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hrjI’m officially soliciting for some special-topic beta readers for Mother of Souls, so it makes sense to set out what reader backgrounds I’m looking for, and to provide more details on what sort of feedback I hope to get, so I can point people to this post. I hope to be sending the manuscript out for beta in early April and would need to get comments back by the end of May.
Story Background
Mother of Souls is the third novel in my Alpennia series. The series is best summed up as “Regency-era Ruritanian magical fantasy-of-manners, with lots of queer female protagonists and several significant romantic arcs.” This book can be read without having read the previous volumes, although obviously it will include spoilers for previous events.
Beta-Readers Desired
I have a full set of “general readership” beta-readers already, which includes expertise on a number of topics not covered in this current request. So I’m not currently looking for general readers, just an expansion of my pool to include readers with some specific background or expertise.
I’m very aware that asking someone to beta-read a novel is not a trivial request, and that asking someone to read for “cultural sensitivity” topics can be the equivalent of asking someone to stand in the middle of a street while I drive towards them while promising to swerve at the last minute. While I aim for a certain level of historical authenticity in my stories, one of my over-riding principles is that a reader who is invited to identify with my characters should never be punched in the face in the course of the story. Among all the possible stories that could be told, I want to choose to tell ones that treat my characters with respect and empathy—stories that allow each character to the be the hero of their own story. This doesn’t mean nothing bad ever happens to them, but it means that their principal challenges should never be determined by tropes and stereotypes.
If my handling of certain events or themes has inadvertently become a punch in the face, I want to know that and I want to fix it. My own imagination and empathy can only go so far in knowing how things can come across to readers with a different background.
Topic 1: Opera
This is the least emotionally-laden subject I’m looking for expertise on. One major plot strand involves a woman from a family of professional musicians and composers deciding to tackle the composition of an original opera, inspired by a semi-legendary Alpennian historical figure. The story doesn’t tend to delve into the technical mechanics of composition or opera production, but there may be areas where my background research has led me astray in terms of details of terminology or practice. One complication is that the opera also turns out to be a magical ritual.
I would love it if someone who has specific expertise in the composition and production of early 19th century European opera would be willing to look the story over to comment on this particular aspect.
Topic 2: Transgender Male Character
A significant, but non-viewpoint, character introduced in the previous book (The Mystic Marriage) is a transgender man. Some of the viewpoint characters become aware of this in Mother of Souls in the aftermath of a hostile confrontation with a figure from his past. The resolution is positive for my characters, and they accept and interact with him as a man subsequent to that, but there are some lingering re-negotiations of their relationships throughout the book.
My goal is to ensure that any readers who might identify with him will be happy with the depiction both of his character and the events.
Familiarity with the previous book isn’t necessary, but might add to understanding how I’ve set things up. He will be a continuing significant (but non-viewpoint) character in future books (including getting his own romantic arc) so there’s scope for someone who wants to become a regular beta-reader around this character/topic.
Topic 3: 2nd Generation Ethiopian Immigrant to Europe – Serafina Talarico
One of the two “primary focus” viewpoint characters in Mother of Souls is Serafina Talarico. Her family is of Ethiopian origin (Tigrayan) and immigrated to Rome before she was born. Note that the story is set well before the era of significant Italian interference in Ethiopian affairs, so I have portrayed her family as being culturally isolated in Italy, rather than being part of a larger immigrant community there. I talked about some of the history of how her presence and identity in the story developed in this blog post and discuss some later revisions to her personal backstory in this one. Serafina first appears toward the end of The Mystic Marriage as a minor secondary character, but reading that book isn’t at all necessary for providing feedback on the current questions. (She will also be a major viewpoint character in a future book in the series.)
Although Serafina’s knowledge of and interaction with her parents’ cultural heritage is attenuated, I did my best to research Ethiopian history and culture for the relevant period. I was particularly concerned with two aspects: 1) not simply transporting modern Ethiopian culture back two centuries earlier; and 2) making sure that I was attributing practices appropriate to her specific cultural and religious background (given the very diverse mix of cultures present in Ethiopia). While much of my general background came from histories and ethnographies written by Ethiopian authors, my primary source for details of early 19th century Ethiopia was the memoires of Nathaniel Pearce, and Englishman who lived there for several years. As an “outside observer”, his writings covered a lot of the sort of detail I was interested in, but I’m concerned about possible misinterpretations and misinformation I may have inadvertently picked up and passed on.
A significant aspect of Serafina’s character and motivations in the story revolves around her sense of “not belonging anywhere” which I associate with (but don’t entirely attribute to) her experience as an immigrant, and especially the very fragmentary connection she has with her parents’ cultural origins. So I’m hoping to get beta-reader input on whether her character and experiences ring true as an immigrant experience, and particularly as one where she doesn’t have a larger immigrant community to identify with.
Another aspect of her experience that I want feedback on, is that of being a woman of color in a primarily (though not exclusively) white community. I envision her experience in Rome to have involved a greater presence of ethnic diversity than what she finds in Alpennia. Alpennia is a land-locked country in western Europe with no overseas colonies, however it does have the usual assortment of residents of other origins, and Serafina develops an informal mentoring relationship with a girl whose mother is described as being originally from the French Antilles (by way of Paris) and, although never stated, was almost certainly a slave at some point. So another topic I’d like feedback on is the ways in which Serafina feels and expresses a sense of common experience based on perceived race (though not individual background) with other characters.
Another aspect of her relations with other characters that I’m insecure about is the depiction of her experience of racial micro-aggressions (or the expectation thereof). I want this aspect to ring true without being unpleasant for the reader. Two examples of the sort of thing involved: 1) Serafina’s expectation of the possibility of being snubbed socially due to her race, in the face of her white friends not realizing this is a possibility and not understanding her hesitation; 2) Serafina’s experience of being treated as an icon of foreign identity, in particular revolving around her being asked to be a painter’s model for an “allegory of the continents and oceans” representing the figure of Africa.
I should note here that the central conflicts and problems in Serafina’s plot arc do not revolve around her racial or cultural identity. They revolve around the nature and gaps in her magical talents, around her resulting insecurities about studying magic, and around how her expectations and goals shift in response to exploring and developing new applications of those talents. Similarly, while her personal insecurities contribute to her emotional/romantic plot arc, her racial and cultural identity are in no way a defining aspect of any of her romantic interactions. (She is married but her husband has lost interest in her due to her lack of magical skills. Her transient romantic relationships are with women and are generally positive but not “true love”.)
Due to the complexity of the feedback I’m hoping to get with regard to Serafina, I don’t expect any one beta-reader to be able to cover all the topics! So if you are interested in speaking to any of the above topics, I’d be interested in your comments.
Story Background
Mother of Souls is the third novel in my Alpennia series. The series is best summed up as “Regency-era Ruritanian magical fantasy-of-manners, with lots of queer female protagonists and several significant romantic arcs.” This book can be read without having read the previous volumes, although obviously it will include spoilers for previous events.
Beta-Readers Desired
I have a full set of “general readership” beta-readers already, which includes expertise on a number of topics not covered in this current request. So I’m not currently looking for general readers, just an expansion of my pool to include readers with some specific background or expertise.
I’m very aware that asking someone to beta-read a novel is not a trivial request, and that asking someone to read for “cultural sensitivity” topics can be the equivalent of asking someone to stand in the middle of a street while I drive towards them while promising to swerve at the last minute. While I aim for a certain level of historical authenticity in my stories, one of my over-riding principles is that a reader who is invited to identify with my characters should never be punched in the face in the course of the story. Among all the possible stories that could be told, I want to choose to tell ones that treat my characters with respect and empathy—stories that allow each character to the be the hero of their own story. This doesn’t mean nothing bad ever happens to them, but it means that their principal challenges should never be determined by tropes and stereotypes.
If my handling of certain events or themes has inadvertently become a punch in the face, I want to know that and I want to fix it. My own imagination and empathy can only go so far in knowing how things can come across to readers with a different background.
Topic 1: Opera
This is the least emotionally-laden subject I’m looking for expertise on. One major plot strand involves a woman from a family of professional musicians and composers deciding to tackle the composition of an original opera, inspired by a semi-legendary Alpennian historical figure. The story doesn’t tend to delve into the technical mechanics of composition or opera production, but there may be areas where my background research has led me astray in terms of details of terminology or practice. One complication is that the opera also turns out to be a magical ritual.
I would love it if someone who has specific expertise in the composition and production of early 19th century European opera would be willing to look the story over to comment on this particular aspect.
Topic 2: Transgender Male Character
A significant, but non-viewpoint, character introduced in the previous book (The Mystic Marriage) is a transgender man. Some of the viewpoint characters become aware of this in Mother of Souls in the aftermath of a hostile confrontation with a figure from his past. The resolution is positive for my characters, and they accept and interact with him as a man subsequent to that, but there are some lingering re-negotiations of their relationships throughout the book.
My goal is to ensure that any readers who might identify with him will be happy with the depiction both of his character and the events.
Familiarity with the previous book isn’t necessary, but might add to understanding how I’ve set things up. He will be a continuing significant (but non-viewpoint) character in future books (including getting his own romantic arc) so there’s scope for someone who wants to become a regular beta-reader around this character/topic.
Topic 3: 2nd Generation Ethiopian Immigrant to Europe – Serafina Talarico
One of the two “primary focus” viewpoint characters in Mother of Souls is Serafina Talarico. Her family is of Ethiopian origin (Tigrayan) and immigrated to Rome before she was born. Note that the story is set well before the era of significant Italian interference in Ethiopian affairs, so I have portrayed her family as being culturally isolated in Italy, rather than being part of a larger immigrant community there. I talked about some of the history of how her presence and identity in the story developed in this blog post and discuss some later revisions to her personal backstory in this one. Serafina first appears toward the end of The Mystic Marriage as a minor secondary character, but reading that book isn’t at all necessary for providing feedback on the current questions. (She will also be a major viewpoint character in a future book in the series.)
Although Serafina’s knowledge of and interaction with her parents’ cultural heritage is attenuated, I did my best to research Ethiopian history and culture for the relevant period. I was particularly concerned with two aspects: 1) not simply transporting modern Ethiopian culture back two centuries earlier; and 2) making sure that I was attributing practices appropriate to her specific cultural and religious background (given the very diverse mix of cultures present in Ethiopia). While much of my general background came from histories and ethnographies written by Ethiopian authors, my primary source for details of early 19th century Ethiopia was the memoires of Nathaniel Pearce, and Englishman who lived there for several years. As an “outside observer”, his writings covered a lot of the sort of detail I was interested in, but I’m concerned about possible misinterpretations and misinformation I may have inadvertently picked up and passed on.
A significant aspect of Serafina’s character and motivations in the story revolves around her sense of “not belonging anywhere” which I associate with (but don’t entirely attribute to) her experience as an immigrant, and especially the very fragmentary connection she has with her parents’ cultural origins. So I’m hoping to get beta-reader input on whether her character and experiences ring true as an immigrant experience, and particularly as one where she doesn’t have a larger immigrant community to identify with.
Another aspect of her experience that I want feedback on, is that of being a woman of color in a primarily (though not exclusively) white community. I envision her experience in Rome to have involved a greater presence of ethnic diversity than what she finds in Alpennia. Alpennia is a land-locked country in western Europe with no overseas colonies, however it does have the usual assortment of residents of other origins, and Serafina develops an informal mentoring relationship with a girl whose mother is described as being originally from the French Antilles (by way of Paris) and, although never stated, was almost certainly a slave at some point. So another topic I’d like feedback on is the ways in which Serafina feels and expresses a sense of common experience based on perceived race (though not individual background) with other characters.
Another aspect of her relations with other characters that I’m insecure about is the depiction of her experience of racial micro-aggressions (or the expectation thereof). I want this aspect to ring true without being unpleasant for the reader. Two examples of the sort of thing involved: 1) Serafina’s expectation of the possibility of being snubbed socially due to her race, in the face of her white friends not realizing this is a possibility and not understanding her hesitation; 2) Serafina’s experience of being treated as an icon of foreign identity, in particular revolving around her being asked to be a painter’s model for an “allegory of the continents and oceans” representing the figure of Africa.
I should note here that the central conflicts and problems in Serafina’s plot arc do not revolve around her racial or cultural identity. They revolve around the nature and gaps in her magical talents, around her resulting insecurities about studying magic, and around how her expectations and goals shift in response to exploring and developing new applications of those talents. Similarly, while her personal insecurities contribute to her emotional/romantic plot arc, her racial and cultural identity are in no way a defining aspect of any of her romantic interactions. (She is married but her husband has lost interest in her due to her lack of magical skills. Her transient romantic relationships are with women and are generally positive but not “true love”.)
Due to the complexity of the feedback I’m hoping to get with regard to Serafina, I don’t expect any one beta-reader to be able to cover all the topics! So if you are interested in speaking to any of the above topics, I’d be interested in your comments.
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Opera
Date: 2016-03-29 07:40 pm (UTC)Re: Opera
Date: 2016-03-29 11:16 pm (UTC)Re: Opera
Date: 2016-03-30 06:41 pm (UTC)Re: Opera
Date: 2016-03-30 09:19 pm (UTC)The baritone says "Sounds interesting! I'd feel pretty confident in saying I'm at least more qualified than most. The fact that the protagonist is a woman at all is certainly rare, but not a complete stretch - and it helps that she's from a family of musicians. I could assist with basic to advanced opera/composition terminology, though the 'realism' would be affected by whether this is the protagonist's hobby or profession, and how her interest/occupation is received by her family and friends. Either way, though, I'd be willing to help."
Let me know if you want to proceed!
Re: Opera
Date: 2016-03-31 03:06 am (UTC)I'd love to add the baritone to the beta-reader list. (I'll still be looking for at least one more opera Subject Matter Expert, because my experience is that--with the best will and intention in the world--half my betas aren't able to get comments to me.) If you could pass me his info through a private message, I'll contact him and let him know more of what's involved. His concerns are exactly the sort that I addressed in my background research, so I think I probably haven't made *obvious* mistakes.
Re: Opera
Date: 2016-03-31 06:29 pm (UTC)Re: Opera
Date: 2016-03-30 09:32 pm (UTC)