On the other hand...

So in my last post I mentioned the possibility of printing out my entire manuscript to go over it on the printed page, so that I might notice more things I want to tweak.

Or, as an alternative, I could just try to brush up on modern technology...

I have never had a smart phone, and only recently became a proud owner of an iPad. Suffice it to say, I am still learning the ropes. Gradually.

Somewhere along the line I stopped being able to effortlessly pick up new things in the world of technology and the internet. It happened sometime after Facebook. When Twitter became big, I didn't "get it" - why bother with that, when we already had something that worked? I'm not much for texting, either.

But now I have learned that I can read my manuscript as a PDF on my iPad, which makes it more like reading a book and allows me to pick up on those things that for some reason are easy to miss on the computer screen in a Word document. So it looks like I won't have to waste the printer ink after all. Yay for that.

In other news, I have been asked to go over M. R. Pritchard's manuscript for SPARROW MAN as a beta reader. I am looking forward to reading through it! (Perhaps even moreso since it contains mature content for 17+, oo la la!)

Check out SPARROW MAN on her blog at http://secretlifeofatownie.blogspot.com/p/sparrow-man.html

Slowly but surely

When I first entered the title for this post, I accidentally wrote "Slowly but direly." Hopefully not a prophetic mistype!

I'm still making progress on THE PROPHECY. I have the first four chapters out to my beta reader. (I wonder if she knows/cares that I refer to her as mine?)

I printed out the chapters to give to her to read, since there weren't too many. I went over the pages myself and realized that I notice a lot more that way, little things I want to change. A word choice here and there, a character's voice. I pick up a lot more on the printed page than I do on the computer screen.

So should I print out all of THE SENTIENT and go over it all again that way? I really think I'd like to. Although when I do, I'll be screaming on the inside about the cost of ink...

FYI: I just added an excerpt from THE SENTIENT. Check it out and let me know what you think!

I am thrilled that THE SENTIENT is complete, but since it looks like I'll need to combine it with its sequel to make it a more suitable length, I am anxious to work on THE PROPHECY. Since I work full time, take online classes, and have two little rugrats to keep me busy, my opportunities for writing are limited. Mostly I write after the boys are in bed at night. I am making steady progress, though, and am super excited!