Loft Writing Minute: Why You Need to Start Sharing Your Writing
Sharing your writing is like handing over your diary. Even if your writing isn’t directly about your life, you still put your heart and mind into your characters or the argument of your essay; your writing carries a piece of you with it. You might spend hours choosing the right words, wrestling with sentences and wondering whether anyone will ever understand what you’re trying to say, so of course sharing your writing can feel vulnerable.
If you’ve ever hesitated before clicking “publish” or before reading your work aloud, you’re in good company, since nearly every writer experiences a similar fear, but despite how vulnerable it feels, sharing your writing is one of the most valuable things for both your craft and yourself.
Fresh Eyes Make Your Writing Better
Because every writer develops blind spots, you can’t read your own work like another reader could. You know what you meant to say, which means your brain often fills in missing information without you realizing it. Another set of eyes could catch awkward phrasing, confusing transitions or plot holes. Just remember that feedback doesn’t mean you failed.
Constructive Criticism Teaches You Things You Can’t Teach Yourself
While subject matters might be objective, analysis and writing preferences can be subjective, so it helps to hear multiple perspectives, especially from someone who is your “ideal reader.” Readers often highlight strengths we overlook because we’ve been staring at the same draft for weeks. Writing may begin alone, but it almost always gets stronger through conversation.
The More You Share, the Less Scary It Becomes
It’s a little like going into a haunted house. The first time, you nearly pass out with fear, the second time, your heart pounds a little faster, but the third and fourth times, you know the jump scares, you’re a little less afraid of the dark. It still may be a bit scary, but at least it is familiar.
Like any act of courage, sharing gets easier through practice. You’ll begin trusting that your work doesn’t have to be perfect before someone else sees it. You’ll learn that revision is a part of writing, not proof you’re doing something wrong. Confidence is created with consistency.
Writing is Better When You’re Not Doing It Alone
Writing can be a solitary activity, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. I find it motivating to surround myself with people who understand what it is like to wrestle with a difficult chapter, who might be the same people who want to celebrate a breakthrough paragraph with me. A supportive writing community provides accountability, thoughtful feedback and encouragement on the days when you’re convinced you’ll never finish your project.
Your Writing Might Be Exactly What Someone Else Needs
When thousands of books and articles get posted every day, each genre, trope, archetype and theme feels saturated to death, so it can be easy to believe that your story is too ordinary, that it doesn’t stick out in the Never Ending Pit of Content. Chances are, yes, someone else has already written about grief or family or love or anxiety or hope, but no one has written about those things in the way you can.
Somewhere, someone is looking for the exact perspective that only you can offer. The words you put to paper might describe the impossible feelings someone has tried so hard to depict but didn’t have the vocabulary for. You’ll never know whose life your words might touch if they never leave your computer.
Your Turn
If you’d like to hear how accomplished authors share their work, join us for Loft Connect Live! A Showcase of Loft Talent on August 19th. You’ll hear readings from Anika Fajardo, Emily Bright and Ty Chapman, followed by a conversation with the authors and a reception where you can meet fellow readers and writers.
Even further, if you're looking for a community to begin sharing for yourself, Loft Connect+ offers live peer feedback sessions, accountability groups, writing challenges and shared workspaces where writers can exchange drafts and help one another grow. Because the story you’re most nervous to share might be exactly the story someone else has been waiting to read.