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icarusSome people I've Beta'd know I have a color-coding system for my comments. I've developed this so that the writer knows how much weight to give each of my comments.
- Red: is for grammatical, spelling and punctuation changes.
I chose red to make it clear I expect these changes to be made.
- Purple: is for consistency and continuity issues.
These I do expect the author to change. But the color indicates they don't have to follow my suggestions as to how they could change it.
- Blue: is for style, characterization, plot, pacing.
This is my 'grain of salt' color. This is my opinion, and nothing more. It is completely up to the author whether they listen.
- Green: is for feedback. Generally positive.
This system helps me as much as it helps the writer. It reminds me when I merely have an opinion, and when something really has to be changed.
There is NOT a color-code for the following:
- "Sections I rewrote"
There is a reason for this.
Unless you are co-authoring a story, or have a prior arrangement/understanding with the author (even if it is simply she's your best friend and you know she won't mind), the author is responsible for their story. Trust me, if you don't like the story, you don't want the blame.
- "Problems with your writing style and what I hate"
There is a reason for this, (beyond the obvious).
Writing styles change from one story to the next. A skilled writer does this deliberately. For example, I used third person omniscient for 'First Signs of Magic: Hermione Granger' and first person narrative with 'Beg Me For It.' It's a conscious choice. I have a tight, fast pace for most of my Harry Potter stories, while my Lord of the Rings stories build slowly, have long poetic sections describing the scenery:
The stone was cool under Merry's feet, pleasant after the humid Gondor summer, and each turning was broken by deep blue slits in the walls, open to the sky. Peering over a ledge, he spied a rolling lush green in every shade, trees mere scattered dots beneath. A land like this recovered quickly from war. Gulls whirled and cried lazily about the rooftops below him, stirred by the fresh breeze that blew in from the south. It made the tower a fair wind tunnel, causing Merry to pause and blink as it ruffled his hair. The torches, in ornate brackets, were unlit; though it was hard to say if they had started the morning that way, or if this wind had snuffed them, one by one.
~ Icarus, 'Too Many Friends'
You'll never see this in my Harry Potter stories, because I copy the tone of the author when I write fanfiction. Of course I do.
You could criticize this and say in 'my writing style' my sentences are too long, and this unnecessary visual detail slows the pacing to a crawl. And I did have to cut a lot. In my Harry Potter stories you might say 'ellipses should not be used!' that my writing is too short and choppy. And I may have to change some.
To really beat this dead horse, you would never be able to tell that 'Two Worlds and In Between' and 'That Potter Slash' were both written by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mctabby. (I'll add links shortly.) Wouldn't it be ridiculous to tell McTabby, based on the flip 'That Potter Slash' Dr. Seuss parody, that her writing style lacks depth?
*Horse attempts to get up. Icarus bludgeons it again.*
In short, when you are Beta-reviewing a story, you are only reviewing that story. Only when you're dealing with an unskilled or inexperienced author can you draw broad conclusions about their writing style from a particular story. And even then, you shouldn't.
- "Things I don't like about your story"
Lastly, I can't stress this enough, only Beta stories you like. It is okay to say 'whoa, I'm not into this, you need to find another beta.' Just last night I was reading along blithely and hit a story by an author that I really like. I ignored all the warnings, assuming that since I usually like this author, I would like everything by them. Ugh. For the first time ever, I wanted to flame. I still think that along with 'rape and non-con' she should have put 'mean-spirited and vicious' in the warnings. But I didn't bother reviewing, because... well... I did read the warnings. It's rare to like everything by a particular author.
- Red: is for grammatical, spelling and punctuation changes.
I chose red to make it clear I expect these changes to be made.
- Purple: is for consistency and continuity issues.
These I do expect the author to change. But the color indicates they don't have to follow my suggestions as to how they could change it.
- Blue: is for style, characterization, plot, pacing.
This is my 'grain of salt' color. This is my opinion, and nothing more. It is completely up to the author whether they listen.
- Green: is for feedback. Generally positive.
This system helps me as much as it helps the writer. It reminds me when I merely have an opinion, and when something really has to be changed.
There is NOT a color-code for the following:
- "Sections I rewrote"
There is a reason for this.
Unless you are co-authoring a story, or have a prior arrangement/understanding with the author (even if it is simply she's your best friend and you know she won't mind), the author is responsible for their story. Trust me, if you don't like the story, you don't want the blame.
- "Problems with your writing style and what I hate"
There is a reason for this, (beyond the obvious).
Writing styles change from one story to the next. A skilled writer does this deliberately. For example, I used third person omniscient for 'First Signs of Magic: Hermione Granger' and first person narrative with 'Beg Me For It.' It's a conscious choice. I have a tight, fast pace for most of my Harry Potter stories, while my Lord of the Rings stories build slowly, have long poetic sections describing the scenery:
The stone was cool under Merry's feet, pleasant after the humid Gondor summer, and each turning was broken by deep blue slits in the walls, open to the sky. Peering over a ledge, he spied a rolling lush green in every shade, trees mere scattered dots beneath. A land like this recovered quickly from war. Gulls whirled and cried lazily about the rooftops below him, stirred by the fresh breeze that blew in from the south. It made the tower a fair wind tunnel, causing Merry to pause and blink as it ruffled his hair. The torches, in ornate brackets, were unlit; though it was hard to say if they had started the morning that way, or if this wind had snuffed them, one by one.
~ Icarus, 'Too Many Friends'
You'll never see this in my Harry Potter stories, because I copy the tone of the author when I write fanfiction. Of course I do.
You could criticize this and say in 'my writing style' my sentences are too long, and this unnecessary visual detail slows the pacing to a crawl. And I did have to cut a lot. In my Harry Potter stories you might say 'ellipses should not be used!' that my writing is too short and choppy. And I may have to change some.
To really beat this dead horse, you would never be able to tell that 'Two Worlds and In Between' and 'That Potter Slash' were both written by
mctabby. (I'll add links shortly.) Wouldn't it be ridiculous to tell McTabby, based on the flip 'That Potter Slash' Dr. Seuss parody, that her writing style lacks depth?*Horse attempts to get up. Icarus bludgeons it again.*
In short, when you are Beta-reviewing a story, you are only reviewing that story. Only when you're dealing with an unskilled or inexperienced author can you draw broad conclusions about their writing style from a particular story. And even then, you shouldn't.
- "Things I don't like about your story"
Lastly, I can't stress this enough, only Beta stories you like. It is okay to say 'whoa, I'm not into this, you need to find another beta.' Just last night I was reading along blithely and hit a story by an author that I really like. I ignored all the warnings, assuming that since I usually like this author, I would like everything by them. Ugh. For the first time ever, I wanted to flame. I still think that along with 'rape and non-con' she should have put 'mean-spirited and vicious' in the warnings. But I didn't bother reviewing, because... well... I did read the warnings. It's rare to like everything by a particular author.
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no subject
Date: 2003-04-06 10:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-06 01:54 pm (UTC)This is a thing, I know, about beta-reading...But I'm glad you mentioned mctabby...I think that the fact that mctabby is able to broaden her writing styles so drastically, and yet still maintain a reader's interest in both, is nothing but a credit to her....I can only hope that I manage to do so as well as she does...*Hands mctabby the fiver for inflating her ego ;)*
Also, I give up on beta-ing....I think the only people who write stories I like already have excellent beta readers....And it sucks!...So if there are any new up-and-coming authors who like to write Snape/Harry, Snape/Lucius or Snape/Hermione fics with the right combination of sarcastic wit, angst and - yes I will admit it - smut...I am more than happy to oblige!...*Grins*....However...I think all the people who write these things have already come out of hiding...*Waves to my fellow 'shippers!*