Audience

[alanajoli]

One of the things I love about blogging is that it's writing tailored for a particular audience. That audience may grow and shift, but it's easy enough to touch base with who it is that's reading what you have to say. It's instant gratification writing.

One of the things I struggle with in writing my fiction is that, with a few exceptions, I'm the only one reading it. (Volunteer readers have busy lives; I've been in the volunteer reader position myself, and I acknowledge that I'm actually quite bad at responding in a timely fashion. Or at all.) While I certainly write to tell stories that I'm interested in, I don't write just for myself. I'm miserable at keeping a serious journal.

I'm interested in hearing how other people get over that hump--particularly any NaNo-ers who are on this list. How do you balance the writing process with the desire for an audience? I know some people like to play close to their chests when they're writing, not showing anyone any part of it until it's finished. If that's you--what benefit does that particular style of writing offer?

I've finally started "Good Company" (the vampire story) today, in snippets, and I'm considering sending it to people who are already familiar with the character via e-mail, as I write, to see if the idea of the serial actually works for my writing process. (banana_pants and niliphim, this means you, so if you think it's a horrible idea, please, by all means, stop me.) I'll let you know if I decide to do so (and if it works!).

For those of you keeping track, I haven't finished "Rodeo." I'm only a scene or two from the end. Somehow my momentum on that one took a nose dive--but I'm hoping to get back to it next week.

Comments

[shanna-s.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly a close-to-the-chest writer, and I write more for myself than for any audience or feedback. Yes, even though I do this for a living. I actually get a minor panic attack just before the release of a book because it strikes me that, yikes, people are going to be reading it now.

I've found that getting real feedback while I'm writing can almost derail me from writing at all. I used to discuss my ideas with my agent, and while she gave me good feedback, they no longer felt like my ideas and I no longer had any interest in the story. Now I go off into my little cave and write something, then when I've thoroughly revised it and have it solid in my own head, I'll send it to my agent.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

The night before my first novel came out, I was nearly sick to my stomach, I was so nervous. The second one released with such a whisper that I didn't have time to feel nervous, because I hardly even knew it had been published. :)

I feel the same way about talking about my work as you're saying about getting feedback. Once I've talked the idea over too much, it doesn't seem like my idea any more, and my motivation to finish the story seems to drizzle. After all, I've already told it once, haven't I? But I can't seem to work very well from my cave, either. What a conundrum! I suppose for me it will be a matter of seeking balance.