You Know You've Got the Wrong Beta Reader When . . .

I once beta-read a novel that had a lot wrong with it and, frankly, was not interesting at all. I mean wooden dialogue, a plot where nothing noteworthy happens, super bland voice, boring parts that lasted forever, etc. I was very diplomatic and positive (i.e. solution-based rather than critical) when I outlined the issues, but the author got angry and hurt and super super offended, then said that i was "just one reader" and she'd start submitting to agents because everyone else loved it. Okay great, good luck!

 

Sounds more like wrong book - he was thinking about another book, not the one you wrote!

 

Yes. Contact a mod and get it posted in the forum bookstore.

https://www.writingforums.org/bookstore/

 

lol I'm thinking he wanted a zombie dog book and not a cuddly cat book. haha Wrong writer for that......for now.

 

You know you've got the wrong beta reader when they dispute that the hair color of the main character should be something else. Sigh, true story.

 

Oh my, that's terrible.
I think that some beta readers take to reading books without actually thinking about the theme beforehand. You'd expect them to know what they're getting into.

 

At least they TOLD you they weren't going to read it! I've had ones that only wanted to read, but not give notes. Ones that are PUMPED to review, but then I don't hear anything from them for months and months...and months, and when I ask how far they are, I get "it's great! Love how you paint the picture!" LAME. OH... and then there are the ones who (supposedly) DO make notes, but then "forget" to bring it back to me (every day. For eight months.) SIGH...

 

You know you've got the wrong beta reader when he tells you you've got too many elves in your story...in a story featuring elves and humans.

This was a thing that actually happened to me in high school.

 

You know you have the wrong beta reader/writing contest judge when they give you comments like this:

I was lost with the girlfriend playing some sort of game outside. Seemed a little strange and not like it really would have happened to me. If it really did, you need to re write it or just come up with something else if it didn't.
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Uh, lady? You mean I'm only supposed to write about things that happened to you? Or to me, if that's what you meant?

 

Ha ha! That's actually very funny and very incoherent as well. Dearie dear....

 

When they go on another forum and bitch about how you took their kind beta reading as an affront to your ego and they no longer want to offer critique.

Yes, You Know Who You Are, some of us are on other forums as well. And my ego wasn't the slightest bit offended by you being wrong.

 

Aw, you're ruining the fun!

 

Pretty much my goal in life. I'm the human Grumpy Cat.

 

When you ask them what they thought of chapter [whatever] when [completely made up scene that doesn't actually exist] happened, and they say they loved it. [o:50]

 

@OurJud Is this fiction made up about your fiction, does it happen often when you get Beta feedback?

 

Just an imaginary scenario @Cave Troll - I've never had a Beta reader.

 

I never remember character names. Sometimes I give them nick names... or call them by their initials.

I don't think I've ever had the wrong kind of beta-reader. I love 'em all!

 

Same here. I tend to remember initials, which is why I'm always telling authors not to have two major characters with the same initials, especially if they're similar in length and gender... I read one yesterday where the two female mains were Emma and Ezra, ARGH!

It's not because I don't pay attention. It's just the way my brain processes names.

 

OT, but I even confuse my own characters if they have the same initials. I won't even notice it, but if I have Bob and Bea, I'll sooner or later write Bob gazed at me from under her long lashes.

Not saying a woman couldn't be called 'Bob,' but...

 

I go so far as to write up a spreadsheet to keep track of names so none repeat initial letters in either first or surnames. This was advice I read many long moons ago and I've lived by it ever since.

I made one exception in my WIP with Constable Jack Parker and Fred Percy, but with one being the town constable, I figured I could get away with it.

 

I sometimes do this even without two similarly named characters. My MC recently forgot his ex-wife Geri's name and started calling her Gina. Cue much confusion from critique partners.

 

I started doing this too, simply as a way to track who is which, and what relates to whom. This way, ten chapters away from naming a stupid horse, should said horse need referenced again, I can find it's name in a jiffy.
I have a column of names for men, women, Gods/Goddesses/Devils/Demons/etc, and a column for livestock. As long as the names are in different columns, I don't worry about them starting with the same letter. I doubt very much that anyone will confuse Branwen, the Queen, with Bretta, a sheep.

 

I have one for make and model of vehicle they drive.

I suppose it would depend on context, but hopefully if the passage talks about Bretta eating grass (and that's not also a hazing ritual for royalty) it would be self-evident.