I'm not a nerd but I'm getting there

[speaker_to_customers]

Today I've done no writing at all, and yet it has been productive.

I've gone back to an old system restore point and got rid of Windows XP Service Pack 2. It crashed my computer so many times! I don't care about the security vulnerabilities; I've got firewalls, pop-up blockers, SpyBot Search & Destroy including Trojan immunisation, and a few other things; I'll take my chances. What is most important is that the computer works, and with Service Pack 2 it doesn't.

Then I made some improvements to my website.

When I got my site I knew nothing about html. The entire "Roxyverse" is done with the "save as Web Page" feature of Word. For "Pandora's Boxer" somebody I know through the newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett did a style sheet and turned the first 18 chapters of "PB" into proper html for me, and also acted as a beta reader. Then she stopped. I last heard from her in April. She said she was going to e-mail me in a couple of days; she didn't. I've e-mailed her and she hasn't replied. She's still posting on alt.fan.pratchett, so she hasn't died or been abducted by other aliens or anything, but she doesn't communicate with me. So, it was back to the "save as Web Page" system for PB19 to 22, "It's Got to be Perfect", "I was made for loving you baby", and so on.

However, LiveJournal has taught me the bare bones of html, as I had to learn how to do LJ cuts and italics and links (thanks again mommanerd and missmurchison), and I eventually decided to do something about the fics. I've worked my way through "Pyromania", "I am the Walrus", "Working for the Yankee Dollar", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and all the Drabbles. Then I put the rest of the "Pandora's Boxer" chapters into proper html too. It's taken me all day, and really put a dent in my writing schedule, but I think it was worth it. They react to changing the text size on the browser now, which is a big improvement, and the file size is drastically reduced. One of them went from 211k to 66k. So they load faster.

I can't face starting on the other multi-chapter stories yet, so it's back to the writing. Expect the next "It's got to be Perfect" chapter, featuring the return of Angel and Wesley, on Wednesday; exactly one week after I said I was going to produce it. For me that's not too bad. There will be 4 more chapters altogether, and I'm going to just stick at it until I finish. No BuffyBot for a while yet, so all Violent Elizabeth's fans will just have to wait.

PS I added a couple of extra puns into "I am the Walrus" while I was going through it. Happiness is a warm pun.

Comments

[i-digress-uk.livejournal.com]

LOL this sounds a bit like my struggles with html. I know the basics and I am essentialy self taught. It took me the best part of two years to get my site at the point it's at now - and I still have load of fics to put up. I just hate tagging, it takes so bloody long!

But there is a great sense of satisfaction from getting a story up and knowing you did it yourself so CONGRATULATIONS.

[jerusha]

I only wish I had the time to figure out html. I'm feeling pretty good about my current level of knowledge though. Good for you for figuring it out though, even if it does cut into the writing schedule. :)

[debxena.livejournal.com]

Well hey there - I hope you don't mind me adding you to my friends list. Someone (sorry - I can't remember who) recommended your writing, and I've spent the week so far plowing through I was made for loving you baby and Pandora's Boxer. I'm just about to start on It's Got to be Perfect but I thought it was time to drop a line and let you know how ... profoundly ... your writing has affected me. Especially with creating strong empathy for Harmony, which I didn't really have before (oh, I liked her well enough, but not like that, you know?).

Anyhow, I'll stop spamming your comments, and go back to reading. But wanted to say hi, and thank you :)

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Of course I don't mind you adding me to your Friends. Delighted to have you on board.

I hadn't really thought about affected anyone profoundly. I'm just trying to tell stories that I hope people will enjoy.

[debxena.livejournal.com]

I do at that (enjoy them, that is). Plowed through 'Perfect' this afternoon, and am curious as all hell as to where you're going to take it. The Spike/Anya friendship is very well crafted.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

I could read that as being damning with faint praise. "Plowed through 'Perfect'" makes it sound as if it was laborious for you! :-)

There should be only four more chapters to go, so you'll find out where I'm going to take it before too long. I'm struggling a bit with the current chapter. It should have been completed and posted before now, but I'm having to work hard at some of the dialogue. The following two chapters are the ones that I've been working towards right from the idea first coming to me, I've run through every scene several times, and they will follow very soon once I get this one out of the way.

[debxena.livejournal.com]

Whups! No, only damning my brain, as I was very tired and had a migraine coming on. Reading your fic was a good deal more pleasurable that *gasp* actually doing work - but I had to concentrate a little harder than usual.

Looking forward to reading the next chapters once they're up. (If you want a dialogue beta, feel free to throw them my way - my email addy's on my profile page.)