When I first started writing I wouldn't show my work to
anyone. I kept it under lock and key in my bedroom and felt it was too personal
for any eyes apart from mine. Then I got daring and showed it to my mum. Guess
what she said? “It’s wonderful, darling!” This filled me with confidence and I
wrote a little more. After a while I got a little more daring and showed it to
my boyfriend. I couldn't stay in the same room as him whilst he was reading it;
the butterflies were doing somersaults in my stomach I was so nervous. It was
almost as if our entire relationship rested on this moment. He was as
supportive as my mum, but gave a little constructive feedback too. That was
initially hard to hear, but in the long run he did me a huge favour (and he’s
now my husband, so it all worked out!).
When I moved to Hong Kong I joined the Hong Kong Writers Circle and
did something very daring: I joined a critique group. This meant showing my
work to complete strangers. There can a level of comfort in showing your work
to people you don’t know as essentially it can be less cutting if they don’t
like it. However, that didn’t stop me from being anxious. This was a whole level
up from the people who had seen my work to date. These were ‘real’ writers:
published authors and people who talked about themes and character development.
Luckily for me the three other people in my group were so supportive and kind,
even when telling me certain parts of my story didn’t work. I have learnt so
much from having my work critiqued; I would say it’s a must for any writer!
You need someone in your life to tell you everything you
write is wonderful. It could be a parent, partner or friend. But equally you
need someone to challenge you, ask you if you could do more, go deeper, define
that character a little more. That’s the only way you can grow and develop as a
writer.
by Laura Besley
The Unofficial 'Brit Writers and Writers Everywhere' blog.
Loved it, so true. Thanks for a nice write up. This will surely help many come out of the shell and for many who are already writers, they can build up the confidence to show their work without hesitation.
ReplyDeleteValid point made Laura. we need both sides of the coin, you got to take pros and cons. This applies to aspects in lfe.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, I can apply this to my journey in writing. I kept my pieces to myself for so long...Thanks Laura;)
ReplyDeleteVery true, Laura. Good to expose yourself occasionally, gives you perspective! ;-) x
ReplyDeleteI have a nightmare with this. No one had ever read my story. I can;t face it yet, even though I know I need to. Thanks for this post, it really helps! xxx
ReplyDeleteI do agree with this post. It is daunting sharing one's work at first but it does help a writer improve. I belong to a critiquing group (three actually, one for each novel and one for short stories). I don't always like hearing what they say ('what you mean, you don't get my main character,' I think, 'its perfectly obvious....')but it makes me realize my portrayal of my MC isn't perfectly obvious or any sort of perfect.
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