inkovert

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on watching a parent age

i saw somebody say “what if you’re gone and i haven’t become anything yet” and basically that broke me on a random thursday evening

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WIP Wednesday (on a Friday)

Tagged by my wonderful friends @thegreatobsesso and @winterandwords for a WIP Wednesday, and following the emerging trend I am not posting this on a Wednesday. :D

I'm gonna tag them both back, and also add @inkovert, @dyrewrites, @space-writes, @isherwoodj, and @oh-no-another-idea to share some recent lines from your WIPs!

This comes from the Definitely Not a Fanfiction current WIP I'm working on, which is both unbelievable fun and also spiralling madly out of control:

Bellamy waved a hand. “No, no, of course not. I’ll admit I’m aggrieved that something of this magnitude hadn’t come to my notice, but then there is so much to keep track of. Not surprising something might have slipped beneath my radar. I merely thought I would offer my assistance, if you needed it. A group that has influence to the extent I’m led to believe this one has, it could be valuable to have more bodies.” “Only one gang allowed in this town,” Dalton said, examining his nails. “Yours.” Bellamy cut his eyes in his direction, a distinctly calculating expression crossing his face. He locked it down a moment later, returning his gaze to Rush. “Have you ever considered gagging him?” “Frequently,” Rush said, with such speed and gravity that Eric couldn’t quite conceal his guffaw. Rush slid him a quick look with a twitch of his lips. “We appreciate your offer. We’ve got it in hand.” “Are you sure? You hardly seem to have control of that dog of yours, let alone anything else.” Bellamy's eyes slid towards Dalton. “Careful,” Rush said, mild. “He bites.”

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Something I don't think we talk enough about in discussions surrounding AI is the loss of perseverance.

I have a friend who works in education and he told me about how he was working with a small group of HS students to develop a new school sports chant. This was a very daunting task for the group, in large part because many had learning disabilities related to reading and writing, so coming up with a catchy, hard-hitting, probably rhyming, poetry-esque piece of collaborative writing felt like something outside of their skill range. But it wasn't! I knew that, he knew that, and he worked damn hard to convince the kids of that too. Even if the end result was terrible (by someone else's standards), we knew they had it in them to complete the piece and feel super proud of their creation.

Fast-forward a few days and he reports back that yes they have a chant now... but it's 99% AI. It was made by Chat-GPT. Once the kids realized they could just ask the bot to do the hard thing for them - and do it "better" than they (supposedly) ever could - that's the only route they were willing to take. It was either use Chat-GPT or don't do it at all. And I was just so devastated to hear this because Jesus Christ, struggling is important. Of course most 14-18 year olds aren't going to see the merit of that, let alone understand why that process (attempting something new and challenging) is more valuable than the end result (a "good" chant), but as adults we all have a responsibility to coach them through that messy process. Except that's become damn near impossible with an Instantly Do The Thing app in everyone's pocket. Yes, AI is fucking awful because of plagiarism and misinformation and the environmental impact, but it's also keeping people - particularly young people - from developing perseverance. It's not just important that you learn to write your own stuff because of intellectual agency, but because writing is hard and it's crucial that you learn how to persevere through doing hard things.

Write a shitty poem. Write an essay where half the textual 'evidence' doesn't track. Write an awkward as fuck email with an equally embarrassing typo. Every time you do you're not just developing that particular skill, you're also learning that you did something badly and the world didn't end. You can get through things! You can get through challenging things! Not everything in life has to be perfect but you know what? You'll only improve at the challenging stuff if you do a whole lot of it badly first. The ability to say, "I didn't think I could do that but I did it anyway. It's not great, but I did it," is SO IMPORTANT for developing confidence across the board, not just in these specific tasks.

Idk I'm just really worried about kids having to grow up in a world where (for a variety of reasons beyond just AI) they're not given the chance to struggle through new and challenging things like we used to.

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People editing anything right now,

If you're having a hard time doing it, I say do it at least for a minute every day. Even if small, that daily progress will mount to the finish. Like the hare & the turtle.

Time will pass anyway. Trust me, you will be super grateful that there is at least some progress! I wish I had been editing a sentence or a paragraph last year every day because I would have finished my book by now!

Go, I believe in you! Never overlook that small progress! That underdog! It is a champion!!

(This applies to anything tbh)

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I mean surely we all grew up feeling like there was a wrongness inherently deep inside us that will endure for the rest of our lives

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it's the start of the week, there's still time!

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Imagine being so convinced of your own rightness but simultaneously so threatened by disagreement that the thought of having someone else lay eyes on your book is offensive

Like, if your rep is so great, won't us poor marginalized folks agree with you when we do a read through? What are you so scared of?

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Just for fun

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“I’ll never forget the first time we bonded was when you wore that shirt of my favorite band and when you took my phone and put your number in and you laughed every time I made a joke and I’ll never forget your favorite number and how you had a shelf of your favorite books and the tiny drawer where you kept all my poems and letters and how you hated when the closet door was even a little bit opened and how you thought the 2nd song of an album was always the best and I’ll never forget when we watched a movie at your house instead of going to that party and how you always touched my lips and told me how perfect they were and how you bragged about me to your friends and I’ll never forget when we walked to your secret spot that you never showed anyone else and how you brought one letter of mine to read every time you left town for the weekend and when you told me you were falling in love with me and I’ll never forget when we walked to your house in the middle of the night and talked until 4am and how you used to be scared of oblivion and that you thought the point of life was having people like me and the time you begged for my forgiveness when I was mad at you and the time you stayed up for me when I was really upset and every time we fought you always took the blame and I’ll never forget when you told me you couldn’t imagine leaving me because you liked to make sure I was happy and how you asked me to stay with you and when you said you would take a bullet for me and the time you said you thought I deserved better and one day you told me we should split up and I’ll never forget that you said you weren’t coming back and that you didn’t feel obliged to make me happy anymore and when you gave me one last kiss and I’ll never forget how painful it was when you walked away”

—

when people ask where my url is from

this is my favorite piece of writing about you because I poured my emotions out in five minutes

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Wow. My first thought reading this was ��� I'm so glad someone finally said it.

I've been so hesitant/scared to share this opinion because I felt that it would be misconstrued or received the wrong way, or that fantasy writers (which make up what feels like 90%+ of writing communities) would feel attacked/demonized by it. I felt like pointing out the elephant in the room was a sure way to ostracize myself from the very community that I wanted to be a part of.

I understand that writeblr and other writing communities grew out of online fandoms/fanfic, many of which included fantasy-focused stories/media, so it's not surprising that these communities are largely made up of fantasy writers themselves. But as someone who's a minority in these spaces (in more ways than one), it's difficult to feel included or even seen when every post you see circulate about wanting to follow or build a community with other writeblrs specifically says "reblog if you write fantasy so I can follow you!" as the first bullet point in the description. As if you couldn't throw a stone in any direction and be guaranteed to hit a fantasy writer.

I am not by any means saying that fantasy writers or any writers have it easy when it comes to getting others to read their work. Of course that is a glaring problem that writers in general struggle with in online spaces, and with a lot more frequency these days. But you can't ignore the fact that if you do write fantasy you already have more of a leg up in getting someone's attention than if you don't, given that the majority of people in these communities write fantasy and therefore are interested in reading other fantasy writers' work. Does that seem like a stretch to you? Okay fine. Forget even getting someone to read your work. Let's focus solely on finding and connecting with other writers like you with whom you can talk about your shared interest in the specific genre you write. Fantasy writers are far more likely to be successful at this than writers of lesser represented genres, like thriller or literary fiction. Simply because these communities are saturated with fantasy.

This is by no means a callout post, nor am I even sure I'm looking for — or can even think of — a solution to this problem. But I just wish at the very least there was more of an acknowledgement that it is a problem people in this community face? Yes, everyone has preferences. People are entitled to like what they like, and avoid what they don't. But when fantasy writers/readers choose not to engage with works that are not explicitly fantasy, you have a wealth of content/writers to connect with and turn to. When non-fantasy writers do the same with fantasy? We have very little else to turn to. It doesn't feel like we have a choice. It's so hard to find other people who are like us. Which leads to feelings of being excluded and like you don't belong (sound familiar?).

I remember making a post searching for other litfic writers on writeblr and, despite a few boosts from followers and friends, hardly anyone responded. It was discouraging, seeing how hard it was to simply find other writers in my genre when it seemed to come so easy for those who wrote fantasy. I truly started to believe that I was the only litfic writer on here even though I knew rationally that couldn't be true. People have stopped posting their writing on writeblr for a multitude of reasons, but a lot of the reason I stopped posting was because —despite having complete confidence in my ability as a writer and a deep devotion to the story I was telling — I felt my work was inferior simply because I didn't write fantasy and thus was thoroughly convinced that no one in this community could possibly be interested in it.

All that is to say that, seeing this post and the few replies it received was validating, knowing that someone had the courage to say it and that I'm not alone in this feeling. I hope that all the non-fantasy writers out there who have ever felt a similar way or who relate to anything said in my post know that they are valid and that they do belong here. And I can only hope you are able to connect with and find others like you someday.

I’m about to break my silence

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the intimacy of sharing feelings and thoughts that were buried deep inside with someone who understands and listens to them patiently and acknowledges them and does not make you feel like you're too much is everything

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Image Text:

Hello, I’m Dominique! A freelance book editor.

With a keen eye for storytelling and a decade of experience editing fiction and non-fiction, I’m ready to help bring out the best in your writing! My edits are affordable, precise, constructive and geared towards enhancing your unique voice and vision.

See my qualifications below:

Philosophy BA (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) Magna Cum Laude Specialized in Aesthetics, the theory of Art and Literature. Editorial Internship With World Renowned Art Historian and Curator Sir John Richardson. Philosophy MA Specialized in Anti-Fascist Ethics and Aesthetics, the theory of Art and Literature.

Services: 1. Proofreading Package

Your ticket to great prose! Get rid of any errors that may have slipped through previous edits. Includes a revision of your text’s grammar, spelling, and punctuation. $5 USD per 500 words. Every 500 words takes 2 days to check. Need it sooner? If you pay a rate of $15 USD per 500 words, I’ll check 500 words a day. *Best for final drafts

2. Standard Editing Package

Enhance your text’s overall readability. Includes a revision of your grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, syntax, style and tone, as well as a 1-page review and critique of your text. $0.01 USD per word; 5000 words min. Every 5000 words takes 3 days to check. Need it sooner? If you pay a rate of $0.015 USD per word, I’ll check 5000 words in 2 days (1 day faster). *Best for completed chapters, ACTS or drafts

3. Developmental Editing Package

Inline comments and a detailed report pinpointing your manuscript's strengths and potential for growth. Includes feedback on story elements such as: plot structure, character development, worldbuilding, pacing, and more. $0.015 USD per word; 5000 words min. Every 5000 words takes 5 days to check. Need it sooner? If you pay a rate of $0.025 per word, I’ll check 5000 words in 3 days (2 days faster). *Best for completed ACTS or drafts

FAQ

Are you a native English speaker? Yes, my first language is English. I grew up in the UK and went to university in the US, so I'm comfortable editing for UK or US grammar. What file formats do you accept? Please submit Microsoft Word files. This allows me to use the Microsoft Track Changes feature to make edits. What genres do you edit? I edit most fiction genres (YA, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery, Literary Fiction). Do you use AI? No, I provide 100% AI-free editing services. All comments and edits on your file are exclusively made by me.

Contact

therealsorcerersapprentice@gmail.com or DM Please include your name (or pseudonym), what service you’d like to request, the genre you’re submitting and your text’s word count. Sit back, relax, and let a seasoned editor bring out the best in your writing. You've earned it!

On the fence? Request a sample edit!

I’ll provide a sample edit of 1000 words of your writing free of charge. This is an excellent way to get a feel of my editing style and assess whether it’s right for you! *Only available for the standard editing package and the developmental editing package. Original text must be 5000 words min.

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revising your writing is just like "is this weird. is this a weird sentence. is this the weirdest most poorly-worded sentence ever written by anyone" and the sentence in question is "he walked across the room"

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IDK who needs to hear this but (I certainly did) : A chapter is not required to be 2000-4000 words in length (or whatever 'reasonable' amount it is in your head.) A chapter ends where you feel comfortable ending it. You make your own rules!

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Finding beta readers for a novel is so scary. Like hi, here, please read this thing I’ve been working on for 10 years. It contains thousands of little pieces of me. I want you to tear it apart so I can put it back together even stronger. It has dragons.

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Just the necessities for my kids

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I don’t deserve to call myself a writer. I’m a disgrace.

I got the Top 4.47% on this English Vocabulary test