19 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
19 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
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*Source: [Questions I Ask My Beta Readers – @burntoutdaydreamer on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/burntoutdaydreamer/736178941698752512/questions-i-ask-my-beta-readers)*
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## Questions I Ask My Beta Readers
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"Did you like it?" just doesn't cut it when you're trying to get useful feedback, so here's some questions that get your reader really thinking about your work:
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- What are your general impressions after reading? How did you feel when the book ended?
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- (For fantasy/sci-fi) What did you find most confusing about the world? What did you find the most interesting? What do you want to know more about?
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- Were there any scenes that broke your suspension of disbelief? Which ones? Why?
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- Which chapters were the hardest to get through? Did you find yourself skimming the text at any point in the story?
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- Which character was your favorite? Which was your least favorite? Why? (Note that this question is best when asking multiple readers. If one person really dislikes a character, it could be personal preference. If multiple people can't stand a character for the same reason.... well, that's a problem you need to fix. Unless, of course, you want your readers to hate that character. Just make sure that their hatred enhances the reading experience instead of ruining it).
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- Did you get any characters confused or mixed up? If so, did this make the story hard to follow?
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- What was the most suspenseful moment in the book? What was your favorite moment of the story? What was your least favorite moment in the story? Why?
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- Which setting in the book was clearest to you as you were reading it? Which setting was the most difficult to envision?
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- Did you feel there was a lot of info dumping at any point? If so, where?
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- How do you feel about the plot? Were there any parts that confused you or seemed nonsensical/ illogical?
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- Did you feel any part of the story was predictable? Do you have any predictions for the next book(s)? If so, what are they? (Again, another question that's best when asking multiple readers. Be aware of your audience here. Some people, especially those who read a lot, are really good at predicting where stories are going to go. If those people are able to guess what happens next, that might actually be a good thing, because it could indicate that your story is progressing logically. Too much predictability is a problem, but a little isn't bad. This question is just to make sure the plot twists/progression aren't painfully obvious to most readers).
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- What plot holes did you find in the story so far?
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- Were you invested in the story? If so, at what point did you become invested? Did you lose this interest at any point? (The second point here is really good for determining whether you have a slow beginning. Sometimes readers might really like your story overall, but would not have gotten past the first few chapters if they were reading it for fun instead of as a favor for you. This happened to me last time I asked someone to read my work, and it made it clear how much of the beginning I needed to rewrite entirely).
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- Any other questions or comments?
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