Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
I'm Amy-Lya, also known as Al or just Amy. Although I am quite new to the whole beta'ing thing, I can assure you that I have proof read work before, and I always give my honest opinion whether it's a positive comment or just some constructive critism. I will never sugar coat my words or lie to you in case I hurt your feelings; you need to hear the truth. Don't think this means that I'm just a rude, critical bitch- that's not the case. I love telling authors that their work is outstanding- but only if I actually mean it. There will always be room for improvement, which is why I think I can help- I will try my best to make your story to be at it's best. I only require two things, and they are essential- One is that I have regular contact with you, whether it be through fanfic messages, msn, facebook...whatever suits you so that I can ask questions if need be. A beta/author relationship is essential to write and edit a great story. The next rule is please put my name in the A/N section. It is a strong belief of mine that your respect must be shown to all proofreaders, and there is no better way to do this than give thanks in every chapter. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
The areas I excel in would definitelty be grammar, thinking out side the box, sentence structure and descriptive language. Another strength I have is portraying characters with out of character (OOC) personalities. I can work with almost anything, and I can guarantee that I will work with your chapters until you are satisfied. If your worried about your work being rushed or pushed, I am quite good at fixing that. I have a wide range of vocabulary, so if you think a certain word isn't driving home and portraying the emotion you want; I can easily help. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
My weaknesses would be that when I get writers block, it doesn't go away the next day, it stays for weeks. Then I hear some motivational music or someone pushing at me, and I can start writing again, but I honestly don't think this would be a problem in beta'ing. Another weakness would be that if I genuinely am not enjoying the story, my proofreading would suck as I'm not interested, but I would let you know straight away that I simply cannot beta for you. |
Preferred: types of stories I prefer over others
There isn't anything that I wouldn't beta or edit, I like mix matched couples and twisting plots, the occasional bad boy in a story is quite good. The genres I definetly excel at are; humour, romance, hurt/comfort, drama, angst, fantasy and sci-fi, but I will beta horror and thriller if need be. I prefer an unexpected plot, with twisting events that keep you guessing, a predictable finish is not my cup of tea. |
Would Rather Not: I do not beta for these stories
As the saying goes 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. I truly believe that writing is a beautiful thing, and it irritates me when writers put their work and themselves down. Yes, it true that there is room for improvement in every single story that goes out. Not one author looks at his/her work and thinks 'Wow, I'm perfect' We all have doubts and insecurities about our work, but it's all about taking those insecurities and turing them into something great. So if you're an author who currently puts themselves down and calls their work awful and bad, I'm afraid I'm not the beta for you, because I won't stand for it. That doesn't mean that the person I beta for can't tell me that they think the chapter needs improving- they can! I would just have a lot of respect for them when they realize they aren't 100 percent happy, and try their hardest (with my help)to change their mind to make the writing as best as it can be. Again, as said before in 'preferred', predictable endings are 'not my cup of tea'. |
