How having a Beta Reader has made me a Better Reader
To all those writers, journo's, bloggers, vloggers, poets, laureates, composers and so forth, you would understand that the joy of writing, while creative and intuitive is somewhat an isolated process. We draft and redraft. Edit, sub edit, antagonise, get caught up on, rewrite and finally, when we are ready for our writing to emerge from our subconscious and the conscious world (where all great ideas form), having not only Alpha readers but a Beta Reader is better for the creative process.
An Alpha reader is the first person who sees your (in this instance, let's use a novel as an example) first draft. They provide feedback on what is potentially draft 0 to 3ish or more! They look for plot holes, structure challenges or ascertain an emotional connection to the work. A Beta reader reads the draft in its more advanced form. Someone who is not attached to the writing like those in your inner circle, but an essential set of independent, impartial set of eyes to view the work. It could be the target audience of your genre or one who does not read in the genre at all; they could be paid or unpaid or a friend of a friend.
Why has this made me a better reader? I have been chosen to be a Beta Reader a few times, which is an honour in my most humble manner. Reading the work yet to be published for a writing critique comes with a sense of VIP-ness (if that is even a word!). It has opened my eyes to other forms and genres; I've been able to experience the play of words and dive into the heart and soul of someone else's story – first! I've assisted with dialogue, paragraph structure, conflict construction, and title suggestions in my Beta readiness.
Beneficial from both sides. Critiquing someone else's work prepares one to critique their own– while praise, suggestions and questions are essential in the beta process, you may often find that the responses you have for others can circle back to your own. Though we shouldn't just call it Beta Reader, perhaps all creative work needs its own 'Beta.' I can claim that being a beta reader has made me a better reader!
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