Inviting People Into Your Process

People often think that writing is a solitary experience. And in many ways, this is absolutely true. You think by yourself. You sit by yourself. You type by yourself. Most people want to work in a quiet, isolated environment. But yet, as I have been finding with my writing lately, inviting people into your process, and allowing others to share in and enrich your writing, yields a far better product than you could create on your own.  

These past few weeks, I've done a lot of writing. It feels like my life revolves around it, in fact. And in being so submerged in my projects, doing research and constantly jotting down ideas and working out story lines, I found myself developing questions that I wanted to bounce off others. For example, with the novel I am working on (the one with the deadline), soccer has become a large part of the storyline. Because of this, I did a lot of research — not being a soccer expert myself — making diagrams, listing soccer formations, studying different types of skills. And while I felt very comfortable with the knowledge I had amassed, there were certain moments when my wording didn't seem just right. Or when I wasn't actually sure if this thing would happen in a middle-school soccer game. So instead of moving forward and just hoping I was correct, I reached out to my friend Sean who knows almost everything about the game of soccer. And not only did he help me verify and correct what I already knew, but he gave me great new facts and ideas that will greatly improve my book. 

Similarly, a few weeks ago, I went to hang out with a friend of mine from work, Richard, and his good friend Justin, to talk about a future project. This novel idea arose from Richard one day talking about what Justin does. It is a job I had never given any thought to in a setting that was just perfect for a story. Something I never would have thought to explore on my own, up until that point, I didn't even really know it existed. So when interviewed, the details, description, and intricate knowledge given to me by Justin provided a richness to the setting I would never be able to achieve on my own.  And while I went in with a few ideas of my storyline, by sharing my vision and asking him to share of his knowledge, I came out just bursting with possibilities of a story I would never have pursued on my own. 

I think there is definitely a fear of sharing your ideas with others. And certainly there is a time and place to do so. I wouldn't advocate going around and telling everyone everything you're working on. Sometimes ideas need to be protected — from other's opinions or rejections, or simply so that your idea doesn't get around or taken by someone else. But at the same time, hiding your ideas could mean closing yourself off to the enriching stories of others. It could mean closing yourself off to different possibilities that might not come from your mind alone, but will only come through a collaboration with another.  

People have infinite amounts of knowledge to share. They also have infinite ideas. Each person has a unique set of expertise; a unique imagination; unique life experiences. My life will never be the same as yours, just as my imagination won't take me to the places yours does. I think it is important to develop your own ideas and to be the sole writer of your work. But at the same time, asking for help, talking about ideas, and being open to different opinions can enhance your work in a way nothing else can. 

Other peoples stories enrich mine. This is something I'm learning, and something I want to embrace. And as I share my process with others, as I invite them to partake in even the smallest bit of the experience, I am finding that not only are people interested, but they are enthusiastic. They are excited. They encourage me and help me find the drive to continue even on the days that might be the hardest.  

So thank you to those of you who help me. I am better for it, and so is my story.