Writing Truths to Embrace #2: Successful Writers Share Their Work
Hello, Writing Friends!
Many clients express doubts about their writing and how to successfully navigate the process of creating their own content. In this monthly series, I will bring you positive, approachable steps to help you overcome any of these common misconceptions. You can do it!
There seems to be a cliche of the serious writer who spends all of their time walled up in their dingy smoke-filled den, chain-smoking Camels and tossing back espresso. All of this is done to fuel their creative process as they bang out their ideas on an old typewriter. This approach may work for some, but for the vast majority of us, typing away in a vacuum may be the least effective way to produce our text and get a sense of what our audience needs. The honest truth is that we writers need other people for the following reasons:
1. It is impossible to see if your text is clear without showing it to someone else.
As it states in Matthew 7:3, “Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye but not notice the log in your own eye?” This is especially true when writing because we become lost in our ideas, and that means we develop blind spots toward our own text. It happens to all writers, regardless of skill. The only way to get a clear perspective on our text is to actually check with someone else that our work is communicating what we want it to, because they may be able to see problems that we cannot see for ourselves.
2. Sharing our work with others helps to build self-confidence and appreciation of our work’s strengths.
Unless we are a narcissist or a graphomaniac (yes, that’s a person addicted to writing), the vast majority of writers feel insecure about our work. A constructive reader can not only help us to see problems in the text, but they can also show us places where our work shines. If you are hard on yourself and feel that your work is obvious (insert whatever negative opinion you may be feeling here), one of the best ways to overcome it is to have someone you trust check it over. Having someone else point out the strengths of our texts improves our self-confidence and inspires us to move forward with our work.
3. Many writers need accountability in order to complete their project.
With all of the commitments vying for our time, sometimes even the most dedicated writer can lose track of their writing plans. Having someone to set deadlines, check in with us, and hold us accountable can be invaluable in keeping us focused and moving forward.
4. Talking with others about our project helps us to avoid writer’s block.
Every writer faces writer’s block from time to time, and the reasons can be anything from illness to family issues to boredom. Explaining your project to others is one of the best ways to break out of this “stalemate” with your text, because their questions or suggestions can be the catalyst that helps us to move forward when the path isn’t clear.
5. The only way to be sure what your audience needs is to show them your work and ask them if it fits the bill.
One of the challenges we face as writers is trying to understand what our audience needs in order to comprehend and apply our ideas; however, good anticipation skills can only take you so far. When in doubt, ask them! Even if you don’t agree with their ideas, considering their feedback can make it clearer what you do want to achieve with your text.
While I appreciate the fact that some writers prefer to keep their ideas to themselves as they clarify their intentions for their text, eventually, they will have to show their work to someone, say an agent or an editor. It is totally fine to work in solitude if that fits better with your workstyle. That being said, it is worthwhile to show it to someone else before you send it off to a professional, as they may be able to help you identify problem areas and help you to polish your work into its best version before moving forward with publication plans.
Until next time, keep sharing your Magic with the world, and keep on writing!
