Getting good comments on a work-in-process is hard. In part, this is because a) many writers think that only other writers can/will provide useful criticism, b) most people are not writers, and c) people may be very good writers and still be very bad at providing critique.
a) and b) mean that many writers limit their critique-givers to a very small portion of the population (i.e., other writers). Finding writer-critiquers can be hard; finding them in one’s own field even harder (while there are many points of technique that are common to all writing, genre differences are still extremely important. Viewpoint shifting is no big deal in a lot of Romances, whereas in SF, it tends to be sneered at). Finding other writers who are willing to trade comments can be even harder. And it is practically impossible for a new writer to find anyone, fellow writer or plain old reader, who is both willing to provide comments and who has experience with doing so.
What this means is that most writers have to train their beta-readers once they have found them. This is because most readers are accustomed to giving recommendations (“I liked/hated this book”) rather than critique. Recommendations are of minimal use to a writer; what we want to know is why you liked or hated the book, the exact point where you said “I don’t believe this” or “I’m bored,” where you were thrown out of the book or just ran down, which inconsistencies you noticed (whether at the time or afterward when you had a chance to think about things).
Training beta-readers begins by figuring out what sort of comments/criticisms the individual finds most useful. For instance, some writers like getting suggestions for how to fix a problem, and others…don’t. I fall very firmly into the second category, and always have – in fact, if someone dares to suggest what to do to fix something, I will frequently try to come up with something entirely different, even if the suggestion was a good one and the obvious fix. Yes, even if the person making the suggestion is an editor. I don’t have a problem being told “the pace needs picking up” or “I don’t understand why the heroine does this,” but I have a lot of problems with “…so you need to cut Chapter 5 and eliminate the subplot with the goldfish” or “…so you should add a dream sequence right after the tea party.”
The worst offenders in this regard are other writers, especially experienced ones. If your plot, characters, setting, whatever hits their “oooooh, shiny!” button, their backbrains will latch on to whatever they would do with this particular story-stuff and go haring off after things that don’t belong in your story. Sometimes, they will get very, very insistent that you promote this minor character to major, or expand this subplot, or add ninjas or aliens that have no business in your story. If this sort of critiquer is a friend and generally gives good comments, you can explain six or eight times that they’re talking about their story, not yours, and they may eventually come around. (This is also something to watch out for when you are giving crit yourself. Don’t presume the person you’re doing comments for does or doesn’t want suggestions – ask, and try really hard to abide by their preferences.)
Some writers want suggestions for what to do next. If you are one, and your critiquers don’t give them, ask. Repeatedly. It may take a while for the idea to sink in, or you may have a critiquer on your hands who is really, really analytical and can’t make suggestions. (They’re rare, but they do exist.) If you get one of these, hang on to them – they tend to be really good at pinpointing problems, and you can always tell other people what the problems are and then ask them for suggestions. You may also run across someone who can only articulate problems in terms of what they would do about them: instead of saying “The pace needs picking up,” they can only say “I think you should have some ninjas attack right about here.” Whether you like suggestions or not, this particular sort of criticism needs to be examined closely – the vast majority of writers need to know what the problem really is before they start implimenting fixes (unless the suggestion goes straight to your backbrain and lets off fireworks – in that case, run with it).
Readers who have experience talking about books often make really good critiquers, especially people who’ve been in book clubs, or who hang around blogs talking about what does and doesn’t work, or who spend a lot of their SF convention time arguing about plot and characterization in the consuite. Reader-critiquers need to be handled with care; doing comments is a lot of work, and they can’t be repaid by critiquing their stuff, the way writers can. All they’re getting is appreciation, the opportunity to read your work-in-progress, and maybe the occasional batch of cookies or dinner out. It is therefore a good idea not to expect them to go over the same material three or four times, or demand comments on short notice.
How to train new critiquers (and how to give critique that is useful for writers) are subjects for future posts.
I guess I really lucked out! My whole family reads and discusses books all the time, so when I started writing I had at least 4 family members ready and willing to critique, and I’ve “trained” my younger brother to critique rather than recommend. Thanks for helping me understand how fortunate I’ve been!
This really helps me, as an amateur book reviewer, to think about how I explain why I disliked books and to try and be more specific. Thank you!
MY but this is true.
Carmen, you are one very lucky human being. One of my younger sisters is my One True Critiquer/plot-noodler, but the rest of the family is too busy to have time for much except enjoying the bits which are already together. Which is wonderful, but not as helpful as more plot-noodling or critiquing would be.
I do know that it is possible to look for critiquers outside of my family, but the same introversion which makes me happy to spend hours alone writing is somewhat of a stumbling block when I am trying to find someone else to play writing with. The book club member advice rings true, though, and usually book club people are not scary at all. Perhaps I shall go write a couple of emails.
I think the hardest part about finding someone to help critique is locating a reader who knows how to be both supportive AND critical. When you’re doing it in person and they can see your face, most people can figure out when they need to start being supportive, but online (or with my dad, who is an excellent writer and editor but terribly judgmental and critical) or even in writing there’s often the ‘give up and never write again’ satiation point. But the reccommenders are completely useless when you know there’s a problem but can’t work out where it is.
Right now I have one of those very analytical people, one appreciator, and one fellow writer who is so unreliable about getting back with criticism that I have no idea what her criticism is like. My mom helps me talk things out when I’m stuck, and I do the same when she is, but I don’t really have a plot-noodler right now. I like suggestions, if only because it spurs my backbrain into seeing why they won’t work and starting to spit out things that might.
Critiquing really is a great skill to have. I miss doing it as well as getting it. I need to find someone I can trade with.
It’s funny about how everyone is bringing up their families. The worst thing about living in a family of writers is when the ‘hating everything you’ve planned out and written’ stage hits at the same time. It gets ugly.
Definitely with you on the not wanting specific suggestions on how to fix something. Mainly, I want to know at what point their interest in the story started to flag or they had trouble making sense of what was going on. I don’t even need them to come up with reasons why — just a general location of where it happened is fine.
For my current project, I’m keeping my beta readers’ powder dry by not having them read multiple versions. I need their eyes to be as sharp as possible for this, and reading the same chapters repeatedly dulls that edge.
The downside, of course, is that I may be writing a total snoozefest and won’t find out until late in the game. But I’m gambling that it will be fixable. 🙂
I notice that several people posted here looking for beta readers. I am looking, too. Would anyone be interested in swapping and critting?
I write historical fiction with romantic and fantasy elements set in the American west (which sounds a lot like Pat’s recent lovely book, but isn’t).
Huh….. apparently I’m actually really good at critiquing and its a useful skill! (Now maybe I’ll feel better about not being able to write)
Esther – Writing is a craft, as well as an art, and it’s a craft that is very difficult to judge for oneself. Which is to say that 1) you may not be nearly as bad a writer as you seem to think you are, and 2) even if you are as bad as you think, you can almost certainly learn how if you put in the time and effort. There are very few people (if any) who sit down, start typing, and sell their first product.
Not quite, I have a learning disability so the “writing” I am bad at is the of act of transcribing thoughts(or sound)to written form. The finished result is usually perfectly acceptable. Heck, I’ve even had two poems published and a letter printed in Astonishing X-Men!
So even ‘tho I am capable of writing, the process is literally painful and I usually only attempt it when there is an idea that INSISTS on being written down. As much as I would love to write the flood of ideas in my head, it ain’t happening. Drawing is a painless way to get my ideas down – but even with classes my skill is about at “recognizable”. And that is a loooong way from professional. Video seems to fit my idea/skills best and I currently looking into it.
*sigh* I always had a dream of writing some of the books I loved and its a dream that dies hard.
….
How does one become a beta-reader anyway? Have the good luck to be friends with an author?
Esther – Being friendly with an author works, if what you want is to become a beta-reader; so does hanging out on writing boards, forums, communities, etc. where people are occasionally looking for new beta-readers. Critters is set up specifically for people to trade critique (and I don’t think you have to actually write in order to comment), and Baen’s Bar over at the Baen Books website has a whole section for reader comments on their actual slush. Or, if you have the temperament for it, starting an online fanzine to edit and publish other people’s fiction can attract would-be writers with similar interests (and doesn’t cost much to produce and distribute, which is usually a consideration with paper ‘zines).