Hours of entertainment...

[graculus]

One thing about helping to run an archive, it's a source of constant amazement.

In this case, I find myself continually amazed at how much almost-indescribably bad fic some people can turn out. This latest story submission is badly written almost to the point of incomprehensibility, then on top of that it's badly punctuated and absolutely riddled with epithets (as the General said to the Doctor).

The only saving grace is the lack of an on-screen (so to speak) sex scene! ;)

Comments

[sazandra.livejournal.com]

That fic sounds so horrendous.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

It's also a bad crossover with SG:A, with heavy infodump from that series. ;)

[sazandra.livejournal.com]

It just gets worse and worse.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

You have no idea.

[siluria]

The only saving grace is the lack of an on-screen (so to speak) sex scene! ;)

Thank heaven for small miracles!!! ;)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Yes, a sex scene on top of all that would have had me hunting for the icepick to put myself out of my misery. ;)

[joolz01.livejournal.com]

May I take this opportunity to ask a question? A few months ago someone asked me to beta a story for her, and while I didn't actually know her she had often sent nice feedback over the years, so I figured I'd help out. The story was bad. Bad, bad, bad - sorry, just imagine that repeated thirty more times. The 'plot', the characterization, the grammar and wording. The person is either not a native English speaker or 10. (I learned to write in a second language so I know how hard it is, but I don't think that's the major issue.)

I couldn't bring myself to tell her to write all she wants, but please don't publish it where anyone else might stumble on it by accident. I laboriously edited and pointed out the most gaping holes and made gentle suggestions.

She recently sent me the second draft, which was only infinitesimally better. Again, hours of torture trying to make it readable. If she does make the changes I suggest, hopefully people won't bleed from the eyes when they read it, but it will never be a good story.

So what does one DO in a situation like that? Take it as given that I'm too soft-hearted to be as brutally honest as maybe I should. There may not be an answer aside from deciding how much time you're willing to invest in a stranger's bad story, but what have other people done in those circumstances? I want to be prepared should it ever happen again (alternatives to slitting my wrists).

[graculus.livejournal.com]

The story was bad. Bad, bad, bad - sorry, just imagine that repeated thirty more times.

I don't need to imagine, I just read one. ;)

I couldn't bring myself to tell her to write all she wants, but please don't publish it where anyone else might stumble on it by accident. I laboriously edited and pointed out the most gaping holes and made gentle suggestions.

She recently sent me the second draft, which was only infinitesimally better.

So had she actually taken on board what you'd said or ignored it completely? Because if it's the latter, there's probably no hope for her.

So what does one DO in a situation like that? Take it as given that I'm too soft-hearted to be as brutally honest as maybe I should.

Well, I guess my question would be: what does she want to get out of this experience? For some people, the very act of completing a story is enough in itself and they don't want to share it wider than that. For other people, they're convinced they're the next literary genius waiting to happen and they're never going to be satisfied with anything other than 100% adulation. That's trickier to deal with, to say the least.

I'd just insist she doesn't credit your assistance. ;)

[joolz01.livejournal.com]

So had she actually taken on board what you'd said or ignored it completely?

She'd made most, but not all, editing changes, and removed and added bits that addressed most of the holes, but the new stuff was just as bad as ever. The story was a little more coherent, but not enough. ;}

Well, I guess my question would be: what does she want to get out of this experience?

Oh, god, she was so enthusiastic and pleased with herself for having written the story. Clearly a creative expression of self, but also meant for posting to archives. In fact, she mentioned getting ready to post another story beta'd by someone else. When I read your original post I wondered... But there's probably more bad fic out there than I realize - you must see it all! (sympathizes)

I'd just insist she doesn't credit your assistance. ;)

I know! "Beta'd by..." (crawls under a rock in shame) LOL

[khek.livejournal.com]

So do you try to offer suggestions to make it better, or just add it to the archive as is?

[graculus.livejournal.com]

No, we turn it down and also suggest people might want a beta for specific areas (in this case, grammar, punctuation and epithet abuse), all of which problems are much more common than you might think.

[musigneus.livejournal.com]

Speaking, perhaps, of bad fic - or at least undesirable...

How abjectly am I going to have to apologize? (http://musigneus.livejournal.com/31680.html) ;)