My Eyes

[Wayne]

Greetings, I am seeking an African Beta Reader, To Review My Soul & Sword, With A Mixture of Afrofuturism, Manuscript. Roughly 333, 400 words in total. Below is a detail request, [1-8], of what I am after, before I forward to my editor. Please provide your review, and answers to the questions via blackatomwk@gmail.com


1) Let me know if I have a great hook, per chapter.
2) Report on inconsistencies
3) Report on plot holes
4) Suggest improvements, from a reader’s standpoint
5) Provide deep insight, from a genre fan

6) Report on characterization
* Do the characters feel real and three-dimensional, with distinct motivations, flaws, voices, etc?
* Do the characters react to story events/situations in a way that seems appropriate, and believable?
* Do characters influence the plot, or are they, merely, passive bystanders?
* Do the relationships between characters feel real, and not contrived?

7) Report on overall flow
[A] Setting–
* Is there enough detail, and description, which you can visualize where you are? Or is there so much description, that it overshadows the story?
* Is the setting believable, or are there things that don’t make sense, or need further explanation, in the world I have created?

[B] Pacing–
* Does the story move along at an appropriate pace, without rushing or dragging?
* Does every scene seem important to the story?
* Was there any point in the story where a reader might lose interest?
* Is the story free from unnecessary information dumps and/or back story, which slows the pace?

[C] Dialogue–
* Does dialogue feel natural, or does it feel stiff and forced?
* Does dialogue move the story forward and/or reveal character, or is it extraneous?
* Are character voices distinct?

8 Other concerns:
* Does the story begin with an appropriate “hook” that will grab readers’ attention and get them invested in the story and characters?
* Does the story “show” whenever possible and “tell” only when necessary or appropriate?
* Are point(s) of view and/or shifts in point of view handled appropriately?
* Are any aspects of the story confusing, or inappropriately misleading?
* Are there any consistent grammar issues, repeated phrases, or sentence structure issues that the author should address?
* What are the story’s biggest strengths?

[Cindy]

Sorry, but you lost me at 333,400. Is that a typo?

[Wayne]

This is roughly the word count. Not a typo.