I'd Like To Post Something and Get Feedback

[Edward G]

I've been challenged to post something, but there's no way I'm posting anything from a work I intend to submit to an agent. But I do have the beginning of a short story I started. I was going to submit it to a contest, but I never continued. Nevertheless, it may be a good idea of what I am as a writer, because it's very spontaneous. Or, maybe it's not a good example because it's not polished.

What do you think I should do?

[Sean D. Schaffer]

There's a good place you can go to here on AW if you'd like. It's called Share Your Work, and it's password-protected so Google can't cache your posted works. The password is vista.

Good luck to you, and I wish you well with your writing.

:)

[Pat~]

I think you should post it if you want feedback on the work. If that's not your motivation, skip it. :)

[Sage]

Gordon,
Down in the forum, there's a folder called Share Your Work. It's password-protected so that no publisher can ever say your work has been published in any form, & you can, of course, remove the post anytime you want.

Nobody wants to steal your work. I promise. It's not 'cuz I don't think it will be good. It's because it's unpublished & unpolished (as you are on the rough draft). The chances of someone wanting to steal from an unpublished author are incredibly slim, & the chances of them taking your first chapter & recreating your novel, nonexistent.

But it is up to you. Don't share 'cuz you want to validate yourself to this board, but because the feedback you receive will help you out. You will be able to see how readers & how those in the field respond to your work. That is the purpose of the SYW forum. If you put a piece up that you don't want critted, you will only get your feelings hurt when it is critted (& it most likely will be). And if you put it up there solely to prove you are a natural writer to yourself & those in that particular thread, I guarantee that at least one person will go in there & say you are not, probably because they didn't like your style, your genre, or what they can see of your story.

So my suggestion: post an excerpt of something you would submit somewhere. But don't post unless you want constructive criticism.

[PeeDee]

Plus, I don't even have enough hours in the day to get my OWN fiction written. I sure as hell don't have time -- or the mental capacity -- to properly steal any of yours. Sorry.

[Rolling Thunder]

Okay, I'm gonna step up here. I post in SYW and just understand, GJ, don't post unless you have a thick skin. The opinions there can be valuable but can also cut to the bone at times.

Just thought you should go in with both eyes open.

[Siddow]

I say: polish and post.

Reason I say this: I truly appreciated my first critiques. I thought I KNEW...but I learned. I had someone give me what he thougt was a harsh critique, but it was just the slap on the pants that I needed. Published 5x since then.

He did it nicely. I'd love to be the nice slap on the pants for you.

PM me with the link to your post.

[kristie911]

Rllgthunder is right but if you say at the beginning of your post that you would prefer people be "gentle" about their critique's just say so, most people tone it down a bit if you ask. However, it may not be quite as honest as you'd like.

Post something a little rough and people will tell you some ways to improve, then you can post the improved one too, if you'd like.

Good luck1

[Edward G]

I think you should post it if you want feedback on the work. If that's not your motivation, skip it. :)

In that case, I'll skip it. I just felt goaded to put up or shut up. The way I see it, the only critique that matters is what my future agent thinks and what the editors she submits to think. If someone wants to read what I write, eventually they can go to Barnes and Noble and find it.

Also, I have no idea why everyone thinks I'm worried about my stuff being stolen. I was going to put up 200 words of a short story I never finished. If someone wants to steal it, they can have it.

Anyway. I made the offer.

[Lyra Jean]

Because of a comment in another thread about Competition with other writers.

[ColoradoGuy]

The thing is, my friend, polishing your work to its very, very best is the way to get an agent. All of us are legends in our own minds; we need others to point out what makes sense and what doesn't, what flows and what doesn't, what is commonplace and what isn't. I've found the share-your-work forum to be interesting and helpful. When you spend all day in your words it's impossible to tell how they strike others.

[DeadlyAccurate]

I've been challenged to post something, but there's no way I'm posting anything from a work I intend to submit to an agent.

Posting your chapter one won't affect your chances with an agent. An old version of my chapter one of my last book is still somewhere in the Mystery forum, and it's from the book my agent will be submitting shortly.

[PeeDee]

Post or not, your call. Not everyone does. I generally don't, except when I just want to entertain people. Others rely on it.

Not a big whoop either way, honestly. Er, which is sort of the appeal.

[jbal]

Also, I have no idea why everyone thinks I'm worried about my stuff being stolen.

Because in the original post you said you would never post something you were going to submit to an agent. Usually when someone says that, it's because they're worried about their work being stolen.

[Gabriel]

I've been challenged to post something, but there's no way I'm posting anything from a work I intend to submit to an agent. But I do have the beginning of a short story I started. I was going to submit it to a contest, but I never continued. Nevertheless, it may be a good idea of what I am as a writer, because it's very spontaneous. Or, maybe it's not a good example because it's not polished.

What do you think I should do?

You're weird.
:e2poke:

[PeeDee]

You're weird.
:e2poke:

I love that smilie. Except I think it owes me five bucks.