Author Topic: Midnight Rant of a Beta  (Read 9805 times)

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2006, 05:41:29 pm »
Can I ask how you became a beta? I've never heard of this before and I think it's really interesting.  Is it just a hobby or something you actually do for money?

Hiya little,

It's just a hobby, fan fiction is by definition a copyright infringement, so everyone is very careful not to make it a money making venture.

But I am trying to get into regular writing/editing for a living.

I fell into beta by accident.  I was on a forum, reading the fanfics there, and I followed a few authors, liking their work and styles and offering comments and another fan was there who was trying to post her stuff and she liked my comments so much, thought they were insightful and very useful, so she asked to me beta her work and it just started from there via word of mouth.

The regular way I am told is that one joins a forum fanfiction listing and offers services as a beta.  Some writers are very picky about who betas their work, I'm sure, but others usually go begging for people to proofread their work.

It can be extremely time-consuming.  This one I'm currently working on for example.  Like I said, the author is talented, but lazy.  She'll send me her work - basically an outline of a manuscript with some sofa covers thrown on it - so I have to literally go line by line, offering up suggestions, expansions, descriptives, corrections and she'll respond with 'Oh I know, I just didn't want to bother with the details right then'.

Which meant I spent all my time doing something she should have done in the first place.  Literally at times, rewriting her story for her.

And then sometimes there are artistic differences.  Sometimes I think something won't fly and say so several times, but she will leave it in.  [shrug] 

Quote
Del, if you manage to turn that pig's ear into a silk purse, you should be a candidate for writers' and editors' secular sainthood!

Jeff,

What can I say?  I'm a miracle worker.  She might be able to pull this one out of her @ss, but IMO this last story is pretty crappy in concept.  If you ever saw the movie 'Throw Momma from the Train"?  Billy Crystal teaches a writing class and there is one writer there, an older woman, who writes a short story about submariners while knowing nothing about the subject.  Her characters just  'press a button' when torpedoes are launched or the submarine is manuevered, etc.

This manuscript is full of things like that.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2006, 05:58:21 pm by delalluvia »

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2006, 09:06:37 am »
Del, do you ever feel conflicted between changing things to how you would do it, as compared to sticking with how the author would do it?
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #12 on: June 02, 2006, 08:18:48 pm »
Del, do you ever feel conflicted between changing things to how you would do it, as compared to sticking with how the author would do it?

Yes, but I always cave because it is THEIR story and not mine.  THEY will get the criticism when they finally post it, not me.

In the second story of this particular trilogy, I told the author that one of the plot-twists was not believable, but she went ahead with it anyway and sure enough, the critcism came in on how unbelievable it was.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2006, 10:01:43 pm »
Yes, but I always cave because it is THEIR story and not mine.  THEY will get the criticism when they finally post it, not me.

In the second story of this particular trilogy, I told the author that one of the plot-twists was not believable, but she went ahead with it anyway and sure enough, the critcism came in on how unbelievable it was.

Yup, in the end, it is the author's story. I have done editing professionally, though not of fiction of any kind, and eventually you have to let go and let the author stand or fall--or hang--on the virtue of his or her own work.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2006, 12:44:33 am »
Yup, in the end, it is the author's story. I have done editing professionally, though not of fiction of any kind, and eventually you have to let go and let the author stand or fall--or hang--on the virtue of his or her own work.

Me too, Jeff, and I have found that letting go is the hardest part. (Which is why I never stuck with editing for long -- too much of a control freak, I guess.) It requires a delicate touch. You need to fix things that are outright wrong, but the writer's voice must somehow remain (even if you think that voice is $#$^%&@##).

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #15 on: June 03, 2006, 12:47:15 am »
Me too, Jeff, and I have found that letting go is the hardest part. (Which is why I never stuck with editing for long -- too much of a control freak, I guess.) It requires a delicate touch. You need to fix things that are outright wrong, but the writer's voice must somehow remain (even if you think that voice is $#$^%&@##).

Hmmm, Kat gives me hope that perhaps I can make a go out of being an editor.  I'm controlling, but not that much so.  If I think a story is lame-o, I will certainly be happy to let that sucker go.  You can only do so much.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #16 on: June 13, 2006, 12:35:02 am »
Ye gods.  The story has completely turned to Swiss cheese.  Plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them:

Rebels attack the negotiating parties by simply walking into the same room - even though the stronghold supposedly has strict security and guards at every hallway entrance.
The rebels set off a bomb - that doesn't move anyone from the room, much less send them screaming and running.
The rebels escape/hide/stop for coffee - no one knows because once they set off a bomb and run down a hall, they are promptly forgotten.
One hero is supposedly undercover, but the two heroes talk openly of their individual missions.
One hero was specifically asked for because of secret fears of one ruler, but it's never explained what those are and the ruler doesn't even show up to say goodbye.
One hero has a mental breakdown and is poisoned - but he's quickly cured by someone who diagnosed his condition just by looking at him and his partner pretty much says, "Well, if you're feeling better we can go now"  With neither showing any desire whatsoever to find out who tried to poison him or why.
The two are on their way home, with no care whatsoever about how the rebels got through their security, what they wanted or why, where they went or if they were captured, who tried to murder one of them and are more concerned about the one hero's mental condition.
One hero is so concerned about his friend's mental health and injuries that he refuses to leave his side as he sleeps...until he decides he'd rather have a bath and clean clothes and decides his friend will be OK without him.

AAAARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

This 3rd part is just god-awful.  The really sad part is that she has been working on this story for 3 years.   :-\
« Last Edit: June 13, 2006, 01:09:07 am by delalluvia »

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #17 on: June 13, 2006, 01:14:51 am »
Um, not to say I told you so, Del, but I repeat that this is why I'm not an editor. There are people out there who are good at the job, so it must be possible.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #18 on: June 13, 2006, 01:25:02 am »
Um, not to say I told you so, Del, but I repeat that this is why I'm not an editor. There are people out there who are good at the job, so it must be possible.

Yes, you did Kat, I must say.  But OMG, what a horrible story this is.  I've almost 10 full pages of corrections/suggestion/questions and I had to stop in the middle of one chapter to just line up all the plot holes.  The last little peculiar behavior made me LOL.

His beloved friend is injured, mentally, emotionally and physically.  He's been attacked, almost murdered, is mentally failing so one hero refuses to leave his bed side, resisting all suggestions he go to his room and rest.  He's fierce, resisting, loyal..until, hey, a bath and clean clothes sound good.  See ya bud, you'll be OK.  :laugh:

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Midnight Rant of a Beta
« Reply #19 on: June 13, 2006, 09:13:29 am »
Del, let me elaborate on something I said earlier: You get through this one and a) keep your sanity and b) don't murder the author, you're a candidate for secular sainthood.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.