Twook00
Sage
When should you NOT show your WIP?
I figure the answer to this question depends on the personality of the writer. For me, though, I've decided there are times when I should evaluate WHY I'm showing my work and act accordingly. Here's a list of when I should not show my work. I'm curious if it's the same for you guys.
I should not show my work when...
I want people to gush over it. This almost never works out like I want it to. Usually, I'm excited about an idea and just want to talk about it. Typically, this results in an understandably lackluster response from my peers and me losing interest and moving on to something else. Bottom line is that no one will be as excited about my ideas as I am, and I shouldn't expect them to be.
I want reassurance. I always get to a point in my projects where I can't stop asking "Is this any good, or am I just wasting my time?" So what do I do? I show it, hoping that someone will tell me it's great and perfect and I need to hurry up and finish it so they can sleep tonight. The problem here is that I'm already feeling a tad bit insecure about it. One wrong word and I toss it. The result: I get good, honest critiques. This is great except that I don't really want critiques. I mean, I THINK I want critiques, but deep down I just want someone to fluff me up.
I want to improve on my craft. Sometimes it's just fun to post stuff and get feedback on your writing. It strengthens you as a writer and helps you pick out your flaws. BUT, I don't think it's good for me to post my WIP's for this type of feedback. If I'm just wanting general critiques for the purpose of enhancing my craft, its best if I use prompts and samples rather than the big story or novel I've been working on. This way, I get better without derailing my main project.
I'm bored. This is just asking for trouble.
I figure the answer to this question depends on the personality of the writer. For me, though, I've decided there are times when I should evaluate WHY I'm showing my work and act accordingly. Here's a list of when I should not show my work. I'm curious if it's the same for you guys.
I should not show my work when...
I want people to gush over it. This almost never works out like I want it to. Usually, I'm excited about an idea and just want to talk about it. Typically, this results in an understandably lackluster response from my peers and me losing interest and moving on to something else. Bottom line is that no one will be as excited about my ideas as I am, and I shouldn't expect them to be.
I want reassurance. I always get to a point in my projects where I can't stop asking "Is this any good, or am I just wasting my time?" So what do I do? I show it, hoping that someone will tell me it's great and perfect and I need to hurry up and finish it so they can sleep tonight. The problem here is that I'm already feeling a tad bit insecure about it. One wrong word and I toss it. The result: I get good, honest critiques. This is great except that I don't really want critiques. I mean, I THINK I want critiques, but deep down I just want someone to fluff me up.
I want to improve on my craft. Sometimes it's just fun to post stuff and get feedback on your writing. It strengthens you as a writer and helps you pick out your flaws. BUT, I don't think it's good for me to post my WIP's for this type of feedback. If I'm just wanting general critiques for the purpose of enhancing my craft, its best if I use prompts and samples rather than the big story or novel I've been working on. This way, I get better without derailing my main project.
I'm bored. This is just asking for trouble.
Last edited: