(no subject)

So -- after an unconscionably long hiatus of avoidance and dither, I finally opened up the AU-in-progress this morning, read through what I have, plus my 167K of notes, and .... arrghh. This thing is thematically more complex than End of the Road, involves more characters, and will probably end up being longer. I have no idea how I'm going to pull this off and cannot believe I'm doing this to myself. Again. Arrrrggghhhhh, I say.

(Lessee, if we estimate hypothetically 120,000 words total, of which I've got around 27,000 written already [most of it in dire need of editing], that leaves, um, 93,000 to go, and if we said I could maybe average a thousand words a day [which is ridiculous, but let's go with it], then .... )

Jesus wept. (*sighs deeply, applies shoulder to thirty-ton boulder, starts pushing*)

Extremely belated contribution to Beta Appreciation Day

I realize that this occasion wholly passed me by, in the frenzy of last week, but it would be graceless in the *extreme* not to seize the opportunity, however late, to give public and most deeply humble thanks to the wonderful friends who've made my writing a whole lot better than it would otherwise have been.

So, deep deep bows of respect and gratitude to (in alphabetical order):
aerye, arallara, aukestrel, bethbethbeth, cesperanza, dargie, destina, lapillus, laurashapiro, Mairead Triste, nancy, tazlet, the_shoshanna, thewildmole, thisisbone, vagabondage. (I hope to GOD I'm not forgetting anyone -- if I am, please kick me hard and let me know in comments!)

It's odd -- it took me quite a while to begin using betas, when I started writing. I think initially I had a deep ego-need to prove I could make it all on my own (cue Kat's inner two-year-old, shrieking I do it myself!!!) Once I finally got past that, I began to get a grip on the inestimable value, and the joy, of allowing myself to learn from others, and to let the hell go of my ego-death-grip on the whole writing process. Those of you who've read my later stuff will never (I hope) know of the many infelicities, incongruities, plot glitches, POV snafus, and other horrors you were spared thanks to the goddess-like women mentioned above.