I never got "too lyrical" for mainstream stuff, so take heart. I was just wondering if Pensioner might not be too lyrical for fanfic, since I wasn't familiar with it at the time.

See, when I edit (Plei's beta is a good example), I always take it the same way: as if the author wanted a last pass before it went out the door to an agent or for a pub submission.

I suddenly want to see the picture of the demon with the huge schlong.

BWAH! See, the problem here is, they're dealing with a ghost. They know who the ghost is/was; they just can't figure out how in hell it's actually managing to damage anyone physically, since ghosts can't (take that, First Evil!), being noncorporeal.

So they go to a nice little bookshop in Hampshire to check out "ghosts who want to have sex with the living and suck all their life force out of them" and they come up with this demon, and the problem is, they aren't looking for a demon, they're looking for a particular flavour of ghost, and they don't even believe in demons. And they already know who this sod was when he was alive. So what in hell's he doing being a demon?

And the lady of Shallot dreamily spreadin' 'em for the Big Shlong Demon Guy doesn't exactly help.

... "Theirs was a fragile peace, broken by Fred and never fully reassembled"?

One can break a peace. (Also a piece, which was what I typed first.)

Rebecca, yup; my original specific edit was to match the two verbs. So, changing either one would work.

I'll admit, though, that the sheer mechanical feel of any version of that flavour of 'assembly" brings up pictures of all those old Warner Brothers 1950's cartoons, anything to do with industry - they all had this particular music and I wish to hell I could hum online, because you'd know exactly which ones I was talking about....

I always take it the same way: as if the author wanted a last pass before it went out the door to an agent or for a pub submission.

I'm not following why you said this?

Oh, it was just a follow-on about editing and stylistics - also a mild apologia to Plei, because I suck at canon and do mechanical edits instead.

I'm also rather febrile today. It's a gruesome MS day. Everything feels a bit scattered.

Oh, it was just a follow-on about editing and stylistics - also a mild apologia to Plei, because I suck at canon and do mechanical edits instead.

Hee. With AtS, I almost never need canon reminders.

I'm kind of a walking Canon Ref, so what I tend to need is, in fact, mechanical.

I'm impossible at anything other than mechanical, I think. I don't know canon for any of them and I try not to screw with the writer's style (despite my earlier remarks). Tell me there was an alien invasion in season 1 and I'll go, "hmm, I must have missed that ep."

I'm sorry about the gruesomeness of the day. Mine has been a nothing day, but it's improving, despite the lateness of the hour.

Kewl. Then I have Done A Good Thing, Plei, and will hope that you ping me, should further betas arise.

I have two cats in my lap. This is not completely off-topic; the incredibly sweet tabby boy is called Rupert and his coal-black sister, who currently is standing on my thighs and is sucking on my face, is called Darth Willow.

Deena, improving? Never a bad deal.

And here comes kitty number three, sister of first two, little Tonkinese clone with blue eyes called (of course) Buffy.