It was only after I wrote a few drafts of my novel that I learned about beta readers. I’d heard of critique groups and manuscript swaps, but the first time I learned about this kind of reader was on a writing list-serv. Beta readers came highly recommended and were regarded by some as a necessity. Particularly to the novice writer. That would be me.

So what is a beta reader? Someone that gives feedback on a finished manuscript before it’s let loose on the world. Sounds fairly simple, but this type of reader doesn’t necessarily advertise. So where to find one? I did research on the Internet. Beta readers came in the form of friends, acquaintances, librarians, people one meets on Twitter/Facebook, pawn shop owners and practically anyone on the street who likes to read.

I didn’t want a beta reader who knew me and who might not want to be totally honest lest I hold a grudge for life (I would never despite what you may have heard).

A deeper search on the Internet unearthed an author who had a unique formula for finding such readers. I contacted this writer and asked permission to use her formula and to plagiarize her means of finding beta readers. She kindly agreed.

Her formula involved placing an ad on Craigslist and paying $10-$20 for a reader to read the manuscript. I changed it by requesting a read of the first 100 pages. I included these questions in my ad:

1) What did you like most about Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters?

2) What did you like least?

3) Where did your attention begin to wonder? (you can mention chapters and/or scenes or page numbers)

4) Where did you find the most difficulty in putting the book down? Where were you most excited? (you can mention chapters and/or scenes or page numbers)

5) At any point (and please mention where) were you confused? If so, where and what was the cause of confusion?

6) What would you change about the book in broad terms? This can be a scene, character, beginning, end, etc? Please be as descriptive as possible.

7) If the suggested changes you mentioned above were made, would you buy the book if it were published? Why or Why not?

Look for beta readers who like your genre and who fall in your highly anticipated audience. I closed my Craigslist ad by asking why they think they’d be a good beta reader. I ended up using four readers and found the suggestions from two of them quite valuable. They helped me make my book better. What more could I ask for?

I’m a pantser, not a plotter, meaning I tend to write by the seat of my pants. I don’t bother with outlines, note cards or a compass. Planning? What’s that? I forge ahead nearly clueless about what’s going to happen next. I figure if I’m taken by surprise, so will my reader. How’s that going for me? So-so. It’s like searching for buried treasure…with half a map.

Sometimes, it’s the bomb to be a pantser. I can’t wait to discover what comes next. Other times, I ask whaaaaaaat? That won’t work. Back to the drawing board.

With Book Two, I made a few adjustments in order to maintain my sanity, which I prize quite highly these days. I completed my second manuscript writing the same way, blind-folded, head first, plunging ahead. But after crossing the finish line, I went back and outlined each chapter. It was tedious and about as fun as polishing silver, but I felt a certain sense of direction. Which made me feel a little more sure-footed. I still forged ahead, but retraced my steps with iron boots to travel back and forth on the path more easily. Plus, it helped me conquer the yips, brought on by asking does this even work? Can I even write? Where am I? Who am I?

With Book One, I was happy with the ending. With Book Two, not so much. It felt wrong, which made me go back and travel in a different direction.

Maybe I’ve become a plantster. Whenever I reach a scene that doesn’t sit well, I review the chapter outline and either move scenes around, scrap them, and/or write something entirely different. That seems to work. Plus, if you’re a fiction writer, when the time comes to write the dreaded synopsis (condensing the 80,000 words in the manuscript into 500-750 words), what an advantage to refer to the chapter outline. It sure beats thumbing through 300 pages to figure things out.

Actually, I think I’m a flipper. I’ll flip between the two just to keep me on my toes and keep things interesting. How about you?

I had the great, good fortune of attending the San Francisco Writers’ Conference, not as a wannabe writer this time around, but as a published author. I’d won a scholarship award to this same conference a short time ago, and it was a game changer. I’d submitted a chapter for a historical fiction novel and won. To my astonishment, everyone I met at the conference that year assumed I could write! That gave me the confidence to go home and bust out 90,000 words over the next nine months that eventually led to a national scholarship award and finally, publication.

So when I was asked to moderate two panels at the 2017 Conference, I jumped at the chance. But first, I had some work to do to be the best moderator I could possibly be:

– I researched the panel members and studied their bios. I drafted my own bios for each, to vary from the ones the Conference offered, to pique the audience’s interest (I hoped).

– A few weeks prior to the Conference, I contacted each panelist to introduce myself and to “meet” them. This was a chance to determine their needs to ensure our panels progressed smoothly.
One panel needed little assistance; the other a little more. With the second panel, I created a list of questions and emailed them to the panelists. They fine tuned the list and used a few of the answers in their intros. We agreed to use remaining questions should there be a lull in audience participation. Good thing, because there was a lull, and I was able to jump in with questions that panelists were prepared to answer. This ensured a seamless flow and was a big relief for me.

I had the additional wonderful opportunity to be on the Mystery Writers’ panel with an excellent moderator and talented author, Penny Warner. If any of us mystery panelists forgot to mention an important fact during our intros (in my case, the title of my book – geez!), Penny jumped in and prompted us.

Being a moderator was a cinch, with a little preparation and communication. It allowed me the chance to learn from experts, to view a presentation from a different perspective and to be a mini-host at an event that was absolutely wonderful. What better place to spend time than in a community of writers and readers?