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Finally, a use for my knowledge of grammar


xObscurexOmenx

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Finally, a beta service that doesn't require a ridiculous quota of words written. (Yes, ff.net, I'm looking at you.)

Moving on.

Experience: Technically, I've edited very few fanfics--I mostly tend to sporadically edit hard-copies of my friends' original stories and essays, which I've been doing off and on for the past four/five years. I've edited one or two fanfics in Word, and if anyone would like to see the original copies to compare to the edited versions, I'd be happy to send them to you. Overall, I'd say I have 100 hours of editing racked up.

As for general reading, I've been a voracious reader since elementary school, although I didn't start reading mature works till early middle school (starting with Michael Crichton, Relic, etc.). I've been reading fanfiction for the past seven years--mostly yaoi, with some het--including angst, comedy, AUs, and romance ranging from PWP to fluff to plot!romance.

Reference: I own seven books on grammar, style, and editing, all of which I've read, so I can always fall back on those if I have any questions.

My Strengths: Grammar, spelling, and flow are undoubtedly my strongest points. As I mentioned earlier, if I have any questions involving the former two, I can always refer to the reference materials at hand. As for flow, I'm almost constantly reading, so picking out a few weak transitions, poorly chosen words, stilted dialogue, and unbalanced description-to-action ratios is rather simple for me.

My Weaknesses: I can notice the more blatant of stylistic changes, but I can be rather oblivious to subtle switches in style, and while I'm willing to edit work from any fandom, I can't promise I'm familiar with the characters/settings of the original series, meaning I can't necessarily point out OOC characters and similar inconsistencies. As for correspondence with the author, I tend to sometimes sugar-coat issues with the fics, since I 1) enjoy beta-ing and don't want to scare people away by seeming ridiculously mean, and 2) have had a few bad experiences with writers exploding because of my leaving them constructive criticism. On a final note, I'm not completely comfortable with editing with Word, so I may have to figure out what kind of editing style works best for the writer. (For example: Should I use comments to point out problems and ask if I can fix them, or should I just re-write the problems I see and wait for the author to okay the changes?)

Also: If you're looking for a beta who can help you think of a plot, hit the back button now. I am not good with plots.

Fandoms?: I'm willing to beta work from all fandoms (except for Twilight), as long as the author isn't expecting me to point out OOC characters and series-based inconsistences. As for pairings, I will turn none down unless it involves one of the fetishes listed in the "I Am NOT Willing to Edit" section.

I Am Most Familiar with: Naruto, Watchmen, XxXHolic, Ouran High School Host Club, and Death Note fanfiction. However, I own over 600 manga, so if your fandom is in the anime/manga category, there's a chance I'm familiar with it as well.

I Am NOT Willing to Edit: Bestiality, CS, pedophilia, Peg, scat, shouta (only if it's involved as an actual pairing), self-insertion, toys, and WS.

Other Notes: I prefer to communicate with authors via e-mail, and one of the most important questions is whether or not the author prefers British English or American English. I understand the main differences between the two (different spellings, different rules involving commas and quotations, etc.), but that doesn't mean that my grasp of British English is perfect. Still, I'm willing to make an effort if the author has a real love of "defence", "favour" and sentences free of the serial comma.

Edited by xObscurexOmenx
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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest winterthorne

Hi,

Call me Winterthorne. I would like to take you up on your offer to beta my currect story which is a Naruto/Harry Potter crossover. My only concern is that my story will have (eventually) a sixteen year old doing minor sexual explorations, but no intercourse - is this a problem? I assume you're fine with slash/Yaoi considering your reading choices, correct me if I'm wrong.

Alright a little about my specific needs: grammar, punctuation, and tense confusion. I would like crticism and your personal opinion on my story... well the first chapter should be finished today or tomorrow. Please contact me soon though!

- Winterthorne

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  • 11 months later...

Hi names Mudlovesstu, and I*M IN NEED OF A BETA!!

All my stories are YAOI! only problem is my grammar, spelling and ability to describe stuff such as sex and action fighting sences and story plots gaps...not my strong points...

I write orginal and fandom for: Xmen, Gundam Wing, South park and Hetalia: Axis Powers.

:samurai:

I*d like it very much if you would look at my stuff and tell me what you think and be willing to be my beta...

hope to hear from you soon..

http://xmen.adult-fanfiction.org/authors.php?no=1296886512

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