Questions taken from AO3 Comment of the Day.
Image: MPClemens
I do beta-read but not very often, as I can’t always commit to a specific turnaround. I’m also not the easiest or best beta out there, because I will assume a lack of ego on the writer’s part. I have sometimes sent manuscripts back figuratively bleeding to death with all the red ink on them. My critiques are never mean-spirited, but they are honest, and if something’s awful I’m not going to lie about that. In my mind, if someone wants lies and dishonesty, they’re better off not asking in the first place.
My strengths as a beta are primarily in the micro, rather than the macro. Being a teacher’s kid means I was never allowed to get away with misuse of grammar or punctuation, so I’ve got those down, including when to (and when not to) break the rules. I’m also good at turns of phrase and coming up with alternative wordings. And I’m not bad at characterization or pacing, but plotting is rough. I still feel like I can’t even do that very well with my own work yet. I am, however, excellent at remembering all the tiny canonical details out there.
27. How do you feel about collaborations?
I don’t object to them, but I’ve never been involved in one. It just hasn’t come up as a possibility, and to be honest I don’t feel that I’ve missed out for that. Although I’ve been a pretty active participant in fan fiction forums, when it comes time to write I tend to be fairly solitary.
28. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.
Only three? But there are dozens out there!
Cora Clavia’s (Castle, Star Trek: Voyager) work is just plain fun, and she also has a very strong handle on how characters work. Back in the day, she also was funny to read on social media. I particularly like the way she can frequently weave music in, and she also has a fantastic touch when it comes to emotional impacts. One of her final fics in the Castle universe, “exit, pursued by nothing,” moved me to tears even though there was a lot of angst going on in the fandom at the time already.
mosylu (Earth 2, Firefly), who also posts at AO3 in other universes, can put together a multi-chapter, multi-plot fic in a way that makes it look easy. And then she can turn around and make a quick vignette look just as effortless. Whenever I need something to sink my teeth into, she’s a safe bet.
resourceful (Scarecrow and Mrs. King) is the kind of writer that just takes your breath away while you don’t even notice. Hir characterizations of the canonical characters are spot-on, and so is the amount of research zie does. Whenever I need a story that will leave me feeling good, I turn to these. It’s a shame that zie apparently is not writing fan fiction anymore.
29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?
I would love to see mosylu’s “Metamorphosis” (Earth 2) completed someday, and in fact have even challenged her to do so over on AO3. I’d also like to see a proper end to Dyce’s “Horseshoe Nail” series (for Firefly). But I wouldn’t consider myself up for being able to write as well as either of those stories.
In terms of stories I actually think I might be able to write, I’d love to create an addition to dawn_chorus’s series two worlds and in between (Star Trek: Discovery). In fact, the first story in this series inspired one of mine, although I went in a completely different direction. I haven’t yet completed that story, which is tentatively called “Know Thyself,” but it’s on my list. I mean to complete it some day.
30. Do you accept prompts?
As a general rule, no. But that’s not because I object to prompts; it’s because I have way too long of a queue already. I don’t lack for things to write! That said, I do sometimes go look at prompt lists when I’m feeling dry or want a break from whatever longer fic I’m working on, and my series Tales from Winter Camp is based around a set of prompts. So while I usually don’t, that’s by no means a categorical “no.” A good prompt will always get my attention.