Hey everybody! Sorry for my brief disappearance; it has been a crazy week and a half. I was back in my hometown over the weekend to do a performance with alumni from my high school, and then I ended up back at school for a hellish three test week. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to balance five classes. I want to dedicate enough attention to each one, but I definitely feel a little behind. But now I’m back to blog posts! Today, I want to cover some questions that you may want to ask your beta readers when you give them your book.
Beta readers are a crucial component of the writing process because they offer insights into what is working and what isn’t from an outsider’s perspective. You can only read your own book so many times before you become blind to its faults. But in order to figure those out, you need to know what questions are best to ask! So, I’m going to lay out a list of good questions below for you to pick and choose what you really want to know about your story. Feel free to take all of them or select the ones that fit your concerns about your story the best!
Story
Did my story hold your interest throughout the book?
How long did it take you to get hooked into the story?
Was there any point where you felt like the story stalled?
Did you notice any plot inconsistencies that need to be addressed?
Did the dialogue sound natural to you?
Was there enough conflict and intrigue to hold your interest? Are there places would you have liked to see more?
What were your favorite scenes or chapters? Did any section jump at you specifically?
Are the plot twists both believable and unexpected?
How did you feel about the ending?
Do you think the writing style fits the genre?
How was the novel’s pacing?
Was there any point that you put the manuscript down?
Characters
Can you relate to the main character? Do they seem believable? Are you able to see both strengths and weaknesses that make them a well rounded person?
Were there characters that needed to be fleshed out more?
What was your opinion on the villain?
Are the relationships between characters believable?
How do you feel about the main character’s goals? Are they working towards those goals in clear ways throughout the book?
Worldbuilding
Does the world interest you? Does it excite you?
How were my descriptions? Would you like to see more or less of them? Do they need to be more detailed?
Which setting was most memorable to you?
I hope these questions will be useful to all of you tackling this stage in the writing process. Enjoy! Happy writing!
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