When do you share

[E.M.Sterling]

When do you share a novel? After the first rewrite or in its rough form? Or do you have it completely ready for submission before you let friends or family view it? Or perhaps the answer is never?

Curious to know what other people think about when to share.

[Voyager]

Anytime, anywhere. Whenever anyone shows even the remotest interest. I have no shame about showing rough stuff, it's how I make it better. Input at any point is a good thing for me.

[Teige Benson]

Write first draft.
Rewrite and edit.
Share for feedback.

[Sage]

I share with one friend almost right away. She just wants the story asap, so she gets to check for continuity and plot. Anyone else will only get to see it after I've made at least three passes for editing.

[Shady Lane]

First draft.
Betas.
Second draft.
Betas.
Third draft.
Submit.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Soccer Mom]

There are a small number of people who get to see my first drafts. They don't line edit but read for plot and continuity--but even then I give it a pass through. I can't show raw, unedited material to anyone. I just can't.

[ishtar'sgate]

I think someone posted a similar thread but sometimes these threads are hard to find. Anyway, I share the first three chapters with my son to see if it holds his interest, then no one sees it until it's completed and the editing is done.
Linnea

[David I]

I think someone posted a similar thread but sometimes these threads are hard to find. Anyway, I share the first three chapters with my son to see if it holds his interest, then no one sees it until it's completed and the editing is done.
Linnea

I'm in sympathy with this. I like feedback on the openings: "Do you want to read more?"

After that, I don't need/want anything until I have a polished first draft.

Let me clarify: the way I write, the first draft has solid prose. When something is wrong in the first draft, it's structural: pacing, subplots, etc.

But other people work in very different ways, and I suspect the answer to this question depend on how you work.

[David I]

I can't show raw, unedited material to anyone. I just can't.

I can't show raw, unedited material to myself. That's why I write so slowly.

Note that I'm not recommending this approach.

[ishtar'sgate]

I can't show raw, unedited material to myself. That's why I write so slowly.

Me too. My rough drafts aren't all that rough because I edit as I go, constantly rereading what's gone before to see if it can be tweaked a bit more to make it better.
Linnea

[blacbird]

Share. v.t. To inflict upon.

-- Blacbird's Unabridged Dictionary, 2007 ed.

caw

[David I]

Share. v.t. To inflict upon.

-- Blacbird's Unabridged Dictionary, 2007 ed.

caw

Where can I buy this? My copy of Ambrose Bierce is getting tattered, and seems a bit dated anyhow...

(doffs hat)

[triceretops]

I have a heap big pow-wow conference with my roomates before I even start a book. I look for an intriguing premise and engaging plotline. I'll discuss chapter ideas with them too, or ask for opinions. It's all for reinforcement. They are readers so I value their opinions.

Tri

[Prawn]

Write rough draft of book (10-12 weeks for 90K)
Revise twice (working on the laptop, about a month)
Let it sit while I write something else (10-12 weeks)
Revise book several more times (working on the lap top, usually a month, including one time reading the whole thing aloud, and one time actually working off printed copy)
Submit to betas.

So I guess it takes me about eight months from writing word one to giving it to betas.

[Wraith]

After I'm sure it's consistent and makes sense entirely, which is probably the end. And only after I've gone through and polished. I did otherwise once and didn't like it much, especially when that opening my friend had read changed completely.

The story threads are dancing like crazy in the first draft, you can barely make out the story. Or maybe I just have a fondness for adding alternate povs and layers until myself and the characters reach insanity. I can't let anyone read that, I'm not that cruel.

:D

[Shadow_Ferret]

When it's published.

[amber_grosjean]

To me it really doesn't matter who reads my work as long as they can be honest about what needs help. If someone wants to read something, just to read it, I tell them to wait until it comes out lol. I have a few friends who love to read my work just to let me know how to make it better. Of course, I give them a free copy of the finished published book as a gift of saying thanks to some of those people, the ones I see most of the time lol.

Amber

[Stew21]

It depends.
Some people I trust to see it first draft ugly: shout to KTC.
Some people can see second draft.
Most people who are reading this novel are reading 3rd which is just red pen edited version of draft #2.
Some people this time around got a hybrid - half red pen edited. To them, I'm sorry. :)

It really depends on the purpose of the reader and your comfort with the person. I have different people reading for different purposes.
Some people are just reading it for story flow. Just check out the plot, tell me if there are holes, what needs to be clearer, what doesn't make sense, etc.
Some people are reading it with a red pen in their hands. They are circling sentences (or paragraphs) they think may need work.
This is the point where I generate ideas for improvement if it needs any so I can get them in there.
Most people are going to read version 3 or later.
For now though, version 2 with one round of copy edits is what most of the betas have.

[KTC]

I will talk about it while I'm writing it, but I prefer to actually share the writing after I am finished first draft. I don't want outside influences while writing. I don't care about letting people see...it's just that I don't want suggestions that may sway me away from the natural flow of the story.

[KTC]

Some people I trust to see it first draft ugly: shout to KTC.


Hollah!

[astonwest]

When I've revised the manuscript so many times, I'm sick of looking at it...

[Danger Jane]

I've been sharing my first draft of a rewrite I just started, just with my crit partner. Usually I wait a little longer, but this is coming out pretty decent, and I don't have to resort to "it's a first draft so that's why it's crappy" if she criticizes something.

[Zelenka]

Voyager is the only person who's ever seen my first drafts, and that's 'cause she's fab and helps me out big time on loads of the ideas and such. The only other place I show work is here on SYW, and with that I usually don't like to submit anything unless I've been over it at least twice since the first draft. I used to show my family my writing until I actually realised they have no interest in it whatsoever and look on it as 'that stupid fad I really should grow out of'.

[OverTheHills&FarAway]

Used to be no one was allowed to read it. Ever.

I'm getting slightly better. :) Thanks to my brother who laughs at the good parts and tells me when I suck (this is usually an oral reading), and thanks to my crit partner who reads it as I write it. She is amazing and because of her, I've gotten over a LOT of insecurities!

[Varthikes]

I don't even print it out unless I've reread it half a dozen times and made sure everything is more or less how I want it.

When it's printed out, that's when I share it.

[JimmyB27]

When do you share?

Right now - see my sig!

[preyer]

unfortunately, no one in real life even cares if i write or not. if they read any of it at all, i feel as if they're doing me a favour because i invariably have to ask if they'll look at it. since i hate feeling as if i owe someone, i don't even mention it to anyone anymore. they never asked to begin with, so i reckon it's all just as well. i'm fairly certain that those who know i write feels it's a waste of my time, but it's better than hanging out in bars.

[Cassiopeia]

I share a bit here and there but never the complete manuscript.

[blacbird]

i'm fairly certain that those who know i write feels it's a waste of my time, but it's better than hanging out in bars.

Don't be too hasty in this judgment.

caw

[Ardellis]

I share a bit here and there but never the complete manuscript.

I'm with you, Cassiopeia. My husband gets to listen to me hash out the plot verbally, and he's very good at pointing out holes and character problems, but he only gets to see the odd scene. Usually when I've done something I think is clever and want to make sure I'm not deluding myself.

My best friend gets those scenes, too, but she's mainly there to be a cheerleader.

[Chasing the Horizon]

I don't give anything to my betas until I finish the book, mainly because I write out of order and, for obvious reasons, they don't want to read it out of order. I usually line edit chapters as I complete them, so it's been edited once. After the betas have finished with an MS, I'll print out a copy for myself and line edit it again on paper (amazing what you can see printed that you miss on the computer!). That's pretty much all I do, no 'revisions' to speak of. I'm a meticulous outliner and fix logic/continuity errors as I go, so the only real difference between my first drafts and final drafts are the number of typos.