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What makes a good beta
May. 10th, 2020 04:55 pmWe had an interesting conversation in one of my group chats today prompted by the question: do you think a bad writer can be a good beta?
The general consensus was yes, they can still be a valuable help, because beta'ing isn't just about checking the technical side of the writing, but also about making sure the plot works, that the pacing and characterisation are right etc, and if someone is a good reader they can check for those things. To me it's another good reason to have more than one beta - everyone has different strengths and can check your fic for different things, all of which are important for making a fic work.
I thought I'd throw that question out here too, to see what you all thought, and also tack on a follow up - what do you think are the important qualities a good beta needs?
The general consensus was yes, they can still be a valuable help, because beta'ing isn't just about checking the technical side of the writing, but also about making sure the plot works, that the pacing and characterisation are right etc, and if someone is a good reader they can check for those things. To me it's another good reason to have more than one beta - everyone has different strengths and can check your fic for different things, all of which are important for making a fic work.
I thought I'd throw that question out here too, to see what you all thought, and also tack on a follow up - what do you think are the important qualities a good beta needs?
