Friday, May 2, 2008 - New servers are in! Click-in for more info!
VoyForums

[ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]
[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 13:02:59 06/20/08 Fri
Author: doc
Subject: I use a beta most of the time, although occasionally I just want to post the story, and she doesn’t have time to read & critique. My mom is my beta. She’s a stickler for punctuation & grammar. When we were kids, we received our allowance in nickels. If we used incorrect grammar, we had to give a nickel back! In other words, she could “recycle” the change, LOL! I’m sure my English teacher appreciated her “attention” to details. I tend to make stupid mistakes like…
In reply to: usmgrad 's message, "New question - what are the pros and cons of using a beta? What exactly is a beta supose to do? Do you use one or do you go it alone? Is your beta someone you know personally or someone you know "electronically"? The reason for the questions is besides wanting to know other people do, there are times that I wish someone else would read my work and give me some ideas, insite, suggestions. Sometimes it feels like I'm on a lonely island and the only way to communicate is to put my work out there and wait to see if I get a response. Does that make sense?" on 07:02:48 06/20/08 Fri

…interchanging pronouns, him for he, her for she…don’t ask, I have no idea why. I don’t make that mistake when I’m writing longhand, just when I’m typing?????? I’m sure there some screwed-up circuit in my brain somewhere. I also tend to leave out “unnecessary” words like “a,” “the,” “with,” “in,” etc. In medical shorthand, we don’t need all those unnecessary. It takes too much time & space. Mom catches the missing words, and over the course of time, I find myself adding them back without prompting.

My mom hadn’t watched JAG when I started writing, and even now has only seen a few episodes. She basically learned the characters through my writing. Sometimes, she doesn’t understand the significance of a scene, because she doesn’t know the specifics of the show. At times, that’s a disadvantage, but at others, it forces me to tweak the story to make it more understandable.

The “final say” in my writing is always mine; mom never insists I make changes that I don’t agree with. It is nice to be able to “bounce” ideas off her, or have the extra help finding the perfect word. As an aside, mom says that I’ve broadened her vocabulary, LOL! She tends to keep a dictionary close by. She’s also learned some new things about me. I tend to be a very reserved person, holding my emotions, ideas & wishes “close to the chest.” When I asked her to read my first story, “Joy Cometh in the Morning,” her first comment made with surprise was, “You’re a romantic at heart! I had no idea!” Yep, I just don’t advertise it!

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

  • I don't think there are any cons of using a beta reader. They help you find the plot holes and fill them in; they find the typos and grammatical errors; they can tell you if they "hear" the characters in your dialogue. I don't think I've ever not used one. (NT) -- Ann, 21:36:04 06/21/08 Sat

    [ VoyUser Login ] Not required to post.
    Post a public reply to this message | Go post a new public message
     * Notice: Posting problems? [ Click here ]
     * HTML allowed in marked fields.
    * Message subject (required):

    * Name (required):

      Expression (Optional mood/title along with your name) Examples: (happy, sad, The Joyful, etc.) help)

      E-mail address (optional):

    * Type your message here:

    Choose Message Icon: [ View Emoticons ]

    Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.

    [ Contact Forum Admin ]


    Forum timezone: GMT-5
    VF Version: 2.94, ConfDB:
    Before posting please read our privacy policy.
    VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
    Copyright © 1998-2008 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.