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agonyaunt2024-10-18 09:40 am
minoanmiss) wrote in agonyaunt2024-10-18 09:40 am
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Dear Prudence: The Beta Reader Problem
Help! I’ve Finally Written My First Novel. When I Sent It to My Friend, She Was Appalled.
She had a lot of ideas for what I should change.
Dear Prudence,
I’m an aspiring writer, and I’ve almost completed a good draft of what would be my first novel. A major plot line involves a couple in a fantasy setting who escape from a difficult cultural situation and fall in love with each other during the journey. It’s kind of a sexy and gritty romance, with some intense scenes where the characters aren’t sure they can trust each other because of their difficult lives. To be totally honest, it’s probably a little cliché, or at least I thought so.
A close friend of mine read my draft and told me that she thinks it’s a problematic portrayal of romance, based on trauma bonding and fuzzy consent. Her ideas for what to change feel to me like they would take the romance and sexual chemistry out of the story. I thanked her for her feedback and made a joke about it being for adults and not an instructional manual, but now I’m kind of in my head about the ethics of my writing. This is my favorite type of story, and I’m in a respectful and functional romantic relationship. It’s OK to write a romance that isn’t perfect, right?
—Problematic Problems
Of course it’s OK to write a romance that isn’t perfect, but imperfect and “problematic” are different descriptions. Your friend has one opinion on where your work falls, and she shared it with you, but that’s only her opinion. I couldn’t say if she was right or wrong without reading the work myself, but even then, I would only be offering you one other opinion. If you trust your own reading of this issue, then your friend’s opinion might be appreciated, but ultimately, moot. If you’re feeling a little unsure now, you could share the manuscript with a few more writers you trust, or even friends who read books in the same genre. I am also certain some people do this work professionally, and for a fee, will read your book looking for problematic themes specifically.
No matter how many opinions you gather, it could always be the case that there is no consensus. And again, the decision on what to do with your book will come down to you and your feelings. This is the burden of the artist who shares their work with the world. We are only human, and sometimes, we get it wrong. But if she wants to, an artist can always pick up her pen and try again. You don’t have to be right. You just have to be brave enough to be wrong, and then, go on anyway.
—Ashley
She had a lot of ideas for what I should change.
Dear Prudence,
I’m an aspiring writer, and I’ve almost completed a good draft of what would be my first novel. A major plot line involves a couple in a fantasy setting who escape from a difficult cultural situation and fall in love with each other during the journey. It’s kind of a sexy and gritty romance, with some intense scenes where the characters aren’t sure they can trust each other because of their difficult lives. To be totally honest, it’s probably a little cliché, or at least I thought so.
A close friend of mine read my draft and told me that she thinks it’s a problematic portrayal of romance, based on trauma bonding and fuzzy consent. Her ideas for what to change feel to me like they would take the romance and sexual chemistry out of the story. I thanked her for her feedback and made a joke about it being for adults and not an instructional manual, but now I’m kind of in my head about the ethics of my writing. This is my favorite type of story, and I’m in a respectful and functional romantic relationship. It’s OK to write a romance that isn’t perfect, right?
—Problematic Problems
Of course it’s OK to write a romance that isn’t perfect, but imperfect and “problematic” are different descriptions. Your friend has one opinion on where your work falls, and she shared it with you, but that’s only her opinion. I couldn’t say if she was right or wrong without reading the work myself, but even then, I would only be offering you one other opinion. If you trust your own reading of this issue, then your friend’s opinion might be appreciated, but ultimately, moot. If you’re feeling a little unsure now, you could share the manuscript with a few more writers you trust, or even friends who read books in the same genre. I am also certain some people do this work professionally, and for a fee, will read your book looking for problematic themes specifically.
No matter how many opinions you gather, it could always be the case that there is no consensus. And again, the decision on what to do with your book will come down to you and your feelings. This is the burden of the artist who shares their work with the world. We are only human, and sometimes, we get it wrong. But if she wants to, an artist can always pick up her pen and try again. You don’t have to be right. You just have to be brave enough to be wrong, and then, go on anyway.
—Ashley