The Fanfiction Exchange Thread :: Be Active, Get Reviews!

[terradi]

PadawanCyn

terradi

Oh wow. I often just write things once. I'm horrible about editing. Which is probably why my punctuation suffers so. I'll go back and read things a year or so after I've written them though and I can see the difference then. It makes me wince. One of these days, when I get motivated enough, I'll start in on the stuff I started when I was sixteen and really make it shine. I know I need to, and I know I can. I just lack the motivation.

Ah well. Maybe working on the fanfic I started three or four years ago will help with that. I know it reads and looks better already. smile Plot's improving in plausibility too.

Like Lady Sedia said - best of luck! It's certainly not an easy task you set yourself up to do.

I should probably do the same. I still think my first fics had some good ideas in them, but they're so full of common-places and loaded with mistakes that just reading them makes me shudder in embarrassment. It's a lot easier to let them lie in the corner and calmly ignore them as they collect dust, haha. Maybe this is where a beta-reader would come in handy?

From your experience, what do you guys think - how invaluable is it to have a beta-reader?

I think betas are useful, just because there is no way that you can really catch every error that you could possibly make on your own. Two sets of eyes are better than one when you're trying to write a story.

If you cannot find a beta, having someone who knows the story listen to your plot and being able to bounce ideas off of them is pretty valuable too. That's mostly what I did for the fanfic I am working on now. A good friend who knows the world pretty well helped me go through the mechanics of how everything gets started and just make it realistic.

That is most of why I ended up re-writing so much, really. The logistics behind how everything gets started works a lot better now but goodness ... it was a lot of work!

[White Rabbit Redux]

I just ran into a song that inspired me to write an epic one-shot tragedy! I'm so freakin' excited!

Someone give me an anime to write the one-shot for! Its going to be totally shocking, depressing and revolting thanks to my inspiration (which will remain a secret until the one-shot is complete).

[Lady Sedia Auvryarn]

shouldn't you know what your writing about if you already have it planned out?? or is it one of those ideas that can be applied to anything and still work?

[White Rabbit Redux]

Wait, you talkin' to me or replyin' to someone else? :O

[Lady Sedia Auvryarn]

to you silly, of course razz

[White Rabbit Redux]

Oh. Hah ha. XD

Yeah, it's an idea that could be applied to ANYTHING and still work. :3 All I now need is a fandom to apply the idea to.

[Lady Sedia Auvryarn]

Anime: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Fushigi Yuugi, Tenchi Muyo, Pokemon, Slayers, Talespin, Reboot, Spider-Man, Card Captor Sakura, Beyblade, Inuyasha, Chip 'n Dale, Loony Toons, Darkwing Duck, Swat Kats, Jem, Invader Zim, Chobits, Fruits Baskets, X-Men, X-Men Evolution, Lain, Gravitation, Cowboy Bebop, Ducktales, The Maxx, Hellsing, Kare Kano, Death Note, Evangelion, Full Metal Alchemist, Lupin, Case Closed, Gundam, Armitage, X, Azumanga Daioh, Cosplay Complex, Pretear, Sugar Little Snow Fairy, Stargate Infinity, Angel Sactuary, Aeon Flux, Wind a Breath of Heart, Outlaw Star, Trigun, Megaman, Futurama, American Dad, Simpsons, Family Guy, Boondock Saints, Those who Hunt Elves, Sorceror Hunters, etc. to infinity!

TV: Stargate (SG-1 and Atlantis), Sliders, Hex, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Charmed, Xena, Hercules, My So-Called Life, Firefly, Law and Order (All of them), CSI (All of them), Without a Trance, Unsolved Mysteries, Fact or Ficition, Mind of Mencia, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Lost World, Dr. Phil, Mythbusters, The Soup, Heros, Dexter, Carnivale, The Dresden Files, Birds of Prey, Voyagers, Jack of All Trades, I Shouldn't Be Alive, Relic Hunter, Batman 1966, Dead Like Me, Space Cases, Alex Mack, Masters of Horror, Masters of Science Fiction, Are You Afraid of the Dark, John Doe, Crossing Jordan, Buffy, Angel, Terminator, Breaker High, Polergiest the Legacy, Adventures of Sinbad, Young Hercules, Sunset Beach, Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, OZ, Power Rangers, Pushing Daisies, Sarah Jane Adventures, Womens Murder Club, Robin Hood bbc, Mindfreak, Numb3rs, The Outer Limits, etc to infinity again!

Movies: Heavenly Creatures, Casablanca, The Godfather Trilogy, Only the Strong, Ordinary Magic, The Forbiddean Dance, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Star Wars (All), Harry Potter (All), Hudson Hawk, Peter Pan, American History X, Newsies, Lost Boys, The Adeventures of Baron Munchausen, Krull, Indiana Jones (All), McLintock, Run Lola Run, A Clockwork Orange, Modern Times, Schindlers List, Singin in the Rain, What Dreams May Come, SLC Punk, This is Spinal Tap, Dark City, Labyrinth, Lilo and Stitch, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Interview With The Vampire, Necronomicon, The Evil Dead (All), Paprika, Death Note, Battle Royale, Kamikaze Girls, Princess Mononoke, Ninja Scroll, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spider Man, Elephant, Duck! The Carbine High Massacre, Bang Bang You're Dead, O, Lost and Delirious, Strangeland, etc. to inifinity again!



....there's about a 100 to pick from xd

[PadawanCyn]

Whoa, that list is kinda scary... but ZOMG, Sliders! I haven't thought of that show in ages! Haha... XD

Hm, I'm starting to think I should get a beta. It's so hard to be objective when I'm going over my own fics - especially the old stuff. It's like I revert to my old self when I'm re-reading it and forget about all the things I've learned in the meantime. But what all the betas I ever came across did never went much further than correcting spelling mistakes. Kind of disappointing. When I get the courage to do that kind of revision, I'll have to find out where the good ones are hiding, lol... razz

[milila]

PadawanCyn

Whoa, that list is kinda scary... but ZOMG, Sliders! I haven't thought of that show in ages! Haha... XD

Hm, I'm starting to think I should get a beta. It's so hard to be objective when I'm going over my own fics - especially the old stuff. It's like I revert to my old self when I'm re-reading it and forget about all the things I've learned in the meantime. But what all the betas I ever came across did never went much further than correcting spelling mistakes. Kind of disappointing. When I get the courage to do that kind of revision, I'll have to find out where the good ones are hiding, lol... razz

I love my Beta (I have said this before), though I am looking for someone who will Beta my twilight fanfics XD. I kind of wrote out the first chapter to a Buffyesque (??) version of twilight, with less ridiculous romance, and more kick a** action. I am starting to get into my Buffy fanfiction mood, probably because I am excited about the premier of Doll House XD......

[Lady Sedia Auvryarn]

PadawanCyn

Whoa, that list is kinda scary... but ZOMG, Sliders! I haven't thought of that show in ages! Haha... XD

Hm, I'm starting to think I should get a beta. It's so hard to be objective when I'm going over my own fics - especially the old stuff. It's like I revert to my old self when I'm re-reading it and forget about all the things I've learned in the meantime. But what all the betas I ever came across did never went much further than correcting spelling mistakes. Kind of disappointing. When I get the courage to do that kind of revision, I'll have to find out where the good ones are hiding, lol... razz

hehe thats the list of "likes" from my website and sliders is heart

And finding an actual good beta can be very difficult. Lots only to the minor spelling/grammar stuff and think they are oh so elite.... rolleyes I generally find that the best place to look is NOT a place that offers beta services but to someone who likes your story and is also good with grammar/spelling. You should look for someone you can trust to tell you the brutal truth in a constructive way rather than simply looking for someone to "fix things up".

That being said, I wouldn't mind betaing a few things for you lol although I won't be much help on the plot stuff since I don't watch Naruto sweatdrop ...if that is what its about of course hehe which by the way reminds me that I need to finish editing my Talespin chapter... gotta make a character drawing too.....*runs off*

[milila]

Lady Sedia Auvryarn

PadawanCyn

Whoa, that list is kinda scary... but ZOMG, Sliders! I haven't thought of that show in ages! Haha... XD

Hm, I'm starting to think I should get a beta. It's so hard to be objective when I'm going over my own fics - especially the old stuff. It's like I revert to my old self when I'm re-reading it and forget about all the things I've learned in the meantime. But what all the betas I ever came across did never went much further than correcting spelling mistakes. Kind of disappointing. When I get the courage to do that kind of revision, I'll have to find out where the good ones are hiding, lol... razz

hehe thats the list of "likes" from my website and sliders is heart

And finding an actual good beta can be very difficult. Lots only to the minor spelling/grammar stuff and think they are oh so elite.... rolleyes I generally find that the best place to look is NOT a place that offers beta services but to someone who likes your story and is also good with grammar/spelling. You should look for someone you can trust to tell you the brutal truth in a constructive way rather than simply looking for someone to "fix things up".

That being said, I wouldn't mind betaing a few things for you lol although I won't be much help on the plot stuff since I don't watch Naruto sweatdrop ...if that is what its about of course hehe which by the way reminds me that I need to finish editing my Talespin chapter... gotta make a character drawing too.....*runs off*

I would totally Beta if I could, but I just down right suck at grammar and spelling XD. Your right though, a lot of Betas can be all high and mighty. It is actually quit annoying talking to them on forums, because they and every one around them treat their posts like law....... I guess I'm a little bitter, though, because I got in a fight with a beta from the Buffy fanfiction community.

[Lady Sedia Auvryarn]

milila

I would totally Beta if I could, but I just down right suck at grammar and spelling XD. Your right though, a lot of Betas can be all high and mighty. It is actually quit annoying talking to them on forums, because they and every one around them treat their posts like law....... I guess I'm a little bitter, though, because I got in a fight with a beta from the Buffy fanfiction community.

you got in a fight? what? lol

[milila]

Lady Sedia Auvryarn

milila

I would totally Beta if I could, but I just down right suck at grammar and spelling XD. You're right though, a lot of Betas can be all high and mighty. It is actually quit annoying talking to them on forums, because they, and every one around them treat their posts like law....... I guess I'm a little bitter, though, because I got in a fight with a beta from the Buffy fanfiction community.

you got in a fight? what? lol

argument is probably the better word XD lol. We had differing opinions over a fanfic, and things kind got a little out of hand.

[PadawanCyn]

Lady Sedia Auvryarn

hehe thats the list of "likes" from my website and sliders is heart

And finding an actual good beta can be very difficult. Lots only to the minor spelling/grammar stuff and think they are oh so elite.... rolleyes I generally find that the best place to look is NOT a place that offers beta services but to someone who likes your story and is also good with grammar/spelling. You should look for someone you can trust to tell you the brutal truth in a constructive way rather than simply looking for someone to "fix things up".

That being said, I wouldn't mind betaing a few things for you lol although I won't be much help on the plot stuff since I don't watch Naruto sweatdrop ...if that is what its about of course hehe which by the way reminds me that I need to finish editing my Talespin chapter... gotta make a character drawing too.....*runs off*

Yes, indeed. Sliders is love! And so is the lead actor... *ahem* XD

Thanks for the offer. heart The stuff I have that needs betaing is actually based on Escaflowne and Lord of the Rings, but I don't think I'm ready to go into that kind of massive revision effort at the moment. There are so many (currently) more interesting things that need to be written first...! Haha... The reason I asked was just to know if it was something worth considering. ^^

@ milila: Oh lol, do I sense an interesting story there?

[milila]

PadawanCyn

Lady Sedia Auvryarn

hehe thats the list of "likes" from my website and sliders is heart

And finding an actual good beta can be very difficult. Lots only to the minor spelling/grammar stuff and think they are oh so elite.... rolleyes I generally find that the best place to look is NOT a place that offers beta services but to someone who likes your story and is also good with grammar/spelling. You should look for someone you can trust to tell you the brutal truth in a constructive way rather than simply looking for someone to "fix things up".

That being said, I wouldn't mind betaing a few things for you lol although I won't be much help on the plot stuff since I don't watch Naruto sweatdrop ...if that is what its about of course hehe which by the way reminds me that I need to finish editing my Talespin chapter... gotta make a character drawing too.....*runs off*

Yes, indeed. Sliders is love! And so is the lead actor... *ahem* XD

Thanks for the offer. heart The stuff I have that needs betaing is actually based on Escaflowne and Lord of the Rings, but I don't think I'm ready to go into that kind of massive revision effort at the moment. There are so many (currently) more interesting things that need to be written first...! Haha... The reason I asked was just to know if it was something worth considering. ^^

@ milila: Oh lol, do I sense an interesting story there?

Well I did start a flame war XD. I don't really know if that is something to be proud of, and I did get to put a Beta in their place. we went at each other for hours, until the mods finally shut the thread down. After which a bunch of other threads started popping up addressing the same issues. It was an argument about one story that lead me to getting a very nasty e-mail, from some very angry moderators, and practically "black listed" (so to speak) from the forum.