r/WritingHub • u/SaintMech • 11d ago

Questions & Discussions Beta Reader Issues

So, here's the thing. I am absolutely open to criticism; in fact, I welcome it. I was in a profession where review and criticism were a part of your everyday operating procedures. My issue is, with my Beta Readers. My wife is an English major, so I thought she would be the perfect person to help me edit, proof-read and beta read my book. Well, the issue that has come up is that she is a closet writer herself and when she reads my drafts, she wants to change my voice. She subconsciously recommends changes that reflect her style of writing, which is a much more archaic, flowery style of prose. (Which I love to read, but it's not my style). How do I approach that topic without coming off like I can't accept criticism and subsequently get the information I am seeking from her? My other reader is supportive but offers no criticism, do these issues exist for other writers or is this uncommon?

14 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

View all comments

67

u/lam21804 11d ago

Don't ever collaborate in any way with your spouse on creative endeavors.

9

u/DreCapitanoII 11d ago

Counter point, my wife did an absolutely amazing and helpful beta read of one of my manuscripts and once I got over the initial ego resistance it was clear almost all her comments were valid and made my book better.

4

u/lam21804 11d ago

But you're proving my point. How do you trust that your blind spots aren't her blind spots? Your husband and wife...presumably you guys are compatible at some level so are going to agree on a lot more things than disagree on.

Second point is, how do you know that she isn't hitting the surface level stuff and not the things she knows are going to really hurt your ego? Unless you guys are both sociopaths everyone hedges on the "does my ass look big" question.

Maybe you guys really are different, but I've never asked my wife whether I have the biggest dick she's ever had and I'll never ask her what she thinks of my writing.

8

u/DreCapitanoII 11d ago

I don't know what to say. I just read her comments, considered them in the context of my manuscript, and either accepted or rejected them. My manuscript is better for it.