I'm back to DLP. I've matured a lot since I last posted here. Both as a writer and a person. From this I want to try my hand at actually writing a fiction.

I'm looking for a Beta to work through my jumbled ideas, and turn me into a half-decent member of the writing community. Please reply in forum or through private message I am not adverse to either.

 

More data needed. What's the story about? What kind of level is your writing at (possible examples?)? What is your update rate (be honest, saying how it actually is, not how you plan for it to be)? Would your beta be a stylistic beta, a content beta, or both?

 

The story is going to be an Independent Harry fic, but with my rough outline it will not be a direct rebellion against Dumbledore. I'm hoping to pull it off in a way that Harry and Dumbledore can work together. It's not going to be Super!Harry, but I will make him more powerful than canon. I'm not sure about the pairing yet, but it will either be Harry/Pavarti ( Padma? Maybe) or Harry / Alicia.

I hope to make it less cliched than most Indy Harry fics are, that is why I'm not having it after Sirius dies. I would also like to detach Harry, Ron, and Hermione's relationship a little and focus more on the obscure characters, develope them into a character of their own. Uhm, I have some original fiction I could post as my 'writing style,' but I think it's in need of revision in a bad way, personally. Especially since it was a collaborative work with my best friend who believed in the codswallop that is Global Warming, and he wanted to input his own values into that area of the story. Now that he's off to BCT I'm going to revise it and put my own values to be the underlying aspect of the story.

The update rate will probably vary. I actually hope to finish two or so chapters in the next couple of days because of lack of work. This isn't likely for the majority of the story. I would hope I could pump out an 11k word chapter a week, but realistically, with work, it will be more around ever 2 weeks or so. Though, since it is not published yet on a website I can't honestly tell you the exact update rate, but I generally make quick efficient work of all my writings, and they are usually found above par in comparison to writers around me. Though, since the majority of DLP has found amazing writers, such as: Jbern, Lord Ravenclaw, and Vash ( who is very good, just seems to be smut oriented usually. ) I don't know how I would compare. Just, I want to make sure I give quality work instead of a rushed wall of text to give to the readers.

As for the Beta, I would like both stylistic and content based Betas. I already had somebody private message me about being a beta, but I'm not adverse to there being a team to berate me for my idiotic ideas, or misusage of commas. Though, in terms of plot and characterization I am confident enough that I will have the final say, but will listen to all constructive criticism fairly.

 

This part concerned me a bit.

 

Well, I mean to say. The codswallop that man created Global Warming. Surely certain people here know it is a farce? I mean, can anybody explain why the Earth warms in 11 year cycles, then cools in 11 year cycles? I mean it was only in the 70s that people were worried about Global Cooling, which introduced new measures on regulating SO4 molecules in Detroit. Couldn't that generally be the cause of Global Warming? Actually, it has been proven that Global Warming isn't by cause of man, it is from the activity of the sun, Sunspot activity gains in intensity and lessens ever 11 years, a full cycle of Sun activity every 22 years. That's what I was saying was codswallop, not necessarily the theory in and of itself, but the reasons presented. Though, if you if you want to argue this we can start up a thread to debate the issue.

 

I happen to think its fake and only being used as a money-making scheme for the people giving speeches of it. However, if there really was global warming, it may be a good thing. It could warm up parts of Canada (or other northern countries/regions) and make it possible to farm in those parts. It would also dramatically change the climate in quite a few places in the world, maybe making deserts get rain or other places get less rain, increases/decreases of temperature etc.

Nevertheless, this isn't what the thread is about. I could provide slight grammar/word usage beta along with spelling. I can't write a story to save my life, but I do read a lot and get good grades in English at school...

 

The sentence is so 'agitatingly' incorrect; is it? Have you not study a lick of astronomy? And besides, the Arctic circle may be melting, but water levels will not rise due to the ice already being in the water. Though, as I said this isn't a debate about Global Warming, it is about me finding a Beta.

Also, the reason I have not decided on a pairing is because I want it to be later in the story and as a sub-plot, not the entire focus point of the story. Every good author and reader ( Of fantasy/adventure, Romance novels are excluded) knows that it's not the romance that make the story, it is the plot. And your presumptuousness is completely uncalled for, I'm just not sure about the romantic side of the story yet, but I do not, and I repeat do not want it to be the leading, and most decisive plot in the story.

I agree, generally Global warming is the leading marketing agent for going green, and does generate a lot of money. I work at Wal*Mart right now, before going to college, and we sell tremendous amounts of those blue and black canvas bags for $.50 to $1.00, so yes, it is a money making theory. Global Warming is happening, but not at a rate we should worry about because Antartica will take generations after generations to melt, THE ONLY ICE THAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A RISE IN SEA LEVELS, but by the time it would start to melt, a series of Global Cooling acitivities in our atmosphere, and Earth would take place. Now onto other things.

Thank you for your willingness to help me, Antonimus. I may just put my works in the WbA section to let DLP give me a good dressing down before throwing the fic onto PC, or FFN.

 

Before you go asking for a beta I would suggest a few things be done before seeking to post.

The first is make sure you actually have the time and ability to finish the story. I'll try not to insult anyone here, but I really HATE when a good story dies because the author started it without knowing if they could finish it. Seeing all the uncompleted stuff out there, this is a very important thing you might want to consider.

You're eighteen right? Just graduated from High School? Are you planning on going to college? If so...then I fear whatever plans you have for this fiction they will die when August comes around. I'm not speaking out of arrogance or your lack of ability, but from experience. The first semester of a freshman is pretty hectic. Especially if you're working and going to class.

That aside, I think the next thing you might want to consider is going ahead and typing a few chapters. Get about 10k to 20k into the plot and see if you feel like continuing. I don't know how many times I wrote this awesome plot out then hit 10k and realized it was only a bunny. I actually managed to get to the 35k mark on one story before trashing it. If you manage that and like it then post it in this thread to allow people to see what they're getting into. Hell, just post it here in the WBA and you'll get a lot of help with it. Though, it should not be substituted for a beta.

As to the update rate. 11k in a week? Nice if you can manage it, but I have my doubts you are another Mizumi-sama. Hell, jbern I think doesn't post that quickly and the man shits words.

Go for a tentative schedule first in updating. 11k every two weeks. Remember, you don't know how long it'll take your beta to edit and you to make the changes. I manage about 10k every three weeks and its no drain on my own life. Of course, my wife is my beta so I'm pretty lucky there.

Also, a little helpful advice. If you truly have your heart set on this and you are going to go through with it, I suggest you type out about two chapters ahead of your posting rate. It'll give you a lot of breathing room, and most importantly...it'll take the pressure off you. I did my first fic with a chapter a week with none already wrote out and every Tuesday and Wednesday I would feel rushed to get it out.

On a final note. Flesh out most of your plot before sitting down to type. Typing on the fly can produce a lot of good works, but mostly they are crap. I've got pages written down about history and events and so forth. It helps me to know where I'm trying to end-up.

That's my two sense so take it or leave it.

 

I realize that college will take up a load of my time. Though, I don't know if I mentioned it or not, I'm taking a gap year. Also, I already planned on writing a couple of chapters out ahead, before even sending it to beta. I also started outlining it chapter by chapter my outlines are up to chapter 4, and I'm almost half-way through chapter 1 at around 6,500 words. I feel good about my line of events, but I do understand what you mean by taking the time in conscious of how my update rate will be; as I said, I do not know yet, because it hasn't been posted, I'm just hoping it will be 11k a week, this is judging by the fact I've wrote 4 outlines, and 6,500 words in 3 and a half days, this is with work in the evenings, I'm hoping to get a few chapters done so that I can get a feel of how people will react to my story, within the next week or so.

Also, I don't want to be compared to Jbern until I earn it. Though I'm not a fan of 1st or 2nd person stories, To Fight the Coming Darkness is my favorite fan fiction that I've ever ran across, well that and the Indy Harry fic by Omni Black, that is sadly left unfinished. Now I know Omni Black was full of cliche'd ideas, but at the time, it was an amazing story.

I also know what you mean by incomplete, amazing stories. Which leads me to ask, does anyone know if Lord Ravenclaw is going to update his story, Harry Potter and the Era of Hogwarts? I enjoyed that story immensely, but it has been left alone for a while now. Also, Harry Potter and the Heir of Silvertongue, I remember this story was quite riveting in the past, but I've been unable to find it.

 

Since you atleast provided me with a good laugh, here you go buddy.

 

wat


Take a look at that picture and tell me that that ice on top of the water is already contributing to the volume of the water.

You are so ignorant it hurts.
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/apr2008/db20080417_425304.htm
Read that really quickly.

Note that global warming does not only affect melting icebergs. It also influences increased spread of disease, other natural disasters, and increases of drought and, quite obviously, heat waves.

However, if you just ARE looking at Icebergs melting, it's FAR worse than just the sea level rising. First off, icecaps are mostly pure water - IE, no salt. This desalinates the ocean, which throws off the ecosystem. Secondly, icebergs are white. They reflect sunlight back into space. If they are removed, the only thing there is, quite obviously, the ocean. Dark colors absorb heat more easily than light. This furthers the global warming problem.

Fuck you, start another thread for whichever you want.

 

I understand that there are other risks with large amounts of water being ran into the ocean, but, getting to the heart of the matter, it will not raise sea levels significantly. Besides the fact that sun activity has caused most of the 'warming effects on the Earth,' and also the cooling effects. The Earth is in a constant state of homeostasis and will always be as such; arguably there will always be times of cooling and warming, and also of ice ages and tropical ages.

Now onto the argument of desalinating the oceans: Though let's be honest here, fish and oceanic wildlife is some of the fastest evolving and adapting species on the Earth, so your argument of lasting effects on ecosystem is rather thin. Even if the ecosystem is thrown off for a short period of time, it will quickly adapt. Obviously if you believe the tripe spread around about man causing global warming, you should believe in survival of the fittest. Isn't that just another case of Darwin's theories?

Though I hear your argument about reflection, and say it is a good one, that I couldn't combat. In fact, does it matter if sunlight reflects off of the ice, rather than being stuck within the oceanic waters? Let's try this out, according to the Greenhouse Effect, U.V. lights that get under the Ozone layer are trapped, whether or not there is reflective materials under the atmosphere or not. So, reflectivity of icebergs, or rather, anything white; should be thrown out of consideration by you, because if Global Warming has been increased by man, it matters not how many reflective sources there are on Earth, it will remain heated at an accelerated pace.

Now, do not misunderstand my statements. What I meant to say was, I do not believe that Global Warming was caused by man. Increases in CO2 are obviously not the only cause of Global Warming, there are other sources. Sure you've heard the theories of gaseous emissions from cattle and other herd animals being the cause of Global Warming, do you believe? I should hope not. I just don't believe man is the deciding factor in Global Warming, though my friend did; which is the disagreement we had when we were writing our original fiction together. Then, there is the argument that SO4 was causing Global Cooling, because of the tons of emissions let out during Detroit from the inception of the Automobile, into well into the 1970s, and then it was regulated in a cap and trade market. Is it possible, just a little bit that because of the cap and trade it caused the difference in SO4 and CO2 emissions that offset Earth's previous homeostasis track? I mean, if that theory is correct, then I was wrong; man did cause Global Warming, but, that theory is wrong. This is justly represented when I say that CO2 emissions will never get unduly out of hand because of the ease it dissolves in H20. With the large amounts of water in our atmosphere, our oceans, and our other various bodies of water, we'll never hugely polluted because of our water cycle. Not to say that we're not polluted, just not as polluted as many think. I'm not trying to say Global Warming as a whole is a farce, just the ideals behind it that politicians use to manipulate the masses.

Now, this is entirely uncalled for, I tried to head off this debate before it was even anywhere near what it is now. So instead of trying to insult me, try to get people to go to another thread to discuss the previous subject. People like Bylfolx, Antonimus, and Affliction were on the right track with this thread. You're the one who brought the debate to a whole 'nother level. Now, could we possibly get back onto topic?

 

Sesc and the others have already annihilated your position on global warming, friend. It's good to know when you've been beaten.

What I fail to see is why you brought this topic up at all. What on earth could your position on global warming have to do with a Harry Potter fic? Is Harry going to be Rush Limbaugh's bodyguard, fearlessly defending the fat bastard from liberal scum and assassinating scientists in his spare time?

Combining contemporary political issues with a Harry Potter story is a recipe for failure.

 

No actually, I wasn't going to put those terms into the Fic at all. I was just explaining why I thought my original fiction needed revision; because it had those things in it. Anyways, I'm just not going to argue about it anymore. If they wish to start up a thread discussing Global Warming, I will drag up my Debate Files from last year and post full length discussions; with cited materials if that is what they wish. I'm just interested in finding a beta. By the way, the reason I haven't cited my sources right now is that all of my sources about Global Warming are on paper, there are websites in that cited material but I do not have them book-marked, nor do I have access to the websites the schools paid for yearly, so I'll have to make do with the typed out materials that are in my debate files.

 

Have Voldemort fight Harry upon an Iceberg and then they can directly contribute to climate change.

Otherwise, you can all stfu and take your handbagged global warming bitch fight outside.

 

Didn't your mother ever teach you that when you want something or when you're trying to make friends, never bring up religion or politics?

 

Well, I know for a fact that MY mother never said that. I think it was my dad. Nevertheless, it is a very true statement.

Now. Beta-ing. Sirius White, write up what ever you need to. I'll tell you if your story is utter crap and needs to be burned, or I will happily correct any horrific grammar/spelling errors you may have.

Cool?