First and foremost, as of this writing I have never been a beta-reader for fan fiction before. In the past I belonged to a local writer's group and traded editing and ideas with the other members for over three years. This sharpened my skills as both a reader and writer and was a tremendously rewarding experience. I think being a beta-reader could be a very rewarding experience. That being said I should be up front about a few things. My life is busy. I am an adult with a family and a job. I am telling you this, not to over share or because I think we are that different, but in the interest of being honest. Rest assured, if I became your beta-reader, I would make a commitment to you, but I would not be at your beck and call. When I received a piece of your work it would be given my attention, but depending on what is going on in my life (sick child, work deadline, etc.), it may be fourth or fifth on my list. Communication is key. If you want a piece back in a day and I can't do it for a week we need to be able to talk about that. I am going to edit your piece for grammar. If something doesn't make sense, whether it be your wording or your story line, I will point it out to you. I am going to be honest. If that is going to be a blow to your ego then I am not the girl for you. If you want more than grammar and basic "sense-making" editing, you need to communicate that to me - examples would be characterization, new ideas for plot and story lines, etc. If you need cheerleading ask for it...we all get writer's block sometimes! My goal will be to help you become a better writer, not to give you a pat on the back every time you hand something in. I won't be mean about it...I will always be constructive in my criticism, but I will be honest. Part of this is selfish - doing this will make me a better writer too:-)

I am the grammar police. I am not saying that I am perfect. As I write this I am well aware of mistakes in my own writing. As I've reread some of my recent work I've noticed that for some reason lately I've been missing end quotes...I'll blame it on a glitch in the Doc Manager;-) I'm good at consistency and continuity, particularly when it comes to characterization. Even as a character grows and changes, I strive to maintain and be true to the basic structure of the character: his or her bones if you will. Story lines are also important to me (i.e.. the big picture) and I enjoy working on them immensely in my own writing.

I have a hard time reading things that I'm not interested in. One of my favorite authors is an incredibly talented writer, but she often writes about a genre that I have no interest in and so I don't read those stories. If you are writing within a genre or series that I am not interested in I would struggle very hard to maintain focus. And truly, if you want help with story line and characterization you want someone who is familiar with your characters. Grammar is grammar, so if it is a one-shot about something I'm not into I think I could do a good job for you, but a multi chapter piece about a manga series that I have no background in wouldn't work for either of us. One of my strengths creates a weakness (ah, the flip side of the coin!) and that is my devotion to the integrity of the character. If in chapter one of your story you take a known character and try to change him or her all at once into someone that he or she was not in the canon story then I am not your girl. It is fine if you take twenty chapters to do it, and the seed for this change was well planted from the beginning...that is very interesting to me, especially if it is a villain that you are changing. But it is my belief that good fan fiction begins with the canon, and then shifts it.

I like all kinds of stories - one shots and multi chapter. My current passion is the Hunger Games, but I read a lot, and I feel certain I could get into a lot of different types of stories. I enjoy the hidden moments that fan fiction writers are so good at carving out - taking a scene that was alluded to in the movie or book and fleshing it out. I enjoy redemption stories and well-written romances (not graphic sex).

Slash and highly graphic sex scenes. I don't mind dark and sad, and violence in the name of action is fine, but I have a hard time with torture and will not tolerate child or animal abuse. Long, drawn out stories where there is no action and conflict are boring. I have another favorite author on this site who is a fantastically talented writer, who weaves description like tapestry, but who is on Chapter 49 of her story and it is barely crawling forward. This has been going on for YEARS. I stay with her (just barely), but if I was her beta I would be giving her a virtual throttling by now.

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