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HASA?
Nov 3, 2005 11:21:28 GMT
Post by lucidity on Nov 3, 2005 11:21:28 GMT
Hi everyone!
Can someone please explain how the HASA site works? I'm pretty confused. I did a search in the chat section here and this scared the pants off me regarding submitting my story at all.
I enlisted the aid of a HASA beta from their lists and she helped me to do a rewrite on my story. Now I'm not sure what happens from there.
I submit to one of two categories (beta or general) and then...well, there it gets murky.
Anyway, if there's anyone out there who has navigated this minefield before, please help!
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HASA?
Nov 3, 2005 16:59:15 GMT
Post by Raksha on Nov 3, 2005 16:59:15 GMT
If you are satisfied with your story as it is now and don't think it needs further feedback or beta-ing, then you don't have to submit it to HASA Beta at all. To be honest, if you do put it in HASA Beta, you might get more helpful feedback, or be ignored - a lot depends on how long the story is and how you promote it. I think as an inexperienced fanfic writer you may get more help, especially if you mention that you really need it.
But if your story is ready to be posted in the archive; then you can either put it in General, where, I believe (having never put anything in HASA General, at least not knowingly), the general non-HASA public will not be able to access the story, or submit the story for HASA Review. If the story passes Review (nine reviews are needed, and you must get at least five acceptances out of the nine), then it will be posted in the Archive, and non-HASA folks will be able to read it.
You could do a search at HASA, in the stories featuring your favorite character; and check out stories still in Beta, stories in General, and stories that are Published - and study them to see the different levels of skill and finesse, and try to figure out how they compare with your story in terms of readability, plot, grammar, flow, language...
It's a personal choice. There are many fine stories in HASA General. There are many fine stories that don't pass Review - and some that don't pass the first time and then come back again and make it through the second time. There's no qualification for being a Reviewer, so your story is completely at the mercy of any HASA member who decides to review.
I've submitted two of my stories to Review, and have passed. I'm right now waiting on a third (on pins and needles); which is neither my best nor worst piece but is IMHO well-written (and short, which helps a piece get through HASA Review fast).
All the reviewers have the option of adding commentary - which no one but you, and the reviewer making the commentary, will ever see. (maybe the Review administrators - but I'm not sure). That can be helpful, or demoralizing, or both. Sometimes the reviewers sign their names, sometimes they don't.
Movie-verse stories are less likely to pass HASA Review, but there are some outstanding exceptions.
If you submit a story to HASA Review, the grammar and spelling must be near-perfect to perfect. The writing must not be over-sentimental or sloppy - and the HASA members, generally, don't seem to care for hurt-comfort stories unless the emotion is very skillfully and subtly (word?) written (which is why I haven't submitted Survivor, my movie-verse Angst story to HASA Review - Faramir's bleeding, physically and emotionally, all over the place ). Check out Gwynnyd's Fever Dreams, which can fit into the hurt-comfort genre, but is well-written and smooth and doesn't bludgeon the reader with the emotion (unlike some of my stories), it did pass HASA Review...
When I review a story at HASA, if it's well-written in terms of grammar, style and plot, and isn't slashy for the sake of being slashy (frankly, I don't review most slash stories), I generally Accept it. But I'm fairly choosy in what I review. I could even Accept a writer's very non-Tolkienish style if the piece holds my interest and is conveying something interesting, or is a parody or an AU, as long as it isn't totally 21st century in plot and style. (which probably rules out my funny Morgoth story, but I doubt I'll submit that one)
I remember, several months ago, totally tearing a story apart, politely, in Beta - a very young and new fanfic writer had posted her first story and it needed a lot of help. She was very mature about my suggestions, implemented them, much improved the story, and then submitted it to Review and it passed - I was one of the reviewers that Accepted it. I wouldn't call it an outstanding story, but it was a nice effort, and I felt it belonged in the archive...
If you submit your story for Review, you have to be willing to be rejected. You may not like it, but don't submit your story for either Review or even Beta, if you can't handle criticism or lack of acceptance. Do your screaming and sulking at home (which I will do if my current story doesn't pass; but hey, I know the price going in, and I'll survive even if I privately grumble a bit).
HASA can be a tremendous learning experience. By the way, are you also a member of the H-A email list? If you've got something in HASA beta, it also helps to mention it on the email list and ask (beg, plead, whatever) for help/comment...And have you looked at the Research forums and Resources section at HASA? I've gotten a lot of help on a variety of topics (all bookverse) there.
Still, my greatest assistance probably comes from a friend who I made by falling in love with her story when it was posted at ff.net and reviewing it, then starting to chat via email with her. She's a fount of information on all things medieval/military/horticultural, and has been an invaluable beta as well as a friend.
And don't overlook this board either...
GOOD LUCK! ;D
RAKSHA
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HASA?
Nov 3, 2005 19:29:34 GMT
Post by lucidity on Nov 3, 2005 19:29:34 GMT
Hey Raksha!
Thanks for the response. So you can submit it directly for review and not as a beta first? If you submit it as a beta can it then be reviewed or am I mixed up?
The story I'm thinking of submitting is only five Word pages long. It is a rewrite of my fic that's on FF.net, but some major changes have been made.
The beta did suggest that I take the term hurt/comfort from my summary, saying it would likely scare more people away. Who knew? Okay....well, not me anyway. I also toned down the emotion quite a bit, since it's no longer about headaches, but pain associated with visions.
I don't think I'm a member of the email list. Is that a yahoo group?
I think I can take criticism fairly well, if it's constructive. I'm not afraid of making changes if I mess something up.
Anyway, I'm still tweaking the dialogue, but it's getting very close.
Thanks for your help. You seem to be quite the expert!
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HASA?
Nov 3, 2005 20:01:20 GMT
Post by Raksha on Nov 3, 2005 20:01:20 GMT
How many words is your story? You should have a word-counting program - I don't have Word, but have one in Microsoft Works.
Yes, you can submit a story to Review without putting it in Beta first - there's no set rule. I forgot to mention that when you submit a story to HASA Review, your name will not be seen on the story while it's in Review; and you cannot mention, either on the HASA site or on the H-A email list, that the story is in Review. I've only mentioned that one of my stories is now in Review because it's already been checked out by nine reviewers, I just don't know what the final count, and hence the decision, is; and I'm mentioning here, not at HASA.
If you really like and trust your Beta, and she says it needs no further work, and she's been comprehensive, then there isn't that great a need to put the tale in HASA beta. Hopefully your Beta is a good writer or editor herself.
If it makes you feel any better; I was pleasantly surprised awhile back - well, it made me feel better - when another acquaintance, who's helping me with an unpublished story of mine (been working on it for a year) and does really in-depth beta, sent me a chapter of an unpublished thing she's working on - and boy did it need tightening and tweaking and sentance restructuring - I'd never seen anything unpublished by her, she's an excellent writer, so I had no idea that her early drafts needed so much work. Or at least that this one did!
Definitely remove the term hurt/comfort from your summary. And remember, unfortunately, what does well at ff.net doesn't always do well at HASA or SoA, though there are exceptions.
At HASA, I think the closest to hurt-comfort that one gets are a few Aragorn-heals-Faramir stories. And they're probably less sentimental than what I'd write on that topic (in fact AM writing on that topic!)
Yes, the H-A email list is a Yahoo list. I think there's a link on the HASA Welcome page on how to go about joining it. Discussion there can vary from the Hotness of Legolas and the old Underwear debate (what kind of underwear do the guys in M-e wear) to more serious fare; and there's also a weekly discussion, chapter by chapter, of THE HOBBIT, for those who want to participate. You can also ask practically any question - often, someone will answer.
RAKSHA, packing to go away for a few days
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StefaniaB
Short story writer
Belly Dancin' Gondor Babe
Posts: 113
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HASA?
Nov 3, 2005 23:48:38 GMT
Post by StefaniaB on Nov 3, 2005 23:48:38 GMT
Raksha, thanks so much for your summary of HASA submissions and Beta reviewing. The whole site is so huge and confusing. I've read some of the Research materials and Resources. As always, there are more informative articles for people who write Elves and Hobbits than for people who want to write Humans. Drat!
I'd like to submit my Imrahil story for a Beta review over at HASA. You folks at CJ gave it a pretty thorough going through, but it could always use more work. Thing is, it's Movieverse (though only mildly). Eomer looks like Karl Urban and wears his leather armour. And Aragorn is very definitely Viggo's Aragorn. But they are minor characters.
Hmm. Maybe. If i get time....
HASA is well known as a "quality" archive but there are other archives, as well. I can't access Burping Troll, for some reason. And many of us on CJ post our stories on Stories of Arda. FFnet is non-restrictive, of course, but there are many, many good stories there, as well.
Good luck, Lucidity, and keep us posted on your HASA experiences.
- Steff
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HASA?
Nov 4, 2005 1:37:05 GMT
Post by lucidity on Nov 4, 2005 1:37:05 GMT
Hello again!
Raksha: My fic is 2,141 words. I guess it's certainly not a drabble by any means, LOL!
Stephania B: Is your Imrahil fic posted somewhere? I'd love to read it.
Thanks for all your help!
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HASA?
Nov 4, 2005 5:28:15 GMT
Post by Raksha on Nov 4, 2005 5:28:15 GMT
Lucidity, if/when you post your story for submission to the HASA Review process, you might characterize it as a short story in the summary - some reviewers would rather tackle something relatively short than a multi-chapter tale, or an epic.
Steff, here's an URL you might find useful. Former HASA member Tanaqui moved all her stuff to her own site, including some excellent research articles centering on Men in bookverse M-e (mostly Gondor, but the articles on Rangering could also apply to the Northern Dunedain):
www.tanaqui.btinternet.co.uk/fanfic/TFA.html
RAKSHA , hoping to leave town within 12 hours...maybe.
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HASA?
Nov 4, 2005 11:36:38 GMT
Post by lucidity on Nov 4, 2005 11:36:38 GMT
Raksha, thanks so much!
Thanks for all your help!
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StefaniaB
Short story writer
Belly Dancin' Gondor Babe
Posts: 113
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HASA?
Nov 7, 2005 22:35:49 GMT
Post by StefaniaB on Nov 7, 2005 22:35:49 GMT
Sorry for being so late to reply to this. I was computerless this past weekend. Lucidity, here's a link to "Family Matters," my Imrahil story: www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=4087&cid=15943I personally like it best of everything I've written. (I'm not very prolific.) The good thing about it is that it has a beginning and an end!! Raksha, I'm going to try to get on the HASA yahoo group. Maybe it will be easier for me to get into the swing of that web site. Meanwhile, thanks for the link to Tanaqui's site. I did read her story on Faramir and Eowyn's wedding, at your recommendation. I loved it and enjoyed her NC-17 interpretation. Must have been very hard to write. - Steff
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 18:50:16 GMT
Post by lucidity on Nov 13, 2005 18:50:16 GMT
Do you guys want a laugh?
I submitted my story as a beta fic over a week ago and was lamenting that I had no feedback. Do you know what I did? I put it in with the chapter setting of zero (the default strangely enough) and nothing was showing up. I finally got an email from my beta who said that I made the mistake. It then took me some time to figure out how to fix it.
I felt so stupid! Why can't all sites be as easy as FF.net? For all of its many foibles and lunatic ways, at least it's super easy to navigate and to upload.
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 19:14:00 GMT
Post by lindahoyland on Nov 13, 2005 19:14:00 GMT
I twice submitted a story for review only to get an e mail telling me I'd not set it right! I think you have to be a genius to navigate that site !
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 19:49:11 GMT
Post by eggowaffles on Nov 13, 2005 19:49:11 GMT
Do you guys want a laugh? I submitted my story as a beta fic over a week ago and was lamenting that I had no feedback. Do you know what I did? I put it in with the chapter setting of zero (the default strangely enough) and nothing was showing up. I did that too! Thankfully, I spotted my error before I tried submitting it to the public archive, but it took me fifteen minutes to figure out what I'd done wrong! (Then it took me another half hour to find out how to submit the story in the first place—the link is very cleverly hidden... )
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laerien
Short story writer
Posts: 192
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 20:43:12 GMT
Post by laerien on Nov 13, 2005 20:43:12 GMT
Then it is not the site for me! You can call me stupid, I deserve it, but it took me an hour to find uot how to upload a story to fanfiction.net. And I can only hope that I will do nothing wrong, because I have no idea how to correct it. I am simply an idiot with the computer and the internet.
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 20:51:41 GMT
Post by lindahoyland on Nov 13, 2005 20:51:41 GMT
I had to e mail for help to make a rejected story visible to members again and I always lose my way on the site.I'd forgotten how to submit a story when I tried again and it took me about half an hour to find the place again !
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 22:16:34 GMT
Post by Lily on Nov 13, 2005 22:16:34 GMT
Then it is not the site for me! You can call me stupid, I deserve it, but it took me an hour to find uot how to upload a story to fanfiction.net. And I can only hope that I will do nothing wrong, because I have no idea how to correct it.
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 23:28:06 GMT
Post by Raksha on Nov 13, 2005 23:28:06 GMT
I hate uploading to ff.net. It takes forever; editing is a pain (I don't do it; from what I can tell, if you change anything, everyone on the update list gets an email telling them it's updated when it's only a grammar improvement or typo correction). And when I've tried to post multiple chapters, it takes over 24 hours for them to appear, and the readers get very confused.
HASA isn't particularly hard to post to. Actually, submitting to Review is pretty easy. If I can do it, anyone can; I'm soooo computer-challenged.
RAKSHA
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 23:39:43 GMT
Post by lindahoyland on Nov 13, 2005 23:39:43 GMT
SOA is the easiest site for me to post at.I hate editing at ff.net and it once made such a mess of it,I had to delete the story and post it again. It only sends out an alert if you delete the chapter and replace it nowadays,at least I hope so,as I often edit if my friends here tell me I've made any errors.I must be very dim,for though I'd done it before I spend ages finding out to submit a story for review again !
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HASA?
Nov 13, 2005 23:58:36 GMT
Post by eggowaffles on Nov 13, 2005 23:58:36 GMT
The other thing about HASA is that their text editor isn't compatible with my web browser—consequently, the formatting on Stamps is so abysmally screwed up that I can't believe it was approved. What? FF.net sends an alert every time you edit a chapter? Oh dear! I'm always tweaking mine! My readers must be awfully confused... ... wait, are you guys sure about that? Because ff.net e-mails me a copy of every alert that gets sent out for any of my stories, and I haven't gotten one after any of my edits....
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HASA?
Nov 14, 2005 0:14:57 GMT
Post by lindahoyland on Nov 14, 2005 0:14:57 GMT
I had to reinsert all my paragraph breaks the last time I posted at HASA.I only get duplicate alerts if I delete the chapter and start again at ff.net.Like you,Eggos, I'm always tweaking and the readers have only complained if I have deleted and reposted a chapter as they'd hoped for a new one.
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HASA?
Nov 14, 2005 1:05:43 GMT
Post by lucidity on Nov 14, 2005 1:05:43 GMT
Maybe it's just a matter of what you get used to. I can post at FF.net easily but the other sites are different and HASA is a mystery to me. SOA changed my formatting, COE was okay, and Open Scrolls was okay, if I recall. The only one that almost had me in tears has been HASA.
The biggest beef I have with FF.net is their 'upgrades'. They always end up setting me back to the starting point. One time you can upload Word documents most easily, then HTML, then back to Word again. It's enough to make your head spin.
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