McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Beta Questions
LizW65:
Nuts and bolts here, for example:
-Does the story hang together/function as a cohesive whole?
-Any plot holes you can drive a truck through?
-Good proportion of action to character to plot-driven scenes?
-Do the characters behave consistently throughout?
-Any glaring factual errors or period anachronisms?
-Is the work consistently readable and does it hold your interest?
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: LizW65 on July 15, 2012, 08:33:08 PM ----Does the story hang together/function as a cohesive whole?
-Any plot holes you can drive a truck through?
--- End quote ---
Those are definitely levels I appreciate my betas checking, though thus far it would seem I am pretty good at not leaving gigantic plot holes all by myself.
--- Quote ----Good proportion of action to character to plot-driven scenes?
--- End quote ---
I think I get some benefit on this front too; because I appear to be atypical in how totally boring I find action scenes, so I tend to underdo them unless I can make them plot-vital.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Zuriel on July 15, 2012, 04:26:27 PM ---I've never used a beta (not easy to find one :-\ ), but I know many do. So, I'd like to know...besides the obvious checking of spelling and grammar...what does a beta do for you?
Do you only use a beta for the nuts and bolts aspect? Or for content, too?
--- End quote ---
Not sure what scale of distinction you are making here ?
--- Quote ---How much do you rely on a beta? If they make a suggestion, are you more likely to change your story, based purely on what they say?
--- End quote ---
I am unlikely to change what the story is trying to do. If I have written a scene that's meant to achieve X and they see it as trying to achieve Y, I'll usually change the scene (even if it succeeds at doing Y), because usually whatever the scene is trying to do has to fit in a very specific place in what the book is trying to do.
Shecky:
To answer the OP: it depends on the author. There's an entire continuum of what authors need/want from betas, from pure mechanics to thematic analysis/critique and everywhere in between.
OZ:
If I gave my story to someone to read, I would want them to check for spelling and grammar, check for continuity issues, check for blatant mistakes and plot holes and tell me if there is anything that they particularly liked or disliked. Spelling and grammar I would fix. Anything else I would examine and determine if it was really a mistake or if I knew something that the reader didn't. As far as what they liked and didn't like, if one person told me, I might ignore it. If everyone that read it told me that they didn't like a scene, I might look it over and see how I could change it. What you need from a beta reader would partly depend on what you are writing. If you're writing hard Sci Fi you might want someone who could check your science. If your righting military fiction you might want someone with some knowledge of history and/or of weaponry.
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