Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
I've been doing editing/beta-reading for my select group of friends for the last six or seven years. They would come to me with anything from short-stories to term papers. I recieved a 35 out of 36 on the grammer portion of the ACT, and a 32 out of 36 on the reading section. I have an extensive range of vocabulary that I put into affect, excellent spelling and grammer, and blunt (but kind) correcting habits. I will never erase anything an author has already written. Instead, I will put my corrections or opinions to the right of a sentence/word in parenthesis and highlighting color. Descriptions I add would be in purple, spelling correctings in green, punctuation/grammer changes in blue, vocab suggestions in orange, and any others in hot pink. If I have questions of my own, I will post them at the end of the chapter in red. I check my email two to three times a day (unless I specify otherwise), and I would ask for one to three days to make my corrections. I only quote this time limit because I always make sure to do three read-throughs: the first, where I merely read what has been sent to me. The second, I make any corrections I feel necessary, and the last read-through will be to make sure my own corrections are clear and precise. Most of my university courses are scheduled for the morning, so most updates will be given back to the author in the early-afternoon. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
I excel at correcting run-on sentences and grammer use; commas and semi-colons are my best friends. I love to be extremely descriptive, so a lot of the time I may recommend ways to elaborate on physical appearances or settings. When dialogue is used, I will generally suggest ways to identify the speaker without using the word 'said' (for example, instead of 'Bill said "Cammi is a pain"', I would recommend '"Cammi," Bill's tone was heavy with exasperation, "is a pain."'). I will always correct the repetition of words (such as using 'look' four or five times in a paragraph, or even twice in a row, when the word 'gaze', 'glance', or 'expression' can be used as a replacement). |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
I may end up being a bit too descriptive; the author need merely ignore any or all suggestions I make in that area. I tend to read fairly fast as well, so I might make small mistakes (such as missing the word 'hear' when it should be spelled 'here' in reference to a location). There is also the chance that I may interpret a sentence in a completely different manner than the author, in which case I would have to ask for further explaination. |
Preferred: types of stories I prefer over others
I love, love, LOVE romance stories. My favorites tend to be where the couple in question start off with in-denial feelings disguised with not-so-friendly attitudes. My perfered pairings are: Anne of Green Gables: Anne/Gilbert; Avatar: the Last Airbender: Aang/Kataara, Zuko/Mia, Sokka/Suki; Circle of Magic: Briar/Sandry; Code: Lyoko: Sissi/Odd, Aelita/Jeremy, Yumi/Ulrich; Danny Phantom: Danny/Sam, Tucker/Valerie; Harry Potter: Harry/Hermione, Ginny/Draco, Ron/Luna; Hey Arnold: Helga/Arnold, Pheobe/Gerald; Inuyasha: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango, Sesshomaru/Rin; NCIS: Abby/McGee, Ziva/DiNozzo; Sailor Moon: Serena/Darien, Amy/Zoicite, Raye/Jadeite, Lita/Nephrite, Smallville: Clark/Lois, Oliver/Chloe; Teen Titans: Beast Boy/Raven, Robin/Starfire, Cyborg/Bumblebee, Jinx/Kid Flash; Big Bang Theory: Leonard/Penny, Sheldon/Amy X-Men: Evolution: Kitty/Lance, Scott/Jean, Rogue/Remy, Kurt/Amanda. I'll do most any genre otherwise, but I ask that if horror or angst are contained within the story, it be paired with a second category. |
Would Rather Not: I do not beta for these stories
I don't do same-sex stories, just as a personal perference. I find drug use to be hard to swallow, the same with excess drinking. I won't edit stories with obvious sexual situations, especially if the characters are outside of marriage. Suicide, or even such things as cutting, are also outside my comfort zone. Otherwise, I tend to be pretty open-minded. If there is a question on other matters I might object to, a short email could quickly provide an answer. |
