editing idea

[paulJam]

have been fermenting this idea for a while now, could probably be a liber thing as well/instead...

 

how about the idea of an 'offline' writers co-op, where we can submit articles to a pool of fellow writers for first reviews in exchange for you editing theirs?

 

probably you would have already given it enough work to ensure it's not illegible/garbled.

 

when i'm proof reading i often read what i think i wrote rather than what i actually wrote; when reading other people's work their different way of phrasing may make issues more obvious (issues as well as interesting differences).

i typically have to give my own stuff at least a dozen reads before i even get it approaching presentable. even now i'll look at thing i wrotes (and submitted) and get a fresh hit of shame when i spot spelling mistakes, extra words and other sneaky errors.

 

don't know if this contradicts bnc policy or what not, but just wanted to put the idea out there for discussion.

 

perhaps providing editable google doc links might work. haven't considered the mechanics too much (is there perhaps a mechanism within the forum that would do a similar thing - editable by multiple grunt members).

then one or two people nominate themselves to actually add some < strike >, (SP), and light commentary or suggestions when they can.

 

submitting full novels might be a bit bold (though kudos!) so perhaps a word limit or 'chapter' may be a workable unit that woulnd't be to much of an imposition. the idea isn't about altering the lore sub-forum, it's about providing a place to get some preliminary feedback before presenting an article that we can feel a little more confident about. that way we can squabble about the metal composition of bolt shell casing rather than grammar ;)

 

presenting articles here can be quite daunting given the quality of work already done; work which is great, inspirational, and something to aspire to (and in no way suggesting that the members are anything but supportive and inspiring). sometimes it's also difficult to find someone in my circles who could understand the setting or provide anything more useful than 'yeah, interesting. what's an a-starts and when do they meet up with the jedi'.

 

ideas?

 

[Doctor Perils]

Hum, the idea's interesting enough, but I don't know if there would be enough people interested, and I'm afraid that there would be all too often newcomers that write something they might feel is the bee's knees, but that any other Liberite would cringe at when reading - yet the more experienced liberites would still be honour bound to read all the way through because they've pledged to editing articles.

Also, some people can be more interested in reading one type of article but not the other, and therefore editing could become a chore for those articles they aren't interested in.

 

Also, I don't know if grammar squables are that common on the Bolter and Chainsword, partially due to the fact that there are many non-native english speakers here: I think problems with spelling or grammar are largely overlooked, except when things come up too often, or when a simple spell-check on Word or on different internet sites would repair the worst cases.

 

 

As I said, the idea is interesting, but a certain structure would have to be put in place.

[JeffTibbetts]

I tried to incorporate peen editing when we started the (now stalled out) Fanthology. It was problematic because everyone's so busy and it was hard to commit to trading drafts around. I think it's hugely beneficial, but there does need to be some structure and a clear set of expectations in place. 

[aura_enchanted]

my biggest issue with such an idea would be wikipedia syndrome, where people start using it as a vessel for rampant trolling

[JeffTibbetts]

Really? That's surprising to me. I guess it's possible but I'd be surprised since this forum isn't exactly fraught with trolls, and this would require a bit of a time commitment. 

[paulJam]

i figure it might be like herding cats.

 

1) perhaps have a single google doc containing a list of draft articles with links.

the idea with google docs is it keep the forum less cluttered with drafts, note and comments.

 

2) member xyz posts i've got a story and add the detail

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LpJXdGtwWbwrJ2KanH3OyUf-AUoU71T1mpb8UH-EZ3k/edit?usp=sharing

 

3) member abc says i'll give it a read and put their name on the main list

3.5) editeditedit

 

4) member xyz then takes the edited doc and does whatever with it and takes the link down of the list of draft article document.

 

5) unless they want a second opinion, in which case repeat.

 

having a post/forum item editable by any member might make the process more chaotic... for some of y'all that's a good thing :)

[JeffTibbetts]

We could also do a similar thing with Trello boards. That way people can see what's in the queue and move it to the next area when they're done with it. Anyone here work with Agile at their job?