Do you bounce your ideas off others before writing or do you play it close to the chest?
"Nah. I might give someone a one-sentence synopsis of something I'm working on, but in general I think it's best to let the ideas percolate in my head and then let people in on the secret when I'm done. It keeps things fresher that way." - Barry Lyga, author of I Hunt Killers.
"I always read to my husband and my best friend. Beyond that, I usually keep it close unless I just can’t figure it out, in which case I rely on my best writer friends." - Huntley Fitzpatrick, author of My Life Next Door.
"I play it close to the chest most of the time. I might talk in vague terms to my editor or one or two close friends who are also critique partners for me, but I don't like brainstorming my story until it's already on the page. The brainstorming happens as I look at the story and decide where it can be strengthened." - C.J. Redwine, author of Defiance.
"I still belong to a small writing group, two writers I really trust. And I have a few beta readers, also writers, who are terrific at feedback. They’re treasures." - Lissa Price, author of Starters.
"Both. If I’m stuck on a plot, my husband and children are going to hear about it whether they want to or not. And usually they don’t want to. I can tell by the hunted expressions on their faces and the way they make excuses to scurry out of the room." - Janette Rallison (AKA C.J. Hill), author of Erasing Time.
"It depends. Sometimes I’ll get an idea and immediately email one of my CPs to see what they think. But sometimes, I won’t tell ANYONE what I’m writing, if only because I don’t have a good way of describing the project. I’m usually pretty open about my writing, though—especially when trying to brainstorm revision ideas (or drafting the book itself)." - Sarah Maas, author of Throne of Glass.
"I don't like to talk about ideas in their early phases at all, and a draft has to be pretty far along before I show it to anyone. When I talk about an idea before I get deeply into the writing, I feel deflated, like the speaking of the story drains away some of its magic." - Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow and Bone.
"I bounce concepts off people. If I have a first few chapters of a voice I’m not sure about, I’ll show them to someone. When I’m writing a manuscript, I keep it to myself until I’ve got a draft, then I share." - Kevin Emerson, author of The Lost Code.
"For the most part, I keep things close to me, but my husband is the one exception. He knows the ins and outs of my characters and stories as well as I do when I'm writing, and he's the one I go to when I'm stuck or need encouragement. A good man, that one. Deserving of a medal, really." - Jessi Kirby, author of In Honor.
"I don’t talk about what I’m writing before I write it, or during the early drafts. When I’m polishing later drafts, I can talk about it. But otherwise, talking too much about an idea drains me of the energy I need to write it." - Jennifer Hubbard, author of Try Not to Breathe.
"I keep everything pretty close. I will talk with my editor or maybe talk to a couple friends about my ideas. But I will not openly discuss a book until I’m almost done with the edit. I remember when I told my agent that I wanted to write a book called Prom & Prejudice, she told me that I had to keep the title a secret for as long as possible. Everything moves so quickly now that if I let it slip earlier someone else could’ve beaten me to the punch." - Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Take a Bow.
"When I'm starting to write, I bounce a few ideas off of people—but then I don't talk about the book until I have something I'm ready for my beta partners to read." - Cara Lynn Shultz, author of Spellcaster.
Stop by Tuesday to find out what book the authors wish they could read again for the first time!
I'm the most like Jessi Kirby. I talk to my boyfriend when I'm excited about a story or frustrated with it and he listens to me patiently. He also holds me when I'm upset over something writing related. It's wonderful.
ReplyDelete