Approximate Reading Time: 7 minutes
There’s a saying among writers: “You can’t see the label from inside the bottle.” It holds especially true when you’re deeply immersed in your own manuscript. As a professional beta reader, I’ve had the privilege of stepping into countless fictional worlds. And while every story is unique, there are a handful of common pitfalls that consistently appear—and that beta readers like me are almost guaranteed to spot.
Sometimes I’ve noticed these trends in others’ work, and other times, dedicated beta readers have pointed them out in my own writing, making me hyper-aware of them. Either way, understanding these common “mistakes” (I hesitate to call them true mistakes, more like development opportunities!) can save you significant revision time and help you connect more deeply with your audience.
So, let’s dive into five areas where a beta reader’s fresh eyes can be invaluable.
1. The Perfectly Perfect Protagonist
We all want to root for our heroes, but a character who’s flawlessly witty, always one step ahead, never needs to train, and effortlessly overcomes every challenge quickly becomes, well, boring. They start the story perfect and end perfect, which feels false and makes it hard for readers to connect. Real people have flaws, insecurities, and moments of doubt, and so should your protagonist.
The Fix: Give your protagonist meaningful flaws that directly influence the plot. These aren’t just quirks; they should create internal and external conflict.
• What NOT to do: Your hero, Sir Gallant, single-handedly defeats a dragon, saves the kingdom, and invents a new form of magic, all before breakfast, without ever breaking a sweat or questioning his abilities. He’s universally admired, and every challenge crumbles before him.
• What TO do: Your hero, a brilliant inventor, struggles with crippling self-doubt that causes them to hesitate at critical moments, putting their team in danger. Or perhaps their fierce loyalty to a fault leads them to trust the wrong person, creating unforeseen complications. Allow their anger to sometimes lead them astray, or their insecurity to make them vulnerable, even if these weaknesses occasionally contribute to an unexpected positive outcome later on. Make them stumble, make them fall, and show how they genuinely grow (or sometimes don’t) from those experiences. We root for characters who are flawed but striving.
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2. Wish Fulfillment Over Reader Engagement
This pitfall is similar to the perfect protagonist, but it goes deeper into the narrative’s purpose. Wish fulfillment happens when it feels as though the story is primarily designed to entertain the writer by allowing them to live vicariously through the protagonist, rather than crafting an exciting and engaging experience for the reader. While it’s great when a writer loves their own story, that personal joy shouldn’t overshadow the need for conflict.
The Fix: Prioritize conflict and reader entertainment above all else. Dreams coming true are wonderful, but without obstacles, they’re uninteresting.
• What NOT to do: Your character discovers they’re the chosen one, heir to a magical throne, and immediately, all the prophesied trials vanish, enemies become allies, and long-lost family members instantly accept and adore them. All the problems set up in the first few chapters magically resolve themselves without any effort or struggle from the protagonist.
• What TO do: If your character discovers they’re royalty, great! But let that revelation immediately plunge them into political intrigue, assassination attempts, and difficult moral choices. If they’re meant to face trials, make sure those trials actually happen—and are genuinely challenging. If they skip a trial, ensure it’s because a far greater, more terrifying obstacle has emerged that makes them wish they were back facing the original trial instead. Every setup needs a payoff, and that payoff usually involves conflict.
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3. Repetition (or Not Trusting Your Reader)
Sometimes, writers, in an effort to ensure their message is crystal clear, can over-explain things. This often manifests as repeating character traits, phrases, details, or even direct exposition that isn’t truly necessary because the subtext or context already conveys the meaning. As writers, we spend so much time with our words that we can become blind to these redundancies, which is why a beta reader’s perspective is invaluable.
The Fix: Assume your readers are intelligent and capable of picking up on subtext and implied meaning. Show, don’t just tell, and let context do more of the heavy lifting.
• What NOT to do: “He had no idea what she was talking about,” John said, frowning deeply and shrugging his shoulders to indicate his profound confusion.
• What TO do: “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. (Let the preceding dialogue, his tightened fists, or the slump of his shoulders before or after the line convey his confusion). If a character is a perpetual pessimist, you don’t need to state it every time they speak; their dialogue and actions will speak for themselves. Trust that your reader will piece together the nuances. Uncovering subtext is part of the fun of reading, and over-explanation can quickly disengage them.
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4. Grammar and Spelling (Yes, Even in Early Drafts!)
“Oh, but that’s not a concern in an early draft! I’ll worry about that later.” This is a common refrain, but one that beta readers often lament hearing. While a beta reader’s primary role isn’t line editing, a manuscript riddled with basic grammar and spelling errors can be incredibly distracting. It slows down the reader, pulls them out of the story, and can make the work feel less professional. You’re asking a reader to dedicate their valuable time; respecting that time means providing a clean manuscript.
The Fix: Do your best to address basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation before sending your manuscript to beta readers. Use spell check, grammar checkers, and consider a quick read-through focusing only on these issues.
• What NOT to do: Sending a draft where “there,” “their,” and “they’re” are used interchangeably, or where sentences run on for paragraphs without proper punctuation, forcing your beta reader to mentally correct errors rather than focus on the story.
• What TO do: Run a spell check. Read your work aloud to catch awkward phrasing and missing commas. While your beta reader will catch errors you miss (and that’s part of their job!), your goal should be to make their job easier, allowing them to focus on bigger-picture issues like plot, pacing, and character development. Think of it as tidying up before guests arrive.
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5. Weak Words and Passive Phrasing
This is a simple one, yet it appears frequently across many drafts. Weak words and passive phrasing can sap the energy right out of your sentences, making your prose feel dull and less impactful. They often involve forms of “to be” verbs (is, was, were, be, being, been) or adverbs that try to prop up a weak verb.
The Fix: Opt for strong, active verbs and eliminate unnecessary words that dilute your impact.
• What NOT to do: “He was running in the forest, and the monster was chasing him.” / “The old house was very creepy, and it was almost certainly haunted.”
• What TO do: “He sprinted through the forest, the monster snapping at his heels.” / “The ancient house loomed, its darkened windows watching, a palpable sense of dread clinging to its weathered stones.”
o Also, look out for filler words. I often advise writers to eliminate words like “actually,” “really,” “basically,” “obviously,” “simply,” “very,” “just,” “kind of,” “sort of,” and “apparently” if they can be cut without changing the meaning. These words tend to weaken the impact. For example, instead of “He was very hungry,” just say “He was hungry” or, even better, “His stomach gnawed at him.”
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The Beta Reader’s Advantage
Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list; beta readers catch a multitude of issues, and I could certainly produce several follow-up posts on this topic! These examples, however, highlight some of the most common patterns I see and actively try to help writers address.
Sometimes, the fix is a simple edit, like suggesting where a weak word can be removed. Other times, it’s a more involved process, requiring a deeper look at the narrative to shift from a wish-fulfillment trajectory toward one focused on dramatic tension and reader engagement.
Whatever the specific issue, these common catches underscore the profound importance of seeking beta feedback. It’s perfectly okay if you’ve overlooked them in your own writing—even if you’ve tried your best to avoid them! Getting that objective feedback from a beta reader is what will truly help you identify and address these patterns more effectively than almost anything else. That’s our job: to step into the role of your ideal audience and let you know what’s working beautifully and what could use a little more polish.
Trust your initial instincts in your first draft, and write what feels right. Then, go through a couple of polishing drafts yourself. But after that, be open and willing to adjust those initial instincts and plans based on how a trusted beta reader responds. Sometimes things you didn’t think were working are, in fact, resonating perfectly. Other times, what you were certain was effective isn’t landing as well as you’d hoped. These items are some of the common things that I see writers often think are working, but which could be strengthened.
These aren’t “mistakes” in a judgmental sense; they’re simply obstacles on the path of your writing journey. Like your protagonist facing challenges, you’re doing your best by seeking to identify, avoid, and learn from them.
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Writers, beta readers, and readers, welcome! I’m so grateful you’re here, and I hope you gain valuable insights from this blog. I also hope you’ll connect with me and other readers!
This blog is divided into several main categories to help you navigate:
• Beta-Reading Tips for Writers: Practical advice on how to work effectively with beta readers, interpret their feedback, and maximize the value of the beta reading process for your manuscript.
• The Writing Life: Insights into the daily realities, challenges, and joys of being a writer, from productivity hacks to overcoming imposter syndrome.
• The Publishing Path: Navigating the journey from finished manuscript to published book, covering both self-publishing and traditional routes.
• Critiques & Reviews: My take on books old and new, including a special segment called “A Good Old Story” where I review impactful stories at least 50 years old that have stood the test of time.
• Author Interviews: Conversations with writers I’ve beta-read for, sharing their unique experiences with writing, seeking feedback, and publishing. Look out for a future podcast element here too!
If I can be of service to you as a beta reader, I’d be honored to discuss your project. Explore the website for specific topics, check out my beta reading services, and please, engage with these posts! I try to respond to every comment, and I genuinely love hearing from you—whether it’s a simple appreciation, a question, a suggestion, or anything else you find relevant. You can also find my social media links on the homepage for more ways to connect.
Let’s talk beta to each other!
