Oh, WOW!

Boy, did I call this one. Whew!

Today, Thursday, is my assigned day to talk about how Evil Editor and his Minions have responded to anything I have written. Well, New Beginning 584 is mine, and it was posted yesterday while I was taking a restless nap. I woke to find an enormous amount of constructive criticism. I spent several hours trying to take it all in. I took a break to visit another blog and provide a frivolous comment just to free my mind. After a few more hours I posted my thank you's and response. A wordy response.

The posting was the novel's first 150 words. I took it from what I called, First Interlude, which precedes Chapter One. The Interludes (of which there are four) are brief moments when I take the reader away from the main story in order to reveal activity taking place outside the story characters' knowledge. To spare you the trouble of jumping to Evil Editor right now (although I do recommend you visit his blog (http://evileditor.blogspot.com for more reasons than to just see my work critiqued) here is what I posted:

In the darkness he brooded. But it was not the darkness that oppressed him. Darkness was his ally. His image, when shrouded in darkness, terrified the so-called Free People even more than in light.

He looked at this thin, drawn and deathly grey hand. Frail in appearance, it was stronger than any creature on the Sea save, perhaps, the great dragons. But even they lacked his raw power. His face was a living skull with unblinking eyes and a taught, skin like covering pulled and stretched to reveal the form benath. to those lesser things across the Sea he was the living dead, and all but one would cower before him. This Other, though. Where was he and when would he appear?

Time moved forward. Time was he enemy. He was trapped in time. But to be anywhere else was to risk assault, and he was not ready for that. He was not invincible. Not yet. That had been a difficult lesson. Curse Kensington and his interference! How could he reclaim his advantage? Then he felt it! The feeling of new inspiration. With a quiet breath he summoned his servant.

I confess, I thought it was great. My big fear was that no one would comment. My fear was unfounded. So were my thoughts about greatness. If you know anything about critiquing then you have probably already seen at least a half dozen things wrong. The Minions certainly did. I counted forty-eight. And then there were three more postings.

Now the fear was I would take it all to heart and feel crushed and incapable. I did shed tears, but not tears of despair. When BuffySquirrel and Writtenwyrdd put in the final comments, I felt like I had just won the lottery. So much help! So much information. I just cried. These people are giving me a chance, and a chance is all any of us ever get. Some don't even get that. I don't quite feel inadequate, but I have a lot of work to do. A LOT of work. The end is so much further away than I believed. But I am being herded in the right direction for success. That, I believe.

May God grant me the time to get there. I have such a long way to go.

Thank you, Minions. I love you all.

I have received help from other Minions on other pieces, but here is a list of those who posted for this submission. I am thinking the best way I can say "Thank You" is to point others in their direction.

Writtenwyrdd - http://writtenwyrdd.blogspot.com
Evil Editor - http://evileditor.blogspot.com
BuffySquirrel - http://inthedarknesshiding.blogspot.com
Anonymous - sorry, no link to give
Dave F - http://fragments-fiction.blogspot.com
Chelsea - http://www.blogger.com/profile/16301150715189103602
Danceluvr - sorry, no link to give
Jeb - sorry, no link to give