What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?
Mention them in Interviews with School newspaper,and magazines look in the local newspaper for Open Mic Nights and Booksignings or any connection you may have in the Lit/Comp World spread the word, and advertise self in that way
Opening yourself up for criticism is always an intense and sometimes painful experience, but it is a necessary one. Find a writer's group or online community and begin by sharing one of your least favorite works, that way when the piece's flaws are pointed out to you, you may not be tempted to get as defensive as you would of a particularly cherished piece.
That being said, never share ALL of your work with an audience (no matter how supportive). Some things aren't fit to be read, and you know it!
I would ask you what is holding you back? If something you've written years ago still rings true, then by all means hire an editor or have it critiqued by someone who doesn't have a stake in the outcome, such as a teacher or writing coach. There are many sources available to you via internet sites such as LivePerson.com or Prostogo.com. Friends and relatives are not your best source here - they will either try to sugarcoat things or if you have dysfunctional relationships, will be unnecessarily harsh, all for your own good, of course! Be willing to accept criticism, but if the overall impression your work has made is good, you should be given some guidance as far as improving the quality of the piece. Be willing to follow through with the changes, then look for markets. If you truly believe the work you've done offers something special to an audience but commercial publishers are unwilling to consider it for their lineup, consider self-publication. This process does involve an investment of both time and money, but it can make you a household name and ultimately lead to commercial publication.   | | |
My advice - is that I have no advice; I've burned everything I wrote before 2004 in a steel barrel behind my house. What any other author does with anything they have written is their own affair, and none of my business.
You might go back and critique your earlier works. If they are not very good, they might find a good place in the trash bin. I've written some things that I don't want others to read -- ever.
Ideally, one grows as a writer. I take my writings out periodically and reexamine them. If they need to be reworked, based on what I've learned since first writing them, I don't hesitate. I am continually looking for publications to which I can submit. Unlike people I read about, I still like my first efforts, or at least the ideas and feel they are worthy enough for a second chance.
Re-read them first. You'd be surprised to find out what you left out or what you could change after so many years. Once you've fine-tuned them, show them to someone you trust and get their opinion. After all, that is the writing process.
Every writer has old manuscripts that have laid around for many years. A lot of very popular books sat in a drawer for a long time before being brought back to life, so don't give up on any of them.
Stop making excuses and make time to get your stuff published, who knows you might actually have a fantastic piece of work! Sitting around wishing for something to happen won`t make it happen. Get off your butt and get going, hey you could be the next great writer, with multiple contracts and book deals!
If you're serious about getting published then I suggest you find a good critique partner or two.
If you're just writing for yourself then write for yourself and enjoy it.
Keep them until.
Start on something new that you can get published. Start somewhere, even though it's a local paper or something, but start.
I would suggest joining a writer's workshop, taking all of those things you wrote long ago and have them critiqued by the members. See if they like them or feel there is some corrections to be made.
Take them out, shake off the dust and look out for spiders. Spiders love musty manuscripts.
Why not give your work another read, maybe take one more pass at tweaking and revising, and pass it along to someone whose opinion you trust. Maybe not your mom, because she loves you like a son or daughter and will probably not provide the brutal honesty you need. But sometime who can provide you with a solid opinion of what he or she thinks about your work.
N/A
Give them to the world for free!
Probably the stuff needs re-writing. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 |
<< PREVIOUS NEXT >>
| |
|
99685 interviews created
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS