Sharing is Caring

Earlier this month, I started a writing workshop with my favorite young adult author Francesca Lia Block. During my teenage years, I fantasized about writing like her, having novels come out on a rolling basis like her. Her ubiquitous prose and stories bordering on reality and fantasy stole my attention. So it was an unbelievable coincidence that I got to meet her at a Women’s National Book Association event in April I learned about at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival from my book club Mocha Girls Read. (My networking game is on point!) 

Because I read the majority of Francesca’s books from 1989 to 2005, I decided to get guidance from her for my young adult novel based on a teen girl wanting to be a real-life mermaid. But I hadn’t started it. All I had was the girl’s name. I printed out the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” (she was the Disney princess of my era) to use as a backbone for my novel. That was all I had. 

After recently finishing my third week of the workshop and submitting my work in progress, I began to soothe myself for sharing work that needs work. I was frustrated for not finishing my mandatory 10 pages a week because I’m a workaholic who loves my job and desires to be better at my job. Creative writing is my therapy, so I need to do it, and it helps others as well, so I need to share my work and read others’ work. 

It’s difficult to share your work, especially in its early stages, but it will improve your work so much. The feedback I’m receiving in my workshop right off the bat is already vastly improving my story. So my perfectionism can relax. I will have a suitable story in another year or two hopefully, but I’m no longer afraid putting myself out there and getting support.