Looking For Beta Readers (for a novella)

I'm an INFJ. This means I'm a perfectionist and hold myself to high standards nobody should have to reach. This is why when I don't reach those standards I feel like a failure. More often than not I don't reach these standards.

I'm also in college. Lately I haven't written much of anything and, as a result, end up feeling not only empty and unfulfilled but like a failure. I know I'm supposed to be writing but it's so difficult to actually do in college. I've started and stopped story after story and felt very much like I've failed when I can't commit to finishing one work in progress but keep hopping from idea to idea, never making it out of the world building or plotting stage, and give up the idea and characters altogether.

It seems I have a bad case of the 'flitters' (stay tuned to future blog posts to learn what this means ;) and I can't stick with just one thing. This is frustrating not only to myself but to others as well.


I've just come off of a week long spring break from school and it has been marvelous. One of my goals was to get some writing done and I tried, in vain, to add to the latest novel idea I had been working on. I think knowing I wouldn't be able to commit to it and finish for a long time rendered me a bit unable to work on it.

So I sat in my room and thought about what I would like to write. It was a vague, undeveloped idea at first (as most ideas generally are) but it has morphed and shaped into something beautiful. I thought I would write a short story because it would be something I could commit to and actually finish. I wanted to write something different with intriguing characters.

The basic, original premise was this: a short story about a young centaur girl who loves flowers and has a garden but is impatient and unfaithful and the fairy who decides to care for them instead.

Yes, this original idea has its spotlight moments and the story goes along this line of things, but it has changed so much and become something more than I could have ever originally imagined it would be.

After reading one of my friends chapter one on Thursday night, she told me: "Rachel, I love the feeling I get from this."

Of course I asked her to explain! I'm all about feels.

"It's sort of like the smell of a rose...mixed with the morning dew of a summer's day. I feel like this story is going to be a starting point at the morning and end with night--sort of a story that traverses an entire day in its feeling."

So those aren't her exact words, but that's basically what she said. (My memory isn't extraordinary!)

I am astonished, humbled, but proud to tell you that this story has been finished (in a rough form, of course)! What I thought would be considered a short story is actually on the short end of a novella. It is currently untitled because I don't know what to call it.

This is where you come in. My finished novella is roughly 18,300 words and comprised of ten short chapters.
I am looking for lovely people such as you to beta read my novella.
I'm not asking for much, but there will be some pointed questions for you to answer at the end of your reading process. ;) I won't give you the first ever rough draft because I believe that would be quite rude of me (I finished this story at 1:30 in the morning! It is probably full of typos!) but once the rough draft is combed through by yours truly, I will be sending out the second draft to you, my friend!

I hope that this sending out will be soon. At the latest, it will be this Saturday (the 18).

If this sounds like something that interests you, send me an email: waterandpen@gmail.com or a direct message on twitter: Water & Pen

If you have questions or want more information on the story, feel free to reach me at the above places or leave a comment below!