Dear O'Abby: I'm going to finish NaNo. What next?

Dear O’Abby,

This is my first time doing NaNo and I’m pretty close to finishing my book. I’m super excited about it because I’ve never written a book before. But I was wondering, what do I when it’s finished? Send it to publishers? Do you have any advice for a newbie?

Yours,

Noob

Dear Noob,

Firstly, congratulations on finishing a book! That’s a fantastic achievement and one you should be very proud of.

But finishing a novel is really only the first step in the writing process so please don’t rush off and send your freshly finished manuscript to anyone.

The first thing you need to do is let that manuscript sit for a few weeks. Don’t look at it. Write something else or plan something else. Take a break and do something not writing-related for a while. Whatever you want to do except looking over that book you just wrote. I like to give my manuscripts at least a month before I go back to them because that’s long enough to be able to look at them with fresh eyes.

When you do go back it, you will probably find a lot of things you need to change. Character motivations may not be clear. Tension might not be high enough at key points in the manuscript. The ending may not be as satisfying as you thought it would be. You may even find stupid things like a character’s name changing between chapters or their hair going from blonde to brown. Fast drafting, which NaNo is, is a fantastic tool for getting you story on the page, but it isn’t a finished book yet, even if you have typed THE END.

Revision is crucial to the writing process. And I find it usually takes me WAY longer to revise a book than it does to write it in the first place. I would suggest doing a first read-through where you don’t make any changes, but write notes for yourself about things you notice that need to be changed. If you change them as you go, you may find things you do early on in the book no longer make sense by the time you’ve made changes toward the end. I often find that after this first pass, writing a synopsis of the book helps me to really figure out the shape of the story, and where scenes or characters may need to be changed or moved.

The next step is to make the changes you’ve noted. This could take some time, if the changes are substantial. I’ve re-written entire books from a new POV at this point, or scrapped the entire middle and re-written it so it works better with the ending, or ditched a character completely because they didn’t really have any function in the story. I’ve added 20K in some revisions, and cut the same amount in others. Each book is different.

And when you’ve done, let it rest again. Then rinse and repeat.

When you get to the point you aren’t actually changing anything substantial anymore, just moving commas or changing ‘asked’ to ‘queried’, it’s probably time to get some new eyes on your work. You need to send your book to a critique partner or beta reader to see how it reads to someone who doesn’t know your story. In fact, you probably need to send it to at least three people who aren’t intimate with it. Ideally people who aren’t just going to fangirl about the fact you’ve actually written a book. You need feedback on what you’ve written.

Once the feedback comes in, you need to read it carefully, consider it and make decisions about which pieces of advice are helpful and which are not. Not every suggestion made by a crit partner or beta is going to be useful. But if you get the same piece of feedback from multiple people, you probably should pay attention to it. I also find it’s often useful to give feedback time to settle in. Don’t rush in and change things as soon as the feedback lands. Take some time to think about the things your readers identified as problematic. You may find even better ways to address them than anything that was suggested.

Then you revise some more. And send to new readers. And revise some more.

Told you it was a long process…

Once you’re satisfied it’s as good as you can possibly get it, there are other decisions you need to make about how and where you want to publish. But maybe we’ll look at that part of the process in next week’s post.

Happy revising!

X O’Abby

Dear O'Abby: Are Contests Worth My Time?

Dear O'Abby,

There seem to be so many writing contests out there and I was wondering if it's actually worth entering any of them.  No offense meant.  I know Operation Awesome runs its own contest, but that's kind of what made me ask the question.  Does anyone ever actually get an agent or a publishing contract out of these contests?  

Yours,

Contestable

Dear Contestable,

It's really up to you whether you want to enter contests.  They're not compulsory for any writer, but they are a lot of fun, and a really good way to meet other writers who might end up becoming beta readers or critique partners.

And yes, people do sometimes get agents or publishing contracts through these contests.  I actually got both.  In the same week.  But I ended up passing on the publishing contract in favor of working with the agent in the end.  That was one crazy week, I'm telling you!

But even if you don't get picked by the agent or editor judge, entering contests is a good way to see how your work stacks up against other peoples'.  Most contests ask the judges to leave feedback, so even if you don't win, you have notes from a professional on your query and/or first page.  And you can use those notes to help polish both up, and often the rest of your MS too.

Sometimes readers of the blog are also asked to leave feedback which means you don't just get one opinion, but many.  If something about one particular piece of feedback resonates strongly, you can reach out to that person and thank them.  You may even become friends with that person or decide to work together as critique partners or beta readers.  I met several of my very favorite writing buddies this way and we are still critiquing each other more than 10 years on.

But if you're not interested in entering contests, it's not going to be the end of your writing career.  You can still query traditionally, and your chances are probably no better or worse than if you'd entered the contest.

Good luck, which ever way you decide to go!  And if you're thinking of entering our Pass or Pages, you have about a day left to do it.

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: Do I Need to Pay a Beta Reader?

Dear O'Abby,

I've recently finished revising a novel based on feedback from a critique group and feel like I'm ready now to get another layer of feedback.  I've been looking for beta readers to get this, and was surprised when one of the people I reached out to asked to be paid for it.  Is this normal?  Should I expect to pay for a beta read?

Yours,

Strapped

Dear Strapped,

No. This is not normal.  Beta readers are usually fellow writers or people who like reading in your category and can articulate what they think the problems are with your book.  In my experience, beta reading is usually a reciprocal thing - I'll read your MS if you read mine - but it doesn't have to be.

Certainly, it's a nice gesture if you give a copy of the finished book to the person who beta read for you, and you can thank them in the acknowledgments section of the book. But I don't believe you should pay actual cash money.

That said, if you are wanting a significant amount of feedback, and perhaps some line editing as well, then there might be a case for paying someone to read your MS.  But in that case, I think the line between beta reading and editorial work is somewhat blurred.  You would definitely expect to pay an editor and often the differences between what a beta reader and an editor do are quite small.  I certainly do little line edits in manuscripts I beta read just because I can't help myself if I see a spelling, grammar or other minor error.

But I don't ask to be paid for the beta reading I do just because I will mention if you have a comma in the wrong place as well as telling you the MC needs to be more active in solving their own problems, or a secondary character is just annoying, not endearing, or that I feel like the whole of chapter 23 is completely redundant and slows the pacing.  I just hope that when my next MS is ready to be seen, you will do the same for me.

Hope that's helpful!  And good luck with your manuscript.

X O'Abby

#AtoZchallenge Beta Readers vs. Critique Partners

Beta Readers vs. Critique Partners
Hooray, you’ve finished your manuscript! After a celebratory nap, your next step is to start revisions, and a big part of the revising process is getting feedback from other people as beta readers (also called betas) and critique partners (often shortened to CPs). They sometimes get confused for one another, so let’s run through the differences first!

Critique Partners

A critique partner is just that: a partner. Ideally, they should be someone who writes the same genre as you with whom you can swap manuscripts. Because they’re a fellow writer, they’re someone who can examine your manuscript for things like voice, plot, and worldbuilding. A good CP can be there for you during several rounds of revision, and you may even seek one out before your manuscript is complete.

Beta Readers

Beta readers are, first and foremost, readers. They look at your manuscript as if it were a book they just took off the shelf and aim to answer the question “What did you think?” They are big-picture readers, focusing more on the feel of the manuscript than the nitty-gritty of grammar and phrasing. You should, at the very least, have a finished manuscript to send to beta readers, preferably one that has been polished by critique partners already.

Before you start looking…

Make sure your manuscript isn’t a rough first draft. Give it a couple passes for grammar and spelling, plot issues, consistency of characters, that kind of thing. You don’t want to overwhelm your reader with minor issues that will distract from the things you want them to focus on.

Come up with a list of questions or things to watch for. It’s a good idea to give your CPs and beta readers some guidelines, so they can think about these topics as they read.

Remember that you might need a thick skin. You’re offering up your manuscript to be picked apart, and that’s hard!

Where to look…

Writing communities, both online and in-person, are everywhere. Whether it’s a local Meetup group in your town or a Slack group with members around the world, you’re bound to find someone interested in your work. The #CPMatch event happens every few months on Twitter, and that can be a great event for people searching for CPs.

As tempting as it may be, friends and family members are probably not your best bet. It can be hard for them to be objective about your work, especially if you have talked to them about it in the past. Keep in mind the fact that they may not like it, or that they may give you critique that you don’t want or agree with. Think of it this way: Are you willing to jeopardize your relationship with someone to get feedback on your work? The answer is probably “no.”

Once you find someone…

Swap some material, whether it’s the first chapter or first twenty pages. You each want to get a sense of what the other person’s commenting style is like. Are they brutally honest, or more of a compliment sandwich person? Figure out what you need from your reader and try to get it if you can.

Critique one another’s work and go over the notes you received. Do they understand your work? Have they provided useful notes? Do you like their manuscript, and do you want to read more?

Ready to keep going…

If you like this person’s work and are interested in continuing to work with them, it’s time to figure out the details. Establish a schedule – how often will you send material back and forth? Do you have a deadline by which you need your feedback? Will you work in Google Docs or Microsoft Word?

Send your list of questions or items to keep an eye on. Make sure that your beta or CP understands the list before they get too far into the manuscript. It’s no help to you to get notes you can’t use!

Remember that if you feel like a CP or beta relationship isn’t working out, it’s okay to say so. You wouldn’t stay in a relationship that didn’t make you happy “in the real world,” and writing shouldn’t be any different. The goal with CPs and betas is to make your work better, and if someone’s notes aren’t helping you do that, you don’t have to take them. If a CP or beta is constantly slamming your work without providing constructive criticism, maybe it’s time to step back. Don’t let anyone stand in the way of achieving your writing dreams!

Dear O'Abby, Do I Really Need Critique Partners and Beta Readers?

Dear O'Abby,

I've just finished a novel and I've read that at this point I should be sending it to critique partners and beta readers for feedback.  I don't know anyone to do this, and I am a very thorough editor, so feel like the book is as polished as it's going to get.  Is this feedback period really crucial to making my book a success?  And if it is, where do I find these readers?

Regards,

Critical.

Dear Critical,

Personally I believe this is probably the most important step in getting your book ready.  As the author, you know everything about your story and your characters so are unlikely to see gaps in logic or places where information might be missing.  Getting fresh eyes on the book is crucial for you to find out if everything is working the way you intended it to.

Critique partners and beta readers also fulfill different purposes.  A critique partner might read the book chapter by chapter as you write it and offer feedback as you go.  Or they might read it when you have finished a first or second full draft.  Their notes will include grammar and syntax errors, punctuation and suggestions about plotting, pacing and character development.  Finding other writers to be critique partners is usually a good idea because they will understand these things and be able to offer the right kind of feedback at this stage.

Beta readers are readers who will read the full manuscript once you have completed the revisions your notes from critique partners threw up.  These readers won't give you the detailed notes your CPs did, but will be able to identify how the book reads as a whole.  They will let you know if they believe and empathize with the characters, if the plot is engaging and if they feel the pacing works.  They will also let you know if the book is an enjoyable read, and may be able to tell you other books they've read that are similar.

In terms of finding people to act as CPs and beta readers, there are numerous options.  Join a writing group, in person if there is one in your local area, or online if there isn't (there are some very active critique groups at writing.com).  Engage with other writers via their social media and blogs.  Whatever stage in your writing career you are at, there will be other writers out there at the same stage and many will be willing do a MS exchange.  Engage with readers who talk about books online and ask them to beta for you.  You won't always get a yes, but a lot of people are excited to read new books before they are published and will jump on the chance.


Good luck with the book!

X O'Abby

Blast From the Past #1

It's November. It's NaNoWriMo. I'm an ML this year. I got revision notes back from my agent last month that I'm still working on. My husband is completely renovating our living room, right before we have a bunch of family in town for Thanksgiving. Something's gotta give, and this month it's new content for Operation Awesome. So I've picked through some of my old posts and picked out a few to feature this month.

Today, I invite you to read one of my first posts for OA, which was on beta readers.

W is for Want to Be a Great Critique Partner? #AtoZChallenge

The #AtoZChallenge 2017 Theme at Operation Awesome is the Publishing Journey.

At Operation Awesome, we strive to provide writers and readers with the resources they need to succeed, at every stage of the journey. With that in mind, let's discuss how to be a great critique partner or beta reader!

Writers know how invaluable critique partners (who review your manuscript, sometimes a few chapters at a time, and provide detailed feedback and/or edits) and beta readers (who read the entire manuscript and provide high-level feedback on plot, characters, etc.) are to the writing process. Here are some tips for becoming the kind of critique partner/beta reader who gets thanked in a published novel's Acknowledgments page:

1) Know your limitations. Everyone is busy. All the time. But if you offer to beta read a manuscript, and commit to finishing and providing feedback in two weeks, you really only have two options: finish and provide feedback in two weeks; or, if you know you won't be able to finish on time, contact the writer to let him/her know so the manuscript can be sent to another beta reader if necessary. There's no harm in saying 'no' or 'maybe next time' if the deadline doesn't work for your schedule, but there is harm in overcommitting and failing to deliver. And if you're not sure when the writer needs feedback by, ask! 

Furthermore, most writers know their own strengths and weaknesses and should apply those to critiquing. For example, I'm good at writing scenes where characters sit around talking about things, and not so good at whiz-bang action sequences. So when I'm critiquing, I make it clear that while I may have high-level impressions about action scenes, those critiques should be taken with a grain of salt. 

2) Listen to the writer's needs. When I send a manuscript to a critique partner or beta reader, I'm explicit about the kind of feedback I want. Sometimes it's high-level thoughts about the book as a whole (Does the mystery's reveal work? Does this character arc make sense?), other times it's scene-by-scene impressions. Other writers may want line-edits, grammar checks, or formatting help. But if you're critiquing a manuscript for a writer who wants high-level thoughts, and you send back a version in tracked-changes with extensive line edits, the writer won't find that particularly useful. If you're not sure what kind of feedback the writer wants, ask!

3) Balance criticism with compliments. Secretly, every writer wants to receive glowing feedback proclaiming your work genius, perfect, Pulitzer-bound. But is that kind of feedback really helpful for getting a draft whipped into shape? If a scene works, and you don't see any room for improvement, say that, but be specific about what works and how the author succeeded. On the flip side, receiving nothing but negative criticism is demoralizing to a writer. Have some positive words for every manuscript you critique, whether it's something as simple as the concept, the main character's personality, or the font choice (kidding about that one. But seriously, use Times New Roman 12-point). My go-to ratio is 75% criticism, 25% compliments, but that changes depending on who I'm reading for. Some writers are more open to blunt critiques than others... again, it comes down to knowing what the writer is looking for.

4) Make suggestions, but don't be offended if the writer doesn't follow them. Neil Gaiman said, "When people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong." At the end of the day, your job is to tell the author when something isn't working, and maybe brainstorm some possible ways to fix it. The author's job is to find and implement a fix. If the author doesn't take your advice, that's okay, and doesn't say anything about the value of your feedback. Ultimately, it's the author's book, not yours.

5) Make yourself available for follow-up questions. As I'm working through revisions based on critique partner feedback, I'll often send quick emails to my critique partners if I need clarification on their notes or if I've edited a scene and want to see if it works. I've sometimes looked at revised manuscripts for critique partners after I've critiqued an initial draft. A lot of this will depend on your availability, but at least make clear when you send your notes that you're happy to answer any questions the author might have about those notes.

How do you provide helpful and timely feedback as a critique partner or beta reader?

5 Steps to Fresh-eyed Editing

I'm pleased to introduce today's guest blogger, Deborah Froese. In addition to being the editorial director at Rebelight Publishing, she's also the author of two award-winning books for young people. 

Welcome, Deborah!

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Five Steps to Fresh-eyed Editing

As a writer, editing your own work is one of the toughest things you’ll ever have to do. For optimum results, don’t be yourself.

That may sound like a ridiculous challenge, but it’s simply a reframed view of an old adage: read with fresh eyes. Because you are intimately familiar with your own words, you can’t possibly interpret them as readers will. Experience with backstory and development taint your perspective. They trick your brain into seeing things that aren’t there and overlooking things that are—like typos, punctuation errors, and any excess you’ve spilled onto the page.

You could simply put your manuscript away for six months or a year before reading it again, but who wants to do that? Here’s a five-step approach to tackling an edit without leaving yourself—or your manuscript—behind.

1. Invite passionate, discerning readers (preferably other writers) to critique your work. Bribe them with chocolate if necessary. Accept their comments graciously, but also ask questions. What did they like? What didn’t they like? Was there anything they didn’t understand or found missing? Did attention wander? Where did it wander? Let feedback simmer and then incorporate the ideas that resonate with you.
2. Root out passive language by annihilating expressionless “to be” verbs wherever possible (be,
   
   am, is, are, was, have, do, can, could, should, would—you get the idea). That approach forces you to rethink your text and shift from “He was holding his hand over the control switch and trying to decide whether or not he should press the launch button,” to “His hand hovered over the launch button. Go or no?”
3. Uproot personal pronouns (PPs) and PP statements to yank readers into the story for a more dramatic experience. “She felt the raindrops pummeling her face,” for example, becomes “Rain pummeled her face.”
4. Read your words aloud. Let me repeat: READ YOUR WORDS ALOUD. Ears detect what eyes miss—from poor flow to lack of clarity and excessive text. Your neighbours might think you’re crazy—but they might just pull up a chair and listen.  
5. After taking the previous four steps, apply a splash of magic and trick your brain into thinking it sees something new: change the style and size of your font. Yes. Really. When words assume a slightly different shape and line breaks shift, your brain reboots the script.

Editing is an essential part of writing, but learning to do it well takes time. Finding ways to analyze your words logically and through different lenses makes the job easier.

Do you have any editing tips to share?

Learn more about Deborah Froese by visiting her blog: Story Matter

Guest Post: The Secret Power of Alpha and Beta Readers, by Callie Stoker

This month, our Monday Writing Series focuses on Editing and Polishing. Here to share an important tool in this process is Callie Stoker, a professional editor. Enjoy!

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You've written your manuscript and your baby is ready for the world. This next great American novel is sure to have agents and publishers fighting over it... right?

No doubt you have an awesome story on your hands. But before sending out your queries, use one of the best assets you probably already have. Alpha and Beta Readers.

These readers are your fellow writing buddies and test audience. Their feedback will let you know the highs and lows of your story and help you weed out the problems you aren't able to see for yourself.

Alpha Readers

Alpha readers are writers. These are your writing buddies, your writing group, or fellow friends who also write.

They know the craft of writing and can give comments 

based on storytelling craft.

They focus on areas of:

·      story structure
·      character development
·      plot holes
·      satisfying conclusion
·      promises made or broken within your writing

Professional Alpha readers are called Developmental Editors/Content editors/Book doctors. But, you don't have to pay a professional to get a good alpha read. A writing or critique group with authors who know the craft make wonderful alpha readers.

To get the best feedback, be specific with your alpha readers on the points of your novel that you feel are weak. If you are worried that the twists and turns of your thriller plot aren't working, whether your characters are likable, or if your ending is satisfying, tell them. The more specific you are in your requests, the better feedback you will receive.    

 Request that their feedback point to storytelling elements that are or are not working. For instance: "Your dialogue isn't doing enough for the scene. Remember that dialogue not only allows your character's to communicate, but should also move the plot forward or reveal character development." is a reminder of craft. A less than helpful Alpha Reader will try and fix your writing: "The dialogue on page forty was too slow for me. If you have them talk about their relationship more and maybe throw in some action the scene would be a whole lot better." Oops! An alpha reader like this is giving prescriptive advice that can confuse your own writing.

It may take time to gather and train the right alpha readers for you. Many writers get alpha reads automatically as they work with their writing group. If you don't have your own group, take the time to meet other authors through writing conferences and writing associations. Connections with fellow writers can be a great benefit to your writing and growth as an author.

Beta Readers

Beta readers are your core demographic and your test audience. If you are writing a Middle Grade science fiction novel, you are going to look for a 9-12 year old reader who is interested in science fiction.

Not all of your beta readers need to be in your demographic--you can receive valuable input from many types of readers--but be sure to have at least one or two beta readers from your core audience. These readers will tell you where your story hit the mark, and where you may have missed it.

Because beta readers aren't writers, we recommend you give your readers specific guidelines for the kind of feedback you are looking for. We borrowed the following list from Hugo Award Winner, Mary Robinette Kowal, who regularly uses readers as she creates her books.

Ask your readers to mark the following places as they read:

• What bored you?
• What confused you?
• What didn't you believe?
• What was cool? (So you don’t accidentally “fix” it.)

Knowing what parts of your story elicit the emotions you were hoping for is a great payoff for a writer. Finding out which scenes didn't quite work allows you to improve those story moments before you send your book out to the professionals you hope will invest in your work.


Note: For some authors the terms Alpha and Beta are synonymous or interchangeable. The important thing is to find out what form of outside reader best suits you. We highly recommend putting your novel through both sets of reads so that it can be as polished and ready for publication as possible.    

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Callie Stoker is a freelance manuscript editor. She has ten years of experience in editing. Her business, The Manuscript Doctor, offers services that help stories at any stage. Callie has two children on the Autism Spectrum and is a champion for spreading awareness and acceptance for those with disabilities. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Horror Writers Association, and The United Authors Association. www.themanuscriptdr.com

Beta Readers

Do you ever look back on yourself from the early days of your writing journey and just think, "Aww... I didn't know a thing back then!"
I remember when I first decided that I would make a real effort towards getting my work published. I knew it would be important to have other people read my book and give me feedback, but I had no writer friends at the time. So I put out an open call on Facebook, and sent it off to a few friends, my little sister, and my grandmother. Grandma, who pretty much only reads mysteries, never made it past the first chapter of my New Adult contemporary.

This is my grandma. I will love her forever for introducing me to Agatha Christie. If you need a beta reader for a cozy mystery, she's your woman.

The feedback from most of my friends was "This is really great! It's like a real book!" You can imagine what that did for the ole ego.
So, like the overeager fool I was, I started querying. Fortunately, I also got involved in the writing community on Twitter, and discovered the importance of having both critique partners and beta readers.
A critique partner is exactly what it sounds like: a partner. Usually there is an exchange of work. Critique partners are people who write and are familiar with the publishing industry. You don't feel guilty about nagging them over and over about your first paragraph because they get it.
But what about a beta reader?
As the "beta" part implies, a beta reader is not your first pass reader. A beta reader should be reading the most polished version of your manuscript, one that has been edited several times and already been seen by your critique partners. Don't waste your beta readers on picking up typos (though I always tell mine to mark it if one jumps out at them). Have them read your manuscript as if it were a book they picked up off the shelf.
Find beta readers with expertise in the areas of your book that stretch you, and have them help you make those scenes more realistic. For example, my sister is in her fourth year of vet school, so she helped me immensely with the vet clinic scenes in the book I'm currently querying. The book I'm working on right now is set in the area of upstate NY where I went to elementary school. I don't know what it's like to live there as an adult. So when I'm done, I'll reach out to one of my friends from elementary school on Facebook and ask her to evaluate that aspect of the book. Beta readers are great tools for developing diversity in your work as well. Be bold! Write that character with a different race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status than your own! Then have a beta reader (or two!) from that group help you with accuracy and sensitivity.
Beta readers are a valuable tool in the editing process. When you receive feedback from one, thank them graciously. And don't forget to include them in the acknowledgements when you finally get published!

After I initially wrote this post, I read an article in the October 2015 issue of Writer's Digest on beta readers. It's by Amy Sue Nathan, and it really goes in-depth on the topic of finding and keeping beta readers. I'd really recommend it to anyone interested in learning more!

A Writer's Garden Party

Hi there! Today is my first official post and I just wanted to tell you how stoked I am to be here! I love that OA focuses on writing because over the past six years that's been my focus too. Which means I have TONS to share with you.

I knew you'd be dancing in your seat about that.

Quick intro -- I have two novels and one novella published, all part of an upper YA / New Adult time travel series. I'm also working on two non-fiction projects--one a memoir for the mom of a survivor, and the other a series of how-to books with another author. You may know me from around the blogosphere as I've been blogging for four years over at PK Hrezo - Fearless Fiction. You can now find me here every other Tuesday.

So what the heck is a "writer's garden party," right??

Allow me to elucidate ... There's an old song called Garden Party by Ricky Nelson. You can watch it on YouTube HERE if you're not familiar with it.

Over the years, this song has become more and more of a mantra for me. Even more so now that I'm a published author. Here are the chorus lyrics repeated over and over throughout the song:

"Well, it's all right now. I've learned my lesson well. You see, you can't please everyone so you've got to please yourself." 

Right? Don't you love that?? And the melody and mood of the song are so mellow and easy, it adds a contented acceptance to the lyrics. No anger. No bluesy melodrama. Just matter of fact and c'est la vie. 

Writing is like that. When we first start out we have so much to learn. We do our time in the trenches of critique purgatory and beta reading boot camp. We grit our teeth and forage through the growing pains because we know it'll make us excellent writers on the other side. We study craft books, attend workshops, sometimes endure a public flogging of our work, all so we can become better.

So others will read and love our stories.

And then there comes a time after all of that when we've earned a writer's garden party. We throw one for ourselves and toss aside all regrets and inhibitions. Because you can't please everyone so ...

                                             PHOTO CREDIT: pottery barn kids

... you've got to please yourself.

Case in point: With my most recent release, Induction Day, I knew there would be some readers who felt the first part was slow. But I also knew that for my story to work, the characters needed to grow a bit more together. My series is character driven. The story is about them, not the other way around. I deliberated over whether or not to cut some of the first part because I was afraid of losing readers. I had one critique partner tell me I should.

I had another critique partner tell me they thought the whole story was fast paced and how much they enjoyed the romance in the beginning.

Has this happened to you before? Conflicting feedback? Most likely yes. It's happened to me plenty of times, and it can be debilitating as a writer. So what did I do?

Threw a writer's garden party because I couldn't please everyone. I did what I wanted to do, which is follow my characters' lead. This felt right to me. I'm pleased with how my story turned out. But I knew when I published it that not everyone else would be.

Case in point number two: On my recent blog tour, one reviewer said the first part of the story didn't hold their attention as much as the second part when the plot really intensified. Another reviewer on the same tour said the exact opposite--that they preferred the beginning of the story when they learned so much more about how the characters intertwine and are bound to one another.

Same book. Different opinions.

This will always be the case with any book, movie, TV show, etc. With any story. Part of becoming an experienced and mature writer/author is learning to trust your instinct despite the naysayers. In the end, it's YOUR story, and only you knows what's best.

Don't get me wrong, I totally believe in getting as much feedback as possible and accepting constructive criticism so that our skills will grow. Chances are, if more than one critique partner or beta reader is telling us the same thing, then we need to listen and heed the advice. But if we're getting conflicting feedback, or if our gut is telling us one thing, and a CP another, then that's grounds for a writer's garden party.

                                          PHOTO CREDIT: animationoptions.com


Go on ahead and throw yourself one. It's fresh and calm and relaxing in there.

"Well, it's all right now. I've learned my lesson well. You see, you can't please everyone so you've got to please yourself." 

So tell me, have you ever received conflicting feedback on your story? How did you handle it? Do you think trusting your gut can be wrong sometimes? Ever thrown yourself a writer's garden party?
Please share ...

Is Beta Reading Right for You?

Beta readers... What do they do, exactly? I've compiled quite a list of articles regarding beta readers below, but first, a definition and my take on why they're so important:

When attempting to describe the definition of a beta reader, I came across this. 

Thank you, Wikipedia, for always being so prompt and informative.

So, in a nutshell, writers use betas for feedback. (Betas are a bit different from critique partners, as critique partners--also referred to as CPs--tend to who know their stuff and really dive down into the nitty gritty of a manuscript.) Beta readers don't necessarily have to have a background in editing, or writing. Their job is to look at the manuscript as a first reader. Betas are great at pointing out inconsistencies, especially series inconsistencies writers tend to gloss over/completely miss after reading that 70+ thousand word MS fifty times already (like, But two books ago you said her eyes were orange, not yellow, or whatever).

Betas are our a writer's best friend. Or, at least, my betas are. I'm not saying they're the people you hang out with and tell your innermost secrets, but they are your manuscript's best friend, because their job is to help you make it the best it can be. When I send stuff to my betas, I know they're going to point out things the readers will notice. I expect suggestions, knowing I might not use them all (but better to conteplate now rather than later, once the book is out and changes can't be made, right?). I expect my betas to tell me things politely, but they do have the right to disagree with my decisions, as long as they're tactful about it. It's important to remember that all beta readers are different, and that, if you choose to beta read for someone, it's okay for your personality to shine through. Some betas send back two pages of notes. Some have detailed suggestions on every page. Some only point out their favorite and not-so-favorite things. Some don't say much other than "yay" and "I'm so excited for ____". The point is, reading it and saying, "It seems decent" isn't going to help anyone, nor is sending twenty negative comments per page. 

Last, betas, a lot of times, end up being an author's core team of fans (but it's also okay if they don't). And by fans I don't mean crazy people who squee over you and stalk you online and get confused and think they ARE you (although, I could deal with that); I mean people who are your advocates. Who spread the word about your work, because they get it. Who you can count on in a pinch to read that novella or ask about a character list and if you missed something before sending something off to print. I don't know where I'd be without my beta readers. 

Now that I've explained what betas do, here are some great articles on beta reading that I've come across, as well as a great recent #k8chat (held by Kate Tilton on Twitter every Thursday night at 6:00 EST) regarding beta readers (lots of tips from readers and authors). I'd like to point out that most of these are written for the writer, not the beta reader, but they're still great and will also potentially give you ideas as to what to request as a beta reader (like knowing what format you'd prefer the document in, for instance). 

Another point real quick: it's important to remember that betas are not editors. It is not their job to point out the technicalities of punctuation (though, if that is your forte, you are more than welcome to mention that to an author before beta-ing... they might appreciate catching that stuff before their MS goes to the editor). I think of betas as the person you go to and say, "Hey, do these shoes go with this outfit?" To which they respond, "Well, last month you wore them with this dress, and it kind of goes but you seem to do better wearing these with pants. Oh and those earrings you had on last week would go great with it! That eyeshadow is not working for me at all, though." (Bad example? Oh well.)

Without further ado, here are some great tips on beta reading (including a couple from the OA blog, too): 

* What is a Beta Reader and Where Do I Find One? via Casey McCormick (@Casey_McCormick) ***make sure to read the comments in this post!

* What is a Beta Reader? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Getting and Giving Feedback on Your WIP via Jamie Gold (@JamiGold) at Anne R. Allen's blog

* The "Art" of Beta Reading via Kati Brown

* An Essential Part of Writing: Critique Partners via Amy Trueblood (@atrueblood5)

* Copy-editing and Beta Readers via Joanna Penn (@thecreativepenn)

* An important tip to keep in mind while BETA READING via Monica B.W. (@Monica_BW)

* Beta Reading Etiquette via Trisha Leaver (@Tleaver)

* Beta Reading Etiquette: How to Give a Critique via Misti Wolanski

* Five Things You Should Know About Working With Beta Readers via Corina Koch MacLeod and Carla Douglas of Beyond Paper Editing

* Beta-Readers and Beta-Reading: #K8chat on Twitter with Kate Tilton (@K8Tilton)

* Agent Q & A part one: Revisions (in which agent Laura Bradford discusses the benefits of a beta reader) via Kell Andrews (@kellandrewsPA)

**This post was originally featured at my blog, Let Me Tell You a Story, but was tweaked a bit to be more applicable here at OA. :)

If you have any experiences, suggestions, or questions, feel free to share them in the comments!