Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Talking About the Work-in-Progress

Everyone makes mistakes—even writers—but that's okay because each mistake is a great learning opportunity. The Writer's Digest team has witnessed many mistakes over the years, so we started this series to help identify them early in the process. Note: The mistakes in this series aren't focused on grammar rules, though we offer help in that area as well.

(75 grammar rules for writers.)

Rather, we're looking at bigger picture mistakes and mishaps, including the error of using too much exposition, neglecting research, or researching too much. This week's writing mistake writers make is talking about the work-in-progress.

I've made this mistake many times myself, and it never ends well. I get excited about an idea and start writing and developing and building it bigger and bigger. The story appears to be writing itself, and I know nothing can stop the momentum.

(Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Waiting for Inspiration to Strike.)

That is, until I make the mistake of telling someone—literally anyone—about this great juggernaut of an unfinished story. Here are the two most common scenarios:

So I've learned (I hope!) to keep my mouth shut. If I get a cool idea, I keep it to myself and write. The work-in-progress becomes a top secret project between myself, my notebooks, and the cloud (just kidding: I don't share it with the cloud).

But sometimes, people do ask me what I'm working on, and I do want to tell them something. After all, I'm an introvert, but I'm a writer—and writers love to share their writing (at least a few of us anyway). So this is what I do.

This sounds simple enough, but I really mean it. Only share what you've already written. If you have a finished story (even in draft form), share that. If you have a finished scene, share that. But don't share your plans for where the story might go or backstory from where it came.

(Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Oversimplified Characters.)

Think of it this way: You can't revise writing that's not on the page. So apply this same rule to talking about your writing: Only talk about the work that's actually down on the page. And instead of explaining what you're trying to accomplish, ask your readers what they see and think about the writing. You may be surprised what they tell you.

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