Beta

[pez]

I really, really want betas like the ones Chrissie has: people who would question why something was written in a particular way rather than just put it down to style. The writer doesn't have to take on any of the comments, of course, but she should seriously think about each comment; sometimes a writer can get so immersed in her own style that she forgets the basic techniques of writing, if you know what I mean.

I also think such betas would be useful for many other writers. Sometimes I read something and I know it's because of the style that things are written the way they are but I also know it could be so much better or just less bad if they had someone look at it and question it.

Not many people can accept having their work beta-ed this way, though. Betas like this are hard to find, but writers who don't have the stick up their ass far enough to just say "ha, it's my style, if you don't like then don't read" are probably even harder to find.

It's the difference between the works that lots of people comment and say it's great, and the works that lots of people comment and say it's great, AND still refer fandom n00bs to it a few years later.

Comments

[xiu]

I am sad that arudaur died (well, he didn't, but he moved in with his gf and doesn't have internet at their apt so I can't harass him XD That, and I'm usually too nice to make him beta gay porn). I kind of liked having a beta that wasn't in any of my fandoms, if only because he could look at things and go THIS IS BAD without any of the my perspective of characters vs beta's perspective of characters (not that that hurts any).

I like my style. Sure, it has its faults (I ♥ semicolons, parentheses and em dashes!), but that's how I learned and that's what I like. Too many periods annoy me and make things seem clunky/fragmented to me. Buuuut, if things sound awkward or whatever, I want to know XD But at the same time, I want to know from someone who actually has the "authority", so to speak, to tell me; ie, someone who *is* an excellent writer by my standards and I respect as an author. I think it's only Allison and one other girl (can't remember who ATM) who have actually given me good feedback . . . that is, not simply stylistic things they didn't like, etc. So. Kick my ass for word choice. Kick my ass for sentence fragments. Kick my ass for comma splices and awkward structure. When you're done with that, you can kick my ass for anything else. XD; I'm not going to get butthurt over someone telling me that things need to be fixed or questioning why I wrote something. Yeah, it's a kick in the gut sometimes, but I can handle it. I survived three hard-assed English professors, I can take random internet person. XD

I'm not one of the big-name writers, so to speak. Not many people (that I'm aware of) read my stuff if it's not in an anonymous exchange. I'm fine with that. I'd rather have a handful of well thought out comments to a fic than pages of fangirl spooge because OMG YOU WROTE MY FAVOURITE PAIRING LIKE EVAR11!!11ICHI I think this may have something to do with the fact that I don't usually write pairings anyone but me and 3.5 other people in the fandom likes. :D;

Annnd as a beta, I do tend to only look for mechanical errors/characterization/etc unless asked otherwise. Honestly, I hate much else than that, because well, everyone has their own style and their own voice, and I don't want to beat anyone over the head with what I didn't like. XD Though half the time anyone asks me "Is there anything wrong with this, does it make sense, blahblahblah, etc", there usually isn't XD ...mostly I think I just fail at constructive criticism. :D;; I am totally not the person to go to for that.

But yeah. Sometimes I go back and read things I wrote six months ago, go "..wtf was I thinking?", fix it, then come back a year later and again, go "wtf was I thinking?" XD;

That said, I now go attempt to get some work done on that balls fic so I can force you to beta it.

(Too lazy to write a long reply.)

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

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