How To Implement Feedback

Welcome back to this accidental mini-series on beta reading feedback, reviews, and handling said feedback. The past four weeks have really been one of Bob Ross’s happy little accidents.

We talked about:

Today, we’ll chat about implementing feedback. How do we dissect our beta readers or editors’ comments, figure out what they mean, and find ways to use the feedback in our writing.

Ready? Let’s go!

Critique vs Criticism

I’ve mentioned this in every other post in this series, and we’re returning to my little hill today. It’s that important.

Criticism wants to hurt. It sounds like ‘You suck,’ ‘I could’ve done this better,’ ‘Your book is terrible,’ ‘Nobody should read this,’ ‘You should do it this way,’ etc.

Critique wants to help. It sounds like ‘This has potential,’ ‘I liked/loved/hated/didn’t like,’ ‘I think,’ ‘Maybe try this,’ ‘In my opinion,’ etc.

All creatives must learn how to spot the difference.

If you’re looking for in-depth examples, check out How To Be a Great Beta Reader and How To Handle Negative Feedback.

I received critique, now what?

* Take a break

Step away for a day or two to process what was said.

Often enough, allowing ourselves to think about feedback with a level head is half the battle won. Having said that, I know how difficult stepping away can be, especially early in our writing journey.

Talk to someone you trust, bounce around some ideas, and see what you come up with. Just don’t complain about negative feedback online.

The good news? We reach a point where even the most negative feedback can excite us. There’s this magical moment when a reader makes a random remark and All The Ideas jump into our heads. Our fingers itch and our butts long to dent our workspace chairs—we know how to fix the problem. And it’s going to be epic.

* Consider all the feedback

Authors must be able to sift through the feedback to identify the core problem.

Sometimes, a person just doesn’t like something, and that’s okay. The general rule of thumb is that you have a problem when multiple beta readers/reviewers point out the same issue.

If one beta tells us Susie never reacts to anything, fine. Opinion. We also have an opinion, and we think she’s great, so those two opinions cancel each other out. But if multiple beta readers say Susie is passive, she needs editing. (Except, of course, if the story requires her to be that way.)

Trust your editor, friend. The things beta readers comment on are often those things our editor mentioned and we chose to ignore. On the flip side, if our betas constantly pickup issues our editor missed, we may need to shop around for another editor.

* What does the feedback mean?

Sometimes, we’re lucky, and our beta teams not only pinpoint exactly what needs work in our stories, but they can also articulate it. Other times, their feedback can be vague—a feeling more than a specific element—and the beta reader can’t explain what bugs them.

Thankfully, solving the riddles of vague feedback is another skill writers can hone. It really does become easier with time.

Additionally, most issues brought to our attention through vague feedback have easy fixes. When someone has a feeling they can’t pinpoint, it’s generally because whatever bothers them is a common building block in stories and they can’t pinpoint it because it’s so common.

Characters

Feedback about characters often sounds like ‘I liked’ or ‘I didn’t like.’ It’s easy enough to accept when a character is popular, but figuring out why one who was supposed to be likeable isn’t can be tough, especially without specific reasons.

Here are some examples of vague feedback and possible solutions:

I didn’t understand Ellie/What’s up with Malcolm?/I didn’t really connect with Tom/Paige kind of got lost in the cast

This character probably needs layering and nuance. Adding a backstory, giving them hobbies, tightening their relationships with other characters, and setting them more firmly in their world can make all the difference.

Also, consider whether this character is strictly necessary. What do they bring to the plot? Would the scene still work without them? Can they be combined with another character? If there isn’t a good reason to include them, maybe they shouldn’t be there.

I don’t get Jack’s motivation/Why is this so important to Laura?

A solid backstory or a scene illustrating what drives this character is important. The stakes might also not be high enough. Once we understand what the character stands to gain, but also what they risk losing, we can tailor their obstacles and desires to clarify their motivation.

Why do the other characters like Luca so much?/Max seems ditzy/Alex is kind of manipulative

The character might not react consistently. If they go from angry to happy to weepy on one page they’ll likely come across as a whirlwind and the reader won’t keep up with their moods. If the character doesn’t react at all, they’ll seem like a stone wall. Both of these characters have a place in stories, but then the writing must be intentional.

Giving a character a humanising moment might be the answer, too. If we see her break over spilt milk during her fight with her demons while keeping her emotions inside, we’ll connect with her. We’ve all had that moment where the smallest thing tipped the scale, right?

World and dialogue

If readers say they can’t picture the setting or characters, adding descriptions will solve the problem.

Sometimes, readers will complain about too many details and we’ll need to cut down on descriptions. Incidentally, excessive descriptions can also slow the pace. If readers complain that action scenes aren’t punchy enough, it might help to set up a scene before the action starts. Adding a few descriptions can be handy when we intentionally want to slow the pace or show a character dissociating.

If readers say the characters don’t sound like teens/wizards/dragon-riding snake-people, research dialogue and speech patterns. Sit in the park or mall, and listen to conversations as people pass. Scour YouTube for videos, watch TV shows, or listen to podcasts.

Bonus tip—create unique slang! The world will seem more believable and we avoid slapping a date on our books, too.

Word choice and style

If readers complain about struggling to follow the story, we might’ve:

Included too much exposition
Used too many unfamiliar words
Used too many passive sentences
Used too many words with repetitive qualities

Eyes gloss over info-dumps, sentences of the same length, or too many run-on sentences. If all the sentences are short, reading them will be choppy, and the reader will probably keep losing track of events.

Never underestimate the power of grammar!

As a final thought, a good writing community will help to make sense of vague feedback. It seriously helps to chat with writers in the trenches.

* Brainstorm solutions

Our brains often struggle with critique and suggestions subconsciously and provide answers as random ideas.

So, write down every idea, no matter how silly it seems. Even if we don’t use these ideas for this story, they might work for another story or later book in the same series.

Once we’ve gathered all the ideas, we can cobble them into a workable plan. Draw pictures, make cue cards, mindmaps—whatever. This process often works better when we have a trusted sounding board, someone who can help us cut what doesn’t work and keep only the good stuff.

If the answers still elude us, writing exercises might help.

Rewrite the problematic scene from another character’s perspective. Write short origin stories for the characters who seem too bland. Write an AU scene where the protagonist falls for someone other than the chosen romantic interest. Rewrite a chapter from third POV instead of first, or vice versa.

If all else fails, work on something else. Be kind to yourself! You aren’t a screwup because you wrote something that bothered your beta team. Even the most accomplished writers make mistakes.

We don’t leave the womb as pro runners—we have to build the muscle, take that first step, fall on our faces, and learn to trust our feet before we can run. Writing is the same.

The more we practise, the better we get.

* Apply the changes

Once we’ve reached this point, it’s simple. Write!

If plot elements change, characters are combined/removed, or scenes are cut, check the entire manuscript for continuity elements. Note important changes that will influence future books in a series.

Some authors will have their alpha or beta teams read the manuscript again after they’ve implemented changes, but this is up to you. I have a sensational alpha reader (hiya, Shants) who helps me check for gremlins after I’ve altered the plot, but I don’t necessarily have the beta team reread the manuscript after every change. I do, however, have my books beta-read before they go to my editor. It’s best to send the most polished draft to be edited.

And that’s it from me! Thanks for reading, and see you again next week.

Yolandie