Beta dependency?

[icarusancalion]

Over the years I've become more and more dependent on my betas.

Not only do betas look over my final draft, but these days we collaborate from the very beginning. I now ask beta readers to beta my outline, help solve story problems in chat, bounce around new directions, characterization, plot holes, you name it. In big projects like Out Of Bounds

Comments

[rabidfan]

Well said. I don't think fandom recognizes the good that a good beta can do. (Conversely, when one is just a cheer leader without another to push/guide the results can be a hot mess!)

You can't have a beta in Nano? I'm not even sure what that is!

[icarusancalion]

Nanowrimo -- and I physically can, it's allowed of course, but it's for a biography project where I would have to get permission to include betas.

[icarusancalion]

Omigosh. I got permission to work with my regular betas on this project. I don't believe it.

Er. What's your schedule with the little one like these days?

[rabidfan]

Not so little any more. ::sigh::

My days are pretty flexible. I have cakes this weekend but not much after Saturday for a while.

Now I'm all excited!

[icarusancalion]

I actually recommend just putting out a call to your friends list. A friend who's not into the fandom may be willing to help with a short story. Failing that, usually a fandom's main archive (if there is one) or LJ comm will have some place where you can locate betas.

[enname]

*wry*

Perhaps not so much on the 'tact and sensitivity' front in my case.

I find it similar to the relationship one should have with an academic supervisor. You are involved in doing all the hard work, but they act as a beta to your ideas and eventually, your writing. There is the power of veto (In an ideal world) but also you get to draw on a greater pool of experience and fresh eyes.

You may not have betas, but you can always have 'sounding boards.' Even if they don't actually beta in any editing or structural sense, I think you write better for having someone to just throw ideas at. Especially when you are getting towards the end.

[icarusancalion]

You're a really good beta. I've looked at changes that you requested and I didn't make and, yeah, you were right.

Thank you for the analogy. Yes, that's exactly right.

And I got permission to have betas, and work with my betas from fandom.

*clears throat* Uh. Any interest? (Or time?)

[enname]

Woohoo!

I am always busy at the moment (There are gurgling noises whenever I look at my diary), but after finishing a million essays, I would give almost anything to read and beta someone who will not abuse my poor brain with rampant idiocy. I have bruises from beating my head against the wall.

That and I am curious. :P

As long as you don't want a turn around of seconds, that is.

[icarusancalion]

Nope! No turn around of seconds this time.

w00t!

[aphephobia]

A good reliable and helpful beta is one of the best things you can find in fandom, IMHO. So much THIS to your post; I would give my left arm for one in my fandom, especially since I do write really long and complex things a lot of the time. Having someone to help me stay on track and cheerlead when it looks a bit arduous would be amazing.

[icarusancalion]

You don't have one in your fandom?

[aphephobia]

Nope. Most of the activity in Ace Attorney is in the anonymous Kink Meme, and even though you can write huge long things there, finding a beta is close to impossible. We did do a Big Bang awhile ago, but the betas there were more a one-off thing rather than a more permanent relationship. I miss having a beta...

[icarusancalion]

I usually hunt betas in the comments to my work. I post something unbeta'd, it gets a few comments, then I ask the most intelligent responders I ask if they'd like to beta the next piece.

[bererjs]

I think you said it just right. We should give thanks to a beta for all their hard work they put to make our story such a success. Not only have I wrote my first piece, but I had the pleasure of working with such a nice beta that I felt she went beyond her call of beta to make my story sound better than it original was.

[icarusancalion]

Yeah. It would be great to just put out a long thank you list to all of my betas. But, wow, that would be a long list.

[bererjs]

Lol!