Paladin_HGWT: Blog

I have posted Chapter 26 of Aztlan Portal, and already made some corrections and just submitted it for re-posting.

I did not send it to my volunteer proofreader, because I have not been able to get good internet access for some time. I do intend to send future chapters to my proofreader, if he is still willing to volunteer his services.

I have been having issues with transportation, the internet, and now my living situation since late 2021. (In addition to my ongoing health issues.)

Yesterday, with the assistance of a friend, I have been able to get repaired the most critical issues with my car. Now I have to schedule getting it to a shop where some assistance in resolving the most necessary issues has been arraigned. That may take several weeks, because I have to travel in 5 to 10 mile increments, and arraign transportation home, and then back to get my car when the work is done.

So, for now I will try to post every other week, until I have reliable transportation.

There is a further complication. I won the lawsuit against the property mgmt. co. in charge of where I live. Now they are retaliating. I am packing to move. Packing, and the eventual move will interfere with my writing.

I have written several chapters ahead, however, editing and proofreading are still issues. I put up Chap 26 when I had the opportunity, and as soon as it was up I discovered numerous errors, and have already resubmitted corrections. The different font and format lets me notice things I continue to miss when self-editing.

I have also noticed I have an intermittent formatting error using the Break function (I had to reveres the br, otherwise it just created a break), in the last several chapters. It is Not an error in the document because there is no change between when it functions correctly, and when it does not.

I have also noticed a couple of times where the font size changes for a paragraph or two.

Because I have not yet made all the corrections I am likely to make, I have not yet consulted Lazeez. I am almost always notified of several spelling or other errors during the week after I first put a chapter up. I will often make those corrections quickly. Over the next month I read PMs sent to me on SOL and Fine Stories.com and then make a subsequent correction 4 to 6 weeks later.

Comments are welcome in the comment section of my story. I prefer that Constructive Criticism be sent to me in a PM. If for no other reason than I am likely to fix errors, then the comment will be moot.

I have been away from home for a while. Limited transportation and no internet.

I have not yet been able to send chapters 25 through 28 to my volunteer editor.

So, I expect there are a couple of spelling and grammar errors, although I did self-edit.

I will try to send some chapters to my editor and return to posting weekly.

I have been having transportation issues. Today I was able to get a ride in to where I could post Chapter 24. I am hoping to be able to get Chapter 25 back from my proofreader, and post it ASAP (I hope as soon as Sunday the 6th) depending upon transportation.

As soon as I log out of SOL I will be posting to Fine Stories.com, then sending Chapter 26 to my Proofreader.

I appreciate your folks patience. I continue to write, it is just difficulties On My End getting chapters to my proofreader, then posting chapters on SOL and Fine Stories.

Cheers!

Despite delays at my end, WD40, my Volunteer Proofreader has persevered!

I got the list of suggested corrections, more than I hoped, but I believe that his contributions improve my story.

Any errors are my own! Nor do I apply every suggestion. Mostly because some issues are military specific. In an upcoming chapter I use the term Courts Martial, referencing multiple individuals being charged. Courts is the plural.

I can be too "inside baseball" so, a different perspective is beneficial.

Some other times I don't follow my proofreader's advice is when an error is pointed out, and I intended something significantly different. Proofreaders may not always intuit what the writer intend.

Identifying errors is beneficial.

Constructive Criticism from readers is still welcome. Neither WD40 nor I catch every mistake.

Chapter 24 should be up this weekend. I should be getting chapter 25 back from proofreading, and sending Chapter 26 for review.

In the meantime I continue to write ahead.

Today (Sunday the 23rd of January) I got a ride into where I may post chapters, and such. After more than a month without internet, my laptop began updating. After that I sent a couple of new chapters to my proofreader.

My Volunteer proofreader was wondering if I had fallen off the face of the Earth.

I also uploaded the Characters List for Aztlan Portal, something my Proofreader cleaned up over Christmastime. I also re-posted several older chapters which needed some fixes.

I hope to get the new chapters back next week and post chapter 24. I will also send another new chapter or two to my volunteer proofreader if he is still willing to work with me.

I have several more chapters written, and will be editing chapter 26 this week, possibly more. If I can keep arranging transportation, I will keep posting one new chapter a week, as well as re-posting corrected chapters I have been reviewing, along with constructive criticism and pointing out of spelling and grammar errors by readers over the last year.

I do read the PMs I get and respond to them if they seem to need an answer, or at least say thanks. If I have more than a couple errors in a new chapter, I try to post corrections in 2 weeks (I wait because I usually get several PMs from folks). If I get a belated note about just one or two errors on older chapter, I usually check within a week, and make changes on my word document, but I will wait a few months to see if I get other suggestions, and then re-post after making any corrections. If it is a significant error, then I would correct it ASAP.

I have discovered some of my earlier chapters have some formatting errors. So, I have been going back and making those changes, as well as a few spelling or grammar errors not caught soon after they were posted. I also post on Fine Stories, sister site to SOL, and also get corrections from folks there.