Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
Hello there! I'm Clarissa Gavin, a new betareader to the community, but I am no stranger to writing. I have been writing for over five years, mostly fanfiction. Still, I am looking to expand my horizons as a writer, so I decided to join the betareading community here. I am always looking for way to improve myself as a writer, and I expect the same from my betaread-ees. I know that nobody likes criticism, but we all need it. I'll try not to be harsh with you, since we're all just working to improve ourselves. I'm not quite sure of my betareading style yet, so bear with me if I take a few days to get back to you with criticism for your story. I can be nitpicky, but I'm trying to get better with that, and if all I do is nitpick, you have nothing to worry about; that just means I can't find anything major wrong with your piece. I sincerely hope you choose me as a betareader. I'm committed to doing my best to help you.ICH SPRECHE FLIEßEND DEUTSCH. Ich war letztes Jahr eine Austauschschülerin in Deutschland, und kann sehr gut Deutsch. Wenn du (oder Sie, aber ich nehme an ihr seid alle relativ jung) Hilfe brauchen, dann bin ich für dich! |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
1. I'm a grammar nerd. Derr. If you know you're a writer who needs help with the particulars of the English language, I'm your girl. I'll work patiently with you to sort out mistakes and make your work the best it can be. I enjoy working with non-native English speakers to fix mistakes and make a story shine.2. I'm good with dialogue, so if there's some lines that just don't sound right, I can help. I recognize dialogue that sounds wonky and help you, the author, make it better. 3. Overall, flow is my thing. I like to keep it regular. I can be your wind-breaker, your probiotics. I can kick the choppy and blocky right out of your story. 4. I catch plot holes in a heartbeat, at least in fics about games/animes/books I'm familiar with. 5. I avoid cliches like the plague. 6. I'm pretty good at word usage. I have a thesaurus, and I'm not afraid to use it! |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
1. My characterization isn't the best. I tend to fantasize about characters and stray from their real personalities. I am also very suggestible and can change my view of a character. If you're looking for someone to hound you about characterization, I may not be for you.2. I can be very wordy. I'm all for the flowery descriptions and such. You shouldn't come to me if you need help making your sentences shorter, 3. On the flipside, I'm not great at drawing out plot, either. I love to describe things in great detail, just not the things that matter. XD 4. I don't know how much I can assist with M-rated fics. I'll read anything, mostly, but I don't have a lot of experience in that genre. I'd love to help you, but I don't often write stuff like that, so I'm not particularly familiar with the nuances of it. 5. I tend to ask a lot of questions. Generally, I like to ask "Why?" But if you're serious about improving, that shouldn't be a problem, right? ;) |
Preferred: types of stories I prefer over others
Most types of stories are fine with me. However, I prefer serious stories, like those in the hurt/comfort, angst, or drama genre. I'd like to broaden my beta-reading capacity, though, so feel free to approach me with light-hearted stories as well. Poetry is great. I love yaoi, but any kind of relationship (no matter how weird) is alright. Oneshots, longfics, sentence-challenges: all are welcomed here. I generally do like to take fics from universes I know well (see my categories below), but those are just some of the games I've played (many multiple times) and is in no way a comprehensive list. It would take me hours to list all the books I've read, and several games I have neglected to list: those are mostly series or expansive universes (such as Legend of Zelda) where I have not played all the games. Always feel free to ask me if I can beta for a fic, even if you're not sure I know about it. |
Would Rather Not: I do not beta for these stories
Please use spelling/grammar check before you send. I know it's not perfect, but it's a great start. I'm not your mom; I don't clean up after you. Other than that, though, I have very few parameters. I used to have a chronic fear of OCs (and still do, in some respects), but I'm trying to get over that. OCs are fine as long as they're good, or as long as you're VERY serious about making them good. AUs are a bit iffy, but I'm willing to try anything once! No songfics, chat-format fics, scripts, or PWP please. |
