Basically, if you're working on a story that's not yet complete do you tell others about what you've written so far? What you plan to write? I've read that doing stuff like this could potentially make writing more difficult for writers, and an article go as far as to call it "self sabatoge". I want to hear other thoughts to see if those claims are really true or not (sense I myself tend to talk a lot about what I write).
I tell those close to me some bits of the story. I sometimes also tell strangers that I'm hoping to finish writing a book. For me, it helps boost my productivity, it's like a promise, once I've said it to somebody else, I must work on it to ensure I'm not a liar. So it hasn't harmed me, yet.
I don't hide my writing, but neither do I proselytize it. I just don't have a local circle of people who would care one way or the other, hence forum-life. With my hubby, there's a language barrier and the fact that he has negative interest in Science Fiction. I could write a scene so smutty it gives my computer an STD, leave it up on screen, and just walk away from the computer with no danger at all.
I don't tell everyone about the inner workings on it, just vague "I'm working on a book!'' As Madman said, it holds me accountable to the work I am doing. I also have a progress journal on here, so I ... I do tell people. But only those who read it.
Nope. Nobody cares. If my wife or one of my close writer friends asks what I'm working on, I'll give them the 30-second elevator pitch, but that's really all. They don't care.
Nope! Except for the people on here though. And my sister. Its less about "self sabotage" for me and more about comfort. My family just plain doesnt care. Or have an interest in what i write (even short works i've had published.... I have to basically shove it in their faces to get them to read it). So i cant imagine telling them what im working on. They know im working on a novel, but thats it. They dont ask, i dont volunteer. Because of this and other negative experiences involving me telling people about my writing (my aunt told my mom that i have a scary mind and need therapy), ive just never felt comfortable discussing it. Not even with my husband. As for people on here... I like the anonymity. That makes it easier. Also, everyone is really helpful. My little sister is different; i used to write her stories when she was a chubby little baby. We'd sit there and she'd tell me what to write (ex: "mermaids!"). (ETA: she went through a Little Mermaid phase... everything HAD to be mermaids) I bounce ideas off of her from time to time and always tell her what im working on. Shes the only one who brags to other people "my sisters a writer! She has stories published!"
I talk about my writing to my family and a couple of friends, people I know will be encouraging or have helpful suggestions when I'm stuck on a problem. I was writing (or trying to) for a lot of years before I found this forum, so I know whom I can bounce ideas off of and how receptive or helpful they'll be. Also, I try to limit how much I bug a specific person about any of it. I don't want them to get sick of me talking about it. Years ago, I stopped telling strangers and acquaintances I was writing though, because I never finished anything, and it got embarrassing when they'd ask about it a year later. Now that I'm working more proficiently and actually getting things done, I tell everyone I'm working on a novel, you know, if they ask what I've been up to. Hell, even the guy at the corner liquor store asks how my book is going. That makes me feel good, now that I always have progress to report.
I keep my writing entirely to myself until it's finished. I don't want any committee input till it's done to my satisfaction. THEN I am happy to show it around and make changes, depending on what beta readers have picked up or can suggest. During the editing process, yes, I want input. But not when I'm writing the first draft. I don't even like it when somebody walks into the room behind me, when I'm working on it. (I work at a desktop computer at home.) The only reason I even admitted I was writing a novel the first time is because I needed to explain how I was spending my time, and to let my husband know why I was sharing his computer. (I soon acquired my own, so that wasn't a factor for long.) I didn't want the pressure of 'is it done yet, when will it be published, what's it about, can I read it?' Because I didn't know, till I got it done, how it would turn out. Or even IF it would turn out. Rant follows: Just from a neutral standpoint, I think it's important that writers learn to solve their own writing problems. I see a tendency sometimes to go running to the 'committee' every time a writer hits a snag. Either to get more ideas, to solve plot problems, or to get approval. I think this is a bad habit. If you get stuck, unstick yourself. Nothing will give you more confidence than to know you can solve any problem that comes up. And have confidence that YOUR story will be fine, once you get it done. And yes, there will be people who won't like it ...no matter what you do. (Name me a book that is universally loved. Hint: you can't.) So don't let the need for universal approval direct you, or hold you back. Of course, do get beta readers to read your finished product ...the more the merrier. This lets you discover if there's a gap between what you intended to convey, and what your readers are actually picking up. (You want them to love your main character, and they don't? Figure out why, and fix it. Your main character is actually the murderer, but your betas didn't get it and were left totally confused? Figure out how they missed this aspect of your story, and fix it.) This isn't a chance for other people to tell you what your story ought to be, however. Folks are free to go write their own. This is simply a chance for your beta readers to tell you what works for them, and what doesn't. Your task is to take the story you wrote and make it work. (And no, it doesn't 'save time' to get this input while you're writing instead of afterwards. Premature input will make you doubt your own vision, and make you write somebody else's story instead of your own. Give yourself a chance to explore your own ideas and bring them to life. Don't let anybody else tell you what your ideas or angles should be.)
All work and no play makes Jan a dull girl. All work and no play makes Jan adult girl. All work and no play makes jane adull gurl. Al wurk and no pay makes Jan a doll girl.
I avoid telling people about my work other than other writers and I probably should. Because telling others about your work can also get yourself out of your head a bit.
In my humble opinion, while you are writing for yourself, you are also writing for other people. And for that reason, you need to be mindful of the audience.
Because I'm not very experienced I will ask on here if I get really stuck or want a second perspective because it is quite useful. Others often point out things I didn't notice in my ideas that need attention. But I feel comfortable and confident on here because people (in my experience) are polite and honest but have no hidden agenda. They don't love me so will tell me what I want to hear and I feel understood with my interest in writing. I never share much of anything with any of the people in my life because they always seem to lack interest when I start to talk to them about writing. They look distracted, change the topic ...I can take a hint. They know it's a passion of mine but never ask me about it. And often the phrase 'you wrote 4,000 words today...is that all you did? You wasted your time writing.' It also feels quite personal sometimes, my writing and although I'm not sensitive about it I am selective who I share it with. The new piece I'm working on is very experimental and more about developing my skills and attempting to try a genre I'm not too sure about and write a character very "unlike" me. She/it is a very embarrassing character for me to write but I like being out of my comfort zone. I would share it with people on here, but that's as far as it goes. Weird, because I'm not scared of getting told that's crap...more scared of getting told it's good but it being a lie.
No one cares, so I don't talk about my story; finished as well as unfinished work. I also get the disinterested 'what did you do? only writing?' treatment, so that kinda takes the fun out of talking about it. But very occassionally I get questions from people who care that I care; these are the hardest to field. They are darn nice people, and I'm scared that when I tell them what I'm working on they'd be taken aback. So again, I try not to talk. It's a gordian knot, no matter how I look at it. My progress journal here is something else. People can look it up if they're interested but I don't know who looks (else they leave a comment), neither do I know what they're thinking about my writing. Win-win.
Well, I occasionally share in the Workshop or talk about it in my Progress Journal. I do discuss story ideas with my girlfriend, and offer to let her read my stuff (complete or otherwise, snippets, what have you) which she often takes me up on. She's a great sounding board; a fan, though not afraid to let me know when I've written something foolish or tedious. Other than that, I generally don't get into it with people.
I talk to my husband about ideas I have. And also the ones I've rejected. He's also the only one allowed to read excerpts from texts before they are finished. What doesn't work for me at all is if someone watches me writing. I have to be able to dive into my own world.
Personally, I tend to keep the fact that I am writing a secret and because of that I am not asked about what I am writing. If people give me feedback about my work in progress I can get distracted from my own story and that is something I avoid. I do enlist the help of my wife to draw some scenes from the world where I base my stories, however I do not tell her of what I am writing unless she asks.
All interesting responses. I often tell my friends and my brother about what I've written if they're interested in it. Though lately I've talked less about it to them cause I get tired of the criticisms they make given that a lot of them are either already resolved later in the story or take my story in a direction I don't want it to go. When I was reading on the articles it made me wonder if this whole time I had made my writting worst by constantly talking about it as opposed to quietly making it. But yeah, I'm a super insecure person so I probably overthought it -_-
I heard the same thing about speaking about your work. That it works in a negative sense because you get attention from stating that you're working on a project. Like other writers, I find it forces me to do a bit more work than maybe I normally would. I recently declared though on social media that I'm now taking writing even more seriously than I had before. I currently have several works in progress, one complete (ish) short story which I posted here for review. Three children's books. One historical fiction/clean romance (outlined), and the three SF books that came out of the one I had been writing. So I guess my telling others about what I'm working on hasn't slowed me down.
I've never been a very emotionally available person. I am fairly private in most matters. I took my experience writing the manuscripts I am preparing to publish as an opportunity to try and share more openly. It just doesn't come naturally, though, so I haven't even invited anyone to "like" the Facebook page I made for the book launch. I figure I'll do that after I submit it for copyright. Otherwise, I only tell people what they ask to know for the most part. Even posting on here and asking for advice can be a struggle for me. Just not really part of my character to "reach out", as it were. In my experience, not being willing to share is as much a form of sabotage as setting up unreasonable expectations by telling people too much about what I'm doing. it's really a double-edged sword, deciding whether and how much to share with others. Sort of damned if you do and damned if you don't, just for opposite reasons.
I have a couple of good friends I consult sometimes when I'm dealing with a scene where I'm not sure if I have the interaction right, when they have experience in that sort of thing and I don't. I gave them both a shout out on my Acknowledgements page. It's more research than anything.
