Looking for a local (Southern California) writing partner

Hi.
Just signed up, and it looks like everyone has found enough betas/mentors etc, so I'll start my own thread and see what happens.

First of all, I was inspired by reading through the transcript of the story conference found here:

http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/raiders-story-conference.html

Now that was the ultimate writer's group! And my favorite movie to boot!

Now I know few people who can devote an entire week to story development like these guys did, but I've stopped going to various writer's groups and have decided to try instead to find local writer(s) available to meet regularly (in library, starbucks - wherever) to brainstorm solutions for various problems I have in my story, while I do equal time for theirs. I'm looking for actual brainstorming sessions. Not the usual "read a chapter and e-mail a critique the next day" arrangement.

I'm working on what I hope is the final rewrite for my first novel.
(it is a novelization of an earlier screenplay)
It is an epic fantasy, and I do have an agent, but it is a major rewrite, and I find myself spending weeks reediting the same chapter, and basically working it to death. It seems I could use some fresh eyes and new perspectives.

Now local collaboration isn't absolutely necessary, but if the ideal collaborator is nowhere close by, I'd like to be able to bounce ideas back and forth using all the latest realtime modes of communication, without a 24-48 hour gap for an email response.

My work?
Epic fantasy. I'm shooting for the next Lord Of The Rings. Hey, isn't everyone?!
It's written in the Victorian style, with a smattering "wherefores" and "whence"s, and nice technical footnotes describing aspects of the faerie world in a very scholarly manner. (I love dense footnotes).

What I can help best my partner with:
1. Phrasing things better or more dramatically, or with more period realism.
(I read countless victorian and elizabethan classics as research)
2. Fixing plot holes or cheesy scenes in: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, romance, historical.
3. Historical or scientific accuracy for sci-fi. (or at least giving it the appearance of accuracy)

What I probably wouldn't be too much help with:
Generating new ideas regarding vampires, werewolves, zombies, dragon tamers, dragon riders, or faeries wandering around in modern times.

Any takers? Swap samples?

Reziac.
Hey - thanks for the reply.
I've had two colds in a row, and also I could not find the instant email notification until I logged in today, so I had no idea anyone had responded!

I haven't read Bujold, but I'm pretty big on character too. Not much patience with books where the characters are interchangable - with everyone, male and female, talking like a witty version of the author.

Got gas money for meeting halfway? At least for the first time?

And even better than chat rooms, have you seen etherpad yet?

http://typewith.me is the site I use. But there are others.

None of them cost anything.

Perfect for brainstorming, or for editing.

One of us pastes in a portion of our story, and all the changes and edits can be seen in real time (and then changed back to the original if necessary)

Maybe swap a paragraph or two, to see if we're on the same page?

Well,
The site won't let me access any of the links you included.
Says I need a password.
Well I have a password, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this.
Don't know what's wrong.
Maybe you could paste them in a Titanpad page and send me the link?

I found the links, spent 30 minutes on a reply, then hit submit, then the site told me I wasn't logged in. All my text was gone.
Except I was logged in.
Anyway, I'll install something in Firefox to prevent this from happening again, and reconstruct my insightful message after I calm down.

almost over my flu
should be able to retype everything tomorrow and get you on the road to your Hugo

Hey. I posted this also in the other thread, so I can reach my quota of 50 reviews.
Okay.
If I were to review that fragment, I would say that it reads smoothly, like a pro would do.
(except I wouldn't have the constructions of
"---doesn't mean ..."
and
"---diverting there ..."
quite so close together. I'd try to find a different way to portray the second time that Gadari is interrupted.

Then I would address what you said about writing sparely and leaving things out...
And then I would say that my philosophy is that every scene needs to create an emotion or a mood.
Epecially with SF/F.
If I pick up a book because it's sci-fi or fantasy, I want to see something cool in every scene.
Something techy.
Does Azarra's office have a giant window or viewscreen -- an awesome or sublime view of stars, or of a transparent steel building, or of a distant fleet in orbit, looking like bright constellation?
Is the air stale? Did the climate AI lose all its prefs overnight and now it's freezing?
Is he sick, exhausted, in great mood, or frightened before the ambassador comes in?
So anyway, you can see what most of my reviews would be like.


What I'm really looking for, however, is to brainstorm on scenes that have not been written yet!

One problem I'd like to work on some day is that I don't think my villain has enough scenes in book 2.
Bear in mind, Sauron had no scenes at all in Lord Of The Rings.
But I want my baddie to have a little more presence that that.