✨ The Chapter I Almost Threw Away: A Hard Lesson in Audience, Beta Reader Feedback, Intuition, and Trusting Oneself

When Beta Reader Feedback causes you to doubt yourself, trust your intuition. A true story of my writing experience with my new novel. Suzi's Secrets #27.

That quiet crossroads where beta reader feedback stings, intuition whispers, and the story asks you to keep going

Two weeks ago, I almost scrapped the entire opening chapter of Bound by Flame.

Not because it wasn’t good. Not because it didn’t feel right. Because of feedback, that double edged sword every author knows can either sharpen or shatter you.

I sent chapters 1-3 to two beta readers. And let’s just say… They were not gentle in their feedback.

It wasn’t constructive critique.

It wasn’t actionable.

It wasn’t even in the “this could really help me grow” category.

It was the kind of beta reader feedback that crawls under your ribs, cracks open old wounds, and whispers:

“See? You knew you couldn’t write. You’re not good enough. You shouldn’t be doing this. Quit before you waste more time.”

My impostor syndrome lit up like a flare. The self-doubt slid right in. For one moment I almost quit.

For half a day, I genuinely considered throwing out the whole first chapter and starting over, or maybe even scrapping the book entirely, because without the opening the rest of the book has gaping holes in it.

Here’s the thing though. The thing that niggled in the back of my brain, stopping me from doing anything drastic that I couldn’t undo.

1. I LOVE my beginning! 

AND

2. Those two readers? They weren’t even my target audience.

They weren't the audience for Bound by Flame. Not even for my genre. Not every reader, beta, editor or general is meant to read my books. Or any book, for that matter.

My intuition, that inner voice that’s always there, even when I don’t listen to it kept telling me to take their feedback with a grain of salt, because they were the right ones to read. Find the right ones.

So I reached out to three more people. People in my circle; one will give me a biased, but honest opinion, one who reads romantasy and the other is an author friend, who reads mostly non-fiction but knows story structure, good writing and supports my dreams.

Their feedback was very different. They loved the opening. They connected with Astra, Logan and the other characters. They understood the stakes, the emotional thread, the tone, the magic, the worldbuilding and they loved it.

One of them said, “I read the last sentence and I wanted more.” Another said she thought the opening was perfect (I mean, it hasn’t been edited yet, so obviously there are mistakes and such in it, but the way it was done, is what she was referring to).

The relief was immediate.

It wasn’t my writing that was the problem. It was the audience.

When you hand your heart to someone who was never meant to hold it, its light will be diminished. In the same way, my story felt dimmed when the wrong audience was reading it.

The biggest lesson I learned?

Feedback is only valuable if it comes from people who understand what you’re trying to create and/or want the best for you because they want you to be better. Not everyone will love your work, and that’s okay. Not everyone should, and that’s okay. Not everyone is your reader, and that’s okay, too. But giving up your vision based on the wrong voices? That’s not okay. That’s how magic gets smothered before it ever has a chance to spark.

I’m grateful that I didn’t scrap the chapter, I didn’t start over. I didn’t let two mismatched opinions derail the entire book. Instead, I kept going. I kept clear in my direction, grounded in my audience, and connected to the world I’m building in Bound by Flame.

Here’s the part I want you to take with you:

When doubt creeps in, don’t throw away your work. Just find better mirrors to reflect it back to you.

The right people will see you. The right readers will feel you. The right feedback will fuel you, not flatten you.

If you’re walking your own tightrope between fear and magic right now?

This is your sign not to quit. Your story, whatever kind it is, deserves the chance to unfold.

With Love,

Suzette R. Berry 💜