I don’t know if this is true for other writers or not, but something strange happens to me the moment I decide to share a portion of my writing. The instant I get ready to hit send, I am able, for a few minutes, to read the passage as the recipient might read it. The parts that are confusing, the scenes that need fleshing out or paring down, become apparent, even if I have read that scene or chapter a hundred times without noticing before. Whether the passage is something I just finished writing or one that I’ve edited numerous times, there is magic that happens when I realize that someone else is going to read it, that with one click of a button that file will fly away into the void and I won’t be able to change anything. Eeep.
This is part of why I find it so helpful to take writing classes. During an 8-week class, I usually get to share portions of my work three of four times. I get useful feedback from other writers, AND I also get to harness the editing magic of “just hit send” each time.
The downside is that it’s really HARD to hit send. I edit, proofread, upload the attachment, then my cursor hovers over the send button, and…. hold on a sec. Delete attachment. Edit for an hour. Re-attach file. Wait, one more thing!
This week I applied to a program where experienced writers choose newbie writers (who don’t have agents yet) to mentor. I have no idea what the odds are, how many people have applied, where my writing falls on the spectrum of applicants, etc. But… I did hit send!