Because, apparently, there can't be too much ranting about writing
Let me begin by acknowledging that the membership of this community may well be the wrong people to be ranting at on this issue. It's likely that those of you who joined or watch this comm have a full command of the language (in this case, English) and are cognizant of the proper and effective way to express your ideas in prose.
( Cut, but not sanitized, for your flist's protection )
( Cut, but not sanitized, for your flist's protection )
...I don't really know what point this has, actually, aside from saying that sometimes the people who have typos and don't have the time to get them beta'd have typos and such because, if they're like me, they're too busy writing papers on Tolstoy and Abu Simbel while writing porn at the same time. (It's funny when I get the "were you typing one-handed" comment because yes, actually, I probably was.)
I do, however, ALWAYS get a plot-beta, occasionally two or more. I don't think people understand how marvellous plot-betas are. No more gaping plot holes, no more "wait what the hell" reactions, just a nice, smooth fic to read through.
So as con as I may sound right now, I'm very much in agreement about the grammar and genuine decline of fanfic in general. It doesn't matter how much or how often you write, you should at least read through it yourself and look at how I fail at that, ahahaha...ha.
And Re: guiding the future, I am both for and against that. I like to see where younger writers will develop with constructive criticism to help them out, of course, but I also think that sometimes, the newer they are to fanfic, the more ingenuity they can sometimes bring into the field. I distinctly remember the first actual fic I let anyone read was horrible in regards to grammar and was in a burning, fiery need of beta-ing, but it's still the only fic I've seen in THAT fandom that even touches on heavy religious issues. And no I will not let anyone read it ever again. I can only take so much humiliation.
PS
I'd have put it up sooner but I was stupid enough to decide and RP Glitch at the_blank_slate and that RP kind of eats you alive. But in a very friendly way!
Reply
*slaps own hand*
When I rant about unbetaed fic, I'm envisioning something different from how you describe your fic at their posting times. Yours sounds as though it's solid writing with a few typos and grammatical brain-farts. I'm talking literary train wrecks. I don't object to posting without a beta if your story isn't held together with masking tape and ego, and especially not if you actually heed the comments of those who point out your errors and correct them right away.
Most of the fic I'm thinking of needs more than a few pointers; it needed to have been sent to someone who actually knows how to spell and how to construct sentences properly and so forth prior to posting so that it could be whipped into a presentable form before innocent readers were subjected to it.
Anyway, as to plot betas, a resounding OMG YES! I can't even imagine why anyone would resist bouncing their plot ideas off another person whose judgment they trust. There is nothing as helpful as that to a writer, and it can really prevent you from embarrassing yourself.
Regarding the "guiding the future" thing, I should clarify that all I'm referring to is providing writers with a knowledge of basic fiction-writing standards; ie., you proof-read your work, you get someone else to check it for errors, you learn to spell and use words properly or find a beta who can, etc. I'm not worried about content in the slightest. There will always be writers who lack originality or any special skill in characterization or plotting. They have as much right to be heard as anyone. I just feel that we all - talented or not - have an obligation to present our work in a form that isn't painful or insulting to those we are asking to spend time and attention reading it.
Reply
Also, something that really concerns me is the read-through betas that aren't...um. Okay, no polite way to phrase this, that are REALLY BAD BETAS. But plot betas are just the most fantasmagorical thing EVER TO WALK THE INTERNET. It takes someone you can trust, but man, when you find some good ones, you're in heaven.
Ahhhhhhhh, gotcha. But lacking originality always makes me so, so sad. I mean, sure, I turn people into ninjas for the hell of it, but when a fic seriously makes you think about things...oh boy do I love that.
Reply
Actually I wanted to bring up a minor disagreement about the beta-ing advice too.
enlist the advice of a beta. If possible, choose someone who writes better than you.
I usually do have my stories beta'd and I have an awesome beta who is very perceptive about character, painfully good at spotting plot holes, and if possible a bigger grammar nazi than I am,* with, furthermore, a sense of style in addition to correctness. (Who would probably be banging his head against a wall over that sentence.) And who doesn't write fic at all.
So I wouldn't say that a beta necessarily has to be a writer. If I didn't already have a beta, though, and if I were looking for a beta in a new fandom, I might very well ask someone whose writing I admire, but I might be even more likely to go to that person and ask who her beta is and whether the beta has time for a new client.
*I would mention that this person is also a former freshman composition teacher, but after seeing what some comp teachers teach, I have to admit that's not necessarily a recommendation. Um, I probably shouldn't have said that. Pay no attention to the cranky person behind the curtain.
Reply
Reply
My biggest problem is that the person whose fanfic writing I admire most doesn't even know what Tin Man is, and know damn well she doesn't use a beta. Then again, I always go for ingenuity and plot and not always the actual quality of writing (flow, sentence structure, etc.), so asking me whose writing I admire most isn't always the best question. Honestly I need to ask someone ELSE who to ask.
Reply
You're absolutely right - a great beta doesn't necessarily have to be a writer. It's entirely possible for someone to spot typos, incorrect grammar and misspellings, and even plot holes and poor characterization without ever having written a single word of fic. (In fact, someone who regularly comments on my stories in ff.net doesn't write at all, but the quality of her comments suggests that she would be a kickass beta.)
My instruction to find someone who writes better than you was written with one thing in mind: that beginning writers frequently turn to their buds for "beta" duties, and very often those buds have the same or similar weaknesses as the author. I believe this accounts for many instances of error-riddled fanfic arriving at the internet even though one or more beta readers are credited.
Reply
Reply
You know, it's funny. When I started writing fic in Tin Man, I didn't intend to have betas. I sort of eyeballed tinman_fic and thought to myself, "None of these people can really get my fic from point A to point B." But I asked anyway as a matter of course, and I have to say, I'd be lost without my betas. Especially blade_girl. She has an eye for plotting and pacing, without which my fics would be long, rambly messes going off in all directions.
Reply
Reply
That said (and blushed), I would be remiss if I didn't state that verilyverity is exaggerating profusely. I'd love to sit back and claim, "Damn straight - she'd be nothin' without my help!", it simply isn't true. But I'm glad that she thinks so. It gives me leverage.
*rubs hands together with a low rumble of evil laughter*
Reply
Reply
ALSO I WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF THE FACT YOU'RE MARRIED TO THE DOCTOR. JUST SO YOU KNOW.
Reply
Reply
>.> <.< ♥ :DD
I will comment on the actual topic when I am home and not in English class.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment