JJ Anderson

I’ll be honest, at the start of this final beta read, I had some hesitations. While I overall felt good about my story, I felt that one of my characters, Aruiyah, was giving me some trouble. Despite revision after revision I was still dissatisfied with her character arc; it felt as if she had so much more potential than what I had written for her. This sentiment was echoed by both of my previous beta readers too. I knew what was wrong generally, but didn’t know how to fix it.

Luckily, my husband, who is much more emotionally aware than me, had excellent suggestions! After our discussion (and the disappointing realization that I would have to do some more rewriting), I knew his feedback was what this character needed. I went back to drafting mode with a fresh mindset and planned my changes, and we both feel much better about her character development!

While all of this has somewhat delayed my submission timeline by requiring a rewrite of several chapters for her character, I am satisfied and energized to finalize these changes.

As expected, this last beta read has been the most thorough, especially in terms of characterization, plot, and world-building. If all goes well, I plan to be finished with Aruiyah’s chapter edits by the beginning of July, and for the last beta read to be completed by mid-August at the latest. Then, it will be the anticipated moment for me to submit queries (and hopefully manuscripts) to literary agents: perhaps the most nerve-wracking part of all!

Wish me luck!

P.S. I cannot emphasize how much having beta readers and a creative critique partner has been for the development this story. If you are struggling with your own creative project, I strongly recommend talking with others (especially someone who can be honest with you) to get new ideas and constructive feedback!