It’s been a while since my last post because well, life. To sum up, I’m six years older, I have three more kids (for a total of four), and I’ve finished three novels, which are all in various stages of editing and querying.
I’ve given it a lot of thought, and here’s the deal: I like to give writing advice. It’s the whole reason I started this blog. But having exchanged beta reading with my various writer friends, I have to say, not all advice is advice you need to take. The irony being, I’m about to hand out some advice for when it comes to beta readers.
You’re the writer. You know your characters and your story better than anyone. So if someone suggests a change and you’re not sure about making that edit, ask yourself whether their reaction, or their take on it is what you intended. For example, did your character say or do something that upset your reader or made them cringe? Seems like a negative reaction, but was that the intent? If it was, then congratulations.
Also, if your beta reader makes a comment along the lines of “I would prefer if your character…” then suggests some change to your character’s personality, take it with a grain of salt. That’s one reader’s preference. And while you want to have readers like your work, you can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. So write the story you want. Do it for yourself and don’t worry about opposing opinions. There are billions of people in the world. I can guarantee someone else will love your novel!