Hold On To Your Writing Until It Feels Ready And Share It Only With The Right People.
Not everyone deserves to know your plans. Some people can't wait to see you fail. Surprise them with your success.
Upcoming episode on Becoming A Writer podcast this Saturday — we are going to talk about a silly trick that will get you into the writing mood.
Not everyone deserves to know your plans. Some people can't wait to see you fail. Surprise them with your success.
- Steve Maraboli
Many writers ask how to know when their project is complete and ready to be shipped.
The answer is simple: When you are confident in yourself as a writer and when the thought/theme behind the project or the characters and plot of your story have come to their deserved conclusions, your project is ready to be shared with others. You can simply feel it in your heart and body when your book, novel, poem, or essay comes to its conclusion.
Now, regarding sharing your work, I need to let you in on a small incident.
A good couple of years ago, I was chatting with a pen-friend of mine based in LA about novel writing.
We had become friends through Instagram back in 2016 when he approached me asking if I would like to read his debut thriller novel. I said, "Hell yeah!" I like free books, I won't lie.
But I also got an amazing and encouraging friend with whom I could talk about everything related to creativity and the curiosities of life.
During this particular conversation about novel writing, he said that he shared his novel with his immediate family and friends in the hopes of learning if it was working or not. But he got no reaction, and that left him disheartened.
In response, I asked him a question I already knew the answer to: "Are your family members readers? And that too readers of the genre you write in?"
Obviously, no was his answer. And he immediately understood where he had made a misstep.
Here's the thing when it comes to sharing your writing with others - Not everyone will get it. Nor is everyone meant to get it. You have to share your work with the people who will get your writing or are at least curious enough to read it.
Until you own it in your bones that your writing is ready and have found a suitable space to share it, it's okay to keep your writing to yourself. This also means that you have to keep your fears aside and see it from your writing's perspective. If it's ready to be published, it is ready - no matter how scared you are. You have to let go at this moment.
Meanwhile, it is okay not to tell anyone what you and your writing are up to.
Why Is It Okay Not To Tell Others About Your Writing Projects?
Protecting your creativity. At the beginning of your writing journey and of all of your writing projects, you want to stick to yourself. This way, you give yourself the best chance to be a writer without being tainted by others' opinions or even experienced advice. You want to understand your unique flavour of creativity before someone else tells you how your creativity should look and behave like.
Avoiding unnecessary pressure. Many will advice on having an accountability partner to keep you on track with your writing goals. Turns out that doesn't work for me. I have noticed that when I have an accountability partner, I'll do my necessary tasks just so they don't hit me on the head with a stick. Writing for the love of it and because I enjoy it goes out the window. If telling someone about your writing makes you more anxious than the actual act of writing, then don't tell anyone what you're up to.
Avoiding pressure to conform. When I started writing my essays online, I was told to stick to a format - a beginning stating the main argument of the essay, a middle with five points explaining the argument, and an end concluding my argument. To that, I said, "Go to hell! I am not in school anymore. It is because of this same reason I hated writing essays in school." You do your writing the way you feel it should be written; not how a template wants you to write.
Avoiding distractions and maintaining focus on your writing. When I was starting my online writing journey, a piece of advice I saw everywhere was having a social media presence. To connect with your readers, you know. Three years into having a "social media presence," I have realised that such a waste of time was for me. The only engagement I have ever had is through my writing. And having social media pressure is not an easy task as they pretend it to be. It's a beast of its own, with its own learning curve and skills to master. Putting my time, energy and mind into trying to cultivate a social media presence stole the time, energy and mind I could invest in my writing. Also, what's the use of having a social media presence as a writer if I am not writing?
Avoiding an ego rip. Since I had no accountability partner locally available to me, I took the next best option - making the online world my accountability partner. I made my readers my accountability partner by making sure I was posting one essay per week and sharing what was next in my writing journey. And then I heard crickets. Very few cared about my writing, and nobody cared about my writing journey. Nobody caring did hit my heart and made me wonder about my worth. Not a cool place to be in.
Taking time to adjust expectations—for both parties—you and your readers. Before you tell others what you are up to with your writing, figure out yourself, your writing, and the people you want to share it with first. You don't want to set a too high bar of expectation, especially as a newbie, and have it bomb. It'll break your heart, hurt your writing confidence, trust, and faith, and give others a chance to taunt you.
Using intrinsic motivation as the leading motivation provider. Anything outside of you is what I like to phrase as subject to market risk. Trends and tastes can change. So can the market. People, too, can shift their alliance. So, basing your writing on external validation could turn fatal for your writing dreams.
Preventing over-analysis. You don't want too many cooks to spoil your broth. Too much research and too much input from others will hinder the natural flow of your writing.
Stay mysterious. I love how novelist Amor Towles does this. On March 5th, 2022, he posted on X/Twitter, "After a few years of planning, I started my new novel this week. The Story begins in Cairo in 1940 and ends in New York in 1999. Wish me luck." He teased me and got me excited and then is saying nothing about his new novel since then. With each passing day, I am getting more excited about it, and I know I'll dash to the bookstore the moment the new novel is out.
Embracing serendipity. Whether you are a plotter or a pantser. Whether you believe in creative gods or not. You have to give some credit to chance and luck. Some of the best ideas come when you least expect them. Making space and quiet allows room for serendipitous moments in your writing process. Such moments have saved my writing ass more than I can count.
Preserving the joy of creation. Writing is a journey. It's how you express yourself—your happiness, your sadness, your hopes, and your desires. Sometimes, sharing your process prematurely can rob you of the joy of creating, as it could be influenced by external forces. Don't let them steal your love for your writing.
My book for writers, Soul Writer vs. Social Writer, is out now!