30 days of fanfic meme, day 24
Jul. 19th, 2011 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pensnestDay 24: Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
I don't always use a beta. Yes, yes, I know, but sometimes the story isn't something big and complicated, and these days I'm reasonably confident about writing in American English, and I can construct a sentence reasonably without help.
When I'm writing an Important Story, ie a long one and/or something that's for a particular challenge or a gift, I will get at least one beta. Nopseud is a great story doctor, who is very good at poking me to make me write the scenes I've tried to tell instead of show, and who knows when the shape of the story is wrong. I've had a lot of help from several different and splendid people with different stories, with the full beta deal and also with Brit-picking, but on special occasions for canon stuff, eg Withdiamonds for knowledge of Pittsburgh when I wrote Show you the Shape of my What? and Phaballa for Adam Lambert canon when I was writing Bouquet. I remember Ninjetti gave me a very good "this is not American usage" tutorial when I wrote the story about JC being in love with a Swan.
I've no beta horror stories, though there was one little thing that amused/irritated me when I beta'd for someone in my Harry Potter days—she commented on my single HP fic, over at fanfiction.net, and made it plain she had no clue how to deal with it. I'd have thought she might have had the sense either to put a compliment or keep well away from the review button!
I don't always use a beta. Yes, yes, I know, but sometimes the story isn't something big and complicated, and these days I'm reasonably confident about writing in American English, and I can construct a sentence reasonably without help.
When I'm writing an Important Story, ie a long one and/or something that's for a particular challenge or a gift, I will get at least one beta. Nopseud is a great story doctor, who is very good at poking me to make me write the scenes I've tried to tell instead of show, and who knows when the shape of the story is wrong. I've had a lot of help from several different and splendid people with different stories, with the full beta deal and also with Brit-picking, but on special occasions for canon stuff, eg Withdiamonds for knowledge of Pittsburgh when I wrote Show you the Shape of my What? and Phaballa for Adam Lambert canon when I was writing Bouquet. I remember Ninjetti gave me a very good "this is not American usage" tutorial when I wrote the story about JC being in love with a Swan.
I've no beta horror stories, though there was one little thing that amused/irritated me when I beta'd for someone in my Harry Potter days—she commented on my single HP fic, over at fanfiction.net, and made it plain she had no clue how to deal with it. I'd have thought she might have had the sense either to put a compliment or keep well away from the review button!