Quote of the Day: No matter what happens, keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you find that you have accomplished a purpose – not the one you began with perhaps, but one you will be glad to remember. Anne Sullivan
The first Wednesday of the month has rolled around again, and I’m posting for the monthly Insecure Writer’s Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Go to his site for more details, to sign up and participate, or read other blogs of writers and artists who put their insecurities out in the world and offer support and encouragement to one another. Last month, I wrote about making myself vulnerable, facing my fears of sharing my work, and inviting people in to read my latest play out loud at a table reading/brunch at my house. Here’s how it went.
I invited a group of readers who are also actors and/or writers themselves to read this first draft of Grace Notes: Piano Bench Confessions. I was super nervous, and also excited. The Biker Chef offered to make brunch, and I figured, if nothing else, they’ll 
have delicious food. Well, he went all out and made four kinds of quiche, waffles, and had all the fixings. I made my traditional fruit pizza. We toasted the occasion with mimosas and juice, then, I handed out the scripts and my words were released into the world.
I am here to tell you that it is worth the angst to share your work. Find a support group that you trust and you will be lifted up. This group did everything that I was hoping for. They read the script beautifully. Lauren read the part of Grandma Grace so well, it was like she had read it before and already understood her character. I asked the two kids in the group to mark places where the words sounded too much like a grown-up wrote it for a kid to say. They were great at this! They pointed out some really important parts. I used the word vinyl to describe records. When we had our discussion, they asked “What’s vinyl?” We talked about records, what they are, old time music, things that I will add to that scene. The group also pointed out places where I could expand the story, build the tension, and a place where the relationship was unclear. I’m ready to make revisions, now, and it will be a much stronger script. I feel like I held back in the first draft, and that my readers gave me the courage to get deeper into the story.
Readers for the table reading of Grace Notes.
THANK YOU!!!
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt:Â Do you have a support group, off-line, for your creative work? What’s the most recent brave thing you’ve done?
Beta readers are absolutely worth their weight in gold. It’s amazing what others can see in your work that you can’t.
My background is in theatre, and I had a live reading done of one of my scripts once. It’s amazing seeing the characters come alive. That’s why, when I read back through my prose, I read it out loud, act out the body language and pull all the facial expressions!
Well done you, and good luck with the edits.
Thank you, Angline. Yes. Gold. I appreciate my readers so much.
Thanks for stopping by, it’s always great to “meet” another playwright and lover of theatre. It is a lively and encouraging place to be.
The most recent brave thing I have done is share my two pitches, hooks and first pages online on a writer’s site. Earlier, only my crit partner’s had read my manuscripts and pitches. I do feel vulnerable but also happy that I finally summoned the nerve to share them with other writers.
Yay. Good for you, Rachna!
You are so brave! And I agree with you on finding a supportive critique group. You need to find a group that is not afraid to give you constructive criticism and to tell you what you are doing right!
I knew I was on the right track with my current WIP when three members of my group told me they cried. They got it. The connection was there. Now I need to give it more detail.
I am so glad it went well and that you got some good feedback and the food sounded divine.
I had people cry at my reading, too! One was my sister. *grin. The other was the woman reading the main character. So wonderful. And, she said such encouraging things. Glad you had good feedback, and emotional reaction, too!
Finding readers who will give honest feedback is invaluable and a great way to improve our writing.
Wow! Having actors read your play out loud was an incredibly brave thing to do. I have enough problems just letting my CPs read over my chapters. Great Job! I’m impressed.
Thanks, Ken. It was worth the angst!
What a wonderful experience! It must have been great to hear people speak your words. Best wishes on following up on their comments.
Thanks, Diane. Yes, it was! It came alive.
Oh, what an awesome thing to do! Congrats on facing the fear as I’m sure your play will be well improved for this! I am trying to do a screenplay right now and I can even imagine trying to find that courage.
Good luck on your screenplay. That sounds like fun, too. Daunting, but fun.
What a great way to get feedback. And including the kids was smart. They’d never heard the word vinyl? I feel so old now.
I know, Alex! We had a whole discussion on records made of vinyl.
What a wonderful experiment! I’m glad it turned out so well, and the food looks amazing.
I have a writers’ group, but we only check each other’s work in an emergency. Most of the time we talk about the writing life, with all its triumphs and challenges. I find the support of my fellow writers invaluable, and look forward to our meetings all month.
Most recent brave thing? I booked a trip to Transylvania and Greece, and once again, I don’t know the people I’ll be traveling with. For part of the trip, I’ll be on my own.
Holli, That trip sounds amazing. You ARE brave. I hope the trip gives you much inspiration (and not too many vampires)!
What a wonderful way to do a beta reading! The food looks delicious. I’ve learned a lot from my beta readers, because there’s something about having someone read your whole work, not just scenes or chapters, that is so helpful.
Beta readers are important.
I looks like you struck gold. I love groups that click 🙂
Here’s my link if you’d like to drop by 🙂
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
That’s excellent! I know that having someone else read my work out loud helps me to catch things I missed when I was just reading it in my head, as well.
Thanks, Shannon. Glad you’ve had good readers helping you with your work, too.
That was a clever approach–free food is always a lure and it looks great.
The only support group I have currently is my blog readers. They are very supportive. Brave thing I did was put up an interview video on my blog for #IWSG. It’s been kind of exciting so far and might lead to some better things ahead.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
That sounds great, Arlee. I’ll come check it out.
And, the food was wonderful.
That must have been so much fun. What a great idea. It’s amazing what you miss and other people pick up on. Best of luck with it!
Thanks, Lori!
Now, THAT’s a brave thing! It’s great that you found a wonderful group to help you iron out the creases from your work.
I love that quote!!
Mary, that must have been a WONDERFUL reading session. To hear ones script “come alive”…
…and the quiche looks simply delicious!
Good food, good reading, good company – what more could you ask for?
Do I have a support group, off-line, for my creative work? No, but I really wish I did…
What’s the most recent brave thing I’ve done? I wrote a story out of my genre/comfort zone, and the anthology has been published, so that means the whole world gets to read my attempt at writing “out-of-the-box”… quite nerve-wracking…