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?
Proofread them, have someone you trust proofread them, and then let a few people read them and see what they think.
Save EVERYTHING you write. Show someone. Let your family know where you keep your work. Opportunity may knock on your door, but if it doesn't... you will have left a part of yourself behind for posterity.
If you think you want to "find yourself" as a writer, then join a group and find a mentor.
Compile them, thats what I did...edit, mull-over and don't be afraid to show off your talents!
Look the worst they can say is, your not a writer. Will that hurt? It is just their opinion. The best they can say is, my god your the next Hemingway. So your probably going to end up someplace in the middle. Just show someone. After all if the Colonel had not kept pitching his receipe or Edison had just stopped after not getting it right we wouldnt have Kentucky Fried Chicken or Light Bulbs. People all have opinions and assholes and they all stink. So, just put it out there and know you like it and that is what matters. Others of your ilk will like it too.
Show them to someone.
Don't throw them away. They may contain the seed of your best book or essay.
That depends on what your purpose is. If you want to see your work published, then clean it up. Check some sites that offer tips on what to do and what not to do with writing. As cheesy as it sounds, they can be very helpful. I have visited a few sites and have gained some beneficial tips.
read them, then show them. Remember, this is a process, writers if they
are serious are in a constant state of flux, so there is no place for judgment
either from you or anyone else. Start easy and show them to a trusted
friend or loved one first. The process does not stop when the words are
on the page, you must bring them to someone else. Personally, I have
gone back and revisited many things from long ago and found great treasures
amongst the junk, so hey worst case we got a 50% chance of striking gold.
Don't be a coward. You know why there are so many mediocre writers succeeding out there? Because they had the courage to show their stuff and believe in it while others, possibly far more talented, did not. DO IT!!!
I would upload them somewhere, maybe even re-write them. What have you got to lose?
I recommend you take an objective look at them and determine whether there are stories there whose heart you like, but with writing that needs revising. If they're what you would call unsalvagable, keep them. They're your first writings - and no writing is a waste. It's all part of the process. Very few people are born being good at something; it takes time and passion and dedication and practice (not to mention a lot of bad stories) to get to the stuff you like and are proud of.
If they were frustrating when you wrote them...and experienced angina trying to get them produced...then I'd put health in front of wealth. It's no crime to fill cabinets.
Save them. They are someone to talk to in the late hours of the night.
Like visiting a sick relative.
I don't know, I still have mine with the edges chewed off by starving mice.
Sift through them yourself first, and you'll be surprised how weak much of it is.
If you cannot find a sense of urgency to your work, of necessity to culture, of worthy impact to the planet earth, shelve it again or Frankenstein it into greatness. If you can. |
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