Still looking for beta readers, but...

This isn't really about my stories. See; I have been looking around DW the last few days, and trying to find a critique partner, and maybe a community to touch on that offers critique partnerships.

And I'm getting the idea that there isn't one. There isn't. Every single one I've looked at hasn't been updated in over 300 weeks. Meaning, they're no good to me at all.

I don't want to mod a community (not from this journal anyway), and don't want to have to deal with other people being petty, but I'm sorely tempted. This is ridiculous. Not being able to find a beta reader is frustrating and means that none of my stuff can be ready for an editor/agent. Ugh.

I understand most of the fic comms have a built in structure about beta readers, but I don't belong to any of them, because I don't write fanfic anymore. Well.... not fanfic that is for human consumption. I write what I want to write and keep it in a little file on my Google drive and only touch it once in a blue fucking moon.

But what about original works? Surely those have to be read before they're submitted anywhere, right? Now, I admit, there was a couple I put up on Patreon that weren't read before they were put up, but that's because they're supposed to be raw.

Anyway, I need a beta reader. And it frustrates me, because I know there has to be someone out there somewhere, right? Has to be someone that is willing to read my writing and tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I realize I'm whining, but I'm frustrated and hoping that someone has an idea. I did sign up for a beta reader exchange on twitter thing. But there's got to be a way to find people to beta read. There's got to be. I was hoping that people might want to do an exchange over discord, but I've not found anyone that will do it yet.

I'm also frustrated and confused by the fact that I seem to be the only one having this issue? Like, no. I've got this issue, I can't be the only one.

So, that's where the writing is at. I have about four or five novella to novel-length stories that need beta read, badly. I cannot find a beta reader. I'm hoping this exchange on twitter comes to something.

Patreon has launched a new creator clubs type thing? I haven't seen anything there that I can get into yet. Mainly because of times. The one I wanted to join meets Tuesdays at 1pm PST. Not a good time for me.

I have followed links around the internet, looking for writing groups to join, but those are all paid, and frankly, we're tapped out. So, basically, I'm looking for more writing groups, to hopefully find a beta reader or two around the internet. If not, I'll do what I always do and self-edit, but I don't feel that's good enough, ya know? I feel that it needs another set of eyes on it, before it can go to an agent, or be posted, or anything else.

So, I do have writer's group this weekend and will be reading something, maybe. I need to find something to read. But I have a tablet that can use gdocs, so that'll help. I'll take that, and see what people think of my writing? I dunno it's scary. I like just shoving links/docs at people and going "Here!" instead of reading aloud.

I will continue my quest for beta readers in my little corner of the internet and see what happens. Guess I lied at the beginning huh? This was about my stories.

Anyway, back to writing. Not sure what to work on. I should work on Slayers or Fae Hunter, but Werewolves are calling my name....