Looking for a new Out Of Bounds beta.

[icarus]

Due to good fortune in her RL, I will be losing my marvelous beta for Out Of Bounds, perfica. But it's all good news for her RL, so I couldn't be more pleased on her behalf.

As a beta, perfica has been invaluable.

perfica has been there for me, talking me through my struggles with this massive, unwieldy story. She's helped me pick the music. She held my hand and offered her ideas and opinions on potential plotlines. She's the one who encouraged the Zelenka subplot. She nodded her head and egged me on in the plot concerning John's injury. A typical email exchange has gone as follows:

Icarus (strides into Perfica's email): *rant* *rave* *flops down on the couch*
Perfica (picks up a notepad and sits next to the figurative couch): Uhm-hmm.
Icarus (finally coherent) (mostly): Out Of Bounds is driving me crazy! Am I nuts to include this seemingly utterly superfluous plotline?
Perfica: I like the superfluous plotline.
Icarus: Really? It does seem to tie plot A and C together six chapters down the line, but I'm afraid it feels like it's coming out of the blue....
Perfica (picks up the notepad again; looks Freudian): Why don't you tell me about it?

Like I said: invaluable.

So, while I don't have a chapter waiting in the wings yet (school has me very, very busy) I am looking for someone to step into perfica's shoes.

I'm looking for someone familiar with Out Of Bounds (or willing to become familiar with it), who has a supportive attitude (I'm an artist; I'm fragile and- and stuff) and is comfortable with "big picture stuff," talking out the broader plan of the story, character development, future scenes, and then editing the individual scenes as they're written. I'm looking for someone who's willing to tell me when something won't work, and also is willing to encourage me the many, many, many times I get neurotic about this story. This is the longest, most ambitious story I've ever written and... I get a little frazzled. (See the above couch in Perfica's email.)

You will be provided with my Excel spreadsheet scene-by-scene outline of the story, including the rough outline of the last two parts. I tend to write Out Of Bounds in 1,000-word sections, so it's not a lot of copy-editing at any given time, although there are periods where I might write a scene every day or every other day. Email couch is also included.

Comments

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

You know how I love OoB. You know I obsess to the point of speaking of them as tho they lived...not just in your marvelous fiction but in a skating rink near by. Yes, I'm pathetic...yes, I'm delusional...but I love them so.

I am willing, tho unworthy, to help in any way that you require. (Getting to read the story earlier than most? Totally doesn't enter into the picture at all!)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Okay, well, now I'm not sure what to do because four people got back to me.

I think what I'll do is send out the next part -- whenever that's ready -- out to all four of you. Then we'll just see how it shakes out. How does that sound?

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

That sounds sensible! See? You're doing the sensible, responsible thing...just like a grown up!

I'm so proud!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You know what this means, right?

You'll be in on the secret of John's last piece of music.

I need to talk out the summer. What email should I send my ravings to?

[rabidfan.livejournal.com]

It would probably be best to use cconrad9@cox.net. Less traffic as I use it for bills. (See...I'm putting OoB with my important, grown-up stuff! I can act like a big person, too!)

I'm looking forward to my sneak-peeks, and to helping in any way that I can.

*pick me! pick me!*

[emeraldsword.livejournal.com]

I would totally love to do this. I'm actually kind of behind on it at the moment (I'm moving to Cardiff tomorrow) but I will be up to date by Tuesday night (my time) and I'd be very happy to work on this with you.

Re: *pick me! pick me!*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

No hurry, it's going to be a bit before I get the next part done. Mostly I just need to make some gabbling noises about the summer and how that's supposed to run.

Four people are interested, so I thought what I'd do (since I've no idea how to pick anyway) is just send out the next part to everyone and see how things shake out. Sound good?

Icarus

Re: *pick me! pick me!*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hi! I need to talk out the summer. What email should I send my ravings to?

Re: *pick me! pick me!*

[emeraldsword.livejournal.com]

well, I've had trouble with emeraldsword @ livejournal.com but if you could try that anyway (because I would love to know whether they've fixed it!), as well as ripe_black_goddess at yahoo dot co dot uk

[sarka.livejournal.com]

I love betaing, and I really like Out of Bounds, but since English isn't my native language, I'd understand if you prefer someone else :)

But yeah, I do understand the big-picture stuff, I tend to write stories like that myself...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You've really been helpful all this time with Zelenka's parts. How about this? I send the next part (whenever I finally get it done) to all four of you, and we just see how things shake out?

[sarka.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to help. And yeah, I'll be around until summer, at least :) So by all means, I'll keep my eyes peeled for an email :)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I need to talk out the summer. Expect a group email incoming.

[dossier.livejournal.com]

I'd be willing to assist. spreadsheets are <3.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Ooo! Cool, you've done long stories before. Four people got back to me, which I'm really amazed by. I'll send the next chapter out to everyone and see how it shakes down.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

This story, a spreadsheet is the only way to keep track of it all. (And also make sure that it's staying "balanced.")

I need to talk out the summer. What email should I send it to?

[dossier.livejournal.com]

ssteiner at sbcglobal.net

I intended to come back and give you this yesterday, but got distracted by Vegas.

[celtic-tigress.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I saw you had like 17 comments here already, and I know that I am totally late on this bandwagon as I haven't been keeping up with the flist the last couple of weeks, but I really enjoy OoB and your writing in general, and I enjoy editing, and I know we worked well together before on that one SPN ficlet, so here I am, offering beta services.

Of course, now that you have seen that horrific example above of a run-on sentence, I'm sure you are like, "Grammar skillz? What grammar skillz?" and will never pick poor verbose little me. *face of woe*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I can catch you up if you like. We just started this week. I've, uh, flooded everyone with back story as of three days ago just to catch them up on moths worth of work with Perfica. There are 21 emails back and forth so far, including a very, very long starter email with the story outline spreadsheet. Out Of Bounds has a lot of just brainstorming before I even get to writing the scenes. Then it settles into a run of straight beta-ing with just the occasional brainstorming session. Then it goes quiet for a while. Then suddenly, it'll pick up with a new storm of emails.

There are 17 responses here but just four people are involved so far. It looks like two of the four (dossier and rabidfan) are the most involved in bouncing the back story around with me, while the other two will be more involved in betaing.

Still interested?

Icarus

[celtic-tigress.livejournal.com]

Well, it looks like you have things under control. I'm happy to help if you really need it, but putting too many people on one project can sometimes hinder rather than help. If you need a pinch hitter some time, or a last minute read-through, or help on another project, look me up, but I don't want to step on anyone's toes here. :)