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I can share what people say about a novel I haven't published yet, right? SURE WHY NOT. 📯 "I just read what you sent and I loved it! You managed to set up so many characters where I felt like I knew a bit about who they all were and intruige and questions that I wanted answered. And all in less than 3 pages!" 📯 📯 toot toot goes my horn. 📯 📯

@codenamewallaby Well that must make you feel pretty dang good.

I think the hardest thing as a writer is to get the affirmation we need to keep going. And you kept your readers' interest and peaked their curiosity. Awesome.

Jessica Maybury

@gg thanks! this is the first time I've ever sent anything out to anyone to read before it's been published and I'm sitting here wondering what the hell was wrong with me all this time! why have I never done this before! it's so helpful! and I feel like I'm going in the right direction.

@codenamewallaby Totally understand. I think we writers don't want to trouble someone else to read our work AND we feel a bit sheepish asking. And since we tend to have overdeveloped critical thinking skills, we see the flaws of our work and don't necessarily share.

I decided early on in this #novel writing experience that I'd ask 5 folks if they'd be there throughout my process. They have been. Tough, different and committed. They've helped enormously. On my 6th draft now.

@gg that's brilliant! what a great idea. I think the 'who the hell would want to read this trash anyway' hurdle of self confidence can never be ignored. I'm writing a substack now and feel the same.

@codenamewallaby @gg

It can never be ignored, and for most #writers, it never goes away. I just published my third novel, yet my #writing psychology still vacillates with every project, page, and paragraph.

"I am an unheralded literary genius!"

A chapter later:

"Ugh, these pages aren't fit to light my barbie!"

@WildTypeWriter @gg I can't stop thinking of setting fire to Barbies now?

@codenamewallaby @gg well, I do strive to challenge toxic gender stereotypes in my #books! But in this case I meant barbeque. Been living Down Under too long…

@WildTypeWriter @codenamewallaby

Yes, so much more satisfying to "light my barbie" than to "light my Barbie."

Cheers to the misunderstanding of distance and colloquealism. Very funny.

@gg I highly recommend supplementing that with participating in a writing workshop. There is nothing like having your work critiqued by other writers over a sustained amount of time.

@jesseliberty

Good suggestion.

I guess, in a way, that's what I'm doing. The five people who are my regular reader-editors are diverse, both in age and culture and location. Their commonality is that they are tough as nails and not afraid to tell me what they think.

They have read and offered feedback on every major stage and I've brought in a few others at each juncture for "cold" readers.

thanks for responding.

@gg can I share this entire quote in my newsletter actually?