fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2353 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2353 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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02.

[Boy Meets World]

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03.

[Firefly]

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04.

[Hannibal]

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05.

[BBC Sherlock]

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06.

[Vocaloid]

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07.

[Dept. Heaven]

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08.

[Roger Federer]

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09.

[Dogma]

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10.

[Yu-Gi-Oh: Bonds Beyond Time]

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11.

[Leonard Nimoy]

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12.

[a song of ice and fire/game of thrones]

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13.

[Dragon Age Origins]

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14.

[Arrested Development]

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15.

[Fall Out Boy]

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16.

[Homestuck]

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17.

[Joss Whedon]

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18.

[Chicago Fire]

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19.

[Homestuck]

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20.

[Final Fantasy VII]

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21.

[Enya]

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22.

[Discworld]

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 067 secrets from Secret Submission Post #336.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 - IC secret? ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I made a huge mistake when I agreed to beta my friend's fic. She's a terrible writer and can't take any constructive criticism at all. I suggested she add a period at the end of a sentence where she left one off and she had a meltdown on facebook about it.

"I think you probably could a period at the end of paragraph five." I keep reading that over and over trying to see how I could have been any more gentle. I've come to the conclusion that she's way too emotionally sensitive to be involved in writing and posting fanfic. Because if she flips out about punctuation rules, what will happen if I point out that her characterization is off, the plot doesn't go anywhere, and the dialogue is wooden and OOC?

Yeah, I wouldn't beta for this person anymore, and I'm impressed that you can tolerate them as a friend, quite frankly. It's a shame, because writers who are that over the top sensitive simply cannot be helped. They'll stay shitty writers because they won't be able to admit there's room for improvement, and there's ALWAYS room for improvement no matter who you are.

If she keeps asking you to beta, I'd be blunt and cite her meltdown as being the number one reason why you're not going to do it. If she wants concrit, she has to gird her ovaries and learn to take it like a grown-up.

YOU SHOULD FIND OUT

I've never beta'd a friend's fic, but I did agree to edit one's college essay. big mistake. even though she was the one who asked me to do it out of nowhere (I've always been pretty good with writing/grammar especially), she apparently complained to one of our other friends about all the corrections I made. then she had the nerve to ask me to do another one...I politely refused.

Whether you continue or not, they'll probably ask someone else to beta it because you didn't respond with, "It's perfect and so are you!"

I just found out a friend of mine does this. Once I found out that the story they wanted me to beta was because they didn't like what other betas had said, I got really uncomfortable. I was almost done so I just sent it back but I have refused to read over anything else and I'm not really sure I want to be friends anymore. I don't know how to confront them because this was the first clue I had that they're emotionally unstable but now I can see that they really are.

I don't get it--what did she think beta-reading is for, ffs?

Yikes. I beta for friends all the time, and when it comes to SPAG suggestions I just add them in and highlight them, usually without comment. If your friend can't even take suggestions to correct missing punctuation, I'd hate to see how they'd react to less-than-glowing comments from readers.

Yeah. I make it a rule to only beta read for friends that I already know are good writers. Like, if they've posted something before, or we took a writing class together, or something. It's much easier that way.

Funnily enough, I've made friends with the occasional person after betaing for them. :D

nothing like betaing devolving into brainstorming sessions to bond people together

I just don't understand that attitude at all. I like it when people find things wrong with my writing that I missed, especially when they offer more or less polite and useful suggestions on how to fix it so the story can be better. It's such a huge favor to me. Sigh.

[ SECRET POST #2353 ]

I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Well...

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both

Re: I can be your friend or fic beta but not both