Sunday, April 12, 2015

Little Things #1: Beta-ing and Critique

So in order to get back into blogging more, and especially blogging more regularly on what ought to be my profile editor's blog, I am going to get into little things that I feel are important when you reach the editing portion of writing a book.

This is, of course, all in my opinion, but I like to think this is some handy advice for folks who are writing or have written a novel and want to get published.

[Disclaimer that none of these are specific to any one writer I've worked with, and in some cases, are based on my own experiences as a writer having my own work edited.]

Without further ado...

Little Things #1: Beta-reading and offering constructive critique

Here's the tl:dr right upfront:

1. It is always a  good idea to get at least a few people to read your story before you start submitting it to agents or publishers. Don't submit a story no one but you has seen. You are almost certain to have missed something.

Other points:

2. Not everyone is good at offering constructive criticism. Some people just don't know how to do it effectively; others get jealous or have something else going on in their own lives/minds that lead to them offering deliberately unkind critiques. Don't let a bad critique squash your passion.

3. Most people probably fall into the "don't know how" category. Therefore, don't let a bad critique squash your passion.

4. Whether you are asking other writers, people who just like to read, or friends and family who are trying to support you--it is super helpful to tell at least a portion of your beta-readers what you want them to do. There's some trial and error to this. I tend to have at least one person, usually another writer, read the story without my asking or pointing out anything beforehand. Seeing what they catch or point out, unprompted, can let me know if I am seeing problems that actually exist or if I'm worrying about something that works just fine. But I have at least a couple people whom I will ask to read a story, and I will give them specific instructions or ask them to read with a particular purpose.

Examples: "Can you read this and let me know if the characters' motivations all work and make sense?" Or, "Read this chapter and tell me if any scene seems unnecessary or boring, please."

5. Politeness is also super helpful, on both sides. Don't assume someone who has beta'ed for you before will do so again, ask and see if they are willing and have time. Thank them for doing it. If you are the one reading someone's story, politeness gets tricky. You want to be honest in your critique, and sometimes a writer needs someone to be blunt about what is NOT WORKING. But sometimes a blunt critique comes across as harsh, and sometimes a harsh critique can kill the passion. In my opinion, it's okay for someone who is reading someone else's work to ask what kind of critique the writer needs.

Examples: "Would you like some general thoughts, or do you want me to get down to the nitty gritty?" (Feel free to use whatever cliches work for you there. ;P ) Or, "Do you just want me to read this and tell you what works?"

The latter is, I feel, a good way of giving a "polite" or "nice" critique without blowing air up someone's butt. Being a beta-reader or giving a critique isn't about saying it's great when it's not. But sometimes it can be about focusing on the things you like, and what works really well. Still true, but softer. And it's still incredibly useful. If someone is writing a story and feeling down, having an honest expression from someone else about what they love in it can be a huge boost. And hearing that a plot thread you weren't certain about is enticing or innovative, can be great confirmation.

To sum up:

For the writer: find a variety of people to read your stuff, be polite, and communicate about what you need in terms of feedback.

For the beta-reader: be polite, be honest, and communicate about what you can provide (are you strong in punctuation but weak in characterization? Or do you not have a lot of time for full-length novels, but can read over a short story?).

Last thought: It's not about telling writers what they want to hear, but telling them what they need to hear in a way that helps them, not stymies them.