Working with betas

There are a few key scenes in my WIP that I have written with several variations. I'm curious whether any of you have suggestions as to how best to work with beta readers when you have multiple takes on an event. Do you give them one, include a group and ask for preferences, rip your hair out and give up, or is there a secret writer approach (the one you learn with the special handshake)? In one case the differences are not excessive, in another they make significant changes to the tone of the ending.

(And by taking the time to write this I have successfully avoided working on my very stubborn beginning yet again. Please, please let the fairy of good first chapters come to visit me and spread her sparkly fairy dust of inspiration all around my dusty keyboard so that one day I can actually have betas.)

Perhaps there is a question of correct terminology here. I am talking about someone willing to read from point A to point Z of a carefully revised manuscript and provide feedback. I am happy to call them Lord and Master, provided they are willing to fulfill that role.

I appreciate your suggestions and your concern over misuse of readers. I've enjoyed reading for others and have a low tolerance for rough work so I'm less worried about passing on something unfit for evaluation. My concern is with the gap between how situations have developed in my head and how they have translated onto paper. I'm leaning toward going with the strongest and seeing what comes of it, although I like the idea of offering alternate versions to different readers.

(It may be that I'm spent too much time in science, worrying about appropriate test and control groups. It's obviously skewed my view of the world.)

In any case, once I have reached a point where I feel I have something worth reviewing, I would like an opinion on two areas that are consistently sticky. One involves violence and a concern about an appropriate degree of description. The other is a question of whether a character is presenting as passive or peaceful, based on the words actually written rather than my imagination. My experience, admittedly with poetry and not novels, is that a lot can change in the journey from head to paper to reader. It's less about abdicating authorial responsibility and more about accepting the limits of my own readings.

Thanks again.

Satori, it sounds like we are in similar places, with the notable exception that my characters only really moved in within the last year and I have a relatively small cast. I hope you find their realness has made the jump from head to page! It will be nervewracking for me once I get there.

DL and dawsinor, I was just thinking about your suggestions and it occured to me that part of my problem is a control one. It makes far more sense to just ask for opinions and go from there but it leaves room for "hey, I think you should do X," X being an option that I don't actually like but that makes sense. All part of being a rank beginner and trying to figure out what process is going to end up working for me.

Yes, it does make quite a bit of sense. I have been doing my best to ignore the fact that it may be less of a "which is correct" question and more of a "what am I trying to write" question. I have a plot that could be very streamlined and happily in the science fiction/fantasy realm and characters who want to stop and ponder the meaning of existence in an entirely literary fashion. The question of peaceful vs. passive is more honestly one of which approach takes precedence.

Thanks to everyone, its been great to have some company puzzling through my thoughts.

There is a thread under Beta readers (in the conference room area) discussing what the job entails. I would say someone willing to read and provide specific feedback on a fairly polished piece of work. Think of them as test drivers, very kind and (hopefully) helpful ones.