my silence is my self-defence

[pensnest]

We did not breakfast at home today. Walked into town—it rained, but English style, the kind where once you get inside you just find that you are wet—and went for brunch at JC Pinto's, where Beast had a Full English and I had Turkish Eggs with bacon and extra toast, very agreeable indeed. We had been accumulating tiny tasks to be done in town, and ended up spending a couple of hours buying various individually unimportant things. Like mothballs. Oh, the hardware shop in town is so awesome! Do you get tempted by such things? I bought a tiny whisk because it was there, and some living fertiliser plant seeds. as well as the cedar collars and anti-moth hangers and a box of cedar balls for my yarn drawer. Have been looking for moth repellent in Sainsburys for weeks. Go Thorne's!

*

I have begun to receive spam from persons (or possibly not) desirous of improving my business's reach, marketing, success, whatever, etc. How nice of them.

I do not run a business. I have a website... for fanfic and Eng Lit essays. Sigh.

*

So, anyway, I've been perusing a couple of fanfic subreddits of late, and would like to state the following in a place where I won't make any teenagers cry:

a) if you did not use a beta, I hope you write well enough that I won't notice. If you announce gleefully that you did not use a beta, I'm probably not going to bother to check whether I notice or not.

b) if you give an author's note, it had better be thoughtful, relevant, and coherent. I don't actually care about your life, and AO3 is an archive, not your social media account.

c) if you are tagging your mood, your zany, unconventional self, the fact that you have no beta and are proud of it, or the fact that you had had too much sugar when you wrote this story, I'll be noping the fuck out.

d) if you are embarrassed by your own fic, for the love of god do not say so. If you can't stand firmly and proudly behind your work, why post it?

Harrumph.

Comments

[shipperslist]

All of that but especially B!!! Ye gods it’s beyond annoying to try and read a story and then there’s a whole-ass epic going on in the author’s notes. 🙄🙄🙄

[jacieleigh]

I'd want to add an e) if you're going insist on holding future chapters hostage until you receive X number of comments, don't expect me to comment... ever.

And I'm glad other people are annoyed about non-beta use. While I only use betas for challenge stories (although these days, that's about all I write anymore), I proofread a dozen or so times before posting my stories and am honestly embarrassed to find typos in posted works. I'm annoyed at how many stories are posted that look like they haven't been proofread even once... and some of those list a beta!

[watervole]

REmember to rub the cedar balls with sandpaper now and then to refresh them.

[turps]

You're brave going to fanfic subreddits!

[turlough]

Your brunch sounds delicious!

Hardware shops are dangerous places! They have so much fun and interesting stuff. I love looking at all the little metal thingies and wondering what craft-related things they could be used for.

The worst thing is how many stories involve ALL of these! Don't they want people to read their stories?!!!

[pensnest]

And like as not, a whole bunch of stuff I don't wanna read about. Yep.

[pensnest]

Oh, yes, I forgot that one. Though to be fair, that e) gets a fair bit of dislike even on Reddit.

I use a beta when a story matters - eg gift fic, or a big story that I put a lot of work into and care about, as opposed to a lighthearted little squib. But I don't announce what hasn't been beta'd, because no.

There are, of course, betas and betas.

[pensnest]

A good reminder, thank you!

[pensnest]

Yeah... too frivolous to get on with writing my own stuff, unfortunately. I could procrastinate for England, were it an Olympic sport. (If I could be bothered.)

[pensnest]

It's a very nice little restaurant. We might do brunch when you visit! I'm not sure how we will spend our Saturday.

I know - so much self-pity and low self-esteem on display, I wanna see confidence. When my chorus comes onto the stage we are supposed to hold ourselves like winners. Also true for authors!