Ramblings from the 'goblinn

( First, I have more of In Loco Parentis written.  )

( Second, work rant. )
( Finally, Wee Hob and my Beloved. )

It's also been fun, this past week, to read the doings here, even if I am sad to find I don't always understand your doings now. Know that even when I don't comment, I wish all of you well. And I'm sure I'll be commenting more as other procrastination kicks in.....

First things first. I have been blessed to have two very wonderful betas working with me for the first part of "In Loco Parentis." But it's gotten much longer than any of us ever thought it would, and it has been going on over a much longer time. Real life and other disasters (and triumphs) have gotten in the way, and it looks like both sahiya and research_girl are going to need to bow out. I can't overemphasize how much I've appreciated their time and talent, nor how much I have learned from them.

But my loss might be your incredible gain. If any of you f-listers in the Harry Potter fandom would like to beta for me on the rest of In Loco, shoot me a private message with your email. I'll put you the google docs version of a representative first draft of an earlier chapter so you can see what kind of feedback I've been getting, and on the current ch10 draft. You'd also get first crack at my sequel to "Lost Boys", which I hope to be able to start posting by Christmas (it being a Christmas fic and all).

Finally, gillo, I haven't forgotten my now Fall of Giles story. I've just seen you so busy and happy lately I haven't wanted to bother you. And of course, I have been likewise. Let me know if you need to be added to the list of former betas--that story has Really dragged out a long while. And know how much I have appreciated your work on the very earliest versions of that story.

Betas are like the pearl of great price, people, and I have been very blessed in mine over my years in fandom. Go hug yours today. Hug mine, too, while you're at it.

The minutes are ticking down on the tenyearsofbuffy ficathon deadline, and since I not only posted several prompts but also Picked one of them because it was whispering to me, I feel like I should try to finish it.

It's a strange story, and I'm starting to have some POV shifts which are more jarring than usual because the main narrator is, well, a bit-- dead. But I can't tell the story only from his POV. And the other characters are even more lively in comparison with the main character's very circumscribed situation.

Anyway, if someone would like to have a look at the first half, I'd really appreciate it. I also have some preliminary notes, though I have by now departed quite radically from that outline. But some of the questions I wanted to think about while writing might be helpful. I should say that I make a distinction between a beta for grammar, which I can do pretty well on my own, and one for larger issues and ideas, which we all could use help on from time to time. I'm happy to get any level of reading anyone cares to do though-- and to obligate myself to returning the favor, of course.

In the meantime, to distract myself from the growing disquiet of my first ficathon deadline-- what was Your first ficathon like? I know I have some old Pros on this Flist-- what's your favorite ficathon moment?

ps: health update: Hand is getting better-- still stiff, but I played the re-arranged piece well tonight on the actual instrument in this church, though I had to transpose it down a step to avoid a truly awful out of tune note. What with the ice and snow, nobody's going to get out and tune this puppy before Saturday night. I think it's actually better than the set arrangement of "Simple Gifts" I've been playing for months. I'm just really afraid I'm going to get lost and suddenly be in the wrong key when I do it for real. Ah well.