Betas Involved From The Beginning?

[originalpuck]

I came across Beta dependency? by icarusancalion the other day, and I found it really interesting. I liked how the roles of beta and cheerleader seemed to have merged in eir experience, and the idea of having someone there to bounce ideas off of from the beginning is interesting.

Have any of y'all had a beta from the second you started with ideas for a work, and if so, how did it work for you? Do you see betas as more towards the editor side of the scale, or the cheerleader + editor role that icarusancalion mentions? Thoughts?

Comments

[thistleburr]

I had / was a very closely involved beta like that at one point. Our creative process became very intertwined. We were both writing original fiction. It did improve my productivity, but when the relationship fell apart, I had trouble writing on my own for a while. Now I'm wary of letting my artistic process become that intertwined with anyone.

[st_aurafina]

That was a great post - I was nodding along as I read. I get very invested in the fics I've betaed - going back to read other people's comments, getting excited if it gets recced, that sort of thing.

I have lilacsigil with me right from the start on most things I write - she's the one who cheers me on, reads what I've written and picks up on plot issues, helps me knot out problems and so on. She's definitely cheerleader style beta. She's also a really harsh editor - she's edited academic texts professionally - so I'm lucky there. For most short fics, I don't get another beta unless there's a mechanism or gimmick to the fic that needs a clean eye to check it works, once she's so deep in the fic that it's not new to her anymore.

I always try to get another beta for anything longer than 2K, or fics for exchanges, or fics from USian fandoms, just to have a fresh eye over what I've written.

I love the beta process - I love the things that my beta picks up on, I love the way it smooths out the creases in my grammar. I really, really love the way a good beta functions as a teaching tool, so I can improve my writing skills. I've learned more about grammar, characterisation and outlining from having my fic betaed than I ever learned at school. It's like a one on one English class.

[kay_brooke]

I've never used a beta for fanfic, since I rarely write it and when I do it's rarely more than 2k words. And I don't post it to comms so I'm not expecting more than a couple people even reading it.

I do use betas for my original writing, and my thoughts on that are varied. I was part of a critique group for a couple years a few years ago, where I essentially had 7-9 people acting as intensive betas (and I was doing the same for them). That kind of environment helped the novel I was working on immeasureably, and I learned more about creative writing and editing than I did in my entire academic career.

On the other hand, when the group eventually drifted apart, I felt lost for a time without them. I had forgotten how to write without expecting almost-instant feedback on my latest chapter. So I think I did develop a dependence there, and it took me about a year before I was able to write without that anxiety again. Since then, I've actually been more productive, because when I was with the group I focused mainly on one novel, trying to get it perfect. I think my writing improved a lot when I let myself expand out into other story lines and worlds. The group, though I definitely don't regret being a part of it because it was so helpful for that one project, sort of stifled the range of my writing for awhile. So it's a complicated situation.

(When I say "the group" did something, I'm not really blaming it. I blame myself for losing perspective and becoming too dependent on what other people had to say about a story before it was, really, ready to be looked at that closely. The group was far more helpful than not, but I'm also glad that it did eventually break up.)

As for the cheerleading thing (since I went way off point, sorry), I really have no use for cheerleaders. The times I've done big bangs I've always declined cheerleaders. If someone is going to read my stuff before I post it, I want someone who is going to look at it critically and tell me what does and doesn't work. The idea of cheerleaders sends my anxiety into overdrive, because if I can't finish something or it doesn't feel exactly right, I feel like I'm disappointing people. Those are my own issues, because I've always feared disappointing people, from my parents to my teachers to people I barely know on the Internet. But I just can't take someone praising me and urging me on while I'm still writing something. It feels like too much pressure, whereas a straightforward, critical beta doesn't. I know that's probably weird. But I also have never needed the encouragement of others to continue writing, so having a cheerleader also kind of feels like a distraction and a waste of time. I already have plenty of those getting in the way of writing and I don't need another one.

I hope there's something useful in that giant ramble, sorry.

[kay_brooke]

Wow, having taken the time to read through the original link, I think I went off on a completely wrong tangent. Sorry. For what it's worth, I really, really disagree with that essay, and I didn't appreciate the swipe at traditional publishing. Not every writer/editor team functions the way laid out in that entry, whether pro or not, so it seems a little short-sighted and generalizing. It actually kind of made me angry, so I'm not going to comment further on the subject.