I Really Can't Say

I just finished the rough draft of a novel I've been working on since last year.  I write a lot.  It's a huge outlet for me, and usually my catharsis takes the form of poems or short stories.  I've had several good ideas for a novel-length work, but none of them ever came to fruition, mostly because I got busy or lost interest.  One of writing's biggest rules is if it can't hold your own attention, as the author, then it's not likely to appeal to your readers, either.

This novel, however, was different.  I actually enjoyed the creative process and the character development.  Now that the rough draft is finished, I'm looking forward to delving back into it, reading through it, and making the necessary changes it needs to be a great read.

What's it about?  People ask me this.  To be honest, I really can't say.  Or won't say.  This has been my experience in the past:  I've come up with a great idea, and in the excitement of discovery, I blabbed.  I blabbed to family, I blabbed to friends, and something got lost.  In the excitement of telling, I sent the story out into the world before it was ready to walk, so to speak, and after that my excitement dwindled.  I had other experiences where I actually shared details of the story, and the person I shared it with didn't respect it for what it was...a truly creative work that came from the deepest part of myself.  They either didn't understand how much it meant to me, or they offered "helpful" criticism until there was nothing left.

So I learned an important lesson.  When you bare your soul, be careful who you bare it to.  Be careful when and how you do it.  This is a challenge for someone who is a generous person by nature.  We want to let everyone in our world.  We want to show them this wonderful thing we found.  We want to know them and let them know us.  Yet there is something to be said for reticence. Sometimes it's best to proceed with caution and get to know someone really well before opening all your doors.  When the time is right, then you can tell your story, and at that point, your audience, whether it's the general public, friend, family member, or coworker, will be ready.