Entry on betas

[ximeria]

Nicci and I are talking about betas, how frustrated the SG fandom used to make me. I got into fanfic writing a few years before I got into SG and I was used to having a beta who would pick anything apart and bloody well make me write it better XD

What's your favorite beta moment/memory? How do you prefer to have your stuff beta'ed? I for one enjoy having it taken apart and handed back like a chinese puzzle with the note of -- it's a good idea, just needs work...

Comments

[nicci-mac.livejournal.com]

I had a lot of different people that beta'd for me in SG. In The Sentinel, I used Senbeta's which was beta by committee! Man than was hard. Every one had a different opinion. In Due south, I have a couple of people I like to use for all sorts of different reasons.

In recent memory, it was the reaction of my beta when I deleted several pages of fic based on her comments and took it off on a different direction. I couldn't see her face, but I imagine it looked like this o.O

I like a beta to tell me what works, what doesnt work, where the strengths are and the weakness. I like a really in depth beta. The more comments the better

[sazandra.livejournal.com]

I experienced the beta by committee thing with the original Another You, Another Me. It took me so long to write that various unfortunates got to pick it to pieces. In the long run it worked because my writing needed help and I had things that worked in my head didn't make much sense to anybody else.

I know the last couple of parts of AYAM haven't been betaed, I've asked if anybody's interested and got no response so I've just gone with what I've got, just making sure I got over it as much as I can and with way more experience than eight years ago.

[ximeria.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it can be hard even finding a beta -- and it's even harder finding someone who's actually capable of doing a real beta.

[ximeria.livejournal.com]

Hehehe -- yeah, she does do O.o when you do that but she respects the effort very much. I don't think I could do the senbetas thing -- I think I'd get too annoyed with the lot XD

[oxoniensis.livejournal.com]

I love it when I'm working on a long story and I learn something major from my betas - on one story, my beta taught me ways of making exposition dialogue interesting, and on another I learned a lot about pacing. Even if I don't get it right on that story, I store that beta info and keep trying to put it into practice in new stories.

I also love it when a beta will make a suggestion (which might be something as drastic as deleting half the story, or, in one case, all but the first paragraph and starting again) and all my little niggling concerns make sense and I see how their suggestion will fix them. Eureka moments.

[ximeria.livejournal.com]

See, that's the sort of beta i was used to from the beginning, which means I was thoroughly disappointed whenever a beta didn't live up to that XD

[sam80853.livejournal.com]

My first reaction when I get my story handed back to me in little piece is --- Ahhhhhhhhhhhh... BUT, I see reason:).

It's always good to know what works and what does not. I do not always agree with my beta but I think you can rarely be objective with your own story.
I have difficulties though when I work with more than one beta. Something is working for one but not the other and then I get totally confused...

[sazandra.livejournal.com]

It's always good to know what works and what does not.

You can be too close, too immersed in your own world with a fic that you can not see some things.

I have difficulties though when I work with more than one beta. Something is working for one but not the other and then I get totally confused...

Sometimes you just have to consider how each of them see/read it then go with what you want to do, in the end it's your fic, you story to write just you need some guidance to get you there.

[ximeria.livejournal.com]

Hehehe, yeah, it sort of hurts in pieces, until you realize you can make it all the better by putting it back together differently *g*

[bugchicklv.livejournal.com]

I hate, more than anything else, the "I LOVE IT *SQUEE*" concrit.

If I sent it to you, it's because I asked for a Beta and you said you would do it. B-E-T-A. aka: someone to read, review, correct, edit, improve...not someone who wants to read my story first.

I am not a writer. I don't want to be a writer. Writing is like pulling teeth for me, but if I don't get it out I'll go blind from the pain so I have to do it. THAT SAID, in certain cases I definitely want it to be the best it can be.

Fluff or crack or gifts or fulfilling prompt requests usually doesn't get that level of attention, but when it means something to me I damn sure want it to say what I am trying to say.

I have a couple of betas who get that about me, and who generally figure out what I want to say and show me how to say it better with some seriously applied red pen. Now, of course I don't want it back with "This Sucks; do it over." That is of no help AT ALL.

Just like when I post something and ask for concrit...I want WHAT SUCKS and WHY and WHAT should be done (in their opinions) to make it better.

[sazandra.livejournal.com]

I am not a writer. ... Writing is like pulling teeth for me

The written form has never come easy to me. I struggled with written English at school and didn't begin to get a grasp of it until I started work when typing other people's letters, reports and so on. I still struggle a little, sometimes I just can't find a way of expressing whatever I want to write and end up writing and re-writing - I'm not just talking about writing fic, sometimes emails and letters at work.

[ximeria.livejournal.com]

not someone who wants to read my story first

YES! That's exactly what I meant. Either I was told that I spelled wrong -- you know, I spell colour with ou -- so I was told for one story -- I can't remember which, I think it was SG1, that I should use O instead of OU. That was it. Nothing else was added.

In another case I just got the 'don't change anything, I love it, squeeee' as well *sighs*

Seriously, some people shouldn't offer to beta...