#critique partner

[melanielocke]

Beta readers wanted

Looking for beta readers for this story. If interested, send me a message!

YOU ARE NOT THE CHOSEN ONE is an adult queer epic fantasy, first in a series of 99K words. It combines saving the world from an apocalypse of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY with the cynicism of GIDEON THE NINTH. The book has two queer and autistic main characters with an Achillean and Sapphic romantic subplot.

All seer Cass Trueblood wants is to finally have some peace. But within a year, the world will fall to a Fear based apocalypse, and it’s up to Cass to find a Chosen One, guide them on their journey and save the world. But when he finally has the vision, he finds the unimaginable: there is no Chosen One.

Then Cass is rescued by firefighter Esti. She’s experienced with a sword, and best of all, she dreams of being Chosen One. Desperate to fulfill a destiny he never asked for, Cass tells Esti she’s the Chosen One. No one ever needs to know he lied.

Cass and Esti set off on a journey to the Fear ravaged continent, where an emotion based magic heightens fear, but also turns people to violence and brought an increase in dangerous monsters. Cass will do anything to save the world, tell any lie and commit any crime, but if he cannot learn to treat Esti as a person and not a piece in his game, he will lose her loyalty and doom the world forever.

[meya-lily-writes]

Alpha reader/critique partner request

I'm looking for an alpha reader/critique partner for my fic I'm working on. It's called The Perek Flower and the Meya Lily. It's a Garak/OC story.

The link to the first chapter is here if you're interested.

[unnamednemesis]

Creating a critique group

I am reaching out because I'm putting together a critique group. I am currently 90k into my novel, and going through websites like Critique Circle is too slow and giving mixed results.

Let me know if you're interested, there are no requirements. No experience needed. I've have enough experience to teach you how to critique a story properly if you don't know how.

If you don't know, a critique is constructive criticism aimed at helping the author improve their work by addressing blind-spots and short comings, as well as reinforcing and encouraging what they're doing right.

My novel is a sci-fi adventure, set in a modern day apocalypse (Society is currently in the process of changing, so it isn't post-apocalypse yet.)

My aim is to gather as many people with as many interests as possible, and facilitate people finding their ideal critique partners and writing groups.

[keyboard-squared]

Looking at the Positives: Negative Feedback Isn't All There Is

Ah, critiques. Don’t you love them? Exposing your book baby to someone else and watching them tear it apart piece by piece… Well, hopefully your critiques aren’t actually like that (and if they are, come talk to me so I can give you a more constructive critique). But they are scary! It’s hard to separate ourselves from our work, so when someone criticises something we’ve written, it feels like…

[its-autumn]

i wish they kept the idea that stolas was an antagonist/villain he would SLAP

but nah instead we got whatever.. this is

[cee-grice]

CRITIQUE PARTNER(S) WANTED

please. please. I recently lost my CP and haven't recovered, but that aside, I need! NEED! a few writers with whom we could discuss our wips and critique them... I'm literally climbing up the walls over here... if there are any SFF writers out there with similar needs, please, answer my call...

[recursive-impulse]

The addition of the Hex Claw to Viktor's final form when taken out of context of his League design and leaving only the in universe context is so funny to me

"Fuck you Heimerdinger my invention is amazing, actually, so much so that I'm going to permanently fuse it with my body for no readily practical reason."

[trans-ralsei]

she’s watching over my driving. which sucks. btw

[zagreusapollyon]

Hazel: I wanna do something to make frank happy, I'm coming up short tho :(

Annabeth: well-

Piper: Annabeth you judo-flipped your partner who you had not seen in the past 8 month and had no idea was alive the moment you saw him.

Annabeth:

Piper: girl I love you but ain't no one taking relationship advice from you, plus a daughter of Athena at that.

[mjjune]

How to be a Good Beta Reader (or: the difference between critique and beta)

This post is a follow-up to my ORIGINAL POST HERE "How to Have a Good Beta Reading Experience" [link embedded] so I recommend reading that one first for more info.

But I wanted to follow up because I've gotten some questions about it and I figured there was enough to make another post.

WARNING: this is SUPER LONG LOL

DISCLAIMER: Again, I want to clarify that this is based on my own experiences and what I personally look for in alpha/beta reading. Other writers/readers may disagree or have different tastes!

Topics Covered Below:

Critique vs. (Alpha &) Beta Reading

The Purpose of Beta Reading: Mindset

What Comments Should Look Like

How Much Should You Talk to the Writer About It? (Spoiler: it depends)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Critique vs. Alpha/Beta Reading

I want to start with this because so many times (as a writer) I have asked for beta readers, and basically gotten a critique (or "crit" as it will be called from here on). A crit can look a lot like many different things depending on the reader, but in general, here's the difference:

Critique: grammar, style, clarity, often line-by-line

Alpha/Beta: story structure, character arcs/development, plot, and overarching themes and ideas

And I say this because some writers might want both. Some want all these separately, and some want them all at once.

Generally, crits are harsher, and can resemble "tearing apart" a manuscript. They can certainly offer great feedback, but it depends on the writer and their needs.

Some writers, especially for those who have had critique partners in the past and this isn't their first story, may not want these comments at all. I generally prefer not to have them (unless it's something stark that draws you out of the immersive reading experience) because when it comes to grammar, style, and flow, these are things I can edit myself. I have had enough good critique partners in the past that I can handle that and don't need betas to do it for me.

However, some writers might not feel that way! But I definitely know I'm not alone here. Especially when manuscripts have already been critiqued and you specifically ask for a beta, it can be disheartening to receive this style of feedback (especially in large quantities).

Examples of critique-style comments:

Word choice and/or grammar edits

Line- or scene-specific comments like breaking down or giving advice on dialogue, action sequences, worldbuilding, and the writing itself

E.g. "this needs more visual description" or "this description is too long/drawn out" or "action sequences require faster pacing" etc.

Examples of alpha/beta style comments:

Character arcs/dev: "I liked this character's journey, but I didn't feel connected to them during XYZ parts of the book." or "I don't understand why this character chose to do this."

Plot: "This scene is what I consider to be the part where the plot really begins" or "I don't understand how ABC scene connects to XYZ scene."

So what's wrong with that? Nothing!

But you can see where if someone asked for an alpha/beta but the reader's comments are 90% crit-style, the writer might feel like the reader didn't like or connect with their work. If a reader is crit-style commenting x5+ per page, then they likely weren't engaged with the story so much as analyzing the writing style. And for alpha/betas, you want to be as immersed in the story as possible and analyzing the story.

Particularly if the manuscript has already been critted in depth, and is a polished draft (which, is certainly debatable, but that's a topic for another day) ready for betas, it can be frustrating to receive crit comments when that's not what you asked for. A lot of the times, for well-edited and mostly-polished drafts, these crit-style comments come down to personal preference with the reader editing your work to fit their personal taste. Which is not making the story better, just different.

But, to emphasize: if you were unclear in your expectations and the reader doesn't know that manuscript is already critted/polished going in, they might think you want these comments!

Also, some readers might be awesome critique partners, but terrible betas—and vice versa.

This is why I'm going to drive home my Big Takeaway from my first post: communication is key! Both writers and readers need to be clear on the type of feedback that's desired.

Of course, most readers probably do a mixture of both of these styles of comments, and this is fine! The important thing is to keep what the writer wants in the back on your mind. If you know the writer asked for a beta, then try to keep crit-style to <50% (or maybe even <25%) of your total comments. And vice versa, etc. etc.

TL;DR: A critique analyzes the writing. An alpha/beta analyzes the story. Many readers will look at BOTH, so it's important to discuss this beforehand and provide the feedback desired!

The Purpose of Alphas & Betas: MINDSET

So this piggybacks off of what I just discussed: if someone has asked for an alpha/beta, you should keep the GOAL of being an alpha/beta in the back of your mind. Especially if you're prone to crit-style comments, this will help you.

The goal of BOTH alpha and beta readers is to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE the writer. I know that's obvious, but so many times I have gotten comments or questions about why some readers' comments seem rude/inconsiderate or not constructive. And, at least in my experience, it's because the readers went in with the wrong mindset—a mindset more appropriate for crit, rather than alpha/beta.

So what is the goal? To me, the goal should be to figure out what the story is the writer is trying to tell. Maybe in some cases the writer is upfront about that, or maybe you're going in blind. But when I go into a book as alpha/beta, this is the question I try to remind myself throughout the journey:

What is this story trying to tell me, and how could it be stronger?

But MJ, what does that mean??

Because no, I don't mean the genre, or the plot, or even the character arcs or writing style. I mean:

What theme is this writer exploring / what is the message they're sending to readers?

And from there: what about the narrative/writing/plot/etc. interfered with my connection with this message?

Side story: let me use avof as an example. This is an urban fantasy with vampires and werewolves and shifters (oh my!). I had some shitty "betas" for this book years ago which really threw off my groove as I was editing because I didn't know they were bad betas. But the truth is they weren't betas at all. They were critiquing it, and from the mindset of "this is vampire romance book." They went in critiquing my book for something that it wasn't. They completely disregarded that it more aligned with adventure, not romance, and the themes explored were self-discovery, self-acceptance, the impact of immortality on psyche, and gender & sexuality & identity - and because of that, they critiqued the book without engaging with the book. If they had asked themselves "what themes are being explored?" they (hopefully) would've seen it wasn't romance, and likely would've engaged better.

So, to continue on with this main goal, there are other things to consider—what kinds of mindsets you should avoid!

Whenever I have gotten insensitive (and sometimes, full-on offensive) comments, these were contributing factors. Regardless of critique, alpha, or beta, these are true:

You are not the only reader. There are going to be multiple people giving comments, and your comments are all of equal weight. You may be the only person who can't visualize that fight scene. You might be the only one who thought a plot point was too predictable. In most cases you will never know if other readers agree/disagreed with you, which is why it is the writer's decision whether to take action on your comments are not.

You are not an expert. I don't care how long you've been reading, writing, or beta reading. I don't care if you've read 100 published books in this genre before. You are not the expert on this book. The writer is. You do not know what is better for the story than the writer does.

You are not here to decide whether the writer is a good writer or not. You should not be making statements that imply that the writer is inexperienced or new to writing. You should not go into reading a manuscript with the mindset of "I have more experience than this writer and I should share my knowledge & teach them something." (But if the writer has expressed this, then it might be okay in some instances to give advice.)

If a specific minority group is being repped on the page that is not ownvoices and you are part of that community, you could offer insight that can be helpful, but should ask the writer if they want that kind of feedback prior to giving it. If you are not part of the community, you should not comment unless the writer has requested it (unless ofc you're complimenting it lol)

When betas go in without these ideals, it can lead to at best, unhelpful comments, and at worst, condescending and hurtful comments. These are the comments that make writers feel like failures, or like their book is bad, or that they are bad writers. Or, for experienced writers who know you went in with these (toxic, imo) mindsets, it can hurt relationships, break trust, and/or make a writer roll their eyes and disregard all of your comments.

That isn't to say that you should only compliment and not have any negative feedback or ignore flaws you see in the writing, narrative, character development, etc... but it is best to go in with the mindset that you are here to give them insight so they can make their story stronger, not to teach/give advice or change the story.

A note on sensitivity, authenticity, and expert readers: In my opinion this is one of the only cases where direct education/advice should be given. I also recommend having at least 2 sensitivity readers per any group that's repped that's not ownvoices, because even two people from the same group may interpret your story differently or see different weaknesses/strengths. That said, it is important for readers who are not of the repped groups to hold their tongue. It doesn't matter if your partner or sibling or parents are part of a group repped on the page. If you are not a member of that group, you are not an expert. If you have an inkling that the writer has not had sensitivity readers yet, you can politely suggest it. But it could also be a case of you having different life views, ideals, and/or opinions than the writer and the group being repped, and that is why you are not a sensitivity reader. I can't tell you how many times I had cis/het betas say my representation of an identity or repping gender as fluid was inaccurate/offensive when it was ownvoices, or when I'd already had 3+ sensitivity readers for the group(s).

Basically, as an alpha/beta reader, you are here to offer insight and immerse yourself in the story. It's also good to remind yourself throughout reading that "this might rub me wrong, but another reader might like it." Framing your ideas and comments this way will help you be more objective and less "this is wrong/right" because there is no such thing in writing.

TL;DR: The goal of alphas/betas is to engage with and understand the STORY, give the writer insight into how you interpret it, and help the writer figure out how to make their story stronger. It is not to give advice or teach. The writer decides what changes to make and is the expert on their story.

Ok, now I got the Beta Mindset™. So how do I comment?

Well, really this will depend on the person. Everyone is different and will notice different weaknesses and strengths in any given manuscript. And, as I said above, most people naturally will provide some crit-style comments, it's just in our nature to point out when a writing style doesn't mesh with our preferences.

From a writer's perspective, at least for me, these are the kind of comments that are the most helpful for me:

"I..." statements. For example: "I am struggling to visualize this fight scene." Instead of rewriting it or pointing out that the descriptions or actions are weak or explaining how to fix it—this is an open statement that leaves the decision up to the writer.

Immediate emotional reactions are awesome for writers to know. For example, if a line made you laugh out loud, say so! If you get to the end of a chapter and were so immersed that you forgot to comment, say so!

And on the other end, if you were immersed but then something happens that snaps you out of it, say so! But without "because..." or "you should..." advice. Just say "hey I was super immersed, but in this paragraph you lost me."

I also recommend holding comments until the end of a chapter/section (minus immediate reactions as above). Look at scenes, chapters, acts, as a whole rather than individual pieces. This will help you focus on the story, rather than the writing.

I would also recommend this post!! Excellent, and I agree 100%!!

Other critical examples: "this is my favorite character but this decision is frustrating/confusing me"; "I was bored and skimming through this chapter"; "I'm not sure what [insert worldbuilding feature] means"; "I didn't know that the magic system could do this and I feel blindsided"

Other complimentary examples: "This line of dialogue really resonates with me"; "this has been my favorite description so far"; "I didn't see this coming but it makes perfect sense!"

And here are comments I suggest you avoid:

Anything that implies that the story is unfinished, too long, too short, etc. This might be ok for crits or alphas or if the writer has said that it's unfinished, but probably not for most betas. If the writer is at the beta stage, then likely they consider their manuscript finished (minus any changes they make based on beta feedback). If you feel the need, you might say something like "this genre is usually 80-100k and yours is 150k" but avoid wording like "the story is overwritten/underwritten", which can be hurtful. (Once, a story of mine was on draft 8 and had been called polished and ready to publish by various other people, and then one beta said, "this is a good attempt at a draft of an opening scene." So yeah, avoid stuff like that.)

Wording things in a way that make them seem like Facts. As a reader, everything you say is subjective. Regardless of what you are commenting on, what you are providing are opinions. Especially for writers who tell unconventional stories/structures, comments like "this isn't the way this is done" are just annoying and are not even true half the time.

Unless you can provide sensitivity feedback personally, do not criticize the representation of a group you are not a part of. If you see something overtly harmful toward a group on the page, you can politely suggest sensitivity readers, and leave it at that.

Try your best to not give reasons or "because" statements. "This action scene felt slow because-" "I didn't feel connected to this character because-" Nope. Stop right there, unless/until the writer asks to elaborate.

Side Story: My Favorite Comment One of the single best comments I've ever received in a beta was when they noticed a character making a decision that didn't seem right. They pointed it out and basically said, "This feels out of character to me because I don't think this character would do this. They have done XYZ in the past, and I thought their motivation was ABC, but this decision directly conflicts with that." Why was this the best comment? Because 1) they didn't tell me how to fix it, 2) it was objective with evidence and nonjudgmental, and 3) they were 100% right. What they had actually found was a plot device I had used to push the character in the direction the story required. But because they pointed this out, I was able to see the source of the issue and rework the scene so that the character's motivation was consistent and they still ended up in the direction of the plot.

Since I foresee questions, allow me to elaborate on the last point: so often, a reader will say "this isn't working for me because of this reason" but actually, they're wrong about the reason. Like the comment above, this beta could have easily said, "this feels out of character because you messed up their motivation." But the problem wasn't motivation, it was me using a half-assed character decision to move the plot in the right direction! The issue was the scene, not the character development. The advice to "fix the character's motivation" wouldn't have fixed anything and might've even made the problem worse.

This isn't to say that advice should never happen in an alpha/beta, but I personally believe that the best comments are not those that say "you should change/fix this" but instead say "this is working for me/this isn't working for me." It leaves it open for the writer to figure out how to solve the problem, if a problem even exists.

**Edited Summer 2024**

To paraphrase a writer I used to respect and did have some good advice, when people tell you something isn't working for them, they're always right. When they tell exactly what is wrong or how to fix it, they are always wrong.

TL;DR: Basically, you aren't here to give advice, or fix anything, or change the story in any way. You are here to show the writer how their story impacts you, what you connected with, what you didn't, how their writing style works for you. Keep your comments open-ended and use specifics to show the writer what you connected with and what you didn't. You are giving the writer insight into how readers will interpret and understand their work, and it is the writer's duty to then grow their work.

And that leads directly into our final section...

How Much Should You Talk to the Writer About It?

This depends on the writer. Sometimes, writers will do 5+ betas at once (even on the same document) in which case they might not talk individually with the readers about any of the comments. Some writers (not me lol) will have an alpha as they write the first draft so it's not even complete yet, so they would probably talk a lot.

Personally, some betas I talk to for hours trying to brainstorm fixes (see: @jamieanovels and @wildswrites lmao tysm 🙏), and some betas I will just say "thanks for reading <3" and that's about it. It depends on how much you commented, the types of comments, and if I felt like you genuinely connected with the story (or not).

Side Note: I do want to clarify that by "misinterpret" below I don't mean that the readers are wrong, I just mean that they interpreted differently than what the writer had in mind. There is no misinterpretation when it comes to any form of art. But if a writer intended for the Main Takeaway of their story to be one thing, but the majority of readers took away another—that's important for the writer to learn in the beta stage. (Also, some stories are vague or open to multiple interpretations on purpose.)

For me, I talk in-depth with alphas, and maybe some betas, but there are also a lot of betas I barely talk to. I don't think there is a right or wrong here. Because as stated above, alphas/betas are here to provide insight into how readers interpret, relate to, and understand the story.

So once the writer gets that, there may not be anything else to talk about. Or, maybe the writer has questions about something you commented, and will want to follow up. For me, especially if you interpreted something way differently than I intended, I might want to follow up to see what in the narrative made you go that direction. Or, if you interpreted exactly as I intended, I may want more insight into which parts stood out the most to you, or what your favorite parts were. Or... I might not feel the need to follow up at all, for either.

In general, in my opinion, writers should be leading these interactions. Unless the writer has welcomed it, readers shouldn't be reaching out to writers to further discuss the comments they left.

(Note: this is not the same as hype/fangirling. Please come to my dms unsolicited and go hype about my book)

You have agreed to read it and leave comments, but the writer has not agreed to have full discussions with you about their own work. The writer doesn't owe you follow-up on the comments you leave, and whether they liked or disliked, agreed or disagreed with your comments doesn't really matter.

You may leave comments that are totally out of line with what the writer wanted, and that's fine. You might leave comments that make the writer uncomfortable, and that's fine too. We can't control these things, and there is no way to know how someone will interpret a story or what comments they might leave.

That said, If a writer doesn't follow up with you on anything, that doesn't mean your comments were bad. It might just be the writer's style to process and make changes alone. Even if you "misinterpret" their work, or even dislike it, all perspectives bring something to the table. Giving the writer insight into how one might "misinterpret" and/or dislike what they've written can be just as valuable as the betas who loved it.

Regardless, it's important to comment in a respectful way—respectful to the writer and what types of feedback they request, the story itself, and yourself as a reader. We are all growing and learning together, and miscommunication or writers and betas who have misaligned goals can lead to hurt on both sides. Hopefully this longass post gave you some insight into how/why that happens, and how to avoid it in the future.

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ANYWAY that was a lot. I hope you got something out of this, because it took a week to write this up lmao

–mj

P.S. I am considering doing another in this series focusing on writers and how to handle comments (good and bad). If you'd be intersted in that let me know <3

P.P.S. if you'd like to be tagged in this series, message me or comment below!

[abyss-king444]

I need someone to hold me accountable for actually writing my W.I.P and vice versa. I'm also just bored and want writer friends so, if anyone is interested interact or send an ask.

[melanielocke]

I finished my round of edits in time for the new year! This also means I am currently looking for beta readers.

It is for my adult queer fantasy book of 111K. It is currently on 3d draft and primarily looking for feedback on the bigger picture, plot, pacing, characters etc, what is and isn’t working before I move on to finer details.

The book has two queer and autistic main characters, and there are an m/m and f/f secondary plot, though that is not the main focus of the story. CW for emotionally abusive parent, depictions of PTSD

Blurb:

Cass Trueblood needs a Chosen One.

Generations of Trueblood seers have found their Chosen One, guided them on their path and saved the world. But when it’s Cass’ turn, he comes up empty handed. For years he has seen the world fall and he is desperate to stop it and fulfill a destiny he never asked for. But he can’t do it without a hero.

When he’s attacked by people who would kidnap him for his ability to see the future, Cass is rescued by Esti Merdonia. She is a skilled firefighter, experienced with a sword and best of all, she wants nothing more than to be Chosen One. With her, Cass sees an answer to his problems. He tells her she is the Chosen One. No one ever needs to know it started as a lie.

Together, they set off on a journey to the continent long ravaged by the Fear, a magic epidemic that leads not only to heightened fear, but turns people to violence against one another and has brought an increase of dangerous monsters. Here, people have been waiting for the Chosen One for over twenty years, but all Cass has is a lie that’s growing out of control and if they do not stop the Fear within a  year, there won’t be a world left to save.

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @nickcaffrey @bemtevis

[meya-lily-writes]

Chapter 2 (technically 3) of The Perek Flower and the Meya Lily

Summary: Garak joins Omaara for breakfast. Omaara meets someone new.

[seeingteacupsindragons]

Critique Partner Basics

What Is a Critique Partner?

A critique partner (CP) is another writer with whom you exchange writing to get feedback from each other on your drafts so you can get better. A partner for critiques!

Do I Need One?

You should really probably have one if:

You’re trying for professional publication/marketing/selling your writing

Getting better writing skills is something you aim for

Otherwise, no, not really.

Do They Cost Money?

No, they cost time and effort and mutual support.

Can’t I Just Hire an Editor Instead?

Sure, but honestly, they don’t work as well. Critiquing other people and trying to see how their story works and articulate it to help them is half of the skilling up having a CP provides.

What Does a Critique Partner Do?

This depends on the people involved and what they’re good at critiquing for and what they want help with. In general, I expect these two things from CPs:

My story document back marked up with live-reading comments from track changes or Google Docs or a PDF with annotations or whatever.

An edit letter of 1-2 pages of overall thoughts to edit towards.

The in-line edits help if something small isn’t adding up, two details don’t match, and gives me a good idea at what point something repetitive became a serious issue, so I know how much patience my CP had with a flaw before they started losing it. It’s also usually fun—this is where I get CP comments laughing at my jokes or yelling about how much they love characters or snarking at them.

In-line comments tend to look something like this:

A mix of pointing out problem spots and bits they love. Often they will fix your typos, but that's generally not what you're getting a CP for.

Edit letters are often broken into sections of things they CP wants to talk about: what they thought of the characters, the stakes, the plot, the pacing, the structure, or any other element they want to specifically call out. A lot of it will be reflective of the line edits, but since it’s written later, it tends to be more cohesive and thoughtful of how things feel by the end of the story after seeing where the entire story goes instead of the experience of puzzling it out as they read it.

Sometimes they will offer suggestions, some more specific than others. They will tell you the things that are working and the things they aren’t, ideally.

I like to also have a back-and-forth with my CP after getting notes to answer questions and brainstorm ideas. This is optional; not everyone likes this.

What Should I Look For in a Critique Partner?

Someone who likes your writing, respects your abilities as a writer, and provides feedback you find useful.

A lot of writers, especially without strong community ties, often find themselves willing to accept basically anyone who is going to read their thing and give them some notes on it. That’s a pretty surefire path to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

I get it. I’ve done it a lot myself. But I’m going to advise you not to do it. If someone doesn’t get your writing or your story and wants to change it to something more like what they would like, that’s not helpful.

Here’s a few examples to illustrate the difference:

If your CP points out a few sentences that sound a little award or a paragraph is flat, that’s probably helpful! If they try to completely rewrite sections to better look more like their writing style, that’s probably not.

If your CP thinks maybe the story you have has themes or characters that sound more adult than YA and have you considered aging them up, that’s probably helpful! If they  suggest you age up the characters because adult books can tackle a concept that interests them and it wasn’t in your story, that’s probably not.

If your CP says the ending of your story left a lot of loose threads from subplots or other questions that were raised in the story and it feels unfinished, that’s probably helpful! If they say the ending of your story wasn’t satisfying to them because they didn’t like the message it sent to watch a character win, that’s probably not.

Basically, is your CP giving you feedback that will help you write the story you want to write? Do you both even want the same story out of the draft? Do they respect what you bring to the table?

How Do I Find One of These?

Ah, the million-dollar question.

Most writers find them through friends or writing communities they’re in. My best CPs have always been writer friends first, and then we start sending each other pages to test how well our vibes work. Make them on forums, on discord, on social media, in person writer’s groups, writing workshops and classes; whatever. You know a friend who is writing and whose writing you like and you’re both looking for someone to help edit? Great!

There are also sometimes events like CPMatch on Twitter, which are hashtag events to pitch your book and yourself as an editor to see if anyone is interested in reading it and swapping feedback with you.

Some people will run CP matchmaking. Sometimes this costs money. Personally, I don’t think I would bite for one of those, because if I didn’t get a useful CP out of it, I’d feel like it’s wasted money and time and not just time. But it is work for the matchmaker and some people are satisfied with matchmaking options, so having someone try to hook you up, for free or not, is also an option.

Websites like Critique Match also exist for the purposes of finding a CP. I don’t know how popular it is, but it’s also an option.

Most writing discords will have a “seeking feedback” channel and you can reach out there.

[noxious-fennec]

HI. HELLO. WHO ARE THE GAY PEOPLE COMMITTING CANNIBALISM ON MY DASH. i’m so obsessed with that pose and the way you draw them is so so so so. yeah. they look very very cool and also i’m NORMAL i would love to hear about them :)

YES HI HELLO thank you FINALLY

Those are Sebastien Carollo (left) and André Madiot (right); the protagonists of a historical literary duology im working on; set in the late 60s, exploring themes of personhood, unhealthy relationships, & queer identity ! It's really hard to talk about cause so much happens, but for you friend, I will try;

Sebastian grew up neglected, becoming a pathological deceiver, detached from the world around him and only recognising people in relation to himself; believing that real love is making others a part of him. 

That's with the exception of his abusive older brother Teodore who makes up the other end of the duality according to which he asses people; and who he ate out of what he deludes himself into thinking is love, but is clear envy for the kind of person he could've never become. He hid this fact for many years and suppressed all further urges, never allowing himself to love again.

Then, summer ‘67, Sicily; he meets André—might as well be a reincarnation of Teo—and his girlfriend Juliette dubois, while they happen to be on family vacation. Sebastian is immediately obsessed with André but, in poor judgement, tries to get to him through his girlfriend resulting in him being stuck in a loveless relationship with Juliette and alienating André. 

The first book starts 2 years later, 1969, Paris; Sebastian, a working dentist, trying to get out of the relationship and only falling deeper, simultaneously working through building a relationship with André through his younger sister Liliane, in whom he sees himself...

And i must stop there or we'll be here all day! I do say all that psychological stuff in the begining is very implicit; the man does not do a shred of self reflection, and relays the story where he abuses the people he's in love with as if it's hallmark romcom. That's why this synopsis is short on nuance, he does not give a shit about the inner lives of others, he doesnt even perceive them!

There's homoerotic fights, there's cannibalism, there's leaving your wedding to cover up a crime for a man youre in love with who does not love you back! I hope you enjoyed hearing about them!! Ive been working on this story for well over a year now and I'm very very insane about them :)

[eleonoraw]

Hi all! If someone would be interested I'm looking for more betas or critique partners for my apocalyptic fiction drama with romance and murder mystery. I'm at around 63,000 words, and I would need some feedback/thoughts on it.

More info inbox. 👉👈