I am a writer. I am a writer. I am….
I am a writer with a draft novel(la). I have made three passes through it editing and revising. It will likely be ready for publication after another ten passes. LOL!!
Ten passes may not be enough without other’s review. I am so close to it, I have trouble seeing improvements. I have read this is common and that any writer or author benefits from having a beta reader provide feedback. I haven’t encountered someone willing to devote the time to read the novel and give me their review.
Scribophile.com
I joined Scribophile.com when I could not locate a beta reader. This provides feedback on my writing without having to pay an editor. The novel is too raw to spend hundreds of dollars for an editor’s review. Scribophile permits me to post a chapter for comment.
There is a cost to getting reviews on Scribophile. One earns them by critiquing other writer’s works. One earns points according to the length of the critique one provides. I earn the minimum of one point with a critique of 125 words. Additional words add to the points in tiny increments.
I have received critiques on three chapters to date and have points for two more when I am ready to submit. It requires five points to get into the limelight. Once in the limelight, I can expect at least three long reviews. Spending time to critique other’s works gets me three critiques.
Is it worth the effort? Yes! I have gotten useful criticism and suggestions for improving the flow of the chapters I submitted on the site.
WANAtribe.com and the writer
I am supported in the writing process by writers on the WANAtribe.com site. Many of these are aspiring writers like me, and many are traditionally or self-published. They run “sprints” after which everyone announces their use of the time. Not everyone writes on every sprint, but they are there to support those who use the time to write. Highly recommended to anyone looking for support in the writing process.
Do you have a favorite online support group? Share using the comment form, please.