First, I’d like to thank you, my fellow Insecure Writers, for your patience while we moved. In that short space of time, we moved our oldest daughter in with her sister and her family. My husband and I packed up our home of 36 years, sold it, and moved three hours away. And finally, we moved my 96-year-old mother-in-law into a nursing home. Sheesh! I’ll be going through boxes forever looking for what I need at the moment. You can read a short post with photos about our moving adventure at http://campingwithfivekids.blogspot.com.
Now let me think…the perfect beta partner for me, if I could choose anyone, would have to be the writing teacher and author Beth Kephart. Kephart has the ability to look at themes and characters from many angles. She sees the story beneath the plot. This is a gift for any writer.
Kephart is a memoirist as well as a YA writer and poet, and it never ceases to amaze me how she can uncover such deep emotional truths in life through story, in both fiction and memoir.
I write both YA fiction and memoir and would love to hear her feedback on whether I have reached the inner core of the story I’m trying to visualize for the reader. However, being that highly insecure writer that I am, I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to hear it. Of course this is why writers need to be brave in order to improve their writing. We must learn from each other. Share ideas and methods. Choose the ones that will work for us to make our stories the best they can be. And then we need to be brave enough to let the stories go and send them out into the world for others to judge whether we have accomplished our goal of creating a great story.
I’ll be interested to see how you’ve tackled this month’s question. It’s great having a topic to share our thoughts on each month. I am extremely thankful for all of you for being my sounding board and advisors in this writing and publishing journey.
Thanks so much for visiting! Please follow Adventures in Writing if you haven’t already and connect with me online. Leave your blog link in your comment so I can be sure to do the same for you.
This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. We post on the first Wednesday of every month. To join us, or learn more about the group, click HERE.
She'd be the perfect partner for you.
Glad all the moving is done. Hope you find your house again in all those boxes.
I can't believe how much moving you've had to do. It must have been very overwhelming. Hope things calm down for you. Beth sounds like a great mentor.
What an eventful summer, Victoria! I’m glad all the moving is now behind you and hopefully, life can be more simple and less stressful. Good for you, knowing who to pick as your perfect critique partner. I have no clue, so I might skip that question this month. We will see what I come up with tomorrow. 🙂
She does sound like she'd be a great beta reader for you. 🙂
Thank you, Alex. I hope to find the house, too. I cheer every time I empty a box. It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Thanks so much for your note. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
It's amazing, isn't it, Natalie? Seriously, I had no idea it would be this difficult to sell our home and move. Lots and lots and lots of time. Thank you for your good wishes here at Adventures in Writing. I always appreciate your notes. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
A truly "stuff-filled" summer, Liesbet! You have the right idea–not to collect so much stuff. You travel light, keeping only what is necessary. This is a good thing! I've cut the clutter some, but there is still much to do. Smaller space, I keep telling myself.
Thank you so much for checking in here at Adventures in Writing. Have a beautiful holiday weekend!
Yes, Chrys, Beth would make an excellent beta reader for many writers. I hope you are well, my dear. Thank you so much for your comment here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Thanks for this, Victoria. I read A SLANT OF SUN by Beth Kephart years before I met her at The Writer's House with you. I'd like to get feedback from her too.
I read that book too, Dawn. She is very knowledgeable in helping the reader understand what is going on inside the writer's head in memoir and the character's head in fiction. I wish I had her for a professor when I was at Penn.
I hope your writing is going well. It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Thanks so much for your note. Enjoy your week!
Ooh, that's a new-to-me author! I'm learning of so many new authors through this month's IWSG!
Me too, Deniz! Hello and welcome to Adventures in Writing. Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a note. Please stop by again. Enjoy your day!