"How to Write" For Dummies

Beta Readers : Your hidden Army

Most writers tend to search for readers even for their first draft. Their feedback is precious especially on times of doubt.

"Should I go on? Is it good enough? Am I wasting my time?"

Readers usually come, read it and say whether they like it or not. They are always welcome yet what you will need before polishing your draft into a complete novel is your beta readers. Beta readers are not the proffesional editors or proof readers, they are amateurs, passionate readers who will take the extra step and point out syntax/grammar errors, plot holes and whatever they think that's wrong with your story.

Friends are a bad option for a beta reader. A friend will pat your back and say "you tried your best, I like you, it's ok." Well "ok" it's not good enough. You will need a savage reader who will point out the exact points where something went wrong or didn't work the way you believed that it would work while you were writing the story. They may come up with suggestions. Listen to them carefully and then decide if you want to comply with that without changing your own unique voice or come up with another solution that will satisfy both.

If you haven't found your beta readers yet you can search for them on writing platforms and forums. If you are an introvert who's having difficulties reaching out, leave your story alone for some time. Come back to it and think of it as written by someone you don't like and start pointing out everything that's wrong with the story. Once you are done with it, you can go back and start editing.