I will no longer be updating this guide. I'm leaving it up in case it will continue to be helpful to anyone in the future.
People have asked me writing tips, Wattpad tips, and whatever. This is some of that advice I give them. Keep in mind most of t...
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First let me start this chapter by saying this: Don't look for a Creative Partner AKA CP if you're not willing to put in the work. If all you want is someone to read your book and you do nothing but listen, a CP isn't for you. Honestly, I've never had a CP. I have a multitude of reasons for that stemming from my own inadequacies as a writer and being unsure if I can truly give back what I get in, and also because of the fact that a lot of my books are one and done books that I'll never edit. So until I am truly serious about publishing everything I write, I feel like a CP wouldn't be the right step for me.
However, this is another case where I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention a CP and their importance. A great CP will tell you where you suck while also cheering you on when you don't suck. They'll also give you advice to help you through your blocks or to fix what sucks. Some CPs can also be your sensitivity reader. They might be able to tell you something that could be taken as offensive, even if you didn't mean it that way.
This is another case where honesty is important. You need a CP who won't get upset when you point out their flaws and that you won't get upset when they point out yours. You work together to help each other craft each others stories into the best story it can be. Each of you will be just as invested in the other persons story as you are to your own.
It's an exchange. You read theirs, they read your's. Chapter for chapter, word for word, you're in the fight together. They hold your hand, you hold theirs. Step by step you traverse the muck of a draft and make it shine. The point of a CP is they dig deep into the core of your story and help you to get it to shine. Betas just read as a reader, CP's are a lot like an editor and will help with the core problems of the story.
I'm not sure what else to say on this matter since I have never used one. But as with anything in writing, take your time when you look for a CP. You want to make sure your styles and personalities mesh as much as you would finding a husband/wife. If you sign up with someone who will be honest just to be cruel, they're not going to be good for anything but beating you down. So find that right someone that can help you make your book shine, and in turn you can help theirs.
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