I just replied to Teresa's post/comment to the "Like-minded Crit partners", but thought I put the rest of my reply out here, because I don't think it's just Teresa, or myself who are affected by this.
The ML test (aka uncertaintiy/ fear of offending, etc) tends to be prevalent in newbies. You know--'what would my mom/dad/husband/church congregation/co-workers/guy who pumps my gas/children think if I wrote this?"
Know what? I'm not going to worry what they think.
What do you think? That's the very short list of who I/you should be worried about (while caught up in the actual writing). Don't even worry about what your editor/agent will think. They'll let you know soon enough. gg
I've noticed that as writers become more established-- and, coincidentally, their confidence grows-- they adapt this attitude. I say, 'why wait years to come to that understanding?' Fear constrains, it dulls, stultifies and diminishes.
A writer has to be true to themselves, their voice & characters. Their sheer bloody GENIUS! gg. Push your abilities, don't rein them in. It's a competitive world out there and the only thing standing between you and success is the unique ability to be the best *you*. Take every opportunity to sharpen your voice to a diamond edge, flex and strengthen your skills re your craft till it's fluid magic.
Then hope like hell that a couple hundred thousand people will hitch a ride as you explore the worlds and characters you've created. ;-)
I've decided that timidity will get me *exactly* what I deserve.
But taking a leap of faith and creativity may just land me in a few interesting and/or exciting places.
So, Go for it!
You know you want to. ;-)
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5 comments:
LOL @ the mommy post from yesterday & today -
I think once you start letting people close to you read your stuff you get over it pretty quickly - it desensitizes you, in a way. My husband/my friends/ a friend of the family who is in the publishing field all read my stuff early on and nobody had a problem with the sexy stuff. Or with anything I wrote.
And then my mother asked why I didn't let her read anything. So I did. This is how it went.
"Stephanie! What are you doing writing about breasts on the first page? Your father can't read this!"
But she finished the whole thing. *g*
Sorry I was too lazy to sign in to blogger
Steph T.
www.stephanietyler.com/blog/
LOL steph.
You know, there's a part of me that actually looks FORWARD to shocking my religious southern baptist relatives (horsey sex anyone?? :::waggling eyebrows:::) though neither dad nor step mom have asked to read (my son has but that wont happen).
My ex goes "you should write kids books, those are really popular. you can make a lot of money doing that."
and I'm thinking "and you need to keep loading those dr pepper trucks, loser."
What is it with peopel suggesting kids books? I get that all the time. And really, I hate kids, why would I want to write something for them?
Anyway, greatpost abotu creativity and writign what our Chracters want, what we want...and uhmm My Mom knows, but I don't show my Dad what I write either. lol
Wow. I've been a bad blogger again, checking out other folk's (Cece & Sasha, gg) blogs and not working on my own. Boy was I surprised to see these posts. Thanks for dropping by guys!
My brothers/sisters know I'm writin *steamy* romance. My mom I haven't said a word to. Not that I'm scared or anything, but I thought I'd save her the discomfort. She'll be very brave - g - ask exactly what I'm writing - g - ask again to be sure she heard right ("All details?" she'll ask mildly, except her eyebrows will be skating down the back side of her head cause she raised them so high.) Then she'll sigh and say something about me being all grown up and she can't tell me what to do, and you young people now a days, why in her days--at this point I kind of tune out--yaddah, yaddah,yaddah, yakety, smakety, blah, blah, blah, ::white noise:: Then I'm snapped out of my semi-coma by her next heartfelt sigh. *lol*
LMAO@white noise!!!!! I told my step mom first (via eamil cause i was a little chicken and they don't read my work). CP influence I can take but comments from non-readers (though my brohter did tell me today he read four books while he was in jail LOL) I can do without. My step mom didn't say a word about it being erotica other than "I've read some before" -- well good =)
But to me, writing is very personal and I guess in part I'm afraid they wont "get it".
LOL Smut to Kids books Sasha......what a concept.
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