General grumbling

[christinex1001]

Sorry, I'm feeling cranky. Blame it on the hormones.

I really hate this time of year. It's just so beastly hot, and you just know it's going to continue for weeks and weeks (some places start to get a respite come September, but not Southern California. Oftentimes September is one of the hottest months of the year around here). It makes me really crabby, and it doesn't help that our kitchen is being invaded by ants. We'd had a few minor problems earlier this year (mostly them scouting, since we've been burned before and keep everything locked up in plastic containers, etc. that ants can't get into). However, Erik's daughter was here this past weekend, and she somehow managed to drop a soda on the kitchen floor and had it SPRAY everywhere. I didn't even know about it, because I was in here on my computer working when it happened. He cleaned it up, but just with water, and that wasn't enough. Next thing you know, those little bastards are EVERYWHERE. Erik went back and killed them with this organic spray we have that kills ants but doesn't contain anything toxic for humans or pets. The problem with that stuff, however, is that while it kills them, it doesn't really stop them from coming back. He mopped the floor with Spic N Span, and although they kept coming for a while, they seemed to have lost heart, and we figured they were done.

Oh, no.

I go in the kitchen this morning, and somehow they gotten inside the DISHWASHER. How do ants get inside a sealed appliance??? So I had to clean them up as best I could, run the thing, and hope that kills them. But after this, I'm going out to buy a big can of Raid. I don't care anymore that Erik says it makes him feel sick. He's not even here during the day -- I can commit ant genocide while he's gone and have it cleaned up by the time he gets home. Because frankly, people, I am DONE.

OK, Rant the Second.

Let me state first off that I don't expect any of my friends to keep up with my fanfics. A lot of my friends don't read fics, and that's cool. I write in several different fandoms, and not everyone likes each and every genre. That's totally fine, too. I get wonderful feedback and reviews from my readers online, and that's good enough for me.

However...

I have a friend (who shall remain nameless) who contacted me about two weeks ago and said he'd put up a fic that he'd like me to take a look at. I said OK (trying to be supportive), even though, while I really enjoy the fandom in which the story is set, I've never been compelled to either write fanfic for it or even read it. But fine, I figured I'd take a look. What he neglected to tell me was that he'd posted ELEVEN chapters of this thing. Still, all right, deep sigh, I'll go through it. So what do I find? Tons of grammar and spelling mistakes, a pairing that I didn't find very plausible (but hey, it's his story, he can write what he wants), and (the kicker for me) unmitigated head-hopping. I know some people like omniscient p.o.v., or at least can put up with it. I hate it, and these days, it's definitely frowned on in the pro writing world. But I managed to leave nice feedback on every chapter. Then I sent him an email telling him what was good about the story, but that he probably should work on the p.o.v. thing, along with a few hints on how to approach it. He took it very well and thanked me for being so gentle in my critique.

At that point I mentioned that I'd started a new story (in a fandom he likes, BTW), and I'd like to see what he thought. He said sure, he'd take a look when he had the time. I knew he wouldn't be able to get to it right away because he's got to share computer time with his wife and two kids, but he said he'd read it within the week. Did he? No...and then yesterday I get an email from him saying that he'd posted two new chapters of HIS story and he wanted me to read them. Now, I don't know about you, but that strikes me as a little...presumptuous. Wouldn't you think he'd read at least one chapter of my story before asking me to look at two more of his?

This is just rubbing me the wrong way. I haven't responded to his email yet because I'm not sure of the best way to tell him that I think it's rude for him to ask me to R&R two more of his chapters when he couldn't be bothered to look at even one of mine. Maybe if I sent him an email with "Quid pro quo, Clarice" in the subject heading he might get it. :-P

Again, this could all be hormones. But I am a little irritated.

Sigh. And it's only Tuesday....

Comments

[innegrire.livejournal.com]

Naw, if he's made you sit through 11 chapters of his... well, what sounds like crap... you're not unreasonable to expect him to look at your two chapters before subjecting yourself to more of his dross.

I try to avoid omniscient p.o.v; if you do it right, it's the greatest thing ever, but... I find it the hardest p.o.v to do correctly so don't touch it.

[innegrire.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'm polling with an A or B question as I don't can't decide and have six-hundred word starts to the same fic with the respective grammar:

A) First person
B) Third person

[christinex1001.livejournal.com]

That's a tough one. I'm actually a big fan of first person, but I know a lot of people really don't like it. But if it's done well, it can be very effective. In my own experience, the narrator sort of tells me whether it's going to be first or third person. I knew right from the start that Only Eyes to See was going to be in first person. I don't think it would have worked in third (or at least it would have been a very different story).

I don't know if that helps you or not!

[christinex1001.livejournal.com]

I don't mind so much when something starts out more omniscient, say to paint a broad scene before narrowing down to focus on one character's thoughts. But through a whole book, when you're in one character's head in one paragraph and another in the next? No thanks. It's like mental ping-pong or something.

[innegrire.livejournal.com]

Oh, and another aside...

I had a slug problem very briefly but my cats ate them all :D

[elementalevil.livejournal.com]

How DO ants get into the dishwasher?? That happened to us once. As far as we can figure, our old street in San Carlos was built on top of an anthill (or several; we bought it new). The first summer after moving in we were PLAGUED by ants. We came down one morning to find them swarming the entire downstairs. Cupboards, sink, they were coming out of the disposal and yep, they were in the dishwasher.

Maybe something to do with the pipes? But that means they'd be in the pipes.

Fuck, maybe they just teleport. But babe, you go RAID their asses straight to hell. LET THEM BURN!!!!

[christinex1001.livejournal.com]

Well, thank God it's not that bad. And it can't be the pipes, because ours is a portable dishwasher, so it's not permanently plumbed. (Say that ten times fast.) Sadly, what probably happened is that even though the door looked as if it was shut, it wasn't locked, and therefore wasn't airtight.

I got some Raid. It doesn't even smell. The thing I don't like about it is that it shoots a stream instead of a spray. And of course once I came home loaded for bear, the little fuckers were mostly gone. It figures.

But now I'm ready for 'em. Heh-heh.

[elementalevil.livejournal.com]

And, well, I've stopped reading books because of the bloody omniscient viewpoint. I don't know why people use it and I want to smack them when they do.

Head-hopping is BAD.

I realize I'm not really contributing much, but thought I'd throw in my support. :)

[christinex1001.livejournal.com]

Hey, it never hurts to have backups for one of your irrational hatreds. ;-)

But you're right. I know I've bought a book or two within the last year or so that I just stopped reading because of the omniscient viewpoint. I don't know why anyone writes that way anymore. It's confusing and leads to an emotional disconnect from the characters. The only way I'd accept it was if the book was actually being narrated by an omniscient being. That could be kind of fun. Maybe.