Beta readers play a key role in the writing-publishing process. As their name suggests, they aren’t the first ones to see a draft manuscript. Alpha readers see the first draft as it is being written and offer feedback on clarity, character development, and plot continuity, and how the composition reads as a whole. Beta readers critique the draft the writer produces in response to the revisions suggested by alpha readers. Although they are not proofreaders, they might take note of grammar and language use problems as well as the broader issues addressed by alpha readers. And whereas alpha readers are likely to be from the writer’s family or circle of friends, beta readers are usually less well acquainted with the writer, perhaps even strangers. Quite often, beta readers are the kind of people the writer hopes will buy his or her work when its published.

By now Diary of a Girl in Trouble has been reviewed — all or in part — by several beta readers. I won’t be taking all of their recommendations, but three in particular have already been added to the story.

The students at Ridgeview High need more-imaginative assignments. I want Ridgeview High to come across as a plausible school, as a school where students can actually learn something and have a rapport with at least some of their teachers. So, this suggestion is well made. Accordingly, I now have a student doing an analysis of the 1960 Nixon-Kennedy debate and another is asked to be a character in a Spanish-language play. I think those are pretty imaginative assignments.

Collin’s mother, Della Morris, needs more development. That suggestion made sense because there was an imbalance between the attention given to Collin’s father, Fred, and his mother. To correct that imbalance, I built on a passing comment made in Chapter 6 about Mrs. Morris hoping to sell a painting. In the latest draft, much more attention is given to Della’s artistic pursuits. In particular a painting she does of Collin’s great-grandfather, a World War II B-17 navigator, prompts a contrast between the great-grandfather’s heroism and the fictional heroism of Collin’s favorite superhero.

It would be wise to include a minority character in the story. I understand the wisdom of doing this; it potentially broadens the book’s appeal. Readers who are members of a minority group will more readily be drawn into the plot if it features a character with whom they can identify. However, at this late stage of the writing process, I don’t want to add any new characters. The answer seems to be to make an existing character a person of color (POC). But that isn’t particularly easy. The high school setting for most of the story is clearly in a suburban community where family incomes are well above average. So, my POC character can’t be a black kid from the ghetto or a recently arrived immigrant who knows hardly any English. But this character could be a mixed-race person who fits in with the community’s socioeconomic identity but who may still have encountered racism at one time. With that in mind, I’ve tentatively decided to make Herbie biracial, giving him a Caucasian father and a black mother from Jamaica. Herbie’s interactions with Collin and other characters won’t change, but I’ll make it clear that in the past, his skin color made him a target for bullying.

There may be a few more tweaks to make in this final draft, but this bird is just about ready to fly. In my next blog, I’ll talk about the questions I have to answer before letting my bird take wing.