Cutting The Fat

While working on A Promised Fate, I reached out to a handful of Beta Readers, provided the readers with fourteen chapters and asked for their most candid responses.  Some of the readers came back to me after the two weeks were up and said "we love you! we love Ari!!"  (thank you, I love you, too. I know Ari is hot right?)

The beta readers that gave more of a response admitted that the real story and plot doesn't come to play until about chapter 6.  And I cannot agree with them more.

Details are important to me for some silly reason, I like to add off story (not back story as much as a side story that is unimportant to the plot.)  I always find that I fall in love with the characters when they are at the dinner table with family talking about normal family life and laughing.  When plot comes, I have this sort of connection with them now and I feel like I know them, and I know what they are thinking and feeling. This makes the reading experience a little more powerful maybe.  I am character driven writer, and this style has many flaws. I wish I could be more plot driven and I am currently working on this goal of mine. 
Like a swimmer and pool of water, every reader is different, some of us like to jump right in and get to the plot right as quickly as possible.  Others like to ease into the story and characters one toe at a time.

Do you start with just a toe and then ease in to the water or do you cannonball in blindly to the, let's face it, probably freezing water?

Some readers have a boatload of questions that they NEED , make that DEMAND answers to and others prefer to make up their own answers.

I know that as an writer, I spoon-feed details and plot lines.  I am sorry. I do not give my readers as much power as I should allow.  I am a control freak.  I know this - Ava gets this from me honestly.

I know what kind of a writer I am, but what kind of a reader are you?  What do you like - lots of details?  180 degree plot changes?  Out of nowhere surprises from 'b list' characters? 

As I work on deleting the first several chapters of A Promised Fate - give me your thoughts from a readers perspective! I love hearing from you!  Comment below or friend me on facebook and goodreads!  I'm not on twitter - should I be?