Fic and Hair Wittering

[hobgoblinn]

Because composing a live journal entry is a perfectly valid form of procrastination, and creating polls is even more so, I am doing both while taking a break from writing my Epic. Under the cuts, to spare the f-list.

Poll the First: Posting more "In Loco Parentis"

I've got some of the next part of "In Loco" corrected based on beta comments. But neither of my lovely betas (hi, research_girl and sahiya) has made it all the way through this much longer section. And because both are wonderfully talented people with Real Lives, they are doing exciting things in exciting places far from home this week. So first I have to decide:
[Poll #1162620]

Poll the Second: hobgoblinn's hair

I wore my hair short as a kid. I didn't start growing it out until college, and it's gotten long several times in the intervening years. I cut it all off when I kicked out my ex (in a pointless but satisfying gesture) and kept it shoulder length for a long while after it grew back out. It's currently about 3/4 of the way down my back, kinda a dark mousy brown with a disturbing number of mousy grey strands starting to make an appearance. I blame Wee Hob for that.

It would be great if I knew how to do anything interesting with my hair, like braid it, or put it up. But I don't, and I haven't the coordination to learn. I usually pull it back in a pony tail, and often wear a ball cap over it as well, when I can't bring myself to take the extra five minutes out of my sleep in the morning for a shower.

In any event, I'm thinking of cutting it radically. But I need others to blame for my bad decisions, which is where you come in:

[Poll #1162621]

Comments

[nemaihne.livejournal.com]

I didn't vote on the first one because I always post warts and all since I have no beta. (Of the ones I did have one is permanently indisposed and one was terrible- she was making 'corrections' that were grammatical mistakes even I could catch.) But I realize no one else likes that method because it makes you look like you have never seen the inside of an English book.

I voted ticky box on the second, because I go back and forth on my hair all the time. I think shoulder length is the way to go. Still long enough to put back when it's annoying but short enough not to be annoying so often. Any shorter than that and you run the risk of having to keep up with the cut. I always forget short haircuts are a lot more troublesome to keep from looking shaggy. So not short, not long. Something in the middle.

[hobgoblinn.livejournal.com]

Betas help me even though I have a good grasp of grammar, to get me in the habit of noticing things I don't know or I don't notice. Antennapedia taught me to watch for repeated words close together (wish she'd taught the same to JKR.) gillo taught me I know squat about London geography and wikipedia/ google maps are no help. research-girl is teaching me British English. sahiya is attempting to teach me the evils of ellipse abuse. The latter two are also entertaining me with their comma wars (different rules/ usage habits). All betas, past and present, have helped by letting me bounce plot ideas off them (as have a number of readers).

In short, betas are of the Good, and if you ever need one and I have time, I'd be happy to do it for you. Because being a beta is the Other way I start to notice things I do that I might want to change.

On the hair-- still not sure yet. Too radical a change and it looks like I'm having a midlife crisis (which, maybe). Not radical enough would leave me feeling meh, though.

Anyway, thanks.

[nemaihne.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I think betas are great. At least good betas are great. A bad one can make you swear off writing, as I pretty much did. I just have enough problem getting people to read period. Asking them to go above and beyond that is just greedy.
Anyway, are you sure you want to offer- given what happened to the good one? O.o