I have 17 14 DW invite codes. Comments screened, tell me your email addy if you want one! It's super easy to switch to crossposting and I *still* read my flist on LJ (and hopefully will for years to come, RIGHT LJ????)

I have 17 DW invite codes languishing here. Anyone want one? Comments are screened, leave me your email.

In other news -- as often happens when I've written something quite lengthy, I seem to have had about 12,000 extra words still pent up inside my head, so I've written two short(ish) coda fics that will be a fic-cy afterbirth. Ew, that image even grossed *me* out. Sorry about that. Meh, accurate analogy nonetheless.

It doesn't need saying at this point, especially as I've recently switched to DW-only commenting and I don't think I have more than 3 people crossing over from flist to Facebook, but please don't link comments to Facebook or Twitter.  I have disabled the option on my end so I promise I will offer the same courtesy.

Fic continues in beta's capable hands.  I hope to have something posted perhaps by the second week of September.

As you can probably tell from reading some of my earlier fic, I have not always been a beta-compliant writer.  Part of this is impatience; when I've finished something, I want to share it right away!  Another part of this is anxiety; it's difficult to hand something over, particularly something you've really worked long and hard on, and subject it to criticism right away.  I used to excuse my non-beta-ing ways by saying I was my own worst critic (which may still be true) but the truth is that a different set of eyes can always find something I may have missed, be it a plot point, a logical inconsistency, an out-of-character bit of dialogue.  And, heck, I've been lucky enough to find some betas who are the perfect balance of squee and critique.  While I do still tend to just hit the "post" button for shorter fic that I've thrown together in a matter of an hour or so, I am starting to quite like the feeling of confidence I get when I put a longer story through a proper editing and reviewing process: this really is the best it could be, take it or leave it.

That being said, though I've been called upon very occasionally to beta someone else's work, I don't think I have the specific skill set it takes.  I'm a truly myopic writer -- if someone's process doesn't match up with my process, I am often unable to work through the ways I would improve upon a given story.  (sparktastic could tell you all about my uselessness here, though I still try!)  So yes, betas FTW.  Lo, you are mighty and I am in awe of you, and owe you much homage, etc.

In conclusion, as a fandom oldtimer -- okay, seven years, I guess that's probably more like a fandom middle-ager at best -- I really encourage newer writers to seek out beta help.  It seems intimidating as hell for many of us, but I promise you that seven years from now, you'll be much happier when you look back at certain older stories.

So, as you may have noticed, I crossposted my new fic (as usual) on DW and LJ but I also disabled LJ comments and redirected to DW for the first time.  I'm super out of the loop on what's "standard practice" for that sort of thing nowadays (if there is any sort of standard practice) but mostly I always like having my comments all in one place.  I feel like there's a better dialogue among commenters that way and it's easier for me to search and find certain comments later on.  That being said, if this move makes you want to tear out your hair and weep or if you have other strong feelings on the subject, please let me know.  I live to serve and all that.  As you can tell by my, oh, ELEVEN MONTHS of fic-writing absence.  Sigh.

I also recently (finally) signed up for and received an AOOO account.  I have done absolutely nothing with it as yet, but may be archiving fic there sometime when I have the energy and time.  In the meantime, all my fic, more or less, can be found on my lovely Wordpress site, here.

I have five invites. Anyone want 'em? Comment with email (screened comments) and I'll fire one your way.

How are people making their own LJ styles appear on DW? I am all at sea with styles and layers and stuff. (This would be why I haven't changed my LJ layout since, oh, 2006ish.)

ETA: Excellent tutorial here if you are interested. Thanks to several flisters for the linkage, but wicked_socks was the first to come to the rescue!

Mostly I'm just testing out the crossposting tool over at Dreamwidth, but since I'm here and typing anyway...you are all following @dhewlett on Twitter, y/y? He is so goddamn sweet and yet dorky I just want to snuggle him. Today he's posting about all the hair product and make-up he used in the 80s. Now I need a fic where Rodney knows a little too much about applying eyeliner and using flat irons for some weird alien ritual and has to fess up to his glam rock past. Yes.

So I was randomly selected for a beta account over on Dreamwidth today! You can find me here if you're looking. No plans to migrate at this point, so don't all run at once. *g*

If you haven't heard about it yet -- Billy Bob Thornton was a rude ignorant jerk to one of my favorite CBC radio hosts on my favorite CBC program yesterday. I missed the live interview but caught up on YouTube and it's left me feeling vaguely edgy and defensive. I'm awful with confrontations, and this anxiety seems to have spilled over into the simple act of watching someone I like and respect being forced to deal with this kind of awfulness. On the other hand, way to go Jian -- a real, lovely, Canadian class act. Lots of people were saying they would have ended the (live-to-air) interview early if they'd been in his shoes but I think he did exactly the right thing. *hugs Jian* Love that show.

When I got home from rehearsal tonight my dog ran in circles like an idiot and bit at my hands. It's been so long since he did this "I bite gently because I love" thing that I'd forgotten it used to be part of his routine whenever I got home. Thank goodness he's outgrown it, because it's not that cute when he does it to visitors' hands. But still, the excess energy is probably due to spring and it's a sign that I need to take him for a nice long walk tomorrow after my Good Friday service!

Last weekend we had a major concert (two, actually) and it was lovely if completely exhausting. So far this week I've spent one day watching baby niece #2 (and subsequently engaging in the Epic Battle Of "YES YOU DAMN WELL DO NEED YOUR DIAPER CHANGED, SCREAMING CHILD") who is now 13 months old, gone to a staff meeting for my church job, and had a very brief informal meeting with my boss for my other job. Not so productive, but such is the life of an artist, right?

Back in fandom land, I'm torn on the whole Dreamwidth thing -- it sounds awesome, but I'm finally using my LJ enough to justify reinvesting in a paid account, and I don't want to do that *and* buy a membership on DW. Which is sad, I know, but -- again -- artist. Very little spare change floating around my chequing account here. So I probably have to make up my mind by the 30th. Mostly I just want more than 6 icons again. I miss icons!

I've been continuing to watch Kings and enjoying it mightily, but haven't found the inspiration to write any fic in the fandom. I wish I could, because Jack/David would be hot like whoa and, to be honest, I haven't landed on any fic in the fandom that really works for me yet. I have great faith that it could exist, however -- I haven't been looking *that* hard.

Spring has finally arrived here. I can see a narrow band of grass on the edge of my lawn, maybe 1" total, but more importantly, I can also see approximately 1,000,000 winter poos that my dog has lovingly left under mounds of snow over the past six months. Yay for spring! *goes to get a shovel and a garbage bag*