ACK! Work is crazy.
Feb. 20th, 2004 02:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
celtprincess13Ok, I've officially gone 'round the bend. I've been typing like a fiend for two days, transcribing a board meeting and a statement from a battery victim. Which would be ok, except people MUMBLE. So my word of advice for the day is, if you're ever being taped saying ANYTHING, please speak clearly. The transcriptionist will love you!
And truly, I think if we all listened to ourselves on tape every once in a while, we'd all be better for it. I can't even count the number of "um, uh, like, basically" non sequiters that everyone of us uses in conversation.
Also, my friend wants to be a writer, so I've tried to be encouraging and supportive and basically poking her with the pointy stick since it's something that she wants to do. SO she sent me a draft of a little something she wrote. And although it shows promise, it's clunky. Now, I'm not what I'd call a writer, but I'm a damn fine editor, if I do say so myself. So my dilemma is, do I let her know that it's clunky and needs beta'd or do I just smile and say "good job". She asked me to beta something else for her a long time ago and she did NOT want a critique, she wanted praise. Which I'll give, if that's what you want, but when I hear "beta", I pick, to make it the best possible.
The electrician comes tomorrow! I'll finally have a stove that works, yee haw! And I majorly need to start unpacking, but I didn't want to put stuff in his way.
And truly, I think if we all listened to ourselves on tape every once in a while, we'd all be better for it. I can't even count the number of "um, uh, like, basically" non sequiters that everyone of us uses in conversation.
Also, my friend wants to be a writer, so I've tried to be encouraging and supportive and basically poking her with the pointy stick since it's something that she wants to do. SO she sent me a draft of a little something she wrote. And although it shows promise, it's clunky. Now, I'm not what I'd call a writer, but I'm a damn fine editor, if I do say so myself. So my dilemma is, do I let her know that it's clunky and needs beta'd or do I just smile and say "good job". She asked me to beta something else for her a long time ago and she did NOT want a critique, she wanted praise. Which I'll give, if that's what you want, but when I hear "beta", I pick, to make it the best possible.
The electrician comes tomorrow! I'll finally have a stove that works, yee haw! And I majorly need to start unpacking, but I didn't want to put stuff in his way.
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Date: 2004-02-21 03:52 am (UTC)Oooh, that's a tricky one. Especially with first stories, people can be so sensitive. But I'd let her know. I guess large amounts of tact (and possibly a shield) are needed. Maybe tell her that when people start reading, they want streamlined first chapters; then later on she can go into more detail when readers get into the story? Once she's got settled with her writing, she'll improve anyway - so she'll have more confidence and you can be a stricter beta.
Good luck. PS, I think I'll be needing a beta soon :-)