Does it ever frustrate you to have to keep your mouth shut?

[Fredster]

As the old adage goes, to write a good story, you have to:

1. Put your protagonist in a tree.

2. Throw rocks at him.

3. Get him down.

In what I'm working on right now, there are lots of big rocks with much action and (hopefully) suspense, and a major twist at the end of act two.

But I'm only just now nearing the end of act one (about 90 pages in, out of what I figure will be around 450 or so, and I expect the end of act one to come in 20-30 pages).

I think it may kill me to keep everything I have planned bottled up inside. I'm so excited about what's going to happen it keeps me up at night, thinking about what the antagonist has in store for the main character.

BUT I CAN'T TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT. (except my wife, in very broad terms, and I'm sure she's gotten tired of listening to my babble at this point)

Even worse, I write like molasses in December; it's taken me six weeks to put out 90 pages. I sometimes feel like I'm never going to get to the big parts. I'm hoping that once I get them written I won't be as giddy, but I'm almost afraid it'll get worse if I think what I wrote was good...and I can't tell anyone without spoiling the story.

Anyone else get frustrated over not being able to talk about what you're working on?

(on a side note, I sure do feel like I start a lot of "is anybody else like this?" threads )

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

No. I'm not an open person anyway, so I have never felt it necessary to discuss my projects.

I especially dislike having to answer their questions once I let it slip that I'm working on something.

"Oh, what kind of story is it?"

Fantasy.

"Oh, like Lord of the Rings?"

No. It's modern, with a guy who's a sorcerer.

"Oh, like Harry Potter."

NO! Forget it. I'm not working on anything.

 

[Fredster]

I hear you, SF. In the 'real world,' for the longest time, my wife was the only person who knew I was working on something. Then, one day at work, I asked a pilot friend if he knew any helicopter pilots I could talk to.

He wanted to know why, so I said I was writing something. Not only did he start throwing out all kinds of BAD suggestions, now he asks me every few days how it's coming.

I guess I should be happy, though -- he's respected my request that he not tell anyone else.

 

[scarletpeaches]

The only person I talk to openly about any of my projects is tt42 and she's so completely on my level we never piss each other off with weird questions (!) or conversation.

If one of us says, "I'm not going to talk about this part, I just want to write it," it's frustrating for the other, but we always understand.

If I'm in public, on my netbook, and someone asks what I'm writing, I gives them THAT LOOK and say "A book." Monotone. Deadpan. Silently urging them to feck off.

If they don't take the hint they get monosyllabic answers and I stop caring about appearing rude.

 

[timewaster]

I don't like talking about my books just because they always sound rather stupid. I talk to my husband about them some times but only until his eyes glaze over and I have some friends who are interested. In general if someone asks me what I'm working on I tend to be a bit non commital and change the subject.

 

[Jamesaritchie]

Fortunately, I have no clue what's going to happen next in anything I write until it actually happens. This means I can't tell anyone anything because I don't know myself.

 

[Freelancer]

Anyone else get frustrated over not being able to talk about what you're working on?

It depends. Sometimes yes. Sometimes it would be good to hear the opinion of the people about my WIP, listen the critics of the mass or fellow writers about the story itself. But as I saw the first wonderful reviews of my betas I also see keeping my mouth shut will be damned rewarding when this WIP will be published. So now the results calmed me down and I rather keep the secret. Sometimes it's better if you just wait, because the open results can be much more rewarding. But for that you must wait a little more.

Just as Shadow Ferret, I also hate bias conversation, full with prejudice and stereotype.
"What do you write?"
"Epic High Fantasy."
"It's boring. No one can write a unique fantasy world. Every story has been told in that genre in the last years."
"Trust me. I can and I already did it."
"No, you can't." (Saying this without even reading a single line from it.).

 

[Toothpaste]

I am so the opposite. I can't shut up about my writing. I'm sure my friends hate me by now. Then again most of us are artsy people so I've never been judged, they tend to think it's neat. In fact I never thought that someone would judge me for writing, I always thought it was cool, so was shocked to learn how others sometimes were.

I also find talking about it with others helps clarify the story in my mind. Often my friends will ask really great questions that will make the story stronger, much more three dimensional.

I know I couldn't keep it all bottled up, that's for sure. But I can't keep anything bottled up, feelings, opinions, etc. I probably should a little more often than I do, and I'm working on it. But I'm still, for want of a better term, an open book.

 

[Kalyke]

I don't write in a linear fashion. I hop all over the place. If I have a good part to write, I write it before I forget it. Right now, the first words I wrote are near the middle of the book.

 

[CACTUSWENDY]

I am one that wants to yak about my story....but find real quickly that no one understands where I am coming from and if I have to explain it....it loses something in the translation. lol

I end up talking to my MC and befriend him/her. I mean, I even planned on getting them a gag Christmas gift. How intense is that?

 

[ladyinpink]

I work with about eight other people regarding my novel.

Some know the plot, some don't.
Why? i need unfiltered first impressions. I also need people who know what is going to happen and can point out what is truly unnecessary and what I need to flesh out more.
Having both works for me. Of course, this isn't the ideal situation for everyone.

It really depends on the person who knows what. Someone who just line edits or gives feedback as a reader doesn't need to know. Crit partners who are strongest in areas of pace, flow, and dialogue don't really need to know either. Of the people looking for fridge logic, plot holes, etc - it helps to have couple of them who know what I'm "going for" (so if its unclear they can make suggestions for improvements) and some to give impressions from completely in the dark (so I can see what my weak areas are without them being influenced by knowing where I'm "going with it").

This is just what works for me... but I can still relate a bit to your frustration. sometimes I really want to tell people who it's better don't know. i just bite my lip, because i know its gonna be fun when they find out later

 

[The Lonely One]

I have a writer friend I speak to on occasion. We sometimes like to throw ideas at each other or I'll tell him the few instances I get something published. I rarely talk to non-writers about my ideas. Sometimes my wife but that's about it. Okay and the dog and cat, because they have to listen. Mwua-ha-ha!

 

[kaitie]

Oh yeah, though always when I'm hoping to figure something out in the plot that I'm stuck on. I figure things out by talking them out, so it's hard to get stuck on something and not have a clue what to do.

Anyway, I've typically had one person I could spoil the story with, and the rest I try to avoid talking about things too much because I don't want to give things away to someone who might want to read it. Though if you get me going on my writing I'll never shut up.

Then again, I've been told that if you talk to me at all I never shut up, so that could be my own personal state of normal.

Kaitie is going to bed!

 

[maestrowork]

I don't talk much about my WIP (except some vague stuff or Facebook updates) until it's done.

 

[Paul]

Hey, shouldn't this be in the P&CE forum?

 

[Summonere]

Anyone else get frustrated over not being able to talk about what you're working on?

No. Talking about work in progress is the shortest path to killing it. Writing it all down, though, is the shortest path to finishing. Then I can talk about it all I want. YMMV

 

[Justin91]

I have a few close friends who I tell sometimes what I am working on...if they ask. Most of the time I do not talk much about my work.

 

[Grand_Maester]

I feel that way sometimes. I have two sisters and a cousin who I can generally tell almost everything about my WIP to, and they help me out with brainstorming and such. They also help a lot in that "plot-development" stage.
But out at college, my sisters and cousin aren't as readily available.

 

[Topaz044]

I usually find I can write better than I can verbally describe, so I don't feel it does my works justice by talking about them. That being said, my boyfriend tends to be my sounding board for ideas, and loves to hear them.

 

[Wayne K]

Silly. That's why us real writers talk to ourselves.

 

[Mara]

I usually tell Herman all about my writing. Herman is a teddy bear. He's a very good listener, and never offers bad suggestions or tries to get me to write something else. Also, he'll give me a hug if I'm feeling bad about my writing ability.

I recommend that all writers have stuffed animal friends.

 

[bylinebree]

Hey Fredster,

Your frustration is completely normal! In fact, unless or until you find a writing partner or that fab mix of writers to work with, you may have to get used to that feeling!

When I started writing fiction 5 yrs ago, I worked at my church. When I'd talk about a fantasy with half-humans living on islands, having this strange life-force and worshipping pseudo-angels, the eyes either would glaze-over or widen in concern for my spiritual health. Sigh.

I have no writer-friends I can talk to about my WIP, at present. I miss it sometimes, but it seems to be another season where the work is mostly solitary. My hubby listens to my rare musings only because he loves and believes in me. But feedback? Only if I'm writing a war.

Join a writer's org. Google online writing grps. You'll find someone, eventually.

Until then, channel that frustration into frenetic creative energy for your book, and go-go-go!

And keep talking to us on absolutewrite. There's good folks here.

 

[Z0Marley]

Anyone else get frustrated over not being able to talk about what you're working on?

(on a side note, I sure do feel like I start a lot of "is anybody else like this?" threads )

Yes, I'm so tired of it. It's rough. My best guy friend in the world kept up with my writing so well. After I'd finish a chapter, I'd look over it, and send it right to him. He'd help with a couple edits and comment on what he liked/didn't like. He was always so supportive which struck a jealous nerve in my boyfriend. It was understandable, I sometimes would harshly compare him to my best friend. Anyway, long story short, we haven't spoken in months and with my last book of the series being finished, I'm absolutely ecstatic. The only person that kept up with them that I could talk to -- I can't anymore. It kills me. =/

 

[Xelebes]

Only one friend of mine knows I write. All the others don't. Even my parents don't know I write. All they know is that I talk on messageboards.

 

[Fredster]

Only one friend of mine knows I write. All the others don't. Even my parents don't know I write. All they know is that I talk on messageboards.

Yep, this is me. Other than my wife, the only person who has a clue that I'm working on a book (other than lots of faceless strangers online) is the friend I mentioned before.