[ SECRET POST #2393 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2393 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 052 secrets from Secret Submission Post #342.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: what do you want out of a beta?

[omorka]

What I want: Primarily, a continuity checker, both for the internal continuity of the fic (wait, you said P. was waiting in the car, how is he suddenly in the club?) and for continuity with the canon (wait, didn't P. say in episode 11 that he was raised by his grandparents, why is he calling his mom?). Secondarily, someone to check for SPAG, pacing, and general wordflow. Tertiarily, someone to call out characterization issues, although so far I think a beta has done that for me exactly twice and once it was simply a matter of word choice. I've never had a beta bring up theme or plot arc (other than the occasional continuity blooper) in one of my fics, and I'm not sure what I'd do if they did.

What I usually get: Someone who checks for SPAG first, pacing and wordflow second, and continuity when I'm lucky. I won't complain; it helps, especially when they have a good ear for dialogue (I tend to write compound-complex sentences, and some characters simply wouldn't speak that way).

When do I use one: When I can find one/have to use one. Pretty much everything I write that's over 10,000 words and for a challenge or ficathon gets beta'd; pretty much everything that's shorter doesn't, because I don't have any regular betas, and I have two longfics that are also self-edited because they weren't intended for a Big Bang. If I had a regular beta, I'd have more of my stuff beta-read, but as it stands I have to bug other ficcers in the same fandoms to give my stuff a lookover. Since my fandoms are both small and old, most of us have jobs, many have families, and the authors' free time tends to be spent writing. Right now, I have two fics that will need betas by the rules of the Big Bangs they're written for, and I have no idea who I can ask to do that job.