Do you want to know what a 'Beta Reader's is? Or why a 'Critique Partner' is a valuable asset for a writer to have?
If you said yes, you are in good company.
Come along as I attempt to answer these questions and maybe a few others.
Am I qualified, y...
As a writer I want to learn and grow. I want the words I write to be the best that they can be.
But...
Sometimes (okay...most of the time), as a writer I stand too close to my work. I don't see the flaws and grammatical errors. I don't notice that an entire chapter doesn't make sense, or would do better somewhere else. Or the voice of my character isn't coming out properly.
I love my story. It's mine. I conceived the idea, nurtured it's growth. I want what is best for it.
Anybody with me here?
This is why, when I heard the words 'Beta Reader' and 'Critique Partner' thrown around, I decided to do some digging.
Anything to make my stories better, right?
Today, let's look at what Critique Partner and Beta Reader mean.
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📌well-storied defines as:
"A critique partner is a writer with whom you share and critique work on a regular basis. They aren't necessarily someone you co-write stories with, but they should be someone that you can consider a partner in your writing life. Their influence, in many cases, extends far beyond a little critical feedback during edits."
📌Helping Writers Become Authors defines as:
"A critique partner is a fellow writer with whom you exchange critiques of your manuscripts. This, of course, means this person is indeed someone who critiques-not just your mom or your best friend who loves (or says she does) every word you've ever written. This is also, optimally, someone who understands how to balance criticism with encouragement, telling you what they like about your story as well as what needs to be improved."
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📌Wikipedia defines as:
"A beta reader is usually an unpaid test reader of an unreleased work of literature or other writing (similar to beta testing in software), who gives feedback from the point of view of an average reader to the author. A beta reader is not a professional and can therefore provide advice and comments in the opinions of an average reader. This feedback is used by the writer to fix remaining issues with plot, pacing, and consistency. The beta reader also serves as a sounding board to see if the book has had the intended emotional impact."
📌PublishDrive definesas:
"Betas or beta readers can also be writers themselves, but as the name suggests the focus is more on the reading aspect. They can tell you how they found the story on the global level, if they liked the characters, figured out the mystery etc. You can ask friends or even family members to read your story, but it is the best to find someone who can give an objective and unbiased opinion. It is also advisable to try to find readers with diverse backgrounds, different age groups, genders, occupations to be able to have a varied input on your work."
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Questions anyone?
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📌Delving deeper into what makes a good Critique Partner.
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