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That beta reader's advice on my opening chapter wrecked 40 pages of work
A guy in my writers group kept saying my first chapter needed more action, so I rewrote it to start mid chase scene. Spent 3 weekends on it, cut out all the setup my main character needed. Turns out the readers who liked my story connected with her quiet intro, not the running. The new version got three rejections in a row. Has anyone else had a beta reader steer them wrong and then had to dig out the old draft?
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ellis.rose1mo ago
Three rejections on the new version means the rewrite itself was the problem, not the beta reader. He told you to add action, you added action, and the story got worse. That's on you for taking his advice without checking it against your own gut. I've seen a dozen writers in my circle do this exact same thing, follow a beta's note to the letter, then blame the note when the work flops. The real lesson here is that beta readers give suggestions, not commands, and you should've tested that chase scene on a few other readers before torching your setup.
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