How To Be A Constructive Early-Stages Reader | My Approach to Alpha, Beta, and Proof Reading

Hello my fellow readers, writers, and creatures of procrastination. 

Today, I'm going to be telling you about alpha, beta, and proof reading. I'll go over them one at a time, and in this order:

Alpha

Beta

Proof reader

I have been an alpha and beta many times (and am currently an alpha reader at the time of writing this) as well as an unprofessional editor for a friend that was in a pinch, and then a proof reader. With about... oh I don't know, three to four-is years of these kinds of reading added to my list of experiences, I've come to learn quite a bit about these processes. 

Introduction on this topic at large

Writers need readers to help them along their journey of writing and publishing. There's many different kinds of readers for the many different phases of a project, and some writers don't put all of these types of readers to use. But almost all of them tend to - and really should - have at least some of these readers on their team. 

These types of readers are...

Alpha readers - 1st draft reader

Beta readers - +2 draft reader

Proof readers - final/close to final draft reader

The goal of this post is to help you be the best early-reader you can be so that you both get a good experience out of your volunteer reading, and so that the writer whose work you are reading gets the most out of you as a reader.

We will discuss things such as reading a genre and/or work you dislike, go over different kinds of feedback and how to keep criticism constructive, how to keep up with the project your reading, and finding your strength as a reader in each department. 

One more note before we get into this: 

The most important thing to note about being any of these readers is that the writer will usually provide you with information as to what kind of feedback and help they need from you. 

So keep that in mind at all times when being an early-stages reader.

Alpha Reading

An alpha reader is a reader which reads the first draft of the work which needs reading. Usually the first draft of a project has no more than one alpha reader, given the nature of an alpha is to be selected based on the writer's comfort level and trust, and then mostly used to help the author get to the next draft.

Like all the different kinds of readers, there's some sub-categories for alpha reading. These are...

Motivation, accountability, and brainstorming

The very very first reader an author will take on is often going to be an alpha for motivation to write and to brainstorm the story. 

For my project Roslyn, what I was looking for in an alpha of this sort; someone who would read one chapter a day so that I would write at least one chapter a day and thus be motivated, and then that person would get to know the story through reading it so they could help me brainstorm and work through dry spells. 

I have been this sort of alpha reader twice now, and I've found that the key thing to remember - as both a writer who has had alphas and as an alpha myself - is that feedback on prose, realism, formatting, grammar, even the plot, is not what is needed. 

Your writer needs motivation and accountability to write the story, period; picking apart different aspects of it will come at a later time, with a later draft, and perhaps even a later alpha reader devoted to that. 

This does not mean that you shouldn't tell your writer when you like something - that can actually be a huge help during this stage of writing (when is it not, really?). But it does mean that this isn't the time or place for criticism, constructive or otherwise. 

Here's my dos and don'ts when I read as a motivational+brainstorming alpha:

Don't...

• Comment on negative prose, grammar, punctuation, formatting, etc.
• Comment on plot holes and loose threads 
• Comment on negative character arcs 
• Comment on negative scenes 

Do...

• Comment on positive prose
• Comment on the aspects you like about the story and characters
• Comment on positive scenes 
• Seek out things you like in the writing to comment on
• Stay on the writer's schedule for reading (this is a huge part of motivation and accountability)
• Be ready to brainstorm with the writer

If I had to summarize the most important thing about being this kind of reader, it would be remember that your purpose is to help this book be written. It isn't to fill in its holes and make it realistic, it isn't even to make the story likable and enjoyable - it is just to make sure it is written. 

Deconstructing the draft

These kinds of alphas usually come after the first draft is completed, instead of during its process of being written. Often times the writer will want this alpha reader to be the same one which read for them while they were writing (the motivational+brainstorming alpha), but this won't always be the case.

The job of this reader is to tear apart the plot, rip it into bits in peaces alongside the writer. Sniff out every problem, help your writer find all the things that need working on. It is to find the strengths and weaknesses of the story so that it can be rebuilt in a later draft. 

While this kind of alpha does involve much more bluntness and at times tough love, there is a right and a wrong way to do it.

Don't...

• Be demeaning or critical on the faulted parts
• Shy away from being honest
• Use this as an opportunity to hate on/make fun of the story, characters, plot, prose, etc., whether the writer does or not
• Pull apart prose, grammar, format, etc.

Do...

• Keep an eye out for problematic areas
• Help the writer reconstruct the problematic areas 
• Answer the writer's questions/give your opinion truthfully, fairly, and constructively 
• Remember to find strengths as well as *weaknesses
• Comment on prose and scenes that you like as you read
• Remember that this is a very vulnerable stage for the writer, and respect that

Summarizing this form of alpha reading, remember that your purpose is to deconstruct the areas the writer has chosen so that it can be reconstructed better and stronger. You aren't here to be a critic, you're here to be an assistant. You're looking for faults in the foundation so that it can be repaired.

*Before we move on, I want to touch on this specifically for a moment. 

It can be very helpful to have someone point out specific things that the writer seems to struggle with. Like in one case a writer I alpha read for struggled mostly with her scenes and characters feeling very distant, and the focus of the story being blurry at times. It was, all things considered, a more minor problem, but it affected the whole story.

So when I say "weaknesses," I do mean things such as "this plot thread falls flat" and the like, but I also mean that you should keep an eye out for things which seem to be a reoccurring theme that the writer struggles with.

Help them find that, and you may help them diagnose a large part of the problems in their draft.

Specific-Goal betas

Sometimes writers will have a very specific goal with a draft and/or a reader. For instance, they may just want you to look for problems with character arcs, or maybe they want you to focus on the world building. Perhaps they want to make sure their magic system is strong and understandable, so they want you to focus on that and pick it apart like a deconstructive alpha. 

There's really limitless possibilities in this regards, and this is also true for betas. So when you've been asked to alpha read for a writer with very specific goals, remember...

Don't...

• Stray from the writer's request. They are trying to accomplish something specific, and feedback/critics on other things may be more of a hinderance than help 

Do...

• Let the writer know when you enjoy different aspects of the story and its style 
• Fulfill the writer's requests to the best of your ability 

Your goal here is to help the writer accomplish these specific tasks which they very likely have a sound reason for. 

General Advice for Alpha Reading

Alpha reading can be a difficult phase for both the reader and the writer. On the writer's end, they're trusting you with a very early stage of something they're putting a lot of time and work into. It's something that they, usually, have daydreamed about and worked for and filled entire notebooks with. It's precious to them, but it's also in the worst shape the story will ever be in. 

Most writers know their flaws to some degree, or at the very least know that a first draft - regardless of if they have edited it or not - is going to have a lot of issues. 

Because of both these things, you should be very honored if a writer has trusted you enough to ask that you help them through this stage of their project. 

And also because of this, alpha reading have be a very difficult thing. If this writer trusts you enough to make you their alpha, chances are they respect you and consider you a friend. Or perhaps you're a family member. In either case, that puts you in a very awkward position for pointing out the issues in the work (when the writer has requested it) and even for reading it at all if you end up not liking the story. 

So how do you read a story you don't like? How do you push through mountains of unpolished words and an uncompleted and hole-ridden plot when you don't even like the story? How do you admit that to someone who has put themselves in a vulnerable position?

I have been in that position more times than I'd like. Over the many WIP I've read for, I've adopted a sort of philosophy or guide for every one that I alpha for. That's the following.

Remember it is a first draft.

Or even a second draft, in some cases. Either way, it's early on, and the story isn't going to be perfect. That may very well be the reason you don't like it, and you might come back and read it when the book is published and find that you actually like the finished product. 

In most cases, your job as an alpha has nothing to do with whether you like the story or not. An alpha reader is chosen more based off of the person than off of their reading preferences. So to answer the question how do you admit that you don't like the story, just don't. If the writer asks, you should of course be honest and say something along the lines of "it's not my kind of story, but it is also in the early stages." Most writers will nod and find that to be a fair answer. 

But whether you like it or not, you should go through with alpha reading and be as useful as possible. For though it can be difficult, you've made a commitment that you need to follow through with by agreeing to alpha read.

However, I do find it easier if you...

Search for things to like about it.

Something I've learned is that I can pull myself through reading just about any project or book by picking out things I like about it, even if I don't like it as a whole. 

When I alpha read a story that I don't like, I make sure to look for moments I like, or for lines I like, for world building, characters, cultural things, aesthetics, etc., that the writer has done well. Because there will be something that the writer has done that is uniquely their own, or that is done really well, or something of the sort, and if you can focus on those good things and the strengths in the story, it will be so much easier to read through.

It will also be far, far more beneficial to the writer if you balance your critiques with honest though searched for compliments. This isn't just being nice, this is actually going to help them so long as you don't over-do it and praise the whole work out of sheer discomfort.  It will help them because they will not just know what they did wrong, or that you dislike, but they'll see what parts they're getting right, and they'll be able to hone in on those things and expand upon them in later drafts.

But again, remember that I said to balance your critiques and compliments; too much of either is not healthy for a writer - especially at this stage. And I don't mean to say that for every critic you must force a compliment, just that you keep it proportionate, honest, and put a little extra work into both things.

Don't critique stylistic preferences.

What I mean by this is that you need to understand the differences between a structural issue (be it in the sentence structure, the plot, the arcs, whatever) verses a preference issue. If you don't like the story, it probably is a matter of preference and personal taste; you saying that you dislike the writer's writing style, the world's politics, the aesthetic, etc., is not going to help in this area. Those things are for reviews of published books so that other readers can determine if they want to read the book or not based on their personal preferences.

If the writer ever asks, of course be honest with them. But remember that it is good to preface your response by admitting it is a matter of stylistic preference, and not of the integrity of the plot and things of that nature. 

Beta Reading

A beta reader is a person, usually one of many, that is reading anything beyond the first draft (so the second, third, fourth, etc.). They lean more on the "test reader" side of things than alpha readers do, and are depending on the stage of beta reading they are often writers themselves. 

Like all the different kinds of readers, there's some sub-categories for beta reading. These are...

Overarching story betas

These are generally accepted as the "first stage" or "first tier" of beta reading, as writers tend to go through multiple rounds and drafts with multiple groups of betas. 

Their job is kind of similar to the deconstructing alpha; they are to keep an eye out for plot holes, things that confuse them, things that they think should be expanded on, and so on. 

Here are my dos and don'ts for being this kind of beta.

Don't...

• Comment on grammar, line editing, formatting, etc.
• Turn a blind eye to issues or things that confuse you 
• Assume another beta will point out something you noticed
• Skim read

Do...

• Comment on lines, scenes, etc., that you liked
• Reread portions you're confused about to see if you misunderstood something before you point it out as an issue
• (If you share the document with other betas) build off of other betas' feedback, especially when you had a different thought/impression/understanding from the other betas
• Pay close attention when reading
• Give your impressions and reactions to characters, situations, scenes, etc.

To summarize the job of these betas, remember that you are pointing out the remaining issues from previous drafts so that the writer can move forward. You aren't ripping apart the story, but rather keeping an eye out for loose threads. 

I don't focus on pointing out the writer's personal strength and weaknesses as much at this stage as I do when alpha reading, because at this point the writer probably has an idea for that. If they request that you locate their personal writing strengths and weaknesses, then go right ahead, but in general I prefer to focus on the story's strengths and weaknesses at this stage. 

Reaction betas

I may be making this term up, but it's because I've been this kind of beta even if it isn't accepted as an official category by the writing community. 

This is a bit different from the former category and leans more towards ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) reading, but it's earlier on in the writing process. 

I've been on beta teams a couple of times now where the writer specifically wanted me to read their beta draft like I would any other book, but they had other roles for different betas. 

So here's how I go about doing this. 

Don't...

• *Read as a critic
• Overthink your reactions
• Force your reactions

Do...

• Comment frequently 
• Keep your reactions raw and honest 
• Try to read it as naturally as you can

The format of reading as a beta, as well as the circumstances, make it hard to read the project like you would any other book. It's probably never going to be exactly the way you read a published piece, but do try to keep your mind in that general mindset. 

*Regarding this I'd like to note that this doesn't mean when you have a critique you shouldn't say it, nor that you should be a blind forced-fan of the story, just that you don't go into it trying to spot problems and the like. That isn't your job as this kind of beta reader.

Specific-Goal betas

This is pretty much the same as the specific-goal alphas; you're just trying to accomplish something specific to the writer's needs.

Don't...

• Stray from the writer's request. They are trying to accomplish something specific, and feedback/critics on other things may be more of a hinderance than help 

Do...

• Let the writer know when you enjoy different aspects of the story and its style 
• Fulfill the writer's requests to the best of your ability 

Just like before, your goal here is to help the writer accomplish these specific tasks which they very likely have a sound reason for. And in the case of a beta-draft, this may be something they've struggled with through the entire process, so they really need you to focus on this area. 

General Advice for Beta Reading

This section is my general philosophy for beta reading. It's a much less personal process than alpha reading, but you will find some of the same notes from the "general advice for alpha reading" section.

Honesty is now even more important 

Beta reading can still be sensitive work depending on the writer, but at this point the story is more fleshed out and the writer has ironed out more wrinkles in the plot. Depending on the stage of beta reading (plenty of authors go through two to three rounds of beta readers) it may be better or worse, but generally speaking this is the time when critiques are more useful. 

I'd say it is more important as a beta to be honest than it is as an alpha (though of course honesty is always good), because if an issue gets past you it may make it into the final version of the story because the writer's eyes are adjusted to the project and they can't spot it (which is why they have betas to begin with). 

So remember, while you shouldn't rip the story apart, always point out what you think could pose as a problem. 

Stick to the writer's list of preferred feedback

The biggest thing that I'd like to stress for general beta reading, is remember to fulfill the writer's requests as much as possible. Almost every time I have beta read, the writer has provided me with a list of things they want me to do in regards to reading their work. The list is usually to do with their specific present goal for this project. 

If the writer you are beta reading for (or even alpha reading for) doesn't provide you with a list, it's always a good idea to ask if there's anything they want you to do specifically. 

I have had instances where the writer says no, and in that case I try to balance a bit of everything. I also, if I am in a shared document with other betas, will pay closer attention to the feedback they are and are not giving. 

This bit is combined with the next part:

Balance out the feedback from the other betas

For instance, if I see that most of the readers are mostly giving emotional reactions to scenes and the story, then I'll focus more on the structure of the story, on the plot, etc. Or if I see that most of them are taken the critical route, I will focus more on finding the really good aspects of the story and try to cheer the writer on (still telling them when I find problems that aren't mentioned, and still building off of other betas' feedback). 

Because really, encouragement and critiques are equally important to a writer and need to be balanced out well. 

On that note,

Keep your critiques balanced

I've said this already, but here I'm going to talk about how I go about doing this. 

When you point out a problem, it's good to preface it with a sign of intrigue, enjoyment, or a complement (always mean the complement you say, even if you have to look for it). Here's a made up scenario. 

Say I'm reading a story about a gnome knight, and then the point of view switches halfway through the story to some new character who is a sprite doing sprite things that I really don't care about and believe distracts from the story. I would say something along the lines of...

"Because of how long we went before a POV switch, I adjusted and grown attached to the gnome's perspective and experiences. So this new perspective feels disruptive, though I may enjoy it otherwise. Maybe you could introduce this character earlier on?"

The underlined parts are specifically what I'm talking about in this case, but I always try to format my suggestions and critiques this way. I like to explain why I think what I think, help diagnose the problem,  and then I'll usually say what I think might help phrased in a way that still invites the writer to come up with something else.  

And on that note, 

Know when to and when not to give an answer

Something a writer I've beta/alpha read for several times in the past said about my reading style is that she appreciates I don't offer answers all the time. Now that wasn't always intentional - sometimes I just don't know - but since that conversation I have begun putting it into intentional practice. 

So even if I do have an idea, one that I think to be "the" solution, I won't always tell the writer. Sometimes I'll prompt them with a question regarding the problem and not give my own advice or thoughts on it. 

I imagine I'm able to do this because most people I've read for are people I know fairly well and have read for repeatedly, so I've picked up on when it is appropriate to do that and when it isn't. I'm also a writer myself and have some vague idea of how a writer's brain works, as well as how stories work, so I can better understand which kind of reaction/feedback will be most useful. 

Of course, when I first began reading for writers I didn't know this. I didn't even know the writers all that well. And when that is the case now during my early-reading, I really focus on the list and I'm generally more forward with everything. 

Search for things you like about the project, even if you don't like the story

Especially when you don't like the story. Again, this has helped me through many a project and even published books. There will always be something you can pick out - the prose, the characters, the plot line, the style, the world building, the magic system, the culture, something. Find that something and hold on to it.

And if you do like the story, this is still a good thing to practice. Again, you don't want to over-praise or give a fake compliment, but a little extra work at enjoying the piece can go a long way. 

Don't critique stylistic preferences

This is the exact same advice as the section under "general alpha reading advice": 

What I mean by this is that you need to understand the differences between a structural issue (be it in the sentence structure, the plot, the arcs, whatever) verses a preference issue. If you don't like the story, it probably is a matter of preference and personal taste; you saying that you dislike the writer's writing style, the world's politics, the aesthetic, etc., is not going to help in this area. Those things are for reviews of published books so that other readers can determine if they want to read the book or not based on their personal preferences.

If the writer ever asks, of course be honest with them. But remember that it is good to preface your response by admitting it is a matter of stylistic preference, and not of the integrity of the plot and things of that nature. 

Proof Reading

Proof reading is the most stand-offish kind of reading talked about in this post. It is drastically different from alpha and beta reading, because this is most likely one of the final steps before the writer considers the piece complete. 

You may be one of several proof readers, or you may be the only proof reader. In either case, you should hunt through the manuscript for errors. 

The jobs of a proof reader are as follows.

Spelling and Grammer

This is pretty self explanatory. You're looking for grammar and spelling issues that the writer may have missed, and usually you'll be marking up a document designated for this to save the writer time.

Don't...

• Line edit
• *Change things on a whim

Do...

• Correct sentence structure when needed
• Correct spelling and grammatical issues
• *Make sure your corrections are actually correct
• *Determine what is intentionally breaking some rules for the sake of style and what is an actual error
• *Inform the writer when you're unsure of a change
• **When the author writes accents or speech impediments, make sure their accents are consistent to the formula the author presents

*These things go hand in hand. It is important to double check yourself when you aren't sure of something, especially for the former, because you don't want to change something that is incorrect to something that is even more incorrect. 

Google and mothers who excelled in grammar are your friends in instances where you know something is wrong, but you don't know what is wrong. 

It is also good to tell the author when you're unsure but still propose a change. 

Now, specifically on the matter of determining what is an intentional misuse of grammar and spelling on the authors end; writers will often use language, phrases, grammar, and spelling that is incorrect to correctly portray cultural things. 

For instance, typing "s'okay" is not technically correct where grammar or spelling is concerned, but it is something that English speakers often say instead of "it's okay." 

Sometimes these are easy to spot, sometimes they aren't. When you're unsure if a grammatical or spelling rule is broken intentionally or not, say to so the writer. 

**Similar to the last note I made is the matter concerning consistency in accents. Sometimes an author will write an accent or impediment but will not stay consistent to the formula they've made or are following. 

For instance, I once proof read for an author who had a German character that she wrote the accent for. She established using Vs in place of Ws that begin a word ("vhat" instead of "what) and things of that sort, but she would sometimes write words without the accent that I would correct. 

It helps when it's a real accent that you (the proof reader) is familiar with, but there may be times where a fictional accent is written. When that happens, you'll need to pay attention to the formula for how the accent works so that you can make sure it is consistent. 

Speech impediments work the same.

Continuity 

Continuity is very important, and very easy for writers to forget. I don't know how many times I've forgotten to write that a character has changed position in a room, so they just poof! into a new spot, causing much confusion. 

There's also issues with characters' appearances. I know of quite a few books where characters' hair colors change randomly, for example. 

Then there's everything that comes with fantasy: World building, magic systems politics, accents, language, and so on. 

One big instance of a missed continuity error in a published book is in the mermaid novel Deep Blue. A character, who is a mermaid, "walks" across a room. Those are the kinds of things you are supposed to catch.  

One of your major jobs as a proof reader will be finding the lack of consistency in these areas, should they happen, and point them out to the writer. Remember that, for all you know, this is going to be the final version of this story. You don't want to leave any mistakes in there if you can help it, you want your writer to have a polished and errorless manuscript (if such a thing is possible). 

This means that honesty is now more important then ever. If you're uncertain of something but thing it may be a problem, it's better to point it out and explain your confusion than it is to leave it unnoticed until the work is published.

That being said, here are my dos and don'ts.

Don't...

• Ignore mistakes, regardless of if there will be future proof readers or not
• Point out issues you have with the story - you aren't an alpha or a beta. Your job is just to clean up the draft, not the plot.

Do...

• Pay close attention to everything you're reading; you never know where an error may come up
• Point out the errors with the writing itself
• Tell the writer when you're uncertain of something, and try to articulate why that is

And here's a list of continuity errors to keep an eye out for in a few different genres. 

General 

(Applies to all genres, not just those listed)

• Inconsistency in character clothing, hair, and general appearance
• Inconsistency in accents and language
• Inconsistency in character position/location 
• Inconsistency in culture 
• Inconsistency in character knowledge
• Inconsistency with mental or physical disorders
• Consistency with timeline

Historical Fiction

• Inconsistency regarding the era the story takes place in (ex. a weapon existing before its time, an event happening at a time that is past or as yet to come, etc.)
• Characters using phrases, words, and terminology which would not yet exist, be accepted, or be understood

Fantasy

• Inconsistency in the magic system 
• Inconsistency in world building
• Inconsistency with the politics 
• Characters using phrases, words, and terminology which would be unlikely to exist in their world

Sci-Fi

• Inconsistency with the technological systems and functions 
• Inconsistency in world building 

Formatting

Unless the writer you're proofreading for is horrible at formatting (such as myself), this shouldn't be overly difficult. You'll just be making sure everything is formatted correctly, with indentations, paragraph breaks, dividers, chapters, font, font size, paragraph alignment, page breaks between chapters, and things of that sort. 

There's not really any "dos" and "don'ts" for this section. Just make sure that you are certain of any changes or edits you propose, as always. 

Applying to be an Alpha, Beta, or Proof Reader

If you would like to be an alpha, beta, or proof reader for a writer you know or follow, here are some things to consider about the whole thing. 

Consider before applying:

Do you like the story concept?

If you don't, don't volunteer/apply to fill any of these positions. Maybe you want to help out the writer because you believe in them, or because you want to show support, and believe you will be able to press forward while still being constructive, supportive, punctual, and encouraging. 

That is wonderful. But it isn't worth the chance of you really disliking the story and not following through with the commitment. 

Do you have enough time to devote to the project?

Most writers will give you some information on the story when they ask you if you want to read for them, or when they put out a general flier in search of readers. They should include their word count (and if they don't, ask them). 

If you're unfamiliar with using a word count to gage this kind of thing, here are some books you may have read and their word counts, to help you get a better idea for it:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini - 158,910 words

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - 115,587 words

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen - 105,948 words

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - 99,750 words

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - 92,520 words

Most Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan - 90k-125k words

The Ruins of Gorlon by John Flanagan - 86,673 words

The Giver by Lois Lowry - 59,189 words 

The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket - 29,038 words 

Or, if you haven't read any of these books before, type the title and author of the books that took you the least and most time to read into the search bar at this link and compare the word count to the count of the work you are considering alpha/beta/proof reading for. 

If the author needs you to read their project by the end of the month, but the count is one that you can't balance with every day life, then you should just tell the writer no. 

And even if the writer says that they don't have a exact date in mind, you should set one for yourself so that you make sure you get it to them in a reasonable amount of time. Two to three weeks is a pretty fair amount for a finished work of an average word count. 

So if you don't believe you will be able to balance the story with your day-to-day business, it's better to pass this time around than to be a reader who drops off the face of the map (though I'm sure we've all been there at some point). 

Are you confident that you can meet the writer's needs?

Like I mentioned before, writers will usually provide you with some information to help you determine if you would like to read their work or not. When they do this, they also may specify what category of reader they're wanting (such as a general beta vs. a specific goal beta) and provide a list of specific needs they have/what your job would entail. 

Go down that list and see how many things apply to you, how many things you're confident you can provide, and things of that sort.

If you check off their preferences and are capable of meeting their needs, then this may be a good fit! 

(If the writer doesn't provide you with one, you could always ask, but they probably are more concerned with general feedback than they are specific things, so you probably won't need to worry about this bit.)

Where do your strengths as a reader lie?

This ties in with the section above.

Sometimes a writer may ask you what your strengths are, instead of giving you a list of preferences that they have. 

When/if that happens, it's important that you have some kind of idea.

Now having multiple early-stage reading experiences under my belt, I've been able to ask the writers and authors that I've read for what their experience with me as a reader was. What strengths I had that helped them and things of that sort. 

You can't really determine where your strengths are thoroughly if you have never alpha/beta/proof read multiple times, but you can make an educated guess based off of your own writing and/or reading experiences. You can also help the writer determine if you're a good fit by telling them what kinds of things you like doing and such - or if you have no experience in writing and early-reading whatsoever, they may have you read as a test audience of sorts. 

All that is to say, be honest with yourself and your writer. If you know your strengths and weaknesses, then tell them so they can determine if you're a good fit or not. 

If you're not sure of what your strengths are yet, let the author know and see what they think about it. 

Post Conclusion

Alrighty, I think that's just about everything. I hope this post has been helpful and informative. If it hasn't been, well, at least you got some procrastinating in for the day, right?

I'm thinking about doing companion post to this one, on the writer's side of things. As I have only ever had alpha readers for my own work, I wouldn't be speaking from personal experience but rather telling you what the authors in my life have told me about the process, and also what I've seen in my writer friends who have gone through these various stages of reading. 

If you'd be interested in that, please do let me know. 

And now for the comment prompt that all bloggers are socially required to give to feed the starving beast known as "algorithm" that we all keep in our basements and closets: 

Have you ever alpha, beta, or proof read before? What was your experience? Do you have any advice to share with other early-stage readers? Have you ever been an early-stage reader for a book that is now published? What is your favorite and least favorite kind of reader to be?

I would love to hear your answers, as well as your general thoughts.

Until next time, I remain,

- E.P.

Resources for Writers

Hey writer!


I've gathered some resources that might prove useful in your writing ventures!
What with November being right around the corner, and October being the month of preparation for it (known as "preptober"), I figured it was a good time to share these links so that you can have them on hand during NaNoWriMo without needing to go searching up randomness for hours on end just to find a few things to help you, thus interrupting the writing flow and hindering your journey to 50k words.

Without further adieu, here's the aforementioned resources:


1. Height Comparison

This is a site just for size comparison between two people, you have the option of male or female, and then type in whatever sizes.
This helped me figure out the sizes of two of my characters and adjust it accordingly; it's quite useful.

Here's the link

2. Strange (and likely questionable) Information

World Building Stack Exchange

When looking for information on the specifics of how a small woman and twenty or so lashes from your average whip would mix, I came across this website called "World  Building Stack Exchange". It has information on just about everything. From zero gravity flogging, to how to make disappearing bullets, to magic software systems, to vortex information, to underground fight club realism. 

Of course, you should always fact-check these things when you can, but this is a great place to start gathering information for a first draft, or even to gather things to make a check-list of points to study for a later draft

And if what you want to know isn't there, you can always start a new thread for the question (or you can be anti-social like me and go find your information about whipping elsewhere). 

NaNoWriMo Forms

If you don't fancy World Building Stack Exchange's forums, check out NaNoWriMo's 'Reference desk' forms. I personally prefer these forms, mainly because they're easy to carry a conversation on if you need more information and I'm familiar with the website. 

All you do to start a thread for your question there is start a thread at link provided, label it properly (example: "Whips and their effects") and give a description in the opening post (example: I'm writing a torture scene for my characters. The girl is about 5'5 and pretty frail. What kinds of whip should I use and how many lashes should I give for an outcome with permanent scarring, mild blood loss, and passing out, without causing any fatal or more serious then the aforementioned things?). 

Then the users of the website will give you the information they know. 

Once again, you should make sure to fact check any information they give (and maybe even ask for resources from the people offering information) for the final product. 

3. Remembering a Lost word

Have you ever been writing, and then came to a sudden halt when you couldn't remember a word? You know it's the perfect word for this sentence, but you just can't remember it. And even if you tried to substitute the word for a different one, you're distracted by not being able to remember the first word and your writing becomes out of focus?

If it hasn't happened yet, it likely will happen soon enough, especially during the frenzy of trying to reach 50,000 words in a month's time. 

Tip-Of-My-Tongue

For times such as those, the website Tip-Of-My-Tongue exists. All you do is enter in the things it requests concerning the word if you have them (like the meaning of the word, what letters it might contain, and words that it sound like), and then all the words that match the description will be shown in  list. 

Personally, I haven't made much use of this website; It seems to never have the words I'm searching for. So either I'm making up words and thinking they're real, or this website isn't perfect. 
But in case it helps save your sanity (if such a thing exists among writers), I've included it on this list.

4. World Building

World building is something that's vital for any high-fantasy or sci-fi writer. Coincidentally, it's something that a lot of writers struggle with. And that's because you're developing a whole world. It's awesome, but it can be difficult. Especially when you're trying to write an entire novel in one month. 

That being said, it's a pretty good idea to develop your world before you go to write it as much as possible so you don't get stuck mid-goal (at least it is in my experience). 

Scribes and Archers blog and Pinterest board

R.M. Archer is a writer and blogger with tons of useful posts about world building that I'm sure you'll find help or inspiration in. Here is a link to World building related posts. 

Also, she has a post called Worldbuilding Resource Round-Up which is a collection of posts from various sites and blogs as well as links to tools and books for helping you world build. It's amazingly extensive. 

Lastly, also form R.M. Archer, is a pinterest board devoted to collecting information on world building. This includes her own blog posts in addition to links and advice from all over the place. 

(Warning: You may fall down the rabbit trail of reading posts and effectively using up all of your free time and end up not writing at all. Proceed with caution.) 

5. Character Name Generators 

Sometimes when you're panic-writing during NaNo, a new character has the audacity to show up uninvited and you sit there trying to come up with their name for a good thirty minutes.

Name-Generator.org

This character name generator is a really unique name generator. You have the option to fill in the information provided based off of your character, and it will give you a name based off of it. 
And even if you like your characters having really epic, near unreadable names, it's great to at least get inspiration for the name. 

RandomWordGenerator.com

Here is another character name generator that is similar to the first, but is less extensive. You still have the option to provide things like gender, what letter you want it to begin and/or end with, and how many syllables and/or words long you want it to be.

6. Random Prompt Generator

TheStoryHack.com prompt generator

One thing that I miss about NaNoWriMo's old website is their prompt generator. I'm not sure why, but they didn't keep it when they made the new website. 
However, some wonderful soul was gracious enough to make a prompt generator that works just as well (so far, at least). 

It has multiple generator options, including plot, random verb, noun, and adjective generators, theme, random word, story title, book title, character personality, random phrase, writing prompt, random question generators. 

Something to keep in mind when using a prompt is that it is just a prompt. It is meant to probe and prompt your brain into thinking something up and keeping your creativity coming. So if a prompt includes something like "a character catches on fire" but your characters are, somehow, fire proof, or if it says "write a short story using the words afghan, terrain, and cinder block" but you need inspiration for you novel and not a short story, change it up. You don't need to follow the exact prompt, it's just the inspiration for your story. 
So maybe your character doesn't catch on fire, but maybe a fire breaks out around something important (like a super secret log-cabin base) and sets their work back by burning it. 

Or if you're supposed to write a short story, just don't write a short story, but use the rest of the prompt to fuel inspiration for your novel. 

Long paragraph short: Remember that it's just a prompt, and you don't have to follow it word-for-word.

7. Getting Words Out Fast

Fighter's Block

You've very likely heard of the app/website known as Fighter's Block. If you haven't, allow me explain. 

Fighter's block is a app/website (I use the website) to help you get words out fast. You set your goal of words in the "<goal>" bar, select your fighter, and click "fight". 

Once in the "fight", you can hit 'pause' and adjust your setting (how hard the monster is, how fast it is, the background theme, etc). 

Then, you defeat the monster by reaching your word goal before the monster kills you. It's a pretty fun concept, but I admit I haven't personally used it beyond checking it out. I might this November, but knowing me I'd likely get side-tracked with killing the monster and thinking about the character instead of writing my actual story. 

A Word Crawl For the Motivationally Challenged

This word crawl is one that I use very often. It's designed so that you're given small amounts of words  (I think the biggest goal you're given at a time is near 700 and that the smallest is 10, but I'm not sure) that add up to 3,000. 
This crawl has helped me turn out a lot of words in a relatively small amount of time, and so I highly recommend it. If you were to do this crawl once a day, you'd finish the NaNoWriMo challenge in less than seventeen days.  

8. Non-distracting Writing Programs

I've heard writers talk about getting easily distracted by the writing programs they use. Here's a few alternatives to the more common writing programs that are designed to be more peaceful. 

ZenWriter

While I personally haven't used this application, I've heard great things about it. 
ZenWriter is designed to keep the atmosphere adjustable and peaceful while you write. It has a variety of backgrounds and music, you can add a typewriter sound affect for while you type, and it automatically saves your progress. 

Apparently, it doesn't give you the ability to italicize, underline, or make your words bold. 
I would say that this program is best used for writing your work in distracting settings, and then copying the work over to something such as Microsoft Word or Google Documents and go through adding the italics, bold, and underlined lettering later.

If I end up using this this Nano, I'll do it by marking my words like this:

/italic words/

*bold words*

-underlined words-

Then I'll copy it to Gdocs, and once Nano is over, I'll do to ctrl+f (which allows you to search the document) and type in the "*", "-", or the "/" to find the respective lettering type. Then I'll be able to easily add the proper inflection. 

(This same order for format is what I use for the Word Crawl for the Motivationally Challenged.)

That's all for now. May these links serve you well!

- Edna Pellen

Types of Outlines

 

Types of Outlines

Snowflake Method

This isn't actually an outline. I've heard it described as such before, but it's really more of a general novel-building method. 
I include it here, though, because I think it's something that's someone who is making their outline now could use. 

The basic idea of the method is adding on to small pieces as you go. You start off with a one-sentence-synopsis of your story. 
Then the next step, you write a full synopsis of everything major that happens in your story, up to the end. 
Then you fill out a thing about your characters to help develop them. 
The steps go on up to  step 10. Step 10 to write your novel. 

This method was designed by author Randall Ingermanson, and you can see his post about his method (which is of course much more in depth than this blurb) here. 

My Index Card outline 

I admit I was mildly offended to find that the link to the subway outline (next section) mentioned the exact same method I use as a step in its process, as I thought I was totally originally in my "creation" of it. But, there's nothing new under the sun, so really I shouldn't have been. 

Anyways. This method is my all time favorite one, at least for my current high fantasy, and it's super simple, which is really nice. 
Basically, get a bunch of index cards, write the name of the scene or a one-line explanation of the scene at the stop, and write a description of the scene below that. I recommend using a pen, as pencil lead is likely to wear off. 

Once you've got a big ol' stack, find a nice, empty room and spread it out on the floor. You can now put your scenes in any order you want, and easily add or take away scenes. 
If you find a scene isn't working and remove it, but then later find a way for it to work, you can easily reorder the cards to work it back in. 

It's basically story boarding, but with words instead of pictures.

(I use regularly sized index cards for this as they give me enough room to explain the scene in a size that's easy for me to read but also aren't so big that I can't carry them around. However, larger or smaller ones could also work. It just depends on how you want it.)

NaNoWriMo's Subway Outline

I cannot find a good way to explain how this outlining works. But, basically, it's a board with different colors of strings connecting events in your story. But it isn't a board and it isn't string and it's organized.
Each "stop" of the "subway" is a different scene, and there's different colored "threads" that all are directing you to the same goal, but the colors can get a little sidetracked and go off doing their own thing while one thread continues on.

Yeah, I probably didn't explain that well at all. You should probably just read it for yourself: subway outline

I put this in this order because you could use all three of these things to prepare you for NaNoWriMo. Start with snowflake, then with index cards, then with the subway, if you wanted to. 
You could really do any mix of them. Or you could do none of them. Whatever you'd like. 

I hope this helps you in your preparation for NaNo.

                    -Edna Pellen