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I wish I had a writing buddy to bounce ideas off! But none of my friends in the group write the type of smut I write lol.

So what about you? Who do you bounce ideas off when writing?

No-one out here I can really talk to. Everyone I have live in my computer.

Julie Gerber and my children- they give it to me with a baseball bat sometimes.

I'm very lucky to be married to my editor. She has taught me a great deal over our 40+ years together. I'm a perpetual student in what she once termed "Kathy's Slash and Burn School of Writing." ;-)

No one really, though I do have a very good writing friend who I could bounce things off. I did once and it was invaluable. Mostly I view a new book as an unborn child and the rest of the world will have to wait to see whether it's got all its fingers and toes.

I rely on my few and far between (boy do they live a long way from each other) beta readers to give it to me straight once I've written 'The End'.

I bounce ideas off my husband, editor, and my brother who is also an author. They are all very honest and I can trust them to tell me exactly what they think. I also use beta readers.

I used to bounce ideas off this grandma of sorts (she adopted me as her little whippersnapper throughout the years). She was a huge fan of horror and would seriously work hard to get my ideas polished out.
Then I moved, so I'm left with finding someone else.

I joined a writers' group that would provide constructive feedback for the excerpts that we read aloud--all feedback was positive and encouraging, even when the reader put us to sleep. I found the non-verbal feedback to be fairly brutal and honest. However, I felt I got honest, truthful, and encouraging feedback through non-verbals that manifested themselves with smiles, heads nodding up and down, and expressions on people's faces that cried out, "Keep reading; don't stop!"

Sounds like it was fun.

Fun, yes. But more than that: Very worthwhile.

I see you have just joined Goodreads, Michael. You'll find this group very helpful in tweaking things like blurbs and covers and they give other guidance too.

Many thanks, Anna. It appears to me that one can become totally consumed by the Goodreads forum. Any advice on how to keep from over doing it?

I don't currently have anyone upon which to bounce my ideas. I just write.

Michael wrote: "Many thanks, Anna. It appears to me that one can become totally consumed by the Goodreads forum. Any advice on how to keep from over doing it?"

Choose the threads you want to participate in carefully, Michael, and then make sure you check what's going on from time to time. I find I miss my friends here- so I will read the threads a couple of times a day. Sometimes I don't have time to respond- but that doesn't mean I haven't read their comments.
These discussion threads are filled with very knowledgeable people. They've tried things and are willing to share their experiences and sources. I have learned so much and I hope I have shared my information as well.

You'll find them very helpful and most of all, sweet.

In defense of some of the other threads, you'll find some are great sources of information. You should check out a thread in your genre. We love it here when you post questions or share something you've discovered. I found everyone here supportive and willing to try new things.

I have to echo what Carole says. This is probably the most supportive group I've come across and no one minds if you ask 'silly' questions because we've all been there, done that, and plodded on.

It is definitely easy to overdo looking around Goodreads. I try to allow myself half an hour first thing in the morning to do essential emails, checking Amazon sales (or lack of them) and reading/replying to Goodreads. Then a quick peep at lunch time and again in the evening. It doesn't work! I get caught up with interesting posts, which is fatal...

Byee!

This is old, but I love talking plot... Alexis if you wanted to chat, we could email.

But I mainly chat plot with my friend Sonja and my friend John. Both are so different, but they listen to my rambling and actually give me ideas and avenues to consider. I have other friends that just nod and don't get it... they think I want support. I don't want that, I want ideas! (though support is always nice.)

Thanks Nat!