You’ll see writers talking about how much they value their “early” readers (aka beta readers) for their feedback on story ideas, pacing, plot points, characterization, etc. That holds doubly true for me as I struggle to put together a story that keeps the reader’s attention. My mother is one of my biggest supporters in all things writing, so she is always willing to read a rough draft and provide comments.
The Classic -Fake Orgasm- scene from “When Harry Met Sally”
Now, some back story – I enjoyed teasing my mom on social media when I released my first book by telling everyone that I was struggling because my mom was telling everyone that my book was a piece of crap. None of this was true, of course, but I had a good time with it and my mom tolerates my teasing. So when she was providing me with her feedback on the new book, she was, of course, complimentary, thoughtful, and all things that a great mom should be. Now I had already gotten some feedback from a few other readers, so I asked her what she thought about the sex scenes in the new book. I told her that some other readers felt like the sex scenes didn’t really fit the story and should probably be removed.
After a long pause, she said “Well, I think they’re right. You probably should take them out.”
OMG! Did my mom just tell me that I’m no good at writing sex scenes? Did that really happen? Well, yes it did. (well, she didn’t exactly say they weren’t good sex scenes, just that they didn’t fit the story – smile – ) And that is what we all need from early readers. We need them to tell us when a portion of our work is not moving the story forward. It’s that simple. If the scene, chapter, etc. is not contributing to the quality of the work, then it has to go. Even though I created the scene, chapter, etc., I need early readers to point out the flaws. And, of course, I need to be mature enough to take out these parts regardless of how attached I may be to them. (which I did)
And the moral of the story is that beta readers are sooooo important. They help writers see things that we can’t. They help us make our work better. They are essential. And I’m soooo fortunate with my new work to have had a ton of early readers who truly made a big difference in improving the quality of the story. My beta readers have helped take my writing to a higher level. Hats off to all you!!! And, if your mom is nice enough to take the time to provide feedback, then be sure to listen extra closely to what she has to say. Mama knows best. -smile -
