Nikki (nakeisha) wrote,
Nikki
nakeisha
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30 Days of Fandom Meme Day 24

24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a beta horror story or dream story?

When I first started to write fanfic my very first fandom friend recommended, as I was writing Starsky/Hutch fanfic, I get myself an American beta as well as an English one. I actually ended up with three betas: one English, one American and one who's native language was German but whose English was excellent. They were all lovely ladies and very kind and helpful and I feel I learnt from all of them - and we were all friends.

However, as time went on I realised I was changing everything they suggested, because I saw it as a 'you should change this'. It was my problem, not the beta's, none of them had said I had to change anything, I just was of the view that as they'd taken the time and effort I should change what they said - even if I actually preferred what I'd written. A lot of the time the changes they suggested were the same or very similar.

It was only when in one story two of them suggested changes to a paragraph - except the suggestions were all different and not just slightly different, but completely different. To complicate things further, the first beta loved it the way it was and said I shouldn't change it. I realised I couldn't make all three happy, so I did stick with what I'd written and from then on I changed less things - I'm not talking about typos or mis-used punctuation, etc. but the other stuff.

As I drifted into a second fandom (The Professionals) which the non-American lady wasn't into and I started to write more for zines, I didn't really use a beta, I stuck with the editor. It was through writing for zines that I met maubast and we became very good friends and she kindly offered to beta anything I wrote - even when it wasn't for her.

That went on until I got into NCIS and started to write a lot more and it didn't seem fair to keep on asking Bast, so I stopped using a beta completely - apart from the odd story. I did several proof reads myself (even though I know how hard it is to edit your own stories) and used to do the initial one on-screen, then print the story out and edit it on paper (you really do see more errors on the written page than on the computer screen) and then do a final on-screen edit. And I carried on that way; it suited me; I didn't have to worry about upsetting someone who had suggested something I hadn't want to change and I didn't have feel guilty about over-burdening someone. I was happy and that, after all, was the main thing.



1 – How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
3 – For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favourite characters to write?
4 – Do you have a 'muse' character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
5 –If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your 'muse' or not, what did you do about it?
6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favourite pairings to write?
10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
12 – Have you ever attempted an 'adaptation' fic of a favourite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
13 – Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka 'bunnies') from?
19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
20 – Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favourite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a beta horror story or dream story?
25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain 'mood' to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
26 – What is the oddest (or funniest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
27 – Where is your favourite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
29 – What is your current project or projects?
30 – Do you have a favourite fic you've written? What makes it your favourite? And don't forget to give us a link!

Tags: !memes: fanfic/fandom, fandom, fanfic
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