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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/40853
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I recently agreed to read a new writer's novel and provide feedback. During casual discussion, I learned her mindset is currently in a state of "this novel is basically finished". I've never met anyone as hopeful as getting published as she is. I'm realizing my feedback is going to be overwhelming, and there's a chance she won't receive it well. Some of my thoughts would require a good bit of reworking.

As some background: She's not a reader and she never enjoyed or studied writing until she decided to write this book. She has worked on it for 3+ years, but never received feedback from a regular writer/reader like I am. (This is all what she's directly told me.) I majored in Creative Writing and have, at the very least, had countless years of giving and receiving harsh feedback from professors and peers. (I know I have lots to work on in my own writing still, and I've never been published.)

Of course, she's entirely entitled to rejecting any or all of my feedback. I'm making sure it's well organized, clear, and acceptable (per all the beta-reader articles I've scoured). Some of it comes from a writer's perspective, and a lot of it is from a reader's perspective (character believability and timeline are some pain-points).

So - I'm afraid I'm going in with the expectation that she'll accept and learn a lot from my feedback but she'll actually going to be overwhelmed and discouraged. Should I find a good balance, pull back on some feedback, or present it all to her?

Original score: 34