Anyone else feel like digesting beta feedback is hard af?

The most frustrating thing for me is resisting the urge to answer everyone's questions. Good writing includes a great deal of mystery. You need that to propel the reader forward. (1/)

Often, betas will point out these mystery points and ask for more detail if they are only reading a portion of the work. For instance, I had a beta ask what my character's parents do for a living since I allude to a difficult work schedule.

All will be revealed in due time (2/)

But now I have to wonder- do I need a hint here? Or can I make the reader wait for it and show them later when it fits more organically and works toward the plot like I intend it?

A lot of the time we start answering these questions because we want to please the betas. (3/)

We wonder, is there a lack of detail? Is this poor writing?

The reality is that betas can be impatient simply because they are trying so hard to find things to comment on. You have to be confident and stern enough to decide: "No, you can find this out later." (4/)

The beauty of knowing the whole, and even the stuff in your head, is that you can choose to decide that your beta doesn't have enough perspective to make this judgement. And you 100% have the power to decide against overexplaining your text and make them work for it. (end)