cinderstorm

[cinderstorm]

Special deal for the month of November: 25% off all of my standard editorial packages. I offer affordable critiques on everything from short stories to epic novels—whether you want to polish up an existing manuscript or you’re lost in the weeds of a difficult project, I offer plenty of options to choose from. And remember: the first 500 words are free of charge!

Beta Reading Service Now Open

Hey, y'all! I'm looking to make some extra cash this month, so I am offering up my beta reading services to anyone who might be interested. Options range from sentence-by-sentence editorial work to more general critique on plot/story/characterization/etc. I specialize in adult fantasy, but I'm also well-read in sci-fi, young adult, and romance.

Rates and services are listed below, but if you have a project that doesn't quite fit within those categories, let me know, and we can discuss pricing. Additionally, I am willing to beta read up to 500 words free of charge, so that you can get a sense of what sort of critique you'll be getting with these services.

For in-depth edits, including sentence-by-sentence line edits plus a number of more extensive general comments, my rates are as follows:

Basic package: Up to 2000 words, with 2-3 general comments. Cost: $20.

Intermediate package: 2000-5000 words, with 3-5 general comments. Cost: $35.

Luxury package: 5000-10,000 words, with 7-10 general comments. Cost: $60

For more general critique, I focus more on big picture issues such as story structure/characterization/pacing/etc. As with the above packages, I offer a set number of comments with detailed explanations for any proposed changes, as well as useful tools for refining your WIP. However, this service does not include line edits, as it is meant to focus on larger-scale revisions. Comments may be given at the end of chapters/scenes, or at the end of the complete document, as per preference of the client. My rates are as follows:

Basic critique: Up to 10,000 words, this critique will include 7-10 general comments. Cost: $30

Intermediate critique: Up to 25,000 words, this critique will include 20-25 general comments. Cost: $60

Luxury critique: Up to 50,000 words, this critique will include 40-50 general comments. Cost: $100

My turnaround time depends on the scope of the project. However, for Basic or Intermediate packages, you can generally expect delivery within 3 business days. For Luxury packages, delivery may take up to 10 business days. I accept payments primarily via PayPal or Apple Cash, but am open to other payment methods.

[cinderstorm]

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske is a romance that's both cozy and a scorching hot bodyguard fantasy.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Mattinesh Jay is the chronically responsible eldest son and dutiful heir striving to keep his family’s business running. Luca Piere is a menace of a con artist desperately trying to escape his past by taking up the blade. When the pair meet, swords clash, and sparks fly. Soon, they’re entangled in a conspiracy that may bring Matti’s house to ruin if they don’t work together.

[cinderstorm]

[P]eople may not be capable of writing 1000 words specifically, and that 500 or 250 might only be within reach. Or they might only be able to find the time to write once or twice a week or maybe once a month. Or if you’re a poet, maybe you’re just writing a poem a week or something like that, and that’s actually a lot of work. So “1000 words” has become more of a metaphor within the project for “a good day’s work.”

Jami Attenberg

[cinderstorm]

“Are you the witch who turned eleven princes into swans?”

The old woman stared at the figure on the front step of her cottage and considered her options. It was the kind of question usually backed up by a mob with meaningful torches, and it was the kind of question she tried to avoid.

Coming from a single dusty, tired housewife, it should’ve held no terrors.

“You a cop?”

The housewife twisted the hem of her apron. “No,” she muttered. “I’m a swan.”

A raven croaked somewhere in the woods. Wind whispered in the autumn leaves.

Then: “I think I can guess,” the old woman said slowly. “Husband stole your swan skin and forced you to marry him?”

A nod.

“And you can’t turn back into a swan until you find your skin again.”

A nod.

“But I reckon he’s hidden it, or burned it, or keeps it locked up so you can’t touch it.”

A tiny, miserable nod.

“And then you hear that old Granny Rothbart who lives out in the woods is really a batty old witch whose father taught her how to turn princes into swans,” the old woman sighed. “And you think, ‘Hey, stuff the old skin, I can just turn into a swan again this way.’

“But even if that was true – which I haven’t said if it is or if it isn’t – I’d say that I can only do it to make people miserable. I’m an awful person. I can’t do it out of the goodness of my heart. I have no goodness. I can’t use magic to make you feel better. I only wish I could.”

Another pause. “If I was a witch,” she added.

The housewife chewed the inside of her cheek. Then she drew herself up and, for the first time, looked the old woman in the eyes.

“Can you do it to make my husband miserable?”

The old woman considered her options. Then she pulled the wand out from the umbrella stand by the door. It was long, and silver, and a tiny glass swan with open wings stood perched on the tip.

“I can work with that,” said the witch.

[cinderstorm]

Beta Reading Service Now Open

Hey, y'all! I'm looking to make some extra cash this month, so I am offering up my beta reading services to anyone who might be interested. Options range from sentence-by-sentence editorial work to more general critique on plot/story/characterization/etc. I specialize in adult fantasy, but I'm also well-read in sci-fi, young adult, and romance.

Rates and services are listed below, but if you have a project that doesn't quite fit within those categories, let me know, and we can discuss pricing. Additionally, I am willing to beta read up to 500 words free of charge, so that you can get a sense of what sort of critique you'll be getting with these services.

For in-depth edits, including sentence-by-sentence line edits plus a number of more extensive general comments, my rates are as follows:

Basic package: Up to 2000 words, with 2-3 general comments. Cost: $20.

Intermediate package: 2000-5000 words, with 3-5 general comments. Cost: $35.

Luxury package: 5000-10,000 words, with 7-10 general comments. Cost: $60

For more general critique, I focus more on big picture issues such as story structure/characterization/pacing/etc. As with the above packages, I offer a set number of comments with detailed explanations for any proposed changes, as well as useful tools for refining your WIP. However, this service does not include line edits, as it is meant to focus on larger-scale revisions. Comments may be given at the end of chapters/scenes, or at the end of the complete document, as per preference of the client. My rates are as follows:

Basic critique: Up to 10,000 words, this critique will include 7-10 general comments. Cost: $30

Intermediate critique: Up to 25,000 words, this critique will include 20-25 general comments. Cost: $60

Luxury critique: Up to 50,000 words, this critique will include 40-50 general comments. Cost: $100

My turnaround time depends on the scope of the project. However, for Basic or Intermediate packages, you can generally expect delivery within 3 business days. For Luxury packages, delivery may take up to 10 business days. I accept payments primarily via PayPal or Apple Cash, but am open to other payment methods.

[cinderstorm]

finally decided to sit down and watch the incredibles again. there will be no commentary because i’m gonna be too busy watching it

[cinderstorm]

The building of rage

[cinderstorm]

Everina Maxwell, Ocean’s Echo

[cinderstorm]

No point in particular I'm trying to make, it just occurred to me I started writing my first shadowgast fanfic around this time FOUR YEARS AGO, and I still think about them EVERY DAY and still write sappy/horny/sappy-and-horny fics about HOW IN LOVE THEY ARE, and somehow canon keeps ENABLING ME (no spoilers), and I'm not alone in this!!!

[cinderstorm]

This is I think, my best prep tip as a DM:

When the players are about to visit a new town, pre-generate several NPCs who fit the demographics of the town, but don't give them jobs. Your town is Mostly human, with a number of halflings and gnomes? Make a list that's mostly humans with some halflings and gnomes mixed in, with names that match the vibe you're going for and maybe the barest description + a quirk of some sort.

So the list would look something like this:

Ophelia Bracegurdle, older Halfling woman who laughs a lot

Norabecka Johnson, a young human woman who seems tired

Geraldofinio Babblecock Nimsy, gnome gentleman who takes pains to maintain a fabulous mustache

Etc.

Then, when the players are like, "Can I go to the blacksmith?" You look at your list of NPCs and the one at the top is Ophelia Bracegurdle. She's your blacksmith now. Then they want to go to the tavern, where Norabecka is the innkeeper and Geraldofinio is a patron having a drink at the bar. He's using a straw so he doesn't mess up his mustache.

If they had gone to the inn first, Ophelia would have been the innkeeper with Norabecka as the patron, and then Geraldofinio should have been a blacksmith with some sort of mustache guard to keep the sparks off.

Making the list ahead of time doesn't take much time, and you can often re-use the people you never got to at the next town.

Your world will seem vibrant and interesting and like you have everything planned out.

Have fun!

[cinderstorm]

*pulls up to the fanfic drive-thru window* uh yeah, i’ll take a fake relationship with a side of mutual pining and thinking the other isn’t interested, thanks

[cinderstorm]

dissertation writing advice

[cinderstorm]

I really think people have forgotten just how bad things were under the Trump Administration. Literally every day there was news about some service being cut or someone terrible appointed somewhere they shouldn't be or what have you. He constantly flirted with WW3 and military dictatorship. It was such a blur of badness that there aren't big standouts for people to point to to make him "the XYZ president." it was everything. all the time. Why do we not remember this.

[cinderstorm]

i don't think essek ever actually decided to join the Cobalt Soul, I think Beau just dropped by Caleb's house unannounced to ask for a ride only to find Essek home alone and just went "eh, you'll do."

when someone asked who he was Beau is like "this is Seth, a new archivist" like what are they gonna do, tell her she's wrong? clearly you misplaced Seth's admission records. you should really be less sloppy, you're making us look bad.

& then it's a slippery slope to "hey essek I need you to stop by the archive in port damali to pick something up, I'm banned again" and then random archivists are asking him for favors bc he's smart and he's friends with expositor lionett and much like m9 accidentally stole a ship, Essek Thelyss accidentally becomes a Cobalt Soul Archivist.

[cinderstorm]

this daily target staring back at me

[cinderstorm]

y'all ever reach the end of google