A beta reader's one line made me rewrite my whole opening chapter

I posted the first chapter of my novel on a writing forum two months ago in Austin. A lady named Carla commented, "Your protagonist is just a camera, nothing happens to her until page 12." I was angry for a day, then read it again and she was right. I moved the car crash scene up to paragraph two and cut 1,500 words of setup. Has anyone else gotten a critique that felt harsh but turned out to be the push your manuscript needed?

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thomasm415d ago

Getting ripped apart by a stranger on the internet stings, but at least Carla gave you something real to work with instead of just saying "nice voice." Sounds like she saved you from a boring first act.

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