3 Essential Editing Tips: Getting Feedback

Getting Feedback (Part 2)

Beth Barany
Sep 6, 2018 · 3 min read
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Ezra and I are preparing for the October “Plan Your Novel” course (details here) and students are looking forward to writing their novels.

Recently some of my students write me and let me know you had questions about editing your novels, so I want to share with you three essential editing tools.


When I finish a story, I don’t know if it’s any good. I’m too close to it. Do you have that experience?

I could let it sit in a drawer for a month or a year, so that I can get my emotional and psychological distance, but I don’t have that kind of patience for many of my stories. (Though some I sit on for a long time.)

To move the writing process forward, I get feedback on my stories.

Where to Find Critique Partners

Many people ask me where to find critique partners. I’ve found mine in my local Romance Writer’s of America chapter.

I recommend you meet people in your local genre writing organizations and see if you can exchange manuscripts with them.

Some people find critique partners online. Communities like SavvyAuthors.com offer ways to find like-minded writers.

Facebook groups are a resource too. A friend of mine found one of her critique partners at the Science Fiction Romance Brigade group on Facebook.


The key is to ask for what you want. (In getting writing support as in life!)


Once you’ve found a supportive critique partner, ask for the kind of feedback you’d like, and not like.

What to Ask Them

When I’m handing off a first draft that’s been cleaned up for grammar as best I can, I ask these questions:

Hi [Awesome critique partner],

Thanks for your help on my [title/working title] xxx length book.

Please let me know your thoughts on: — character arc — plot — strength/weaknesses as a romance [customize this to you]

And anything else that confused you. And the things you liked!

No need to point out typos, unless they really bugged you.

Thanks, Your bestest buddy, Sincerely, Awesome Author

Feel free to use this as a template for your first request. (Be sure to take out the generic stuff and the silly stuff, if you want.)

Next Steps

I usually wait a day or two before inputting the changes pointed out by my critique partner. I take her feedback with a grain of salt. I’m the final decider after all. (You’re the decider!)

My attitude: I keep my overall story goal in mind and the overall impact I want my story to have on the reader.

For example, for my paranormal romance, I want them to be a fun and light read that touches the heart. For my fantasy, I want to create a page-turning adventure of transformation. For my science fiction mystery, I want an edge-of-your-seat fast-paced hunt.

In all cases, I want my characters to be compelling and for my readers to feel as if they are my point of view characters.

My actions: I work on the story in a few sessions, taking the story section by section, starting from the beginning and moving through to the end.

After I’ve worked on the edits as best as I can, I get final feedback from advanced readers. I’ll go into this next week.

What questions do you have about editing?

Please comment and let me know your thoughts. I’m always interested in hearing from you!

All my best,

Beth

PS. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is coming soon.

PPS. If you’d like to talk to a writer’s coach about help with your editing, learn more about that here.


My gift to you: Writer Discovery Mini-Course: http://bethb.net/discover

Delivered by email, this 5-day mini-course is designed to bring you clarity and inspiration to your writer’s life. It’s a deceptively simple course, but writers have told me that answering these 5 questions has been extremely helpful, enlightening, and even fun. Enjoy!

Beth Barany

Written by

Science Fiction/Fantasy author. Award-winning novelist. Founder: Barany School of Fiction. Free class: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discoverycourse.

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