#84

[spnanonhaven]

This post is for show discussion and fandom gossip only. NO ACTOR GOSSIP, NO ACTOR BASHING!!
THIS JOURNAL LOGS IPS.
Backup location: spnanonhaven

RULES:
1. No posting f-locked content.
2. No linking between RL and online identities.
3. Keep the actor gossip to these posts or take it to spn_gossip.
4. Keep spoilery information out of thread titles.
5. No embedding music.
6. Embedded images must be SFW.

KEY:
AYRT = "I am the anon you're replying to." | DA = "I am a different anon from the one you're replying to, and already commented somewhere else on this thread."
NA = "I'm a new anon who has not commented on this thread before." | SA = "I'm the same anon, replying to my own comment to edit/elaborate."
AIRT = "The anon I replied to." | ITT = "In this thread." | OP = "Original post / original poster."


american bald eagle - image source

Off-Topic | Fanworks Discussion | Reference | Flatview

Comments

Re: Beta Etiquette

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a beta, and I can be a pretty harsh one; but at the end of the day it's not the beta's story, it's the author's. Ultimately, it's the beta's job to help the author create the author's vision for their story, but sometimes the trajectory that the author anticipates and the beta anticipates for a story are actually divergent (or sometimes, in the case of a bad beta, the beta is pushing for a story the author isn't interested in telling).

I can only soundboard or try to convey to an author where a story isn't working for me and my suggestions for how to make those adjustments for where the story is trying to go. That said, I very much respect authors who stick to their guns; I've been told both "Yeah, I wasn't sure about that bit in the story either," and "No, I'm not going to change that." Consider a beta's suggestions, but remember that they are suggestions. I am totally comfortable with a writer taking all of my suggestions or none of them, or focusing on just a few of the larger problem areas.

I don't expect writers to change everything I note (I don't really note spelling or grammar unless something is very unclear in the language use or to check to see if I've misunderstood something*). I don't know, author-beta relationships can be a negotiation sometimes. If you two really have very different visions of plot or style or characterization it can be a frustrating as a writer/beta matchup for both of you. Ultimately, though, the story is yours and the beta is there to help you write that story; you're not there to validate or totally obey the law of the beta. Ideally, I'd like the writer to consider my suggestions and integrate them where it works for the story (or make a case for why things should be as they are or what else could shift to better structurally support the thing they want to keep) but at the end of the day it's a suggestion.

* with authors I've betaed for in the past, they've either not wanted it or had another beta on the job taking care of it.