Writer’s Corner: Talk About It!

If there’s one thing that writer’s love to do, it is keeping their stories and ideas as private as possible, not sharing them with anyone until they deem it to be “complete” or “done”. Look, we get it. Everyone has had those moments where it feels like you give even a hint of an idea to someone else and it’s suddenly out there, written or created by someone else within months. If only you’d kept your mouth shut, this never would have happened!

Okay, I can’t say with complete certainty that you are wrong, but I can say that the likelihood of this sort of thing happening is very slim, especially if you only told one person. Think about it. Is that person likely going to be as passionate as you are about your story that they will have remembered all of your (potentially partially incoherent) excited ramblings and made sense of them? And then, had the ability to regurgitate it perfectly to someone else, who in turn will have maybe done the same thing to someone else until it reached the ears of the author? It certainly doesn’t sound likely to me.

I am here to tell you that it is far more beneficial way more of the time to have a few confidants with whom you can talk about your works. This may be your partner, your kids, a best friend, or anyone else who may be close to you who you can trust to keep your secrets safe.

For me, I have a small group of three or four who are happy to hear about me talk about my work, and I am almost certain won’t share the details of my writing with anyone else. The best part about this? Ideas!

Even though I sought out a group of people who also happened to be writers, there is also one person who isn’t a writer, and they sometimes come out with the best ideas. Sometimes writers tend to overthink or overcomplicate things while the non-writer’s innocence creates the most real and probable answers grounded in the real world. Fantasy writers like myself occasionally get lost so deep into their own worlds that they sometimes forget how to make them relatable to our own world.

I cannot tell you how many times my writer’s block has been alleviated just by bouncing ideas off my friends. They are just as excited as I am to talk shop with me and it often makes for a fun afternoon. Remember, no idea is too stupid, because while you may not use the original idea, it may set other thoughts in motion get you where you want to go.

Trust me, I know how difficult it can be to let go of your writing babies, but having a little bit of trust in your friends can make the world of difference in your writing. Take the leap, it’s time to put your trust in the people you care for. I guarantee you they will surprise you.