How many voices?

How many people look at your work before you submit it?

Before we get to this question…

I went to the World Fantasy Convention last weekend and it was a whole heap of brilliant. It was so uplifting to be amongst writers who were obsessed with their subject area, whether that was Welsh mythology, Slavic folklore or spaceships. I find passion inspiring and I love hearing people talk about what THEY love. I don’t care whether you are a florist, a pianist or a bricklayer. If you love what you do, I’ll always want to talk to you.

I did a panel on fairy tales, myths and legends and being in a room of fellow fairy tale-enthusiasts was such a joy.

Panel on Shapeshifting stories with Ceallaigh MacCath-Moran, Lucy Holland (@silvanhistorian) and Tori Bovalino (That evening, Lucy’s podcast ‘Breaking the Glass Slipper’ won an award so check it out.)

And the art!! So many incredible illustrators. I bought something by Cornish artist Caitlin Turner.

Some of Caitlin’s incredible work

Anyway, at the Convention, someone told me they never show their draft to anyone before submitting it to their agent. Not only that – they never TALK about their work-in-progress to anyone AT ALL. I found this shocking because it’s so different to my process.

For me, having an idea is like being at the first stage of being in love, where everything you see and everything you hear reminds you of the person you are lusting after. Every song on the radio, every news item, every overheard conversation makes me think of my current story idea. And I can’t stop talking about it.

I know Stephen King says write the first draft with the study door closed, but all my doors are waaaay open. Even before I start writing, I plot-walk with writer friends and talk through my character, or parts of the idea where I’m stuck. I find it useful to voice my concept out loud. Even if my friend says nothing, the very act of voicing it helps me get it straight in my head. Good writer buddies are gold. They are the ones who tell me ‘Yeah you don’t need that third character you put in’ or ‘Um, how does that magic system actually work?’ or, most often, ‘Abie, this is way too complicated for one book.’

There are risks, of course. If someone doesn’t get my idea or doesn’t think it will work, the tiny candle of a book can be blown out instantly. But, to me, it’s a crucial part of the filtration process, and I’m stubborn enough to keep playing with a core concept until I’ve got it right.

Once I’ve done a first draft, I still don’t send it to my agent without having a friend look at it. I’m a terrible judge of whether my own book works. I get far too excited about it, or I find I have the concept so clear in my head but I haven’t put the detail down on paper. There’s always something I need to change or clarify or emphasise, and I don’t want to waste my agent’s time if something is not right.

But I do have to be cautious. I have to hold strong to the book I want to write, because, if I ask three writer friends, they will each pull in three different directions. I have learned over the years that if someone tells you something doesn’t work, they are pretty much always right. But when they go on to give the solution, they are only sometimes right. I listen to the first bit, but I often fix it my own way.

I couldn’t cope without my regular writing pals. I learn so much from their work too. Spotting what is not working in their early-stage drafts helps my craft. I can’t imagine not showing my work to anyone!

What do you do?