My friend Lin, one of the first beta readers for my novel, spent an hour talking with me this evening about my story. Which is a Godsend. We’d talked a little this weekend when I saw them in Boston, but this was a dedicated writing feedback Facetime event.
I came prepared with questions, some that I’d written myself and some that I’d stolen from a helpful online article about questions to ask beta readers. Thank you Internet.
Some of the questions I used:
- Did the opening scene hold your interest? When did you get invested?
- Could you relate to the main character?
- Were there any parts you felt the story lagged or you got bored?
- Were there any parts that confused or frustrated you?
- Were the characters believable? Any characters you wanted to see more or less of?
- Did the dialogue feel natural? Did anything stand out about the ratio of dialogue and exposition?
- Was the ending believable?
And so on. I asked more specific questions about characters, their arcs, and dynamics. It was incredibly helpful and I’m excited to ask my other beta readers the same questions to gather more data points before I make revisions.
I feel incredibly lucky to have writer friends who are willing and enthusiastic about lending me their time and feedback. I hope to continue to pay it forward.
Current story mood: hopeful, excited, enjoying the break.
With Love,
Natalie