To let them read, or not to let them read...

Mjollnir13 · Nov 13, 2007

My wife and sister in-law really want to read what I have written so far, but I do not like anybody reading anything of mine until the whole draft is finished.

So, how many of you allow people to read your 1st draft while it's still being written? Is it best to finish the story 1st? Does it really matter?

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 13, 2007

I never let anyone read anything.

I used to let people read what I had, but then when I'd stall out they'd be like, "When are you going to finish?" and after a few years of not finishing, it just became embarrassing. So now no one gets to read anything.

melaniehoo · Nov 13, 2007

I chose a few parts to share with people who REALLY wanted to see something, but told them the rest was off limits.

kristie911 · Nov 13, 2007

Nope, it's mine until it's finished. I generally don't let anyone read until at least the second draft.

jennifer75 · Nov 13, 2007

I'm the complete opposite....you want to read it, you got it! That is of course if I don't feel threatened that you might steal my sex scenes or something...cause um, that's all I write about.

Kidding.

WendyNYC · Nov 13, 2007

NO ONE is reading my first draft, except me. Ack!

I don't really let my husband read my work anymore. I've learned the lesson that I'm never satisfied with his reaction, and no good comes of it.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 13, 2007

jennifer75 said:
I'm the complete opposite....you want to read it, you got it! That is of course if I don't feel threatened that you might steal my sex scenes or something...cause um, that's all I write about.

Kidding.

Can I read it?

I need a sex scene for my WIP.

WriterGirl2007 · Nov 13, 2007

No way! I used to let guys I was dating read my work. But then they would get involved in it, wanting to help me write it, brainstorm ideas, etc. When we inevitably broke up, I was too depressed to work on the piece any longer (too many memories).

So no way! I have to protect my work.

zornhau · Nov 13, 2007

Never

Mjollnir13 said:
My wife and sister in-law really want to read what I have written so far, but I do not like anybody reading anything of mine until the whole draft is finished.

So, how many of you allow people to read your 1st draft while it's still being written? Is it best to finish the story 1st? Does it really matter?

Unless they're my crit circle.

Teige Benson · Nov 13, 2007

I'd also suggest a pass.

Some people may be inspired by the comments to continue on but one bad word may affect your ability or desire to finish.

job · Nov 13, 2007

I show the ms to folks at the beta reader stage. That's late draft.

I don't mind people looking at earlier drafts. It's just that it's going to be dull because the writing isn't good yet.

Mjollnir13 said:
I do not like anybody reading anything of mine until the whole draft is finished.

Y'know. You don't have to say anything more than this.

If you don't like folks looking over your shoulder when you're working,
you don't have to have folks looking over your shoulder.

I'm not a big fan of artisitic temperment, but you're entitled to some.

qdsb · Nov 13, 2007

I've shared excerpts of my WsIP with my husband and with some trusted friends. I've shared a short story in SYW for critique.

I'll admit that ANY negative reactions from my husband, even the slightest hesitations before responding, tend to throw me into writer's block and writer's insecurity for days. But otherwise, I'm a feedback junkie. Pathologically so.

As for what's best, that depends entirely on the individual writer and on the prospective audience. My husband doesn't really write fiction, but if he did, he wouldn't want to share his work with anyone until he felt it was of publishable quality.

In contrast, I crave reader response, especially since I've only been writing fiction for a little over a year. I want to know if my writing is effective...if it "works." And if I'm making novice mistakes (too many unnecessary adverbs/adjectives...POV shifts...too much backstory, etc), then I want to know NOW, not after I've written a complete manuscript full of those mistakes.

Khazarkhum · Nov 13, 2007

And the answer is:

It depends.

I used to let my SO read things early. Then we'd get 'conversations' where all I'd hear was someone else running away with my story & then getting upset if the written words didn't match what we'd 'agreed on'.

My sister MAY get it after a 2nd draft. Maybe. Betas see it then, too. As does the ol' SO.

melaniehoo · Nov 13, 2007

qdsb said:
snip
I crave reader response, especially since I've only been writing fiction for a little over a year. I want to know if my writing is effective...if it "works." And if I'm making novice mistakes (too many unnecessary adverbs/adjectives...POV shifts...too much backstory, etc), then I want to know NOW, not after I've written a complete manuscript full of those mistakes.

I'm the same way. After I gave a chapter to my first beta reader, she pointed out that I was jumping tenses. Now I can fix it as I go through the rest - I'm aware of the problem and my writing is better because of it. I don't think I would've noticed on my own. At least not yet...

ORION · Nov 13, 2007

I really think it's a bad idea to let anyone read a draft like that. Also- keep in mind many times the automatic response to "I'm writing a book." is "Can I read it?"
LOTS of times it is not what they really mean.

Red-Green · Nov 13, 2007

I firmly believe that the first draft is cr@p, so no one reads anything of mine until I've done a second draft to correct glaringly obvious errors, plot holes, clichés, tense problems, etc. The basic mechanics have to be right before anyone reads.

WildBill · Nov 13, 2007

I am so uneducated that I do let folks read my wip's in chunks, sometimes emailing chapters for input. Indeed, it was the first thing I did when I came to this site.

My problem was that the folks reading my wip's were either family or friends, and thus were not very objective. Finding total strangers to chew them apart I found to be helpful.

Theognome

sunna · Nov 13, 2007

My husband sometimes gets to (or is asked to) read a chunk of a WIP if I'm stuck for whatever reason and I need a critical eye, but other than that, no, not until I've gotten past the 3rd draft.

Hell, I'm working on a 6th (wait, maybe it's a 7th) draft of my MS on submission right now, and my mom, step-mom, sister, 3 aunts, several friends and a whole hoard of cousins have asked to see it. One of my sisters, who reads heavily in the same genre and is actualy a great critter, gets to see the 3rd draft. The rest, nuh uh.

They'll get free copies if it ever gets published.

truelyana · Nov 13, 2007

It depends, on how I feel during the story and If I really want anyone to read it. I'm usually happy when a friend goes over it, just to see if it need's any edits. That always helps. Plus it makes me happy, that their reading my writing.

willietheshakes · Nov 13, 2007

I don't let anyone read my first draft till it's finished. Then it goes to my wife and two trusted fellow writers, none of whom ever agree on anything, which makes their feedback both invaluable and amusing.

The thing with feedback at too early a stage, I've found, is that praise is as bad to receive as criticism...

CaroGirl · Nov 13, 2007

WriterGirl2007 said:
I used to let guys I was dating read my work.

Better than letting guys I'm reading date my work, I suppose.

I don't let anyone read any of it until it's done. It just changes too much in the process to bother anyone with an unfinished draft.

If someone wants to read something I've written, I can always send them a completed short story. Otherwise, no go until it's done.

WriterGirl2007 · Nov 13, 2007

CaroGirl said:
Better than letting guys I'm reading date my work, I suppose.

LOL. True!

gp101 · Nov 13, 2007

First draft? Never. Not much use if they read it since the final revision will be so much different. You're burning a reader you could use later.

Not to mention, first drafts are just so bad, so padded, you're asking for a lot of negative comments.

maestrowork · Nov 13, 2007

I do, sometimes, let really, really, really good friends whom I can trust read it. If they offer some advice, I'll listen, but not to point of obsessing. We understand it's a rough first draft. I don't like to get my first draft critiqued, however.

Oddsocks · Nov 13, 2007

My mum and a friend. My mum gives feedback, but generally refuses to read anything until she considers I have enough that I'm not about to just stop and she won't know what happens next. My friend also writes, so we read each other's works in progress and give feedback and critiques as we go.

To let them read, or not to let them read...

I am the Meatlump King!

Court Jester

And thus we begin the edits

Happy to be here

SupahStah!

fiddle-dee-dee

Court Jester

Black hole of writing...

Swordsman

Live. Dream. Write.

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Cynical Idealist

And thus we begin the edits

Sailed away years ago

KoalaKoalaKoala!

Set yourself free

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.

Living the dream

Black hole of writing...

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