Beta reader comments

[John]

Okay, sci-fi writers. What was your favorite beta reader comment? Here's mine: "I really love the concept and the world-building. You created a very compelling universe."

Yours?

[Gary]

I remember a beta reader really saving my bacon with one particular book. It was the kind of scene where I, as the writer, believed I'd backed my characters into a corner, there was only one way out and it meant one of them doing the whole heroic self-sacrifice thing to save her friend. It was beautiful and tragic and heartbreaking...

...and then my beta reader said, "Why didn't she just..."
(a sentence that never ends well)
"...throw him her sword?"

Which, obviously, would completely destroy the emotion of the scene. Fortunately, there was a very good reason why throwing him her sword wasn't an option. I just needed to make that clear. But I never would have noticed the problem without that comment.

[John]

That's a great story. I guess to open myself up a bit, I should say that the most consistent comment from my group of 9 beta readers was that the romance wasn't believable. "How did she go from he's attractive, to sleeping with him to can't live without him in such a short time?"

I tried with each redraft to fix it but kept getting the same feedback. I finally hired an editor who I hope will help me with this challenge.

[E.L.]

"I opened the document intending to just take a quick glance, and ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting!" I never mind how much they pick apart the story after an opening comment like that one.