, give it a shot.

If it's under one meg, then go ahead and send it to the hotmail addy (missweber AT hotmail DOT com.)