First, a picture of my cutie, putooty grandson who I got to visit with this past weekend. Enjoyed four days in Arkansas seeing my son's new home. This picture was taken at the Natural's ball park. They are a double A baseball team affiliated with the Royals. And my team, the Springfield Cardinals, were in town playing them. Of course, I had to go. If he looks hot, it's because it was over 90 degrees at 6 pm. That is the only thing we did outside of the house. Which was fine with me. The rest of the time was spent watching six House of Cards episodes and playing with the baby.
But, I also spent time beta reading a writer friend's new book. For those who don't know, beta reading is one of the first steps you should take after writing a novel. You give it to people you trust, to read and tell you what they think. I usually go a bit further and do some editing suggestions. Just because I like that part of it.
If you're ever asked to beta read here are a few rules:
- Make sure the book is ready to read. The writer should have done all the editing they could on their own before they ask for your help. You definitely don't want to read a first draft.
- Be kind, but honest. Most writers really want to know what needs improvement. If they don't, then they shouldn't be asking for your input.
- Try to point out things like POV mistakes, inconsistent characters, plot holes, or anything that just doesn't make sense to you as a reader.
- Don't make any changes yourself. Use Word comments to make your suggestions. You are not the author.
