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This one is for the #Writers: a piece on feedback. Great timing in my inbox!
I've now heard from my beta reader, which is always useful--*if* you know when to bend and when to hold firm.
Sometimes while reading his notes, I disagreed with the little things, but even then I have to remember that average readers might snag similarly.
Being "right" overlooks that feedback is telling you "this is what an average reader will think".
Deciding which matters more is a skill.
https://open.substack.com/pub/innerlifecollaborative/p/noted
Also, hilariously, his is both the best and worst feedback. Extensive praise for the writing, loves the half that takes place on an active crew, and... also finds himself wanting to be in that half all the time. High praise for the insights in the other half, where my Thucydides character is narrating, but still likes being in the active sections far more.
Which... raises a difficult challenge. We'll see what he thinks of the 2nd half when it's ready for him, but for now I have to trust my gut!