When should you let others read your work?
The answer to when you should let others read your work is as soon as possible.
The sooner you get a second pair of eyes on your work, the sooner you get over your insecurity and take advice offered.
When should you let others read your work?
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Why should you let others reach your work?
Believe it or not, feedback from other readers really can increase your confidence.
As new writers, you always think people will focus on what’s wrong with your work in progress. It’s easy to forget there are people out there who will like what you write and want to read more!
Sure, your story might need some improvement, but that’s okay. Whose work doesn’t?
But that’s the very reason you want people to read your work, so they can see it with fresh eyes and make helpful comments so you can ensure your work the best it can be.
When you allow others to read your work it can open a discussion. The discussion may not necessarily be about your piece in particular, but about the writing craft more generally. From that you learn either a fresh perspective or a new way of approaching your craft and thus become a better writer.
By sharing your work you’ll find others who write in the same genre as you, or who have a similar temperament and approach to writing. There’s every chance you’ll find a writing partner, or accountability partner.
Don’t forget, too, that when people read your work, they get to know you. They get to know your writing and, believe it or not, they may even become future readers.
And, as uncomfortable as it may be, if you want to be a published novelist, you have to let people read your books!
It’s scary!
So true, there’s no getting away from it. When you first offer your work out into the world it can be scary. After all, you’re letting people into a world you’ve spent months dreaming about and sculpting out of thin air.
It’s natural to be worried someone will stamp all over it. Some even feel it’s the equivalent of letting somebody into your soul!
But this is a natural insecurity on your part. You’re new to the writing world, you’re new to being critiqued.
It will be scary but with practise and with experience you will overcome this insecurity and learn not to take comments personally but as a way of improving your work in progress.
When should I show my work?
Don’t show your first draft to a third person. I think all authors agree on that.
This is the draft you have spilled your guts into. Anne Lamott doesn’t call it a ‘dirty draft’ for nothing!
Depending on how confident you are, you may choose your second draft to show a reader and get feedback on. Maybe, just maybe.
Certainly by your third draft I recommend you get a new set of eyes on your work. This is when you know your story well, have worked on sentences and paragraphs to a standard you’re happy with, and you should be confident enough to let a trusted reader have a look.
The other reason this is a good time to let someone critique your work is because you don’t want to spend another six months on it only to have somebody at that point tell you the structure isn’t working or that the characters need more depth, or that there are too many characters or even that there are too few characters!
Getting a developmental edit on your novel at this time is hugely valuable, whether that be from your trusted reader or from a professional editor. Only your budget will give you the answer to that.
Understand, though, that the more your work is critiqued, the more confident you’ll become. Not the other way around.
When will you feel confident?
This depends a lot on your personality. If you are a true introvert and shy into the bargain, it may take quite a while for your confidence to grow.
If you’re an introvert who is confident, then it won’t take as long. And if you are an extrovert who is energised by the feedback from others, it will take no time at all!
One way to break this cycle of insecurity is to share your stories with just one trusted beta reader. Once you realise that not all criticism is bad your confidence will grow and you’ll be inclined to share your work more widely.
Equally, you can use websites such as www.critiquematch.com to get feedback.
The benefit of these websites is that you are unlikely to know anybody there and so anything you put out into the world is done anonymously.
You can also try posting on sites such as Inkitt or Wattpad. There you’ll get a feel for what readers like and don’t like about your work without directly asking for a critique.
If you get very few readthroughs, you’ll know you’ve got more work to do. If you get a lot of readthroughs, then you’ll know you’re on the right track.
It’s not personal
Any critique you receive about your work isn’t personal. This is an enormous mindset obstacle to overcome.
Once your brain realises your work is not you, and that any quality criticism is not a criticism of you but given in good faith and with the truest of intentions, you will stop taking it personally and start taking it professionally.
After you make this connection, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you slough off this particular insecurity.
As somebody else once said, it is your choice. You can let fear and insecurity stop you from fulfilling your dreams. Or you can swallow your pride, take the leap and see where it leads you.
If this article was useful, you’ll love:
If you’ve been working on your novel for years (perhaps even decades) the maybe it's time to consider working with a coach.
If you have multiple versions of your novel and you don’t know which works best, are scared nobody will like your book and don't feel like a 'real' writer, then my guess is coaching is the right next step for you.
Find out more and sign up for your free Clarity Call here: https://emmadhesi.com/personal-coaching/
Emma Dhesi writes women’s fiction. She began writing seriously while a stay at home mum with 3 pre-school children.
By changing her mindset, being consistent and developing confidence, Emma has gone from having a collection of handwritten notes to a fully written, edited and published novel.
Having experienced first-hand how writing changes lives, Emma now helps beginner writers find the time and confidence to write their first novel.
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