Beta Bio: general description as a beta reader
My style is mainly to give tips and corrections. I'll tell you to re-write parts if I deem it necessarry or I'll tell you to overhaul your story... I might tell you to just scrap it. You're only asking for my opinion, what you do with it is on you.
Just expect me to be REAL honest with you. |
My Strengths: beta, writing, or reading strengths
My strengths are character development, speech and interaction. I can help with overall story development if you tell me what you're looking to achieve and how you'd like the characters portrayed. |
My Weaknesses: beta, writing, or reading weaknesses
Sometimes I don't have ideas, y'know? |
Preferred: types of entries I prefer over others
-Original pairings; nothing generic if it can be helped, which it usually can unless it’s canonically accurate.
-Well thought out humor; try not to be juvenile... for example: stories that use drugs or sex or other things like that don't work as a humor conveyance unless you can use them artfully... or you're 12.
-Original character portrayals; show me what YOU think of them rather than mirroring everyone else's ideas.
-Good action sequences; plan them out realistically. Don’t make the characters seem superhuman in any capacity unless it is canonically accurate. No dodging or stopping bullets or any other Matrix type bullshit.
-Realistic original characters that go well with the story. I don’t really like OC’s because they’re usually obvious author inserts, that meaning that an author will write themselves in as the character but usually with a different name. Even worse they’ll be some type of hero that completely overshadows the real characters. They end up getting rose pedals dropped wherever they walk and bitches throwing themselves at their feet and niggas hatin’ on them because they’re stuntin’ on them and what not. These are examples of authors writing out personal fantasies… it has no real place in fan fiction. A good OC is just as the name implies, original.
1. OC’s need to be separate entities. They should have physical traits and, more importantly, personality traits almost entirely different from your own. They need their own thoughts, feelings, pet peeves, interests, personal opinions and attributes. For every strength there should be an equal weakness and while some weaknesses can be overcome there should be at least one that remains static.
2. Don’t ever try to make them totally likeable. A character that has no immediate personal conflicts with any of the other main characters is boring.
3. Don’t make them overly attractive. Not every girl/guy should be trying to get into this character’s pants. Realistically a guy should be pursued by one girl or guy and a girl by one girl or up to two guys. Also don’t make them overly charismatic. They shouldn’t become domineering over the other characters. In fact they really shouldn’t be immediately received into the main group of characters. That’s not to say the others should dislike them, they just have to find their place in the group to be fully accepted.
4. Don’t tell the story from their perspective… EVER! It’s an instant turn-off!
5. Don’t make them a hero. While it is fine for them to solve problems that are within their skill set, they shouldn’t be the one to solve every problem every time; allowing this to happen just implies that the other characters are unintelligent.
-Original story ideas; don’t just reproduce another persons idea or anything similar to something that you may have read. The most gratifying work comes from the heart. Your own ideas are always best.
-Personal style; your work should be engaging and reflect your own unique style.
-Good grammar; bad grammar ruins a story because it’s one of many things that will pull the reader away. Once your reader gets started they should lose all awareness that they’re actually reading the story and not watching it play out. |
Would Rather Not: types of entries I do not want to beta for
-Most Yaoi... though I can tolerate it if it's done skillfully. Focus on the romance not the sexual aspect of the relationship. The same goes for Yuri.
-OC driven stories. Again I can tolerate OC's but not if they're portrayed as the character above all characters. |
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