Releasing a story before its ready
I feel a little bad for a fellow non-published writer friend. I've been helping beta a story for her and always tried to coach any criticism in helpful ways to boost confidence in the story (and it IS a good story). Well, a week ago she posted up a new snippet of the story to her blog and Facebook page because she was proud of it. Essentially a rough draft scene, within hours it was gone, removed because of comments she'd received about spelling/grammar mistakes and (what I thought were constructive criticisms) some commenters pointing out inconsistencies in the snippet plot/story itself. I hadn't realized how hard this had affected her until she told me this morning via Facebook chat that she wasn't going to finish the story, and nothing I said would change her mind. She says she has a new idea she's been thinking about but hasn't had the courage to put a pen to paper since removing the snippet.
While I understand how she feels, i really think she's making the wrong choice. (Yes she reads my blog and knows how I feel; she said I could use her story as long as I didn't add her name) It's hard enough to finish a story with your own doubts ringing in your ears, but it hurts more when other voices join that cacophony. She made an error and revealed a rough draft (in fact, the virtual ink had barely dried) version of a story to her reading audience; she even admitted to not having given it a thorough re-read before copy/pasting it online. I'll freely admit to similar missteps in my past (I learned the hard way that my mother wasn't a good go-to person for faerie horror, especially in unedited form); it's a classic newbie mistake but one that can seriously test a writer's resolve.
What happened to that faerie horror short story I showed my mom? It got trunked. Yes, I had a similar reaction to a bad review, which is why I understand her pain. I'm sure she'll start writing again (hopefully soon, I miss my word-war buddy) but it's a hard lesson to learn. Rough drafts are exactly that: rough. Generally unfit for human consumption. Perhaps some people can write great first drafts - good for them, but I'm willing to bet they wrote some real shitty drafts in the past they'd rather not revisit.
Writing, to me, is like learning to ride a motorcycle or learn a musical instrument. One does not start out in the MotoGP on their first day, year, or even decade. Writing, like every other worthwhile venture or skill out there, takes practice, dedication, and practice. Then MORE practice, even if it seems useless.
And sometimes, it's a good idea to listen to friends who say you should continue a certain story. *wink-nudge*
While I understand how she feels, i really think she's making the wrong choice. (Yes she reads my blog and knows how I feel; she said I could use her story as long as I didn't add her name) It's hard enough to finish a story with your own doubts ringing in your ears, but it hurts more when other voices join that cacophony. She made an error and revealed a rough draft (in fact, the virtual ink had barely dried) version of a story to her reading audience; she even admitted to not having given it a thorough re-read before copy/pasting it online. I'll freely admit to similar missteps in my past (I learned the hard way that my mother wasn't a good go-to person for faerie horror, especially in unedited form); it's a classic newbie mistake but one that can seriously test a writer's resolve.
What happened to that faerie horror short story I showed my mom? It got trunked. Yes, I had a similar reaction to a bad review, which is why I understand her pain. I'm sure she'll start writing again (hopefully soon, I miss my word-war buddy) but it's a hard lesson to learn. Rough drafts are exactly that: rough. Generally unfit for human consumption. Perhaps some people can write great first drafts - good for them, but I'm willing to bet they wrote some real shitty drafts in the past they'd rather not revisit.
Writing, to me, is like learning to ride a motorcycle or learn a musical instrument. One does not start out in the MotoGP on their first day, year, or even decade. Writing, like every other worthwhile venture or skill out there, takes practice, dedication, and practice. Then MORE practice, even if it seems useless.
And sometimes, it's a good idea to listen to friends who say you should continue a certain story. *wink-nudge*