wine on the keyboard

Who Reads Your Writing?

by Kay~Kacey on 9/6/2005

okay after a weekend of just sporatic internet. (I’m SO done with Charter Internet. Never could get through on the phones. Sent an email…got a reply that it needed to be handled with a phone support. They are having MAJOR problems here in the midwest. And I’m leaving them for DSL. This was the last straw. Then when I called on Monday they said “In order to give our employees the day off, there is no technical support.” :biteme:)

Okay, I digress…back to the topic at hand…Who do you let read your work? Do you have non-writer people read it? Does your dh? Your mom? Your best friend? Your daughter?

I haven’t had any non-writer people read my work. I always tell them I’ll let them after I sell. Now, my dh reads “male books” 🙄 Action adventure, gory murder, legal thrillers, medical thrillers, etc. Somehow I think that a romance will not be exactly up his alley. Though I’ll be ticked off if he doesn’t offer/want to read/actually read my first book sold. He’s married to me. It’s like his job or something… :mad2:

So who is reading your writing???

Melissa September 6, 2005 at 8:38 am

My mom and dad usually read my stuff, although it’s not the entire novel. Just snippets here and there and all my short stories. My mom read my entire thesis. 😀 It’s usually other writers that read my WIP’s, though. I don’t let non-writers read it until it is well edited. 😉

Caro September 6, 2005 at 9:10 am

My husband. He’s my first reader and has been for over a decade now. He keeps my spirits up when I feel like it’s all crap, but he also tells me if it is crap or if I have a plothole big enough to float a battleship through.

I used to have some friends whom I let read my work to get a “reader” reaction, but I ran into some problems with certain people starting to feel they had a proprietary interest in my work, so I had to stop.

No critique partners at the moment, but I’m hoping to rectify that soon.

Emma S September 6, 2005 at 9:31 am

Usually just my CP.

Although, if I feel like I’m getting to cocky (“This book rocks”) or if I think there’s a major problem or hit a major roadblick, then I usually give it to my husband to read.

He’s painfully honest (and not a romance reader). But, having said that, I think non-romance readers look for a way for romances to be “different.” That way they don’t have to worry about changing their views on the genre.

Tori September 6, 2005 at 9:53 am

The only people who read my writing, so far, are the people in my writing group. I’m too chicken to let anyone else read it. 🙂

Peggie September 6, 2005 at 12:11 pm

only my mom has read my work. I won’t let anyone else until I think it’s as good as it’s going to get

Arlene September 6, 2005 at 1:00 pm

Hi there,
Just recently discovered your site. Enjoying it very much!
My husband is my “reader”. He is an avid reader, but is into authors like Clive Cussler, Tony Hillerman, and others that are pretty much NOT Romance writers. However, when reading my first couple of chapters, he did comment on how most of the books he reads have some element of romance in them, albeit very small. Example: Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels always have some sort of love interest. He is a good critique when it comes to dialogue, so that is helpful for me.

Steph T. September 6, 2005 at 1:13 pm

Right now it’s CP’s – and my husband will read the first few chapters if I need him to. Like Arlene and EmmaS said, he’s not a romance reader, but loved action/adventure and he’s honest, so it works out.

I would LOVE to have a few non-writing readers to read my fulls. I think that would be cool.:coffee:

kacey September 6, 2005 at 1:19 pm

Arlene, welcome!

Hm, so many of you have your non-romance reading dh’s read your manuscripts. I could maybe approach my dh to read the first 3 chapters of my next proposal. Maybe.

Peggy September 6, 2005 at 1:38 pm

Kacey, I’m the same with my dh. I could ask him, possibly get a “sure, I guess, I mean if you really want me to. Right now???” So probably will avoid that avenue. Even published I don’t think he’ll read them. I’m not taking it personal though, he’s not much of a reader, let alone a romance reader!

Last month I entered my first chapter in the Romance Junkies contest. My first contest ever and the first time someone other than the odd family member (and I mean very few) read my work. What a morale booster! I highly recommend it. What a way to feed your writing confidence. These people don’t know you from sin and have no reason whatsoever to feed you compliments. Very rewarding.

Rene September 6, 2005 at 2:34 pm

I don’t let dh read my writing although I know he has snuck peeks at it when it was on the pc. He has such different taste than I do, I don’t think he would enjoy it. I have one non-writer friend who reads my writing and Melissa reads my stuff. That’s about it.

Sharon September 6, 2005 at 5:28 pm

Well, if a family member WANTS to read it, I have no problem letting them, but for the purposes of feedback, I’m very picky about who I allow to read/comment on my writing.

My stepmom loves to read my completed manuscripts so I usually print her a hard copy after Im done revising etc.

My sister is not much of a romance reader, and I think she’s one of the most intelligent people I know, so I often run a ms by her.

My husband reads if I want blunt feedback. He is very candid and has no problem telling me if it needs work. His exact quote upon reading my last proposal…”It’s choppy as hell” :rofl:

But basically, the person I trust most to read and offer feedback is my longtime crit partner, Amy. We’re both very blunt with each other and she knows I would kill her ass if she let me embarass myself by sending out garbage. So she pretty well tells it like it is.

Kelly C. September 6, 2005 at 5:35 pm

No non-writers as of yet. Actually my husband read a couple of my short stories because, well, they’re short. Other than that, nobody has really asked, so I don’t know how I’d answer if someone did!

Danica September 6, 2005 at 5:48 pm

I’m terrified right now to let anyone read my stuff. Weird, but it’s that fear phase I’m in. When we go on road trips, I read my stories to DH to keep him awake. He says he likes them, but he’d probably say that no matter what. 🙂 I have a slowly breaking up critique group-our glue moved away, and everyone else is just too busy to meet right now. I have a friend who will sometimes read, but I always feel bad because she’s so busy. And, if the creek don’t rise, I’ll be letting an editor read a MS in the next week or so. I think you need a puking emoticon, because I definitely feel like doing it. LOL

Michelle September 6, 2005 at 6:48 pm

I let my dh read both of my books when I got requests for fulls. He points out the little things but often doesn’t see the bigger issues like emotional conflict, etc. Mostly my writing friends read my stuff when they have time. :coffee:

Teresa September 6, 2005 at 7:20 pm

Only my writer friends read my work, so far. My husband reads over my shoulders. Not sure that counts.:roll:

Gina September 6, 2005 at 7:32 pm

Sometimes I allow non-writing friends look at it. Occasionally my brother, but mostly no one reads my writing before it is posted or submitted. Unless I’m fortunate enough to have a cP at the time.

Amy K September 6, 2005 at 10:32 pm

Depends on my mood. :mrgreen:

I actually let a few of my friends read an early version of my story. My husband hasn’t read it. He’s heard about it though. :mad2:

Margery Scott September 7, 2005 at 6:50 am

I have a few writing friends I trust implicitly. Other than that, no one reads my work.

Teresa September 7, 2005 at 7:21 am

My hubby reads all my mss for me – when they’re done. Gives me great feedback (esp where male POV is concerned:lol:) and points out typos! Also, my mother in law has read some of my work, as has my former sister in law and a couple of friends.

Kelly September 7, 2005 at 7:26 am

Other than my critique partners, I have my Mom proofread for me, and I had a friend of mine read my first manuscript as I was writing it. Having her bug me for the next chapter was great incentive to keep at it. I like having other writers read it for structure, but I like having non-writers read it to get their take on the ‘story’ and how that is working, since most people buying the book would be readers rather than writers.

Mary September 7, 2005 at 8:02 am

My critique partners and my husband. I’m very careful who reads my stuff!

Brenda Bradshaw September 7, 2005 at 9:05 am

I have two critique partners – one is a writer, one is not, although the one that’s not a writer is a huge reader, and she’s even joined RWA to learn more to help me be a better writer. Kinda cool, eh? Those two are about it. My husband has no interest in my writing – and most of the time, I’m glad for it.

Teresa September 8, 2005 at 7:16 am

Oops – forgot to mention that my critique partners read my stuff all the time. And my local writers group (non RWA) hears bits and pieces and gives me feedback too 🙂

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