I'm often asked to be a beta reader for writer friends so these hints are invaluable in steering my thinking to bringing up places where the author can make some tweaks that will make the story stronger and more resonant.
Most writers at some point get past the need for writing craft books. When that happens the masters level lessons come from reading a lot of books, both good and bad. At some point writers start reading differently in that they analyze everything they read. This is both good and bad. It’s always an education, though hard to just enjoy the reading experience. But it makes us better writers!
I'm often asked to be a beta reader for writer friends so these hints are invaluable in steering my thinking to bringing up places where the author can make some tweaks that will make the story stronger and more resonant.
Most writers at some point get past the need for writing craft books. When that happens the masters level lessons come from reading a lot of books, both good and bad. At some point writers start reading differently in that they analyze everything they read. This is both good and bad. It’s always an education, though hard to just enjoy the reading experience. But it makes us better writers!