Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
The first thing you should know is that I'm tough. It doesn't mean I don't like your story, it just means that I think enough of it to point out details. I will be brutally truthful, so if you want your ego stroked, you may just want to move alone. That being said, I also tend not to catch anything but the glaring spelling and grammar issues - typos and a skipped comma will tend to be skimmed over. I am the best with ideas, style and structure. If you are stuck in a rut or if you feel like something is off in your story, I'm the one you want to come to. Chances are, if your character is *out* of character, or your dialogue is stilted, I'll find it. Also, I know more myth and obscure apocryphal text than most other people you've met.
What I expect from you is open dialogue - I want to talk about your story as much as you do. The more I understand about what you want to get across, the more I can help you. I will be harsh in a review, but if you think I missed the point, then please tell me - it may be me, or it may be how you wrote it, and it's something that can be fixed! I commit a generous portion of time to reading and responding to what you wrote, and I expect that you'll have things to say, even if it's just, "Yeah, I pretty much suck at commas".
Oh, and of the love of all that is good, if you don't know what Gaelic words actually mean, don't use them. I speak a fair bit of Irish Gaelic, and the number of time I've seen people say "Faerie" is an Irish word is embarrassing. That said, I will fix your Gaelic for you if you need it. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
*I'm an idea monkey
*World-building - I will talk to you about the mechanics of your world (from society to magic) for hours if you need it
*I'm familiar with myth from cultures beyond the Greeks and the Romans (Norse, Egyptian, Japanese - you name it, and I know it or can brush up on it), and I'm just as familiar with fairy tales, Arthurian legend, and apocryphal texts
*Languages - I know quite a few words and phrases in a dozen or so languages, and if you don't know one I can tell you where to find how to speak it
*Dialogue and character development - There is nothing I love more than properly written dialogue, so if you're worried all your characters sound the same, I can help
*I won't sugar coat things. I will tell you honestly if something isn't working, just as I'll honestly tell you if I find something fabulous
*Biology - This is my field of study, so I'll nitpick if you get it wrong, or help you if you can't quite figure something out
*Obscure fortune-telling practices - I actually know how to read tarot cards as well as do palmistry, so if you're worried you're doing it wrong in your story, or don't know what cards mean what, I can tell you |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
*Physics - I can't tell you how anti-grav will work on your space ship. Sorry.
*I have low tolerance for silly things like self-insertion fiction (I personally don't care how you and your friends would survive the apocalypse), or misplaced angst (I left my teenage years behind me, and I'm afraid the 'no one loves me' angst characteristic of that age causes me to roll my eyes)
*I have a tendency to get very busy all of a sudden (it's not you, it's me!) and I won't have the time to dedicate to reading over other people's stories. I will get back to you, and if you communicate with me often, I probably won't forget you. |
Preferred: types of entries I prefer over others
I love fantasy, sci-fi, rewritten myths or fairy tales, and I'll give realistic fiction a look over too. |
Would Rather Not: types of entries I do not want to beta for
No hardcore horror please. Also, no Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu/self-insertion fiction, unless you're looking to fix that (we all have a bit of ourselves in our main characters, but I don't want to read your vampire epic where you and your crush have some longing eye contact over eternity). Everything else is more than welcome! |
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