Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

“I work very hard at writing,writing and rewriting and trying to weed out the lumber.” David McCullough

 

My work-in-progress memoir, Ever Faithful to His Lead (working title) has  recently completed its second round  with beta readers.

 

I have reviewed all beta input, incorporated the revisions that fit then sent it off to a copy editor for final editing and proofing.

 

The process  has felt a little like cleaning the house in preparation for the cleaning lady.

 

Every time I look it over, I change something. Or see a typo. Or question a sentence structure.  Or notice an inconsistency in tense.

 

My gosh, when is it ever done?

 

I’ve heard from others that it is never really done even after it’s published. It seems to be human nature to hone in on our deficits.  My husband was the general contractor when our home was built. He sees every little flaw in workmanship whereas all I see is a beautiful home in the woods. When I used to sew outfits for myself, I was tuned in to all the areas I had fudged or had difficulty with ,whereas others would give me glowing feedback on how lovely the outfit was. I think the same applies to writing.

 

I know at some point it will have to be good enough and I will have to take my chances at launching it out into the world.

 

As I move along in my journey toward publication, I reflect on the following lessons I’ve learned:

1.     Connecting with my purpose for writing in the first place needs to be clear.

2.     I need to be willing to learn my craft and keep writing until it’s right.

3.     I need to be open to constructive feedback and ways to improve.

4.     I need to take all the feedback into consideration but be clear enough about my story to know what to keep and what to disregard.

5.     Beta readers can offer a wide range of feedback and suggestions from a reader’s perspective.

6       Not only do beta readers offer valuable feedback , they also feel invested in your story and in its success.

7.     Developing a system of selecting beta readers is an individual decision. Some people , like Guy Kawaski , author of APE-How to Publish a Book, reach out to hundreds of people. Others don’t  even use beta readers.

 

Here’s how I approached the beta reading process:

 

* I chose ten people from various communities I belong to, including people outside my memoir genre. I did this because a memoir  should read like a novel. Now I’ll admit to my self-promotion phobia but Joe Bunting over at Story Cartel—a new way for readers and authors to connect– convinced me that beta readers were essential.

 

The mission of Story Cartel is to “encourage writers to share their stories”.

 

I took Joe’s Story Cartel Course. Receiving honest and constructive critique on my stories turned out to be my favorite part of the course and prompted me to use beta readers.

Check out Story Cartel and see for yourself how the course helped transform 5 writers, including myself, through the “Power of Community.”

Thank you, Joe and  fellow cartelistas!

 

*  I listed the areas I wanted feedback on: Readability? Does the tense work? Does it keep your attention? Are the characters believable? Is the dialogue authentic? Are the themes , narrative arc? Are you satisfied at the end?

 

In this post, What is a Beta Reader, and Why Do We Need Them?, Christian Fiction Writer Sharon A. Lavy discusses the importance of clearly spelling out expectations for your beta readers, noting that two criteria for selecting who to ask are, “those who are invested in your success and those who will be able to be honest.”

Memoir Author and Fiction Writer Carol Bodensteiner offers her insights on the beta reading process in this post,“Trusting my Baby to Beta Readers.”

 

* I asked my beta readers to focus more as a reader than an editor. They certainly could mention edits but my focus was more on general areas of pacing , flow, narrative arc, clear themes, redemption at the end. Was it a worthy read? What works, what needs work in terms of story structure?

 

The results:

 

Clear direction on what works, what needs work and how close they feel I am to being done.

 

I am very grateful to my beta readers and highly recommend incorporating them into your revision process. They have shed light on areas that I couldn’t have seen myself.

 

My beta readers, with their fresh eyes and fresh perspectives have validated for me what I am doing right and opened my mind to ways I can make my story better.

 

They are helping me move along to the finish line.

 

Photo credit: istockphoto

 

How about you? What has your experience with beta readers been?

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave your comments below~

 

 

Announcement: Congratulations to Mary Gottschalk.  Your name was selected to receive the anthology, Silent Embrace: Perspectives on Birth and Adoption, which includes Robin Flanigan’s essay,”Moving Close.”

 

It’s a busy week:

Tuesday, 8/20: I’ll be over at Paul Dorset’s blog, Utterances of an Overcrowded Mind, with a guest post: “7 Tips I Have Learned About Connecting with My Purpose for Writing a Memoir.” Hope to see you there!

 

Thursday, 8/22: Cheryl Stahle, Writing Coach and Author of  Slices of Life: The Art and Craft of Memoir Writing will return as a guest to discuss how “Writing Rants” helped her clear the air. Cheryl will give away a copy of her memoir resource book to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

 

Saturday, 8/24: WOW! Women on Writing Book Review and Giveaway of A Southern Place, a debut novel by Elaine Drennon Little.