I struggle with this. The second guessing of parts of my book, wondering if they’ll connect with the reader the way I intend them to. Learning to not over analyze a particular scene or moment is a process, and a road I’m still travelling.
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The best way to avoid second-guessing is to use beta-readers. A carefully chosen set of beta-readers can give you invaluable feedback over which parts of your manuscript work and which don’t. Just remember that beta-reader feedback is just that: feedback that is perception based and highly subjective. My suggestion is to make sure you stay true to what you want as the artist and creator. Always write for yourself, not an audience. Even when you are told (or you tell yourself) that what you write is not popular/sellable/whatever.
You’re completely right about beta-readers being subjective. Hmm, maybe I should rethink who I’ve selected and pick people with varied interests not similar, therefore giving me a wider range of feedback.
It will be a while until I’m ready to seen the book out to betas, but it’s never to early to ask people if they are up for the task.
I’m learning that if you find it funny, someone else will find it funny. Writing jokes intentionally are hard though and trying to make it come off organic can seem difficult. When you read it aloud to yourself and you enjoy it, you just go with it!
I’ve come to the point where I trust my first instincts. If I think it’s funny then I that’s good enough for me and I refuse to overthink it.