Some Links

I follow several different writing groups both on LinkedIn and on Facebook, both of the ones I've linked to are for the National Novel Writing Month. Since I'm a part of these group I get detritus in the form of links and silly articles that usually don't even hit my radar. This one in LitReactor did.

8 Ways to Support the Writers in Your Life by Robbie Blair provides eight different bullet points and associated paragraphs on how to deal with writers. Among the these, two caught my eye.

2. Don't lie.
If you want to express interest in something your writer is crafting, then that's fantastic—so long as you're actually interested. Sure, some writers will feel put off if you don't love their work as much as you love them, but you'll be doing them a disservice if you pretend to like something that bores you to tears.

Authentic interest is something we crave—but don't offer interest if it isn't real. If you want to become interested but aren't yet, try asking gentle, open questions about the story. Note that some writers will not enjoy this at all while others will enjoy both the attention and the opportunity to further formulate their ideas. If they're comfortable talking about their work, guide the conversation toward the elements of the story that actually appeal to you.

It's not just the "interest" that I don't want readers to lie about, but it's the edits as well. Let me know when something doesn't read well . . . Let me know when it doesn't work . . . Let me know when you get bored or confused. When I ask someone to help me by editing or reviewing then I'm providing you carte blanche to be open, honest and truthful. Be brutally open, honest and truthful.

4. Get them to write, right now.
Not talk about their writing. Not brainstorm. Not organize. Not research. Not read articles on LitReactor.

Write.

Just write.

Writers face what I refer to as an "inertial barrier." It's difficult for us to get started with writing, but once we've gotten there it gets progressively easier and more enjoyable. We tend to be quite practiced at procrastination techniques, especially the ones that make it seem like we're working on our story, but this only serves to increase the inertia. If you give us an extra push toward simply writing, you'll be helping us get the momentum and energy required to get past the inertial barrier.

This resonates a tad less if only cause the only way my family can provide me the motivation to write is to get out of the house or allow me to. At this point, with two toddlers and an 8 year old, those moments are few and far between.

Nevertheless, it was fun to see motivation and thoughts on how to support a writer from a perspective that I had not seen before.