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.
Solid advice, Kathy. I urge everyone to follow number three, about being open to constructive feedback, while realizing the importance of number four: in the end, we have to decide what to keep and what to discard. I hadn’t considered using Story Cartel (a great idea – thanks!) as you’ve done. I’ll keep it in mind.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting , Mary. I’m glad you found the tips useful. Story Cartel with Joe Bunting is a fantastic resource for writers and a great place to share your stories and promote your work. I hope you’ll check it out. And thank you also for sharing the post all over. I appreciate your generous support!
Thank you for this wonderful advice to keep in mind when my novel is ready for beta readers. Two rounds were suggested at the novel revision workshop I took last spring.
Madeline, Thanks for stopping by. I’m happy you found the post to be useful. I found the two rounds to be sufficient and very useful in getting valuable feedback. Best wishes on your novel. After reading your memoir, I have no doubt your novel will be compelling.
Workshop readers in 2012 sent me back to the drawing board for a major rewrite. I knew in my gut they were right.
Overall, my Beta readers in 2013 were enthusiastic and loved the story (major boost!), but they also pointed out some critical issues with a few characters. Again I knew in my gut they were right and I’ve made changes.
With fortuitous timing, a workshop reader in 2013 pointed out that ultimately, the author has to make decisions and be happy with the result. That was an important reminder for me as I go through my final edit before sending to a copy editor. And it speaks to your first point about knowing my purpose in writing and being true to that.
Good post, Kathy!
Great points, Carol. Revision certainly is a process of ongoing discovery that unfolds in stages. Being true to one’s story is the key to knowing what feedback to accept. Your point about “knowing in your gut that your beta readers were right” is a good one. I know the beta reading process has worked for you and you were one of the ones who inspired me to move forward with mine! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Kathy, often friends’ minds travel similar paths. Tomorrow I post the first of two parts on beta readers and what they do and don’t do. Interesting that you should offer this perspective today! Thanks for the tips and the insight on how the process is working for you.
Blessings,
Sherrey
Now that’s what I call synchronicity, Sherrey! I look forward to your upcoming posts on beta readers as well as to your memoir.
Sending blessings to you as well,
Kathy
Kathy, you’re much farther along in the process than I am, so I was thrilled to read your post! I learn so much from you, my friend, and I can’t thank you enough.
A part of me shudders at the thought of beta readers. What if they HATE my “baby”?? But, as you’ve pointed out, without them we really wouldn’t know if we were on the right track.
Still, I have to finish the thing before I can even consider beta readers, don’t I??!
You’re too funny, Debbie. Yes, it does help to “finish” it which I have found takes a great big leap of faith! I’ll bet you’re further along than you realize. As far as ‘what if they hate it”, I want to know why and what’s missing so I can fix it before I really get it out there. I want honest feedback that will help me improve which translates into lots of rewriting. I’m so glad you found the post helpful. I hope you’ll keep us posted on your progress! Thanks, as always for stopping by.
The lessons I’ve learned since writing my first book are numerous. I could probably write a book about all the mistakes I made. One of the errors was to ask my family and close friends to read my manuscript. Of course, they all loved it. I was angry with them and told them I needed them to help me write the best novel I could possibly write. They forgave them, fortunately. Now, I’m in the process of finalizing my second novel and will be looking for objective beta readers. Thank you for the advice. Feather
Welcome, Feather! You have shared some very valuable lessons for all of us about the risks of using family and friends for feedback. I tried to select beta readers who I knew would be honest and not afraid to hurt my feelings.Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your lessons with us. Best wishes on getting objective beta readers for your second novel!
Sorry for the typos in the above comment. Too many things to do. The line should be, “They forgave me.”
Thanks
I knew what you meant, Feather 🙂
Kathy, This post shows/details the courage and dedication to the craft of writing you possess as you work on “Ever Faithful to His Lead.” You have also written a generous post, offering valuable tips and insights about the hard work of memoir. Whether we use beta readers or writing buddies or writing communities, feedback from readers is essential and helps us focus on, and hone and craft a compelling story..
Thank you, Susan, for your ongoing support and guidance as well as for inspiring my “AHA” moment with my title “Ever Faithful To His Lead.”Amazing things really do happen when writers and readers collaborate!
This is wonderful news about your memoir’s progress, Kathy. As hard as it is to ‘let go’ of it, new horizons will open up in the marketing of your book. The creation phase is such a big learning curve; at one stage, I even tried moulding my memoir into fiction … didn’t work. In the end, it became what it had to be, and I’m at peace with it now. And although it’s still a big part of my life, I’ve moved on to new things.
Thanks, Belinda! I appreciate your words of wisdom and encouragement about life after one’s memoir is launched. That learning curve you speak of is steep but it’s nice to hear that “new horizons will open up” once one finally let’s go.
Thank you for this valuable post! Your insight is helpful. Having Beta Readers is so important, and being open to feedback and constructive critique is key!
Welcome, Amanda! I visited your website and see you are a professional editor. I appreciate your comments and totally agree that openness to constructive feedback is key. Thank you for stopping by!
I am just getting started on my first book
Welcome to my blog , Deborah as well as to the exciting journey of writing your first book. I hope you’ll come back and keep us posted. Feel free to ask questions.
Happy writing!
Kathy
Hi Kathy – so happy to hear that the finish line is in sight! Congratulations.
The key to beta reader comments is #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.
You need to factor into this process reader “bias” – the reader’s POV based on their own life experience, which may not be relevant to your experience or story.
I’ve been in writers’ groups where group members start to take possession of your story or characters, wanting to bend story and character arcs to their way of thinking.
You need to find your backbone as a writer – you know best what makes your story tick. Yes, be open to suggestions. But know in your gut/heart what’s best for your book.
Thank you, Rebecca! You reinforce an important point of knowing your story well. I did find myself being discerning about what I was willing to change or omit based upon feedback from others. I ended up killing many “darlings” along the way but once I claimed my story, I felt myself being more selective on what I would change or omit.And thank you very much for your guidance, which helped me find my defining moment, the place where I would step into my story. It was a key factor in getting my story going. I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Ciao!