Greta van der Rol

Like many of us aspiring writers, I’ve been beta-reader for a number of other people’s books and I’m about to embark on another. Which led me to reflect on why I do it, what I look for and what’s in it for me?

Why is easy. I know how hard it is to get an objective third party to read my own work. I don’t want ‘this is wonderful’, I want constructive criticism to help me improve my writing. I’ve been privileged to have the benefit of that from a number of aspiring writer friends and I think it’s incumbent on me to return the favour. I have to say, too, I get a little thrill when my input helps. And if one of those books goes on to greater glory (like the Authonomy editor’s desk or *gasp* publication), I bask in its reflection, like a stage hand peeking from the wings while the principal actor takes applause.

What I look for is more difficult. Really, I don’t look for anything. I just read and record things that don’t work for me. I have my little list of ‘gotchas’, things that will always strike me. Two in particular stand out; incorrect use of ‘ing’ words and ‘there was/were’. Very often people will write things like ‘walking across the room he opened the door’. Er, no. You can’t do both those things at once. Whereas ‘walking across the room he smoked a cigarette’ is plausible. ‘There was/were’ is perfectly acceptable – but it’s often overused and just as often can be either omitted or the sentence can be rephrased to work harder using stronger verbs. Other things I’ll note are word repetition, word echoes, slips in point of view. But the real value in reading a whole book is you can see if the characters are well drawn and behave consistently; see if transitions are smooth, the story arcs flow and are complete; notice any parts where the plot doesn’t ‘work’. Etc. And those things you don’t look for, you just notice them.

What’s in it for me? After I’ve reviewed somebody else’s work I look at my own with a fresh eye. The ‘ing’ thing and ‘there was/were’ are so noticeable to me because I was guilty of them myself.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s great value in chapter by chapter crits to iron out the nitty-gritties. But the first three chapters does not a good book make. My great fear has always been to write a kick-arse first three chapters, leaping and bubbling down the hill – to end up in a meandering marshland of broken tributaries and a bog of cliché. And only a disinterested third party can tell me if I’ve got it right.