Your Hosts: Brandon, Valynne, Dan, and Howard
We begin by making a useful distinction between alpha and beta reader: the alpha reader is an industry professional, while the beta reader is a stand-in for the eventual audience of readers. We then set about discussing how to find alpha readers, and how to employ them in order to make your work better.
Credits: This episode was recorded by Dan Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:17 — 14.0MB)
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Take something you’ve written to a targeted beta reader.
The Wrath of Con (Death by Cliche 2), by Robert J. Defendi
Hi, you talked about appropriately (without stereotypes or offense) representing a specific group of people (by profession, race, gender, etc).
But how does that apply to peoples/cultures in fictional worlds?
For example in a country within a fictional world, there are people who look like Indians, but they are not. They look like them, but the religion, society, and culture in the fictional ‘nation’ is different from the real one.
Will people take offense if one ‘group’ wins and other doesn’t in the fictional story. How do you go about handling a different version of real peoples and countries in fictional worlds? (Creating a “politically correct” version of real people in fictional worlds?).. The Dothraki people in GOT. Is that appropriate? (for me it is..) Or should a writer not worry too much about ‘devaluing’ a group of people in fiction?
Hi, you talked about appropriately (without stereotypes or offense) representing a specific group of people (by profession, race, gender, etc).
But how does that apply to peoples/cultures in fictional worlds?
For example in a country within a fictional world, there are people who look like Indians, but they are not. They look like them, but the religion, society, and culture in the fictional ‘nation’ is different from the real one.
Will people take offense if one ‘group’ wins and other doesn’t in the fictional story. How do you go about handling a different version of real peoples and countries in fictional worlds? (Creating a “politically correct” version of real people in fictional worlds?).. The Dothraki people in GOT. Is that appropriate? (for me it is..) Or should a writer not worry too much about ‘misrepresenting’ a group of people in fiction?
I found this episode very helpful. In particular, I liked the discussion on critique groups, and the point that not everyone in a critique group can offer the best kind of help for a story. I understand this is part of the process of growing as a writer. I have been part of a few different writing groups in my time, but have stepped away from them because I didn’t feel the writers participating could help me be a better story-teller. Their advice would help me be just as good as I already was, but not better.
Writing Excuses helps me be a better writer, and I appreciate all that you guys do. I will continue to listen, even after I find that group : )
-C
Brandon, Valynne, Dan, and Howard looked at the readers that you can use before your writing gets published. Exactly when and how you involve them in your writing process is up to you, but many writers use alpha readers, who often are industry professionals, and get to read a rough draft, early in the process, and beta readers, who may be more fans and audience, and usually read an almost finished version. You may also have targeted readers or experts, who have specific knowledge about a population, an occupation, or something else. Lots of good discussion, and you can read all about it in the transcript now available in the archives and over here:
https://wetranscripts.dreamwidth.org/148078.html