Miss Me W That

the concept and idea of “you can always start trying to be a better person” is extremely important to me both in media and irl and i continue to be deeply deeply disturbed by the trend on this site pushing that these ideas in media are bad writing or even morally reprehensible

because theyd rather someone stay terrible or just straight up die than become a better person 

from a compassionate point of view it’s deeply distressing and from a pragmatic point of view it’s outright frustrating

it’s fucked up. 

Beta Reader Call!

I am currently polishing up the third draft of my portal fantasy novel, A Song in the Wilderness, which means it's finally time for one of my favorite parts of the writing process: beta reading! I have already reached out to a couple of regular readers, but I am in search of two or three more beta readers to give me some fresh eyes on this story.

Have you always wanted to try beta reading but don’t want too much pressure? Do you need more reading material to while away the sweet summer hours (or cold winter nights, for my Southern Hemisphere friends)? Are you eager for a chance to take a red pen (literal or otherwise) to someone else's writing? Do you want a quiet, character-driven story about faith, duty, and sacrifice? This might be the project for you!

Note: Responses must be submitted by May 12th.

*If you are interested in reading this story but don't want the pressure of formal beta-reading or if the deadline doesn't work for you, please see my note near the bottom.*

A bit about the story:

More than ten years ago, Paige tripped through a portal and ended up in a different world—with no way to get back. She arrived with nothing but the clothes on her back, a kitten in her pocket, and strange new powers that nearly destroyed her before she learned how to deal with them. The people of this world taught Paige to survive. Like her, they have had to eke out a living on the far side of their own apocalypse, carving out a tenuous peace in a world ravaged by war and disease. Over the years, many of those people have become her friends, and one of them hopes for something more. But Paige doesn't want more. All she has to live for is the hope that one day she will find the answers she seeks. All she wants is to go home. And then everything Paige has come to know about this world changes in a moment. The high king of the northern clans is dead. War is brewing across the desert. Paige's friends are looking to her, with her strange Traveler's gifts, to help them survive. Paige has no desire to be drawn into this conflict. Instead, deciding she has nothing to lose, she makes a desperate gamble. That gamble takes her into the wilderness, where she finally learns just how much she must give up in order to gain the one thing she wants most. A Song in the Wilderness is a portal fantasy about learning to live on the other side of your own apocalypse. "This story broke me. I am completely at its mercy." - My sister

Estimated word count: 85,000 words (roughly 330 pages in standard book format; around the same length as Persuasion, The Secret Garden, Sabriel, The King of Attolia, and Cinder)

Note: This is not (in my opinion) the kind of story I typically write. There is very little action. The plot is character-driven and is heavily introspective, examining faith, responsibility, and relationships of all sorts. Outside of events that cover three or four chapters, there's no clear antagonist. Where it does align with my usual writing is in themes of grief, sense of place, and hope.

Project tag on tumblr (mostly spoiler-free)

What I need from my readers:

Open, honest feedback about:

Plot/story structure: Does it make sense? Is it compelling?

Characters: Are they consistent and realistic, with clear motives, believable choices and actions, and distinct personalities?

World-building and writing style: Is it concise, or is it simply swimming in exposition? How is the pacing? Also, exactly how much attention should I put on transitions from one scene to the next?

With this being a third draft story, my main concern right now is the overall structure of the story. I need to know what works, what doesn't, and what needs more attention in the next round of revisions. Whether you prefer to leave editorial or reactionary comments, line-by-line or in summary, so long as you can point out the story and writing issues that stand out to you, we’ll get along just fine. You do not need to have prior beta reading experience, just a willingness to read critically and offer honest feedback.

Note: If at any time you decide, for any reason at all, that you won't be able to complete this beta reading project, you only have to shoot me a message to let me know. There are absolutely no hard feelings. I've been there.

Dates and things:

This project will run from May 17th to June 30th. You can read the story at your own pace any time within that time frame, but I do ask that you have the project completed and your notes submitted by June 30th.

I will have a questionnaire for you to fill out at the end of your reading. Additional notes can be in-line comments in the document itself or in a summary either emailed or messaged to me--whichever and however much works for you. I am open for messages if you randomly decide you want to discuss details with me. (PLEASE talk to me about my writing! It's my favorite thing!)

Most of my readers prefer to work in Google Docs for the convenient comments feature, but we can look at other options if necessary.

If interested:

Complete the reader request form here by Monday, May 12th! Note that there is a link on the first page to the prologue and first chapter, so you can get an idea of my style and make sure it works for you.

If I get enough readers before the 12th, I will consider closing requests for now.

*If you are interested in reading this story but don't want the pressure of beta-reading or the deadline, please feel free to still contact me! Either I can still add you to my list, but for a more casual reading of this third draft, or I can put your name on the list for the fourth draft (date TBD, hopefully around August or September).*

A bit about the writer:

I'm a 30-something office admin by day, spec-fic writer by night, and hapless backyard gardener when the mood strikes me. Most of my stories start out as a "what if?", with characters piling into the clown car as soon as I have a vague setting worked out in which to answer the pivotal question. My least favorite step of any writing project is the rough draft. In writing, I try to follow Jane Austen’s philosophy: “My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire.” Most of the time I manage it.

My writing trademarks according to my writing group are: forehead kisses, protagonists with a martyr complex, way too many side characters, good dialogue, “repressed Victorian romance plots”, keen examinations of grief, and just a pinch of MelodramaTM.

You can find samples of my writing right here on tumblr:

Zenith Station (sci-fi short story collection, always ongoing)

Or on Dreamwidth:

The Tides That Bind (low fantasy, last completed novel)

I am going to make the villain so plural and no one can stop me.

Gorgeous! I loved it. Very vivid imagery.

There is a field in my head that never ends

It's filled with purple, pink, and blue flowers

that cushion me when I lay down to rest

Their petals take all of my weight

and save my skull from the ground

The sky above me is dark

then it's light

the change happens every time I close my eyes

Humans are weird: Tormenting Friends

You know that saying, only I can be mean to my brother/sister. The same thing goes for friends, and I kind of think it's hilarious that the people we trust the most in the world are the kind of people that will torture us the most. I can only imagine what another race would think...

Alien: what are they doing?

Human *looks over to where two girls are giggling as they walk along the edge of the roof, keeping one guy trapped between them*: So, Caiden's afraid of heights.

Alien *nods*: that is a logical reaction to a height that could kill you if you fall. Your body has evolved correctly.

Human *shakes his head*: Well, Wren and Jess found out and now they are torturing him. They won't let him off the edge until he walks the entire side.

Alien: Is this an intimidation tactic?

*both girls giggle loudly*

Human: believe it or not, it's a sign of friendship.

Alien: ...to force one's body to react in a fight or flight response?

Human *shrugs*: to make your friends miserable at your expense.

Alien *takes step away*: we are not friends. To be clear.

---

You can get this scene in my book, Humans Are Weird, available now! The whole series is pinned on my page.

☆⭐︎ The official Who Goes There? chapter hub ⭐︎☆

This is where I will catalog every chapter and chunk of my book that I post here on Tumblr in case you want to read everything in order. For more information about this project, such as its premise, content warnings and where else to find it, click here.

DISCLAIMER: This list will be modified as I go, so if you don’t see any updates or links for a while, just know I’m trying to format the new stuff in a way that looks somewhat appealing.

☂︎ Chapter one umbrella: ☂︎

Chunk 1.

"You don't know me. I'm not the same person anymore."

"That's okay. I'll get to know you again."

Got it, got it. Thanks for answering, I am loving the story so far! You have me glued to your writing. /gen

I was a bit confused on this, so I thought I'd ask. How old is Jesse when she starts living with Lira, and how old are they by the action sequence in chapter 2 (since there's a small time skip before that, I believe)?

I'm writing them as roughly 20-25, in that age bracket. Think the equivalent of someone fresh out of high school but not quite college age yet.