Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
I am myself as a beta reader. Simply put, I'm happy to beta for anyone who sees fit to send me their work, as long as they have it reasonably polished before they send it on. There's a thing called drafting-- you don't jut spit prose out and upload it the next minute. (If you really want my help with early work/rough drafts, I'll have a look. Just tell me that that's what it is. I'm still happy to help.) I'll tell you what reading it is like, where I was interested, where I was bored, what I liked, what I didn't: not necessarily how to fix everything. I am not a critic in the least.I'm the sort of person who keeps a pencil in her hand as she reads a book and corrects all the typos, so you know I'm anal when it comes to reading things. I proofread things for my friends in school sometimes as well, seeing as I'm the only one who's ever heard of a semicolon or a thesaurus. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
I'm absolutely anal about punctuation, grammar and spelling, especially; I even turned Word's spell/grammar check off because I thought it was an annoyance. (I know the difference between a semicolon and a colon. I care about it, too.) I've been an avid reader since the age of two, and I've been writing, since I was ten, so I'm well-practiced. I'm also fairly open-minded when it comes to things like pairings/ships-- I'm not rabidly opposed to any of them. (Save one: see note on FE8, below.) When it comes to Fire Emblem and Golden Sun, especially, I'm well-versed in the canon of the games as well, and will notice if anything's wrong. As for what I notice in narratives, characterization is a main point, and relationships between the characters. Also, if something is unbelievable, I'll notice it fairly quickly. I'm also an artist-- I have a strong inner eye, and I'll see everything unfolding in my head. My inner ear works just as well (ignore what doctors tell you about earphones). I'll also notice if the narration itself sags or is clumsy. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
Consistency is far from my strong point-- I tend not to notice if something changes and then reverts suddenly. Also, I am in no way a literary critic. I couldn't tell a generally bad fic from a generally good one if they were labelled with neon-- I can only notice specifics. I can't see the wood for the trees, as it's said. Also, I will not notice if something rambles on for too long, only if an entire scene doesn't work for some reason. I ramble on too (can you tell?). Finally, if you want me to automatically fix everything for you, you might be disappointed-- after all, it's your story and I don't know exactly what you want from it-- I don't have your vision. I apparently like the word 'also' a lot.Oh,and a note for FE writers-- I only have experience with 6, 7, & 8. 9 & 10 are as alien to me as the word 'quiet' is to Serra. So... sorry. As far as DL goes, I've read Chronicles, Legends, Summer Flame, War of Souls, Wanderlust, and the Kang's Regiment books. |
Preferred: types of stories I prefer over others
I'm happy to take almost anything I'm given, really, although I particularly like the kinds of stories that others find too disturbing/brutal/horrific to read. An M rating is no deterrent to my tastes, so long as it's not for sex. Also, slash does not bother me in the least. Don't worry about that. |
Would Rather Not: I do not beta for these stories
Humor fics are something I'd rather not be sent--I'll probably either laugh at it and say 'great!' or not get it at all and say, 'not great.' I can't critique them at all-- sorry about that.Also, the first person who sends me a Franz/Amelia pairing will get it. I've just seen too much of it, and I think it's overdone. If it's really different, or the romance isn't the focus, sure, but just keep in mind that I don't particularly like that pairing. At ALL. On that note, DL writers? I am NOT a Raistlin groupie. I don't mean to insult the people who do like him, but he is really kind of over-liked. Finally, I'd rather not be sent the same story twice. Even if you completely revise it, you're better off getting a second opinion. |
