When should you not show your work?

[Twook00]

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.

 

[Ankari]

You should never show your work when it's incomplete. I derived this nugget after reading Steven King's On Writing. His reasoning is that if your work is incomplete, and you share your work, you'll stop moving forward and try to correct the various mistakes your critics point out.

If you want to improve your skill, do so with short stories. I've learned this lesson later than I should have, and against the desires of my ego (I can write a novel! I can!). The turn around time is swifter (duh), and the story arc is substantial enough for the reader to understand where you were going with it.

 

[Addison]

Like Ankari said, only share if it's completely done. You don't have to share it only when your final draft is done and it's ready to be queried and pitched. But once you write your last sentence for it then you can show it.

 

[Twook00]

I remember that from Stephen King (and about starting with short stories). I've been working on that for about a year now, but still cave every once in a while. The thing with short stories is... I can't finish those either (Ha!).

Last week I saw Pat Rothfuss at a Q&A. He said something like:
There are writers who talk about writing but never do.
There are writers who start writing things but never finish.
There are writers who finish but never show their work.
There are writers who show their work but never submit.
And there are writers who submit and get rejected.

If you are a writer who is getting rejected, you are leagues above the rest.

I'm paraphrasing, but I got the sense that being the writer who starts but never finishes is not a very good place to be. So I am trying to make my own little rule book of personal do's and dont's in hopes of moving on.

 

[Addison]

Last week I saw Pat Rothfuss at a Q&A. He said something like:
There are writers who talk about writing but never do.
There are writers who start writing things but never finish.
There are writers who finish but never show their work.
There are writers who show their work but never submit.
And there are writers who submit and get rejected.

If you are a writer who is getting rejected, you are leagues above the rest.

Truer words were never spoken.