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!
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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.
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