|
Post by shywriter on Oct 16, 2005 15:28:03 GMT -5
You overthinking?! It's what they pay me for--at the office, the one for which I should be doing work... (I know, I know.... ) Not so much "forgot" as trying to cut back to small doses of Me. Rumor has it that I can be overwhelming when I run in full force.... ~ ;D ~ Sitting here enjoying the hell out of this response, LMAO!! ;D
|
|
|
Post by Reilynn on Oct 16, 2005 15:38:25 GMT -5
Not so much "forgot" as trying to cut back to small doses of Me. Rumor has it that I can be overwhelming when I run in full force.... ~ ;D ~ Sitting here enjoying the hell out of this response, LMAO!! ;DI am so glad someone gets my sense of humor. I'm afraid BabyAngel86 thinks ... well aah reilynn... me thinks u're half an idiot!!!
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Oct 16, 2005 17:44:01 GMT -5
am so glad someone gets my sense of humor. Are you sure that having me get it is such a good thing? ~ ;D ~ (At least I think I'm funny, but others... well, they may think "funny" in different terms...! )
|
|
Babyangel86
Devoted Fan
?Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.?
Posts: 470
|
Post by Babyangel86 on Oct 17, 2005 11:15:11 GMT -5
for a while it seemes as though peking noodle was gonna update the fics, cos she lef a few author remarks in the revew section... but thats been over a year now... but damn... those stories are awesome.... wonder if mia22 will consider writing all her stories to about 100 chapters.... that would be cool.... :-) :-) ;D
|
|
|
Post by Mia22 on Oct 17, 2005 14:19:07 GMT -5
That is just so not funny. No hundred chapters...No more epic stories. Too long...Too too long!
Even worse, someone kept going "Longer!" One chap is totally now equivalent to like 4 old ones. A hundred, jesus...You're gonna give me carpal tunnels!
|
|
Babyangel86
Devoted Fan
?Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.?
Posts: 470
|
Post by Babyangel86 on Oct 17, 2005 14:21:40 GMT -5
if i promise to pay the medical bills will you consider it... :-) ;D Remember.... longer is always better.....oooh, does that mean the next chappie of embedded is gonna super long... ;D yippee!!! (if you steal my hapiness by saying no, i may just have to hurt u ..... or cry.... )
|
|
|
Post by Mia22 on Oct 17, 2005 14:27:19 GMT -5
I'd assume it's going to be long because they're always long nowadays. It's spread across two days that's all I know for certain at the moment since only the first scene is written (well partially).
|
|
Babyangel86
Devoted Fan
?Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.?
Posts: 470
|
Post by Babyangel86 on Oct 17, 2005 14:30:57 GMT -5
... cool... i can live with that.... sooo.... about the 100 chapters.... .... have i told you how much i love u lately.... :-) ;D
|
|
|
Post by ML Fan on Oct 28, 2006 21:33:38 GMT -5
I think that even after reading and sometimes rereading a DA fanfic, ie, Peking Noodle or Star 24's that one of the things that I think that I look for and remember is if the fic's writer not neccessairly has a beta reader, but, if they've taken the time to look for spelling and punctuation errors. Poor punctuation to me can hurt what is otherwise a creative idea or storyline. If anyone wants to be or is looking for a beta reader, please feel free to leave a post here.
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Oct 28, 2006 23:21:36 GMT -5
If anyone wants to be or is looking for a beta reader, please feel free to leave a post here. This leads to a topic that's been bugging me for a couple weeks now. Every writer can benefit from a second opinion or a beta's read-through. Not all of us use them, but we all make mistakes. Last time I checked, we're all human, and that's a part of the human condition. However-- a couple matters to get off my chest (and I haven't soap-boxed for a while, and I have this extra hour tonight...): 1. Not everyone who volunteers to be a beta should be a beta. 2. Those who demand that things should be beta'd probably should beta their demands.At the risk of doing exactly what I'm ranting about: it's not unusual to see people volunteer to beta, using multiple spelling errors and grammar that isn't ... well, grammatical. I've found a website that purports to exist due to the mods' dispair over the poor quality of fic on FFN; they demand that stories be beta'd before acceptance, preferably by their mods. But a quick read of their site shows grammar-school grammatical mistakes and spelling goofs the most basic spell-check would catch. Again-- we are all human! And I whole-heartedly agree that we should do all we can to post stories that have been spell-checked and are grammar-sound. My only real suggestion in all this is to be sure that the beta you 'employ' is up to the job. It's generous and kind for people to volunteer their time to beta for you, but maybe they can help with plot ideas or canon issues if their spelling and grammar isn't up to snuff. And a small plea, for my sanity's sake: for those who set out to fix fanfic by preaching about the sloppy grammar and terrible spelling-- please be sure you can do so grammatically and spelled correctly! (with apologies for the errors I haven't caught...)
|
|
|
Post by ML Fan on Oct 29, 2006 2:09:31 GMT -5
1. Not everyone who volunteers to be a beta should be a beta. 2. Those who demand that things should be beta'd probably should beta their demands.At the risk of doing exactly what I'm ranting about: it's not unusual to see people volunteer to beta, using multiple spelling errors and grammar that isn't ... well, grammatical. I've found a website that purports to exist due to the mods' dispair over the poor quality of fic on FFN; they demand that stories be beta'd before acceptance, preferably by their mods. But a quick read of their site shows grammar-school grammatical mistakes and spelling goofs the most basic spell-check would catch. Again-- we are all human! And I whole-heartedly agree that we should do all we can to post stories that have been spell-checked and are grammar-sound. My only real suggestion in all this is to be sure that the beta you 'employ' is up to the job. It's generous and kind for people to volunteer their time to beta for you, but maybe they can help with plot ideas or canon issues if their spelling and grammar isn't up to snuff. And a small plea, for my sanity's sake: for those who set out to fix fanfic by preaching about the sloppy grammar and terrible spelling-- please be sure you can do so grammatically and spelled correctly! (with apologies for the errors I haven't caught...) I think that most people are aware of their stregnths and weaknesses and that perhaps betating may or may not be something that a person may feel that they can do. I think that this thread has been lost in the shuffle so to speak and I wanted new members or those who may want to become a beta to know that this thread is here, that's all, not to start a discussion.If a person says that they would like to be a beta, I don't think it would hurt anyone to give that a person a chance to do so. The thing that I believe is most important is that the person is interested in fanfiction and the fandom in which the writer is choosing to write for, whether they are also a writer themselves or if they enjoy reading fanfiction from a certain fandom. I sincerely hope that the idea of having a beta did not come across like a demand, if my post came across this way, I apologize. I just meant that many of the best fanfic writers in any fandom often have a beta reader, credited or not and I know that my fanfics have benefited from a beta and that beta readers are often a good source for constructive feedback.
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Oct 29, 2006 7:36:46 GMT -5
I think that this thread has been lost in the shuffle so to speak and I wanted new members or those who may want to become a beta to know that this thread is here, that's all, not to start a discussion. But public boards allow discussion and different points of view, and a post often provides a good start for all sides to be heard. So as before, I'd like to respond. But a major point of my post was that, apparently, some people are not aware of their weaknesses, and may feel they're up to the task when they aren't. Bless them, they're offering their time and help and that's a wonderful thing, truly. But in such cases I think they believe their spelling and grammar are fine-- and they're not. (And check out some of the fic-related sites that have "articles" about beta-ing. Many are great. Others have lots of errors. Go figure.) It's kinda like karioke; proof positive that not everyone should be a singer, even those who get up 'cos they "feel" they can sing: Not everyone should be a beta.I'm not suggesting these are bad people or that their offers are not generous -- just that not everyone is up to the job. I do. Well, "hurt" is too strong a term, and I know this is just fic for fun-- but if the beta isn't catching all the spelling and grammatical errors, how will the writer, whose grammar may be even poorer, know? How will they know that the beta needs a beta? It did not, and I know my post was a rant. It really has been a rant of several weeks (just ask a couple folks in Writers' Pulse!) But I stand by my comments, just as I stand by your suggestion that the stories are better when correct. It's often been said here and elsewhere that some readers don't finish stories when errors make reading diffficult. Maybe rather than beta, as I said before, interested readers could offer story ideas or plot points, canon references, etc. I also agree that stories will be better for a good beta. Finding one may not be easy. But finding one who doesn't recognize errors won't fix the story the way the writer might want it to be. I do hope this thread can lead to writers finding betas and good matches result. We'll all be rewarded with lots more M/L fic!
|
|
|
Post by ML Fan on Oct 29, 2006 11:19:26 GMT -5
I didn't mean to suggest that I would like to be a beta, however, if someone were to ask me to, I would likely do so, because, I think that it would be a fun challenge that may perhaps give me a new idea for a fic. I think that we are here to encourage people in wanting and using a beta, not to disccourage someone from not becoming a beta. I simply wanted new members or those who may want to become a beta to know that this thread is here, that's all, not to start a discussion and I sincerely hope that we can move on and agree to disagree.
|
|
|
Post by shywriter on Oct 29, 2006 11:28:01 GMT -5
Then why not use this time to explain what a beta is, and what sorts of things they may do to help a writer? For some of our members, especially those new to fanfic, "beta" may not be a familiar term. And discussion is healthy! If you'd rather not discuss, that's fine-- and if no one else posts, surely the "discussion" will die anyway... right?
|
|
|
Post by ML Fan on Oct 29, 2006 11:40:28 GMT -5
I think that most people here know what a beta is, but, here's my basic definition. A beta reader is someone who reads a person's fanfic before it is posted. A beta is looking at spelling, grammar, punctuation and flow, just as examples. I would like others to simply know that this thread is here and post if they wish not to get into a discussion where you and I clearly do not agree. I sincerely hope that we can move on and agree to disagree.
|
|