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thrihyrneCatch it if you can...
My mom just visited over the weekend, and it was a good visit, truly. But there is a hitch to it; she is not a visual person, and while she does read a lot, she doesn’t really remember a lot of it unless it has to do with her work (either as a church musician or as a microbiology professor). Same with movies. She’s perfectly game to watch any movie I recommend, but she won’t remember it within a week. Maybe days. So while she came into town and immediately said that I was being self-deprecating by saying how “odd” and “weird” I was because of my rather intensive knowledge of Tolkien and my fanfiction writing, when I actually did take the time over a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast to try and explain the height differences between hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, etc., I could tell that unless I could find that hook for her (she was trying to ask if Tolkien perhaps knew about the multiple lines of humanoids, say Neanderthals who were killed off and our own ancestors), she wasn’t going to remember anything about it. She’s read my long story about Rohan, but when I asked her some questions about it, she confessed that she really didn’t remember. So while she professes to be gung-ho about reading all of my works, I don’t know why I bother. Number 1- she doesn’t really know the characters, nor will she ever care. Number 2- she won’t remember anyway. *sigh* So I’m not supposed to say anything negative about the fact that I’m so involved about arcana having to do with a land and characters which don’t exist, but neither can I really share my passion about it with her. Go figure.
On the plus side, and a plug for a fellow LJ user: A few thoughts about beta readers/proofreaders. I did not know how incredibly fortunate I was to have linked up with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
palarran when I went trolling for a beta reader for “Daughters,” which I was sure nobody would want to plow through since it was 96 pages and the sheer length would deter many people. She volunteered, and has beta read another longish story which (thankfully!) is a bit more sophisticated now that my writing has evolved over the past 11 months. She is everything that a beta reader could and should be: candid, supportive, critical (without being unnecessarily dismissive), and exceedingly thoughtful in her comments. It helps, of course, that she is also a writer (and one whose very paragraphs I look forward to reading)- I don’t know how it could be otherwise, but perhaps people can be full-time editors without feeling the need to write themselves. Within the particular branch of fanfiction in which I have been most active (Tolkien), she is truly my Arkenstone among Smaug’s towering pile of gems.
Thank you, my friend.
p.s. another great thing about mom's visit: our pilgrimage to the yarn store. I traded in an unused ball of yarn for another Rebecca magazine, full of fun spring/summer patterns, and I got unstuck on a sweater that I had started last summer and then shelved. (look at issues 25 & 23) Bonus!! If I start now, I could have a couple of really cute sweaters for our hot weather this summer.
My mom just visited over the weekend, and it was a good visit, truly. But there is a hitch to it; she is not a visual person, and while she does read a lot, she doesn’t really remember a lot of it unless it has to do with her work (either as a church musician or as a microbiology professor). Same with movies. She’s perfectly game to watch any movie I recommend, but she won’t remember it within a week. Maybe days. So while she came into town and immediately said that I was being self-deprecating by saying how “odd” and “weird” I was because of my rather intensive knowledge of Tolkien and my fanfiction writing, when I actually did take the time over a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast to try and explain the height differences between hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, etc., I could tell that unless I could find that hook for her (she was trying to ask if Tolkien perhaps knew about the multiple lines of humanoids, say Neanderthals who were killed off and our own ancestors), she wasn’t going to remember anything about it. She’s read my long story about Rohan, but when I asked her some questions about it, she confessed that she really didn’t remember. So while she professes to be gung-ho about reading all of my works, I don’t know why I bother. Number 1- she doesn’t really know the characters, nor will she ever care. Number 2- she won’t remember anyway. *sigh* So I’m not supposed to say anything negative about the fact that I’m so involved about arcana having to do with a land and characters which don’t exist, but neither can I really share my passion about it with her. Go figure.
On the plus side, and a plug for a fellow LJ user: A few thoughts about beta readers/proofreaders. I did not know how incredibly fortunate I was to have linked up with
palarran when I went trolling for a beta reader for “Daughters,” which I was sure nobody would want to plow through since it was 96 pages and the sheer length would deter many people. She volunteered, and has beta read another longish story which (thankfully!) is a bit more sophisticated now that my writing has evolved over the past 11 months. She is everything that a beta reader could and should be: candid, supportive, critical (without being unnecessarily dismissive), and exceedingly thoughtful in her comments. It helps, of course, that she is also a writer (and one whose very paragraphs I look forward to reading)- I don’t know how it could be otherwise, but perhaps people can be full-time editors without feeling the need to write themselves. Within the particular branch of fanfiction in which I have been most active (Tolkien), she is truly my Arkenstone among Smaug’s towering pile of gems.Thank you, my friend.
p.s. another great thing about mom's visit: our pilgrimage to the yarn store. I traded in an unused ball of yarn for another Rebecca magazine, full of fun spring/summer patterns, and I got unstuck on a sweater that I had started last summer and then shelved. (look at issues 25 & 23) Bonus!! If I start now, I could have a couple of really cute sweaters for our hot weather this summer.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-01-13 09:47 am (UTC)It's very frustrating to feel isolated in a fandom. Even if we have a vibrant online community to share our interests with, it would be nice to have that support in RL as well.
perhaps people can be full-time editors without feeling the need to write themselves
I enjoy reading fanfic and giving feedback, and I've worked as a writer and editor. But I've never had any desire to write fiction. The few times I've tried it, the results were mediocre and I just couldn't get into the process. My fan art isn't brilliant, but at least I'm passionate about drawing. I guess it really is a passion, some driving need to write. And I am so glad that you writers have it! :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-01-14 07:27 am (UTC)Usually I am. I've been thinking now that I'll just stop when I reach my one-year mark. But that probably won't happen.
It's very frustrating to feel isolated in a fandom. Even if we have a vibrant online community to share our interests with, it would be nice to have that support in RL as well.
Well, I feel truly lucky in that I do have some RL friends who are supportive. It would have been nice for mom to be included, but c'est la vie. My dad and stepmom have paid more attention, but it brings me back to why I write: it's not for my family, because they'll never *get* the levels of complexity. It's for others in the fandom, who will.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-01-13 12:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-01-14 07:28 am (UTC)(((hugs gratefully)))
So am I! :D