BetaWolf - Beta-reading Guide

The following list is far from complete, but it should give you a basic idea of some of the things I'm looking for when you beta-read my work. Just remember, if you can't find any of these kinds of problems, just write about what you thought of the chapter/story, how it made you feel, what you liked or didn't like, where you think it's going, etc.

If you're not a member of BetaWolf, but are still interested in trying your hand at beta-reading for me, I suggest you open NotePad or your e-mail program or any word processor program that will let you take notes, including pasting text from another document. As you read, immediately jot down anything that catches your attention. You can always go back over your notes later and flesh them out, but if you don't write down your first impressions when you think of them, you're likely to forget them as your brain becomes occupied with more recent thoughts.

Things to consider while reading

Level 1 - Basic Proofreading

• spelling

• grammar

• punctuation

Level 2 - In-depth Proofreading

• word usage
  (would a synonym work better? did I use a 25-cent word when something simpler would work just as well? does a word seem out of place or used improperly?)

• re-order
  (did I describe the sequence of an event out of order?)

Level 3 - Basic Editing

• pacing/flow
  (does it feel like events are happening too quickly or not fast enough? when moving from one scene to the next, does it feel abrupt or catch you by surprise, as opposed to flowing naturally?)

• continuity
  (does a character start out with green eyes that later change to blue? did an item that was dropped and never picked up suddenly appear again? does a character act "out of character"?)

• give more detail
  (can you see what's happening or is it fuzzy?)

• give less detail
  (did I describe something that didn't need to be described? did I give details that aren't important?)

• add more emotion
  (did I focus too much on the action and forget the emotional content of the scene? also, are the emotions consistent and appropriate to the events taking place?)

Level 4 - In-depth Editing

• cut a scene
  (does a scene seem out of place or superfluous? does it add nothing to the story, or even detract from it?)

• add a scene
  (does it feel like something is missing, or should a particular scene be expanded?)

• replace a scene with another scene
  (does it feel like the content of a scene is necessary, but the action should be changed? i.e., a scene that gives important information about the main characters should be rewritten to offer the same information, but with a more appropriate backdrop/setting)

Other things to include:

Absolutely anything you can think of. If it crosses your mind, jot it down, no matter how small or nitpicky you may think it is. The more feedback I get, the more I'll be able to improve the story.