Anyone keeping it a secret from their friends and family that you are writing? Only one person, other than myself, has seen my novel-in-progress at the moment so I'm like a closet writer Am I alone in here or are there others keeping warm in this big ol' wooden box?
Everyone I know knows that I write. It's my passion, it's what I do. I am reluctant, however, to share any of my work with anyone. I don't usually ask friends and family to read what I have done ~ maybe because i'm my own worst critic? maybe i'm scared? Who knows. The only thing that I do have "hidden" is my writing of erotica. Not something I want broadcast amongst my peers, kwim??
Like many other writers, I don't talk about or share my writing until I've finished at least my first draft. It would be more of a hinderance than a help to me to have input, suggestions or criticism before I'm more or less satisfied with what I've written. By the same token, it's hard to be completely objective in judging my own writing so, once I'm done, I want trusted readers and/or editors to read and comment before completing my final draft for publication.
I've told some people I'm writing a novel. I told my parents but they've probably forgotten xD. if it happens to come up, I usually don't hide it. I don't really show it to anyone or even tell them the plot of it. Ha, I get scared they won't like it/won't understand it.
Hi all Yeah I am pretty much like the rest of you, my family know that I love to write, as does my husband, however I am extremly reluctant to show anyone until I feel happy with it. I love constructive criticism and I can't wait to put some of my work up in here. I wont lie, I'm also extremly nervous about it. I guess it comes from the fact that what you are writing is usually close to you and usually when you put it out there you want others to enjoy it and become involved. I am not a professional I just love to do it, so maybe that is why I hold back a little. I am going to learn to be brave...eventually. Ella xx
Nope, never. Even in the days I didn't share my work, people knew I was always working on 'something'. I've shown my current work to one person, and her advice & feedback has been invaluable. It has also been harsh at times... tough love and all that. But I think as a writer you need to be able to take those kind of comments on board.
I've told a few of my close family and friends that I have been writing. Allthough i've only recently picked up the pen again. Some of my friends im sure have never read a book, so they wouldnt care either way really. Now I share my work, parts that im pleased with; with a chosen few, and this site.
Everyone who knows me knows I write. But I don't share my writing with just anyone. If someone in my family or at work asks, I say I write drama. I only show certain friends the story I'm writing about the sex industry. My family doesn't want to read about hookers.
Most of my family figured out sooner or later, and many of my friends I didn't really mind telling. But what I'm more concerned is whether I can tell them about the stories I'm writing, not the fact that I write itself. For that reason, there's only a few people I bother to talk about my stories, either because 1) I value their advice and judgment or 2) they actually have done writing themselves. Otherwise it's really not as necessary to talk to anyone else at least until a decent draft is finished.
I have told my family unit. However, I am beginning to realize how that was a big mistake. Just last night. Family unit 1 ask me, what did I do today? I told her about how I went and sent out a manuscript to be published. How I was publishing some work online and setting up my paypal? Want to know the family units response, sounds productive. But she said it in that tone that was just. Erg. It annoyed me.
I'm right there with you, LostInFiction. My family and friends know I write, but I've never let them read a single word. I like my anonymous writing groups for now
In my case, everyone knows, but nobody knows WHAT I'm writing...and if they did they would probably lock me up in a psych ward.
it was never a secret at least to my parents, but recently I have been telling other people too, that I'm writing and guess what? Now I wish I hadn't because probably I'll never be good at it anyway so why raise peoples expectations for nothing? That is how I feel, because right now I'm in the middle of a "to-write-or-not-to write-crisis".
I agree, wish I never told anyone that I wanted to write. Now all my writing projects are just incomplete work. Guess I am afraid what people would think of my grammar, I my grammar is poor but I am trying to improve on it. Also i am nervous of what would they think of my story, even thou i now they are just cliche. Right now i am just writing in my notebook hope some day i could find the BALLS to post some thing up.
My good friends know, and my family knows, and they are all pretty understanding and supportive about it. I do let my mom read some of the softer stuff I write, and I have a good friend who also writes that reads most of my stuff, and I read most of hers, and we give each other some constructive critisism. I never tell people I don't know well that I write. They tend to ask questions I can't/don't want to answer.
Everyone knows I'm a writer but when I first started writing it was difficult to tell my husband that I wasn't writing because I was bored. I was writing because I enjoyed it. After I told him it didn't really matter what everyone else thought. Oh by the way my husband isn't a fan of my writing. He's a fan of me but definitely not my writing. If I could write a bored computer manual or something on the commidties market he'd love what I wrote. I'm okay that he has different tastes in books now but at first I took it personally.
Yeah, I've noticed that. I made a passing comment at work one day about writing, and now everyone and their dog keeps asking me about it. It's not a problem as such, and I don't mind talking about what I'm working on. It's just curiousity on their part.
Only some family knew I was writing for quite a while. When I finished the first draft of my novel, it somehow gave me permission to talk about the fact that I was writing. My sister and a friend have read my first draft. Both had great feedback for me to work with. Just two days ago, I gave the second draft to my friend for the next read through. I'm excited and nervous to see what she thinks of the changes I've made. It's hard for me, being so close to the work, to see it as a whole. I would have to put it down for quite a while and then read it as I would a book. The outside reader helps with that. My boyfriend is very supportive of my writing, but he is not a reader of fantasy, and doesn't know how to give critique past 'it was good'. He's only read short sections. I need to find a book about giving good critiques and make him read it.
That is exactly how I felt too. Before that I didn't do anything worth talking about but now I had finally accomplished something.
Ive only mentioned mine to a select few. My language arts teacher, my sister and my mom. My dad is too busy working for me to tell him about it. Eventually he will notice it when i get my own drafts finished.
Try to hide it, least till the first draft it complete or i am unable to contain myself anymore..or alcohol is involved
