because we're selfless

[schmerica]

In the interest of serving fandom at large, nifra_idril and I present:

27 Things to Do While Awaiting a Beta

1. Read obsessively over your story and kind of freak out about it

2. Check your email 80 million times.

3. Read other people's stories.

4. Pace a lot.

5. Step away from the computer and see how long you can leave it alone for.

6. Drink something. coffee. water. bourbon. you know, depending on how the story is. Soda is good too.

7. Try to distract yourself by WATCHING the objects of your affection.

8. Clean the house.

9. Do your nails.

10. Give to charity.

11. Whine on AIM (aka, Commiserate about your impatience with likeminded others.)

12. Make brownies.

13. Smoke a pack of cigarettes.

14. Lecture your neurotic cat

15. Do the dishes.

16. Make a spreadsheet of your book collection. *cough*

17. Go to the movies.

18. Play solitaire.

19. Dance.

20. Sing.

21. Make playlists

22. Think up random story ideas someone else should really write someday.

23. Wash your face.

24. Browse through Ebay.

25. Read back issues of the Onion.

26. Google random words.

27. Make really goofy lists.

Additional suggestions are, of course, welcome in the comments.

Comments

[destina.livejournal.com]

28. Play this game (http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/sea.htm) and this game (http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/pig.htm) over and over and over and over until you become hypnotized and enter a state of suspended higher brain functioning which can be shattered only by the little 'incoming mail' sound.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Ooh, dude, that's a great one! Popcap.com games can occasionally be good, too, I find.

[persian-slipper.livejournal.com]

29.5. Stumble onto a Canadian show you've never heard of on Oxygen and spend the next 20 minutes saying GUH! at random intervals beacuse of the pretty, pretty, pretty, Callum. Also, replace pointless female lust interest with Fraser.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

That's sort of a subsection of #7, though, yeah? Although actors rather than characters.

[dsudis.livejournal.com]

16. Make a spreadsheet of your book collection. *cough*

Ooh, I need to do that. I think the last, sadly incomplete, attempt got lost a while back in one computer snafu or another...

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, geeky organization. You can't beat it.