June 21, 2021
If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?
I’ve been pondering this question all week. Through writing, I’ve met so many good authors either in person and on-line, that picking one is nearly impossible.
Then I hit my forehead with my palm in that classic gesture, because I don’t have to pick. I already have several!
First up. I’d like you to meet Cornelia Amiri. Cornelia and I were matched through a Yahoo news group back when I was getting ready to publish my first book, and we’ve been beta reading and critiquing for each other ever since. I love her stories, which lean heavily on Celtic myths and legends, although she also writes steampunk, and science-fiction.. I’ve learned a lot from her stories! You can check out her books at https://www.amazon.com/Cornelia-Amiri/e/B002BLFENY%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share.
I’m not an expert on Celtic gods and goddesses. And that’s good, because it allows me to concentrate on the story line. (Her shapeshifters are different from mine!) We’ve learned each other’s weak points and what we do well. She points out places where I can add emotion to my writing. I find places where her timeline is messed up. She finds phrases that I over-use; I find where the spelling of an archaic Gaelic name switches spelling in the middle of the story. We make each other better writers, and I appreciate all the help and encouragement she’s given me.
But there’s more! I belong to an on-line critique group, and there are a few folks there who I trade critiques with on an ongoing basis. Sure, the quality of the critiques varies, but even the bad ones give me insight into things that I can improve. I won’t mention them by name here because I don’t know their real names, only what they use on the site. One of the best parts about the site is that it attracts writers from all over the world. Not only am I getting suggestions from writers from varied backgrounds, I’m receiving suggestions based on different cultures. (and English usage- it threw me the first time I say quotations marked with a single quote versus a double one ( ‘ not “))
For the sake of the discussion, I’m going to call out one writer I’d live to work with – Jenna Bennett, author of the Savannah Martin Mysteries, as well as others. She’s a USA Today and New York Times best-selling hybrid author, publishing both with traditional publishers as well as indie with a knack for telling a good story. I think she’d be interesting to work with.
When I started writing novels, I didn’t expect it to lead to new friendships. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!
By the way, I’d love to work with the authors on this hop. But I can’t choose all of them, so I chose none. But to see who each of them chose, just follow the links below.
And, until next time, please stay safe.
June 21, 2021
If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?
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