Ask the Author: Anne Gross
Answered Questions (1)
Anne Gross
One thing I’ve read in a couple of different places is the caution not to tell anyone about your novel in progress. "It’s a conversation killer at a party," they say. "You’ll be as dull as someone who starts a conversation with, 'I had this weird dream last night…'" Furthermore, they warn that people will have their own ideas about the path of your novel and will veer you off course, as if you'd end up writing a book by committee and lose your own voice.
I think this is bad advice for aspiring authors. If you're a person who enjoys stringing words together you’re probably a great conversationalist, even if you mumble and look at your shoes, so it’s doubtful you’d bore people with details about your novel. Also, most artists aren’t easily steered from their vision by Committees with Other Ideas. If they were, they wouldn’t be artists. It’s why artists are interesting (read: stubborn).
Go ahead and give yourself permission to be obnoxious. Tell everyone. Talk about your novel constantly. Be enthusiastic and excited. Imposter syndrome is real, and when you’re just starting out it can make you want to give up. Talking about your novel undercuts self-doubt because you’re practicing saying the words, “I’m writing.” It’s positive reinforcement.
From a business perspective, the more people you tell, the more anticipation you build for the product you’re developing. Not only are you creating a market, but you’re also networking. You never know if a friend of a friend of a friend has the name of an agent in their address book.
I think this is bad advice for aspiring authors. If you're a person who enjoys stringing words together you’re probably a great conversationalist, even if you mumble and look at your shoes, so it’s doubtful you’d bore people with details about your novel. Also, most artists aren’t easily steered from their vision by Committees with Other Ideas. If they were, they wouldn’t be artists. It’s why artists are interesting (read: stubborn).
Go ahead and give yourself permission to be obnoxious. Tell everyone. Talk about your novel constantly. Be enthusiastic and excited. Imposter syndrome is real, and when you’re just starting out it can make you want to give up. Talking about your novel undercuts self-doubt because you’re practicing saying the words, “I’m writing.” It’s positive reinforcement.
From a business perspective, the more people you tell, the more anticipation you build for the product you’re developing. Not only are you creating a market, but you’re also networking. You never know if a friend of a friend of a friend has the name of an agent in their address book.
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