Meet Our Betas

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Allison Alyjude Deborah Draconea EagleEye
Fox Gryph Helen Stagie Karidi KimAnne
Kimberly FDR MaryShukes MontageX Mre
Orange Poledra Poyznelf Winds-of-Dawn ZerenaRae

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  1. Name or Screen Name?
    KimberlyFDR

  2. A brief bio? Male/Female? Age? Career? Where is home? Married?

    Female-21/NC, Senior at UNC and desperately trying to find a job

  3. Are you a writer as well as beta?
    Well....GEN I am. I'm slowly being converted to a bi-ficitonal writer as well as a reader, so give it a few months, weeks, days.

  4. Do you have a web page? If so what is the URL?
    http://kworkman.homepage.com/sentinel.html

  5. Why do you like to beta?
    I like red pens! No, no...I like helping fellow writers out and I have to find some use for all that random canon/psychological knowledge I gained.

  6. Do you have a preference? Jim or Blair angst, any ?
    I'm a JimBABE, so make the guy feel the pain. I like both of the characters, but Jim holds my heart.

  7. What kind of background do you feel is necessary to beta, or is it a natural type ability?
    Natural? I've never been naturual. I guess that if you've got a good grasp of the English language, can punctuate, know canon well enough to recite examples, and are willing to revise the same story more than two go-arounds, you have the patience to be a beta.

  8. How do you feel your contributions improve the process?
    How can they not? If I'm willing to have an open dialogue with a reader and can help them work through problems that they may have while writing, it's gonna make a better story for everyone.

  9. Any other fandoms you beta/write/play in?
    Umm....I'm more of a lurker in the other fandoms, but I'm in DS, S&H, and I recently became attached to Voyager

  10. Funniest part of being a beta and the hardest part of doing it?
    Funniest? Seeing the different character interpretations of the writers.

    Hardest? Trying not to let those differences mean the end of the betaing dialogue.

  11. A brief bibliography... please [if you write]?
    And alphabetized too [I am TOO bored;)]

    Betrayed
    Blind Man's Bluff Stories
    Broken Spirit series
    Brothers in Arms series
    Coma Blair
    Poetic Sentinel
    Soldier Jim

  12. Do you have a favorite quote ? If so what and why?
    I have so many, but I guess I should go with my FDR one:

    "When you find yourself at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

    Why do I like it? Because it's FDR!

  13. Any thing else you would like to share with your readers ?
    Well, I beta for most of the VSes now, so that should be worth noting. What else? I'm a Shamanic Christian minister I'm never going to finish my first professional novel. And...let's just keep the rest a mystery.

  14. Email address ?
    Write to KimberlyFDR at kimberlyFDR@yahoo.com

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  1. Name or Screen Name ?
    Mary Shukes

  2. A brief bio ? Male/Female ? Age ? Career ? Where is home ? Married ?
    Female, 49, was an Accountant, now disabled. Home is Philadelphia, Pa. Was married, now widowed. 6 children, 4 grandchildren.

  3. Are you a writer as well as beta?
    I suppose you could say that.

  4. Do you have a web page ? If so what is the URL ?
    I don't but my co-author does. You can find my epic here:
    http://listen.to/BoboFiendish <G>

  5. Why do you like to beta ?
    Because I find it most disconcerting to be really into a story and find mistakes that just push me right out of the mindset. <sigh> I think it really has more to do with helping 6 kids get their homework right. <snicker>

  6. Do you have a preference? Jim or Blair angst, any ?
    No, no preference. If you take a gander at the story I'm working on, you'll see the I pass the angst all around. <G>

  7. What kind of background do you feel is necessary to beta, or is it a natural type ability ?
    See #5. No, really, I think it has more to do with wanting what you read to be as near perfect as it can get...at least for me.

  8. How do you feel your contributions improve the process ?
    Good. I beta for a few people and find that the authors I work with don't seem to mind if I point out mistakes. I try to explain why something isn't right, but I have to admit, it's been a long, long time since I've had to do that. When I beta for somebody, I try to make sure I also explain if I like/dislike the story and my reasoning.

  9. Any other fandoms you beta/write/play in ?
    Star Trek: The Original Series

  10. Funniest part of being a beta and the hardest part of doing it ?

  11. A brief bibliography... please [if you write] ?
    Dark Angel (co-authored with C. P. Browne)
    Overload - Haiku
    Pumpkin Patch Pervert: The Sequel (co-authored with Suisan)
    Time Will Tell
    Few others I can't remember.

  12. Do you have a favorite quote ? If so what and why ?
    The 3 I put in my sig because I'm Native American.
    Sure you can trust the government! Just ask an Indian!
    When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, "Ours." - Vine Deloria, Jr.
    A Native American Father sat his son on his knee and sadly said, "One day all this land will not be yours."

  13. Any thing else you would like to share with your readers ?
    No, not really. <G>

  14. Email address ?
    Write to Mary Shukes at maryshukesbrowne@netscape.net or at maryshukes@flashcom.net

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  1. Name or Screen Name?
    -- Bobbi Huber aka Starplaza and Montage

  2. A brief Bio? Male/Female? Age? Career? Where is home? Married?
    -- I'm a 42 year old (single) female living in Baltimore, Md., with KC (the dog), Smoke (the cat) and Angel (the love bird). I work as an estimator for a finishing company that caters to the printing and packaging industries.

  3. Are you a writer as well as beta?
    -- Since I'm grammatically impaired, I wouldn't call myself a beta. I have, however, been writing on and off (mostly off) since I was about 8 years old.

  4. Do you have a web page? If so what is the URL?
    Montage's Menagerie:
    http://www.starmontage.com/menagerieindex.html
    StarPlaza's Sentinel Saga: http://www.starmontage.com/sagaindex.html
    The Sentinel Disciplinary Archive: http://www.starmontage.com/archive.html
    Other Worlds Fandom: http://www.starmontage.com/otherworldsfandom.html

  5. Why do you like to beta?
    -- Quite frankly, I don't. On the few occasions I've done it, it has been as a favor for friends.

  6. Do you have a preference? Jim or Blair angst, any?
    -- Blair angst, definitely.

  7. What kind of background do you feel is necessary to beta, or is a natural type ability?
    -- I'm sure that having a natural ability plays an important factor, but I also believe that having the educational background to back it up is a definite must. One should also have knowledge of the subject they are betaing.

  8. How do you feel your contributions improve the process?
    -- I'm not sure they do. All I can do is make suggestions. It's up to the writer whether they use them or not.

  9. Any other fandoms you beta/write/play in?
    -- Asides from The Sentinel (which has taken over my life for the last several years), I've written in: Star Trek (TOS), The Phoenix, Matt Houston, Robin Hood and X-Men.

  10. Funniest part of being a beta and the hardest part of doing it?
    -- Some of the typos I've run across are pretty humorous. The hardest part is having to make constructive criticism.

  11. A brief bibliography ... please [if you write] ?
    Gen fiction posted under the pseudonym of StarPlaza:
    Freaks Of Fatality - (X-Men) (Co-written with Fraser)
    Saracen Honor - (Robin Hood)
    Reflection/Revenge - (Star Trek - TOS)
    The Lesson - (The Phoenix)
    Involved Entanglements - (The Phoenix)
    Jealousy Of Youth - (The Phoenix)
    Revenge Of The Mirrored Soul - (Matt Houston)
    A Different Form Of Reality - (Matt Houston)

    The Sentinel:
    Double Indemnity
    Dangerous Dilemma
    Web Of Deception
    Deliverance
    Desperado
    Deception By Degrees
    Shattered Soul
    Shards Of Glass
    The Seeker Unaware (Co-written with Agnes Mage)
    Of Shadows And Light (CVT Episode 518)
    Crossed Circuits
    Revelations
    Revenge - Gettin' Even (Co-authored as part of Darwin's Dames)
    Double Take (Co-authored as part of Darwin's Dames)

    Slash fiction posted under the pseudonym of Montage:
    Primal Imperative
    Aborted Maneuvers
    Taken
    Sensory Assault
    Turn About's Fair Play
    Blame It On The Blue Jeans
    Breach Of Trust
    Shattered Soul
    Shards Of Glass
    Asphalt Jungle (WIP)
    More Than He Bargained For'
    For Medicinal Purposes' (Co-authored as part of Triad)

  12. Do you have a favorite quote? If so what and why?
    -- Nope

  13. Any thing else you would like to share with your readers?
    -- IMO, beta's are the unsung heroes of fan fiction.

  14. E-mail address?
    Write to MontageX at MontageX@aol.com or StarPlaza@aol.com or StarMontage@aol.com

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  1. Name or Screen Name?
    Mre (rhymes with 'free')

  2. A brief bio? Male/Female? Age? Career? Where is home? Married?
    Lessee. I'm just shy of 24, a single female who lives in the capital of the Philippines (Manila). Despite the fact that we have more beaches than I can name, I don't like the sun much. However, I love to swim so I've come to the delightful compromise of scuba diving. It's sort of like flying, except you aren't going to fall. I work with Customer Support for a software company; anyone in the service industry will tell you that what I help people out with is only 50% actual problems with our product. The rest is sort of just listening while they rant and thinking Jim-and-Blair thoughts on the sly.

  3. Are you a writer as well as beta?
    I can only dream. I do love to write but it takes forever for ideas to percolate and I find my beta tendencies get in the way. There're three or four story ideas I'm trying to excavate... =) I've written three short pieces in another fandom. Does that count?

  4. Do you have a web page? If so what is the URL?
    Once upon a time. I haven't been able to maintain it in years, but it is still up. I figured it was amusing enough to keep around (considering how much work went into it). It isn't in Sentinel fandom, but if anyone is interested in anime (Japanese animation to the unintiated) it's here:
    http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/5844/

  5. Why do you like to beta?
    I always question what I read. "Why" is the number one thing on my mind when I'm reading, followed immediately by "how". I'm telling you, some of those sex scenes are a doozy of physical training. =)

    Seriously, since I find it nearly impossible to write creatively but love it anyway I felt that beta reading is my little contribution to fic. Besides, it gets me all WAFFy when I know I've found some little discrepancy for the author to fix.

  6. Do you have a preference? Jim or Blair angst, any ?
    I'm a Jimbabe so I do have a preference for Jim angst and owwies. However, I'm not that picky and I'll take what I can get.

  7. What kind of background do you feel is necessary to beta, or is it a natural type ability?
    A love of the written word is absolutely essential for this sort of thing. Knowledge of basic grammar and spelling is a bonus, but I feel that it is more important for a beta to instinctively grasp the style of the author she is working with. It is very hard to beta a story I do not like or at least understand since I have to fight my natural inclination to fix this-or-that, even though in relation to the actual style it doesn't need tweaking at all.

  8. How do you feel your contributions improve the process?
    As a beta reader, I force the author to consider the impact of her words on the audience. My gut reaction the first time will help the author smooth out any hitches in storytelling. Also, I give her a much needed break from the story from her point of view. Much of the time, the author has been working on a story so long she's forgotten much of how each individual part got to where it was. If there are gaps, she can catch them and fix them before posting. Basically, a beta provides the much-needed fresh outlook on the story. I like to think that my input made a piece of work even better.

  9. Any other fandoms you beta/write/play in?
    My only official beta work is with Hiperbunny in the TPM fandom (25 long parts and going strong) but I read in a LOT of others. The main ones are TS, The Professionals and Highlander. I dabble in Man from UNCLE, New Professionals, the aforementioned TPM, Once a Thief, Quantum Leap, and some yaoi (slash for anime) stuff. I am a very quick reader. =) I would love to help beta more (hint, hint =) but I find myself beta-ing posted stories to keep a hand in. Don't worry, I only talk to myself.

  10. Funniest part of being a beta and the hardest part of doing it?
    Sometimes I find it hard to explain why I couldn't accept a section of story as it stood. Also, when it comes to stuff I know nothing about it takes that much more effort to work on it. I find that asking the author to explain an incomprehensible (to me) scene makes her go back and rewrite it. The best part of being a beta is 9 parts smugness and 1 part pride. *I* saw it first, and *I* know something you don't. Kind of childish, but who ever said I was mature? <weg>

  11. A brief bibliography... please [if you write]?
    Err, just three short stories in Phantom Menace. If anyone is interested, they're at the Master Apprentice archive by 'Mre'

  12. Do you have a favorite quote ? If so what and why?
    "I must be an acrobat, to talk like this and act like that." It's a line in the U2 song 'Ultraviolet' from Achtung Baby. I feel that way a lot of the time.

  13. Any thing else you would like to share with your readers ?
    Bring me your poor, your...wait, that was Lady Liberty. =) I'm always very willing to beta anything and I'm really very nice about it. I'm cheap (okay, free) and I work nights (easy, since night on the US side is day over here) so keep me in mind if you want a fresh perspective.

  14. Email address ?
    Write to Mre mre_mre@lycos.com

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