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?
I would collect them, read them carefully, and edit them if necessary. Then, I would share them with those I trust, and illicit feedback. This would give me a clue as to whether I should pursue further action.
Move on.
You know why those manuscripts sit alone in the dark. I've got one of those ugly things in my closet too. People ask me, "When is that sci-fi book coming out?" I smile and shrug, afraid to tell them I've clapped it in chains for the rest of time.
Show someone you trust to give you an honest opinon, or do what I did. At was at a friends house and I had a group captivated as I spoke about a couple and a scenario.
They were floored when I confessed I had made it up in a novel.
The rest is history.
Join a workshop or a poetry/fiction group. Finding a local poetry/fiction group is not as easy. The many poetry/fiction groups run their sessions differently. So find the one that can support your work.
Categorize them. Most sensitive. Most bull-shit. Most readable, etc.
Polish them and then let someone read them. If your work hasn't been read, it can't be liked.
Read them. If they are worth working on some more, do it. If not, either toss them or put them in a scrap book.
Show someone. You never know until you get feedback. When you give someone a sample and they're craving more, then you know you've got something good.
Show your friends and family first. You need to take the first step, it is not that painful. The feed back you recieve will most likely be invaluable to yopu in your future writing.
I suggest you might have a story from something you've hidden away, but I know you have been growing as a person and writer in the process of all you've been getting down on paper. That second element (growth) is what truly makes you bolder, smarter and better...and it often takes time. So, smile at your filing cabinet and remember it's rich with promise, then keep working on what's coming out of you and just never, EVER give up.
Find a good critique group that gives constructive criticism and publish them
Revise, rewrite, reread and let new ideas sprout. Go with them and take them out of the drawers. Use them as an idea file for today; past writings are a fantastic resource you have given yourself.
Take them out and reread them. See how you feel about them. They might need editing. Or they might surprise you. Or they might lead to something else. Above all, do not discard them. Use them as a showpiece. Make a collage out of them. But don't throw them out.
If you do not show your work, how will you be able to tell if your work is good or 'bad'?
Be brave. We all had to do it, at one time or another.
Look them over honestly, and shelve those that aren't okay. If they show promise, update and get the courage to act someone who will be honest but fair. Just don't throw your pearls (words) before someone who isn't that. |
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