Beta Reading
So, I've been spending a lot of time working with Diziara, Spiegel and the USS Takeda Shingen lately, and using this to ramp my way back up to more frequent writing, I'm starting to move forward with another writing project of mine again. This one not taking place in someone else's universe, and if I can keep some sort of focus, I'd consider trying to get published if/when I actually get anywhere with it.
The one thing I'm sorely wanting for lately though is a good beta reader or three. I've had people here and there who were good at it, and I felt like they actually pushed me towards writing better stuff based upon the feedback they gave me, and the questions they asked me. For varying reasons, I've fallen out of contact with all these people, and it's frustrating as I'm starting to write again and failing to have anyone who can give me real feedback.
I've been trying to provoke feedback out of jport lately, as he and I have been talking quite frequently again, but he's not giving me anything better than "it's interesting" and "I'm not good at giving feedback". I know he's capable of the sort of thought processes needed for such feedback, given other conversations I've held with him, but he's either not interested or out thinking himself and crippling the thought process before it can reach me. Either way, it's not panning out.
I do need beta readers though. Anyone out there interested? I'm not sure what I'd be able to do in return, but I am seeking people who are interested in occasionally getting a draft of whatever prose I'm currently hacking away at, and giving me constructive criticism. I figure most of you on my friends list would know what this means, but I've found so many people will claim to understand this concept, then do silly things like say "that's nice" or "that's interesting" and not be able to tell me what they found nice or interesting about it. You like the characters? Why? Are they realistic, do they have distinct personalities? You hate the characters? Is it because you believe they're poorly constructed, or is it because the personality is such that were you to encounter them on the street, you'd be inclined towards punching their lights out? Dialog seem forced? Concepts seem awkward, poorly phrased?
I could easily go on, constructive feedback is something I've found very hard to get because of the number of jackasses out there who claim to be artists and writers, but then throw a fit when someone say anything other than ego boosting positive only feedback. I can't improve if people don't make me aware of the flaws. It's entirely possible that I've probably already noticed at least half of what you might have to mention, but sometimes I'm not sure if these are things that are actually problems to other people, or me being a perfectionist bitch, and other times, I am just not sure what it is that's making me unhappy with my piece and it helps to have another perspective to find the flaws. Also, all drama posted in my journal aside, when it comes to my art and prose, I do not have a weak ego and I understand there is a long way to go from where I am.
At any rate, all that ranting and pleading for beta readers aside, those of you not interested in taking on the task of beta reading, you can still give me some feedback that I'll find useful and get a teaser bit of character introduction from the piece I'm currently working on. I am trying to decide how to reference this character in the descriptive bits. Her given name's Glinda, but she answers to Linda, so which should I actually call her when talking about her outside of dialog? Here's the first bit she's been included in:
“Who's the new recruit?” A red headed woman, easily half a foot shorter than me, asked as she approached the table.
“Glinda, meet Grace,” Oleg introduced.
“Glinda?” I repeated her name as I regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
“Mother was a fan of Oz. I try to answer to Linda, but some people,” she shot a look at Oleg as she said this, “Just won't listen.”
“Shouldn't you be a blond?”
“Clearly you've never read the books.”
“There was more than one?”
“I rest my case.”
“Making friends already?” Rick asked, returning with two plates. “Hey Lind,” he greeted her with a nod as he set down the plates, and settled backwards in a chair.