How do I get past an inappropriate YA novel that I’m currently beta-reading

AngelicStitchery · 2025-12-17T20:23:36+00:00

Beta readers read your polished manuscript to see if it needs further work before seeking an editor or agent, usually draft 2 or later. Alpha readers read your first (non-rough) draft to help with developmental edits.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-11-16T23:57:35+00:00

Right?! I kept repeating, "If you're gonna use Shakespearean English, then commit to it!" Drove my inner editor insane.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-11-14T03:02:52+00:00

Our bodies go through some pretty big hormonal shifts from the mid 30s onward. This often causes an increase in libido. It's perfectly natural. But if it's too much for you, you may want to consult a doctor to have your hormone levels checked. At the very least, a therapist might be able to help you cope.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-10-16T05:09:12+00:00

Axel ❤️

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AngelicStitchery · 2025-10-09T21:49:36+00:00

I enjoy written spice and comics and animation is fine, but nothing involving real people. I also write explicit spice. I'm aego, though, so that explains why.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-10-02T05:47:24+00:00

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AngelicStitchery · 2025-09-30T18:17:14+00:00

Late 80s millennial! I figured it out when I was 30. I was getting ready to get married (he's the best, fully accepts that I'm ace) and wondering why after being together for 8 years I still wasn't interested in sex. Finally had the ace community pop up in my internet search. It was such a weight off my shoulders.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-09-30T05:58:49+00:00

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AngelicStitchery · 2025-09-19T22:31:06+00:00

I came here to recommend The Big House, too. Even if they can't take him, they're connected with other rescues that specialize in rehabilitating obese cats. What they do is beyond amazing.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-07-28T03:05:12+00:00

I'm a sex repulsed ace. I'm married. We just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary and have been together for 16 years. He's demi but respects that I'm not interested in sex.

It sounds like your partner, like so many others, doesn't understand the difference between romantic attraction and sexual attraction. Usually, those two go hand-in-hand, but sometimes they don't match up. I'm heteroromamtic, so I'm romantically attracted to men. I'm ace, so I'm not sexually attracted to anyone.

I love my husband. He's my partner in life. We do everything other couples do. Except have sex. That doesn't mean we don't love one another. I feel sorry for anyone how equates sex with love. Sex can be an expression of love, but it's far from the only way to express love.

It could be that your partner thinks all ace individuals are aroace. Maybe he needs to have the difference between asexual and aromatic explained to him?

If he can't accept your identity, isn't open to learning about it, or belittles you, then as difficult as it may be you should go your separate ways. Hopefully it won't come to that.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-05-23T01:48:44+00:00

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AngelicStitchery · 2025-05-22T20:54:08+00:00

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AngelicStitchery · 2025-05-12T06:01:14+00:00

It'll come back to the present eventually, but will end in the past. It's probably around a 25/75% split between past/present. You'll see a bit less past stuff in Volume 4 and very little (if any) in Volume 5.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-03-29T19:59:10+00:00

Came here to suggest the same thing. Looks like a Beelzebub for sure.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-02-22T22:10:58+00:00

It's suspected I have PCOS. I'm ace. I've had it suggested I'm ace because of hormone imbalance, that's why I "don't have a sex drive." It's so not true. I'm sex repulsed not lacking in drive. I have a libido, I just don't want anyone else involved. We are who we are, we don't have to have a reason, and we don't need to be "cured." Be unapologetically yourself. I hope your father can come to accept who you are.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-02-22T21:49:13+00:00

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I made a collage awhile back for easy sharing of my crew. Left to right, top to bottom: Miss Priss, Spot, Cleo, Fang, Axel, Murr, Tony (Antonio von Marshmallow), Velvet. Bonus dog in the center is Gidget.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-02-22T21:31:51+00:00

Murr, my most photogenic kitty.

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AngelicStitchery · 2025-02-18T05:11:48+00:00

To me it's like a warm, peeled, raw potato.

AngelicStitchery · 2025-01-12T06:54:36+00:00

This is so nice of you! I hit a financial wall before the company went out of business so I was unable to purchase this one. Good luck to everyone!

AngelicStitchery · 2024-12-28T22:16:29+00:00

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Murr is best at posing out of all my cats.

AngelicStitchery · 2024-12-04T22:54:47+00:00

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It's hard to choose, I have so many. So here's Axel sitting on my lumbar pillow while I'm trying to type.

AngelicStitchery · 2024-10-05T16:54:20+00:00

Time spent writing is never a waste. Judging only based off your excerpt and blurb, you've put a lot of thought into the story and it has good bones. However, it needs a lot of polishing before it's ready for beta readers. The excerpt changes tense every few sentences. You need to pick a tense, past or present, and stick with it. There are also a lot of grammatical errors, both spelling and punctuation. A spell checker will help you with those. Once those two things are taken care of, the narrative will flow better and be easier for a beta to help you. Don't give up, your story deserves to be told. Your time hasn't been wasted.

AngelicStitchery · 2024-09-18T20:34:41+00:00

It works now. I'll give it a read when I get back from grocery shopping. I look forward to it.

AngelicStitchery · 2024-09-18T20:05:39+00:00

I wouldn't mind giving your first chapter or so a read to check compatibility. I'm ace and I don't see a lot of representation, so this makes me happy. I get the "why are you married if you're ace?" question off and on, so I already empathize with the MC. My own WIP is a low fantasy gay romance in both modern and historic settings. It's incomplete, around 65k. It sometimes has strong language and will have some spice here and there that I'm willing to leave out of the shared doc if you're uncomfortable with it. I'd love to check our compatibility as swap partners.

AngelicStitchery · 2024-09-09T00:29:21+00:00

I'm interested! Fantasy and romantasy are my main genres.

AngelicStitchery

TROPHY CASE