Furry Writers' Guild Forum

Torn (Editors at War)

You know who you are! :stuck_out_tongue:

(the following is a dramatic recreation of actual events)

Torn (Editors at War)

For as long as I remember
I tried to fill the void
To lighten Life with stories
And places filled with joy.

For I have always loved
The pen that scribbles fast
The ink that marks the paper
And the shadow that it casts.

But words can be misguided
And end up feeling crass
That’s why I trust the Editor
To herd them on their path.

And if - I thought - one helps me
Sure two will work twice hard!
And so I called them here both
And showed the two my craft.

The hmms and aahs were the only
Sounds that roamed the air
They stood like that for hours
And filled me with despair.

“It’s good!” “It’s good!” They told me
And I could breathe with ease
For Editors are fussy beasts
And very hard to please.

“However…” They both said
“It could be so much more”
“You could tear off the roof with it
Why stopping at the floor?”

“The prose is good, but here and there
It might use some more work.
The dialogue’s nice, but it feels flat
And spoken by an orc.”

“A master of descriptions, yes
But action’s where it’s at!
Remember that all will feel wrong
If not support’d by facts!”

“It feels like something’s missing! Have you
Tried to expand this part?”
“I don’t know how to take his smile!”
“I can’t tell if he’s smart!”

“The elegance is paramount!”
“There is no need for smut!”
“It’s lacking style!” “It needs to change!”
'“Cut!” “Cut!” “Cut!” “Cut!” “Cut!” “Cut!”

And little me was overwhelmed
By all their loud comments
When suddendly, they ignored me
And voiced their dissent.

“Oh dear, I think you might
Have overlooked this part.
How couldn’t you point out the style
Do I need to make a chart?”

“Sincerely, I disagree
With my colleague’s idea
The repetition of those words,
It’s something that I fear.”

“Surely, you’re not telling me
That using ‘was’ is good!
It slows the pace, repeats itself
And ends up feeling moot!”

“Surely, you don’t mean to imply
She’d just use verbs in -ing!
It might sound best, but it would change
The meaning of the thing!”

“You twit!” “You crook!” “There’s nothing there
That she should have to change!”
“You fool! Listen to what you said!
To you, that’s all a game!”

And I was puzzled and dumbfounded
From the words and talk
I grabbed my work, and left the house
And went out for a walk.

And walking, I then crossed a park
Where I happened to see
A friend of mine, just sitting there
Under the cherry tree.

I waved, she waved, and there we were
Enjoying Spring at last
The smell of flowers in the air
The squirrels running fast.

I took a breath, and showed her
The tale that split the two
I pressured, asked and begged for
Her reading of the book.

“Well look, there’s nothing wrong in here
As far as I can see
I just don’t get what’s that you want
It all looks fine by me.”

Sometimes advice can save a life
Whether fictional or real
But on one thing we should rely
A friend, to shake off Fear.