Memory Heap: Blog

I've decided to go hunting for an editor to help polish my writings. So far, two different people have volunteered, and while it looked like things would go quite well with each of them, they have both withdrawn for different reasons. No, it wasn't because I'm such a pain in the ass.

Here's the deal -- you'll have to be better than I am in terms of literacy in the use of the English language. I had a real dragon for English grammar when I was in school, so I may be a little tough to beat. Or maybe not -- I may not be as good as I think I am. You better be damn good on homonyms, synonyms, antonyms and the fine points of punctuation.

I'm looking for someone who can handle not only the proof-reading, but also who can toss in suggestions on flow, character development, dialogue content and overall polish. To this point, I have done all of my own editing, and I've been told it's pretty good. I occasionally miss things in the proofreading stage because I have a tendency to see what I thought I wrote rather than what is actually there.

There you have it. Feel free to take a look at my postings here to see what kinds of stuff I write. It's a pretty broad range, so you may also have to carefully consider your squick factors. I don't have many, but I will not write about pedophilia, or bodily functions, and even anal sex doesn't turn me on.

For a test, see if you can improve on Creative Composition. It's not too long, but it is more than a single chapter. If you're still interested, send me an e-mail and tell me something about your skill set, and why you think you could help me out. Feel free to use a pseudonym, or an anonymous e-mail address. I have no problem with protecting your identity.

Yeah, I know it's been a while. Blame the holidays and the work that puts food on the table. I've just been really busy.

To make up for that (a little), there are two new chapters in the queue.

I know it's been a while, but Chapter 12 is now in the queue.

I hope you continue to enjoy this love story.

The greatest collection of negative e-mail I have ever received came in response to the ending of Creative Composition. Surprisingly, some people actually agreed with the way the story ended, overwhelmingly, most people felt the ending was rushed or incomplete. A lot of people also felt that it's almost impossible to disappear in today's world -- it's not, as long as you stay away from social media, and don't advertise yourself.

That being said, I have done something that I was rather loathe to consider until a voice started yelling in my head. As a result, I have extended the last chapter of the story. I have not changed a single word that was there before. I have simply added a few hundred more.

The changed chapter is queued for publication. I'll be interested in opinions.

I have had more e-mail about the final chapter in Creative Composition than I can recall getting for anything else. Some people agreed with it, but most readers hated it. As an interesting consequence, I've watched the score for the story drop rather precipitously from a high of over 8.5 to about 8.25 (and it's still falling).

Since so many people have wanted something different for an ending, I've decided to afford everyone an opportunity. I've opened a thread on my blog, at Creative Composition Debate.

You are all invited to comment, flame me, suggest a different ending, plead for something different (even if you're not sure what). You will not need to register for an account, or pay a fee. Everything is open.

I will not guarantee that I will change the ending to suit anyone, but I will guarantee that I will listen, I will debate things with you, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be convinced to change the ending to something a little more uplifting.