The Problem with Dragons

One of the activities that I have found to improve my own writing is to beta read for other writers. It makes me more conscious of mistakes in my writing as I point them out in others’ work. It also provides me with beta (dragon) readers for my work.

Having been on both ends of beta reading, here are some tips to be a good Beta Dragon Reader:

First, be honest and second, be kind. These two go hand in hand. If you are not being honest, then you are not being helpful. But being honest doesn’t mean being unkind. Remember the dragon you are beta reading for has feelings. They’ve poured their heart and soul onto the page.

Third, don’t forget to tell them the things you like about their stories; for example, I love that there were no dragons and that you created your own magical creatures. *Sigh* In my dreams, this would be my feedback. Maybe my dreams are foolish… but nonetheless, they are mine.

Fourth, if you don’t know how to evaluate a manuscript, here are my tips:

• Point out anytime you notice the author is not being concise i.e. using too many words.
  • Examples:
    • Wrong: Michael walked across the room, leaned his right arm against the fireplace mantle, and shook his head.
    • Right: Michael leaned against the fireplace mantle and shook his head.
    • Wrong: They stopped in order to fix what was going to be a big problem with the car.
    • Right: They stopped to fix a problem with the car.

• When you read what should be a pivotal scene, but you’re just not feeling it. This is generally symptomatic of an author doing too much telling and not enough showing. Note anytime the author tell’s instead of show’s. This writing concept means that the author is simply telling you what happened but showing is more interesting to the reader.
  • Examples:
    • Tell: Michael was cold.
    • Show: Michael shivered.
    • Tell: Samantha was upset.
    • Show: Samantha pounded the table.

• Watch out for Point of View (POV) violations – Are we in multiple characters’ heads at the same time? If the book is written in third person, you may get the POV of multiple characters, but remember it should be one POV per section or chapter.
  • Also note if the author slips into another style of POV – If the story is third person, it should remain so for the whole book. The author should not be slipping back and forth between first and third person.

• If you are confused or feeling uninterested, you should mention it; maybe the pacing is too slow or too fast.

• You don’t always have to understand why something isn’t working; if you feel that something just isn’t right, then mention it.

These, in my experience, are the most common writing sins – poor pacing, being unconcise, POV violations, showing instead of telling (all of which I am sometimes guilty of) – that I see when I am beta reading; but as a beta dragon reader, you should definitely feel inclined to comment on anything that isn’t working.

A big thank you to my beta dragon readers: Gabriel, Andy, Courtney, Alyss, Earl, Amber, and Lexi. Your support and assistance have been an essential part of this journey. I couldn’t have made it this far without you!

Have you ever beta read for someone? What did you think of the experience? What other story problems do you look for when beta reading?

This week’s book recommendation is a book for writers called The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. Co-authored by the writer of the timeless children’s classic Charlotte’s Web, it covers everything from commonly misused expressions and omitting needless words to the use of active voice. It’s an excellent reference book.

Writer’s, what other books do you keep around for reference? What dog-eared, coffee-stained writing tome lives on your desk?

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