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Your beta reader feels the chapter isn't pulling its weight. It's not about being blown away, it's about a chapter having a purpose and engaging the reader. Because your reader has put it in thes...
Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed
by
System
·
2019-12-20T00:40:45Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45920 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T12:10:15Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45920 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
Your beta reader feels the chapter isn't pulling its weight. It's not about being blown away, it's about a chapter having a purpose and engaging the reader. Because your reader has put it in these terms, my guess is that the other chapters also didn't really engage as part of a larger story. They had elements that the reader enjoyed a lot but didn't connect to the rest. Perhaps the first two chapters connected to the others but this last one doesn't. Or maybe it's a sign that your novel is all flash. Either way, something isn't working. It would be nice if your reader could tell you exactly what the problem is, but s/he may not consciously know. "It's intriguing, but it doesn't blow me away" means it has potential but it's somehow not fitting in. What you want is your reader to be blown away by the novel as a whole. The chapters work with each other towards this goal. While each individual chapter needs to be strong and purposeful, it's not a chapter's job to always blow the reader away. Be sure to ask your other beta readers. This might be the preference of one person. But if the others say something similar, it's a sign.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2019-06-12T02:59:37Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 15