Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
It really depends on my mood and your story. At my best, I'm an obsessive editor. I go over everything. I am very opinionated, but I'll do as you wish and modify my tone based on how harsh or honest you want it to be. You can expect me to put my all into a critique, if you ask it of me. I'm here to help you write the best story possible. br /br / Also, please know that I don't want to write your story for you. I'm here to be your guide, mentor, and/or sounding board. I push my writers to do the work that I know they're capable of doing. I only write sample sentences when absolutely necessary. My goal is to give you the skills or advice you might need to successfully convey your ideas in your own voice. br / br / Please look at my profile or read my stories to get a better idea of who I am and whether you want me to critique your work. Try not to judge too much based on my earlier work (unless you like it, of course). Also, if you care, I was a Biology/English double major on the premed track. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
I am an old, old lady so I have lots of experience. (OK. Fine. I'm not that old.) But I do have a lot of experiencing writing, reading, and critiquing. Dissecting and analyzing art is already what I do for fun. I know a lot about many different subjects and I have an innate feel for story structure and what works and what doesn' /br / I am great for proof-reading. I would be the person to tell you that no, you did not "do bad" on a test, you "did badly". I'd also help you study so that next time you could do "well." I have a pretty good vocabulary so you can use me as a thesaurus. Please don't just come to me for proofreading though. br / br / I can make you a better writer. I'm happy to work with someone at any level of experience if I believe in the project, but my favorite writers are those who are beyond basic grammar and spelling mistakes and are trying to figure out how to get to the next level. You are going to get my perspective as a reader, as an editor, and as a fellow author. br / br / OK, time for some specifics. I am good at suggesting options, whether it's what word to use or what direction the plot should go in. For the fandoms I know, I can easily tell whether your characters fit with the original material. I have a good sense of flow and rhythm and pacing. If you need help with description, emotion, and character depth, I am your girl. If you're looking to do something vaguely historical (as long as it's not a war) or scientific, I can back you up more than your average beta. Oh, and if you want to sprinkle in some French phrases, I can help with that too. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
I sometimes write too much when I'm critiquing so it can take me a while to finish all my comments and edits on a chapter. This is important. I'm not a great beta if you need a quick turnaround, unless you're writing drabbles or short chapters. If your chapter is pages and pages long, it'll take me a while to go through it properly. It helps if you tell me (even in a general way like grammar, spelling, plot, character development, story flow, next step) what you want me to focus on. I'd really like to utilize my full potential in helping you better your story so if your problem could be fixed with a little spell check and it is very prevalent I might be turned off and I might not want to work with you. I'm also very honest and I've been trained to seek perfection. I will tell you everything I think you need to improve if you ask me to. |
Preferred: types of stories I prefer over others
I love basically anything romantic. I love complicated couples and if you're great at writing banter or witty dialogue then we'll have a lot of fun together. My preferences list all the properties I'm familiar with, whether or not I actually like them. I read a lot and I've seen my share of TV shows and movies. I have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to musicals so if you choose to write about that, come see me (well not see obviously, but ask me to beta). I'd of course prefer something I've seen/read so I'll be able to help you better but I'll still proofread and offer whatever advice I can regardless if I like your pitch. Don't be afraid to ask. If you can sell me on your idea and your enthusiasm, I might work on something outside of my comfort zone. |
Would Rather Not: I do not beta for these stories
I will be very upset with you if I look at your story and it becomes clear you did not attempt basic editing or spell check. I will help no matter what the topic if I like what you've written and think that I could help. However, topics that sort of turn me off...adultery, vivid rape, war, killing of bunnies. br /br / I don't have an issue with creative pairings or plot changes as I do a bit of that myself but I try and stay away from stories where characters are invented, especially if they are children of characters who never had children, because that tends to get a little Mary Sue-ish. Following that, I may dislike your story if I feel like it isn't true to the original / br / I won't immediately reject anything though so send your request along to me and if I like something in it I will usually critique at least 1 chapter for you so we can both get an idea of whether I'll work out as a beta. Note: I have a lot of stories marked as categories I am familiar with. If they're ongoing (not completed) or fairly old (more than a year or two) fandoms I may not be as familiar with them as I once was, so although I can vouch for most of my preferences, sometimes I forget to take some off the list that I don't know as well anymore. Don't let that discourage you, though! |
