say "yes" first to the critiques and "no" only later, after much thought... This is to overcome the natural resistance to change.
I like your reasoning. This is still one I'm working on, though I'm better than I used to be.
These days, I start each of my own betas with a disclaimer that the writer is free to disagree with my beta, that in fact they'll probably learn most by seeing exactly where, how much and why . That's what I find from getting them myself, anyway. When I feel strongly about something and want to fight for it, it's a sign.
I do find I generalise a lot when I'm giving beta unless I watch myself and remember that these are only my personal reactions, and change sentences back to start with 'I'. It's a bit like being anon on the internet. It's easier to be rude and thoughtless if I let myself be fooled into thinking my opinions are actually the universal truth and I'm some sort of godlike floating cloud.
I kind of want to send links to both these articles to everyone I ever do beta/receive beta from, ever again. I worry that might be rude. I might do it anyway. I've seen a lot of well-meaning but just plain terrible posts about how to beta, unfortunately.
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say "yes" first to the critiques and "no" only later, after much thought... This is to overcome the natural resistance to change.
I like your reasoning. This is still one I'm working on, though I'm better than I used to be.
These days, I start each of my own betas with a disclaimer that the writer is free to disagree with my beta, that in fact they'll probably learn most by seeing exactly where, how much and why . That's what I find from getting them myself, anyway. When I feel strongly about something and want to fight for it, it's a sign.
I do find I generalise a lot when I'm giving beta unless I watch myself and remember that these are only my personal reactions, and change sentences back to start with 'I'. It's a bit like being anon on the internet. It's easier to be rude and thoughtless if I let myself be fooled into thinking my opinions are actually the universal truth and I'm some sort of godlike floating cloud.
I kind of want to send links to both these articles to everyone I ever do beta/receive beta from, ever again. I worry that might be rude. I might do it anyway. I've seen a lot of well-meaning but just plain terrible posts about how to beta, unfortunately.