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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Kali on January 21, 2010, 11:47:55 AM

Title: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 21, 2010, 11:47:55 AM
Anyone wanna beta 22 pages (in MS Word) of Dresden fic?  It's not finished yet, but I'm looking for:

- egregious grammatical errors (except those in speech, since people talk all messed up)
- continuity with Dead Beat
- repetition of phrases/words in close proximity.  For example, in the teaser I realized later that I used "sigh" a lot as a verb, and "around us/around him" within the same sentence.  It made things awkward and I sometimes don't catch that stuff until my fourth or fifth edit.

The continuity is most important.  You'll need to be very familiar with the story.  I will note that there shouldn't be anything outrageous; I even bought a new copy of Dead Beat when I started this, just so I'd have a copy to highlight and dogear and margin-note.

There'll be more to review before I'm done.

Oh, and to be picky?  If your spelling and grammar aren't at least as good as I display in my teaser post, please don't offer.  I need someone better than me to check me.
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Blaze on January 21, 2010, 05:15:04 PM
Do you have a target deadline?
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 21, 2010, 05:36:40 PM
Not really.  It's getting written as I have time, and I shouldn't have much time today or tomorrow.  Ideally, I'll get a burst of inspiration and finish the initial draft this weekend.  I wouldn't want it sitting around for a month or anything.
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Blaze on January 21, 2010, 05:39:43 PM
Okies.  If no one else gets back to you by March, though...  lemme know.  I am booked until March.  Really. 
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Starbeam on January 21, 2010, 06:32:16 PM
Uhmm...doesn't this kinda fall under the probably shouldn't be mentioned on the board sorta thing?
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 21, 2010, 07:02:16 PM
No... why?
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Murphy's Stunt Double on January 21, 2010, 07:05:22 PM
Jim's opened the gates on Dresden fanfic, Starbeam. Besides, Kali's not posting the content here.
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Starbeam on January 21, 2010, 07:15:57 PM
Jim's opened the gates on Dresden fanfic, Starbeam. Besides, Kali's not posting the content here.
All righty, didn't know that. 
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Murphy's Stunt Double on January 21, 2010, 07:20:12 PM
Yep. Read more here! http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,15308.0.html (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,15308.0.html) Those who've been carrying on in secret are all atwitter about it!
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 21, 2010, 07:27:40 PM
All righty, didn't know that. 

Oh, that! :D Yeah, I started writing this fic in honor of the announcement.  ...  *eyes the fic*  Well, the opening of the floodgates probably deserves better than one little witch-ette bumbling her way through SRS BZNZ but I do what I can.
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 22, 2010, 01:24:38 AM
Okies.  If no one else gets back to you by March, though...  lemme know.  I am booked until March.  Really. 

Thanks, Blaze. :) It's not really ambitious enough to take that long.  It probably doesn't even really need as thorough a beta-ing as I'm asking for, but... Y'know, I just don't want my first Dresden fic to suck.  *blush*
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Blaze on January 22, 2010, 01:33:31 AM
Judging from the free sample, it won't.  I love it. 
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Murphy's Stunt Double on January 22, 2010, 03:07:39 AM
She says that to all the fanfic writers...  ;)
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 22, 2010, 02:15:06 PM
She says that to all the fanfic writers...  ;)

*bursts into tears*
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Blaze on January 22, 2010, 04:52:38 PM
Don't cry!  I compliment when I see things to compliment.  I also send criticisms via PM.  What I love to see is people taking a chance and putting themselves out there.  Your writing is your baby, and I know that.  It take huge courage to post your baby on a fansite.

And I say that love it, because I do!
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: meg_evonne on January 22, 2010, 05:19:48 PM
Oh, that! :D Yeah, I started writing this fic in honor of the announcement.  ...  *eyes the fic*  Well, the opening of the floodgates probably deserves better than one little witch-ette bumbling her way through SRS BZNZ but I do what I can.
Not only that but you can post your fanfic under its own thread.  That is a turnaround.
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Kali on January 22, 2010, 05:23:46 PM
We'll see how big it ends up being.  Right now, I think it's probably going to be too long to post.  Maybe a series of posts?  It might be easier to link to my website where I have other bits of fanfic up from other fandoms. I think it's running around 8k words now, which sounds a trifle long to me for something to post on a message board.
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: Blaze on January 22, 2010, 08:49:54 PM
Yeah a link to a web site with a first chapter here would save bandwidth, right?  Then Fred won't have to get all nutsy because we take over!  Bwa ha ha ha ha.

Can't wait for more fanfic. 
Title: Re: Beta reader?
Post by: jeno on February 07, 2010, 07:56:07 AM
I'm willing to beta if you still need someone to do it. ^_^