Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
Generally, I will read English stories, written in any style. I will accept stories that seem to have a plot, even if it is sort of rambling, and I will be very thorough when I do the reading. Keep in mind that I know that there is a spell check on just about any Word program, so I understand that "Microsoft Word said it was right", but I also know from experience that sometimes, a fragment just sounds better.
I will not just read the story and tell the author what is wrong, because I didn't write the story, so I can't say that it's wrong unless it is clearly a spelling mistake, but I will try to communicate with the the author to give them my opinion and ask about errors that I judged to be so. Again, I will not say that it's wrong, just that it is a mess or that it has what I perceived as a mistake here, here, and here. I will also be brutally honest where sentences seem to be run ons, and where I think the fragment really should be. I will let the author know, in feedback, and I would expect them to either be able to explain why it is the way it is, or to change it, or even to just tell me to leave it alone, it feels right. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
My strengths are with spelling and punctuation. Although this is my expertise, I also find that feeling the story, not just reading it, is also important, and something that I am good at, regardless of the story. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
My weakness is that I have trouble with keeping chapters short, and I personally have a strict rule with my writing about there being at least 4000 words per chapter, before I update. It makes my stories extremely long, and often no one will read them, probably as a result of either that. |
Preferred: types of entries I prefer over others
Honestly, I would love to beta romances, because they're often the ones that just get carted off and thrown up, leaving small plot holes or problems with the way words are used in the writing of the book. |
Would Rather Not: types of entries I do not want to beta for
Preferrably, I would rather not beta things that haven't got a point to them, or stories which have been written for the sake of being written, with little thought of separation into paragraphs and such, because that just makes me frustrated. |
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