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Mar. 18th, 2005 08:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
allanaIt's been a busier than usual day today, for some reason.
The lovely Dave, fixed my KitchenAid. For some reason the paddle attachment had become stuck on the machine. I don't know why/how but it took him a hammer, screwdriver, hot towels and a copious application of vegetable oil to free it. Very distressing. I also need to buy a new dough hook for it, as the nylon/enamel coating came off. You definitely don't want bits of that dispersed through your bread. Until I buy a new one, I won't be making focaccia or ciabattia. Still, my poor baby was able to take the leg-work out of making shortbread this afternoon.
I made Almond Shortbread, and spent a happy half hour dipping and drizzling chocolate over the little triangles. They're a bit drier than I'd have liked, but that's my own fault for abandoning them to go out for a drive with Dave. Before all road-users panic, I didn't drive :P I'll photo them tomorrow, probably. They'll hit my blog eventually....
What else? Oh, I finished critiquing a story that a bloke from another forum I visit wrote. The basic concept was okay, some paragraphs were pretty good, and there was one standout sentence that I wished I'd written. So, yeah. He has promise. The only problem is that he doesn't have a clue where to end sentences, has a very hazy understanding of commas, and doesn't know what dialogue punctuation is. You can be sure that I didn't write precisely that when I critiqued it. I've never written such a diplomatic email in my life; I knew I should have applied to the Foreign Office for diplomatic service.... Still, he wants to sell the story, so I took the worst paragraph and punctuated it properly, gave him the link to a sexed up basic punctuation guide, and a slew of links to sites which have advice on writing erotica. Still, there was one correctly used semi-colon. Speaking subjectively, he could have used another 20 of them.
Next time I get enthusiastic about helping someone I don't know at all, remind me that I'll want to kill myself half-way through it?
I also found, whilst searching around the Erotic Readers Association website, that Emma Holly has a website. She's the author of several Black Lace books. I once thought about writing one, but after the stress of my recent foray into het writing, I doubt I'll write any soon. Still, she has a workshop on her site: Steaming up your love scenes. Could be useful; it draws heavily from Lars Eighner's book.
And now it's time for dinner!
The lovely Dave, fixed my KitchenAid. For some reason the paddle attachment had become stuck on the machine. I don't know why/how but it took him a hammer, screwdriver, hot towels and a copious application of vegetable oil to free it. Very distressing. I also need to buy a new dough hook for it, as the nylon/enamel coating came off. You definitely don't want bits of that dispersed through your bread. Until I buy a new one, I won't be making focaccia or ciabattia. Still, my poor baby was able to take the leg-work out of making shortbread this afternoon.
I made Almond Shortbread, and spent a happy half hour dipping and drizzling chocolate over the little triangles. They're a bit drier than I'd have liked, but that's my own fault for abandoning them to go out for a drive with Dave. Before all road-users panic, I didn't drive :P I'll photo them tomorrow, probably. They'll hit my blog eventually....
What else? Oh, I finished critiquing a story that a bloke from another forum I visit wrote. The basic concept was okay, some paragraphs were pretty good, and there was one standout sentence that I wished I'd written. So, yeah. He has promise. The only problem is that he doesn't have a clue where to end sentences, has a very hazy understanding of commas, and doesn't know what dialogue punctuation is. You can be sure that I didn't write precisely that when I critiqued it. I've never written such a diplomatic email in my life; I knew I should have applied to the Foreign Office for diplomatic service.... Still, he wants to sell the story, so I took the worst paragraph and punctuated it properly, gave him the link to a sexed up basic punctuation guide, and a slew of links to sites which have advice on writing erotica. Still, there was one correctly used semi-colon. Speaking subjectively, he could have used another 20 of them.
Next time I get enthusiastic about helping someone I don't know at all, remind me that I'll want to kill myself half-way through it?
I also found, whilst searching around the Erotic Readers Association website, that Emma Holly has a website. She's the author of several Black Lace books. I once thought about writing one, but after the stress of my recent foray into het writing, I doubt I'll write any soon. Still, she has a workshop on her site: Steaming up your love scenes. Could be useful; it draws heavily from Lars Eighner's book.
And now it's time for dinner!
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Date: 2005-03-18 08:50 pm (UTC)I need that pasted to the wall above my computer.
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Date: 2005-03-18 09:08 pm (UTC)You'd think that I should have learned after beta-ing Banger, wouldn't you?
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Date: 2005-03-20 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2005-03-20 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-20 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-20 01:04 pm (UTC)Starting bread dough off in a bread-machine is a brilliant compromise betweeen convenience and great tasting bread :) Plus, if you're baking it in the oven then you don't get the odd little hole in the bottom of the loaf.
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Date: 2005-03-20 02:08 pm (UTC)I don't have a stand mixer, just a bottom-of-the-line electric beater. :D
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Date: 2005-03-20 03:17 pm (UTC)Still, I'm glad you're having fun with bread :D
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Date: 2005-03-20 05:07 am (UTC)This is from How To Write and Sell Gay Men's Erotica by Lars Eighner:
Rule five: give the reader a warning. This is so the reader's hand has a chance to catch up with his eyes.
EXAMPLE: "I can't hold out much longer," the redhead gasped.
A good length from warning to shot is about a typewritten page-and-a-half. With any luck, the reader will not encounter the dreaded "CONTINUED ON PAGE 78" within this space.
:D
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Date: 2005-03-20 12:06 pm (UTC)I feel so deprived.