[Marth Matix]

I face a small problem when it comes to informing my friends, family, and coworkers about the novel I'm currently writing. They keep asking me what it's about and who the characters are. At all those questions, I remain numb and sort of side-step the questions. At all costs, I do not want to reveal the plot and the characters names. However, I do want to show them my drawings of my characters; that would seem fine but I hesitate even with that. To what extent should I disclose of my novel? I do not want to reveal much about it but it agitates my friends that they know I'm I writing a novel and yet I will not reveal much about it. Would it affect my mind set if I show them my drawings? Also, to what extend should I reveal their names? I do not want to reveal their first names...but last names would be fine. For example, I'd call one person by their last name preceded by Mr., Ms., or Mrs. See where I'm going? What should I do?

[Foaly]

Hmm, that's a though one. Maybe write a blurb and let them read it? I only tell my closest friends about anything I'm writing because they know I'll hurt them if they say anything. Heh heh.

[Ultima Valenhart]

I don't tend to tell my friends much as far as Shadow's Lair is concerned. They know where it is set, what some of the characters are called and various quotes.

People know a bit more about Loofah and H'Airbrush because it comes in three different forms(Caption Story, Musical and Novel)...and I can't help myself revealing songs from the musical. Allera has seen some. That and the fact that it is deliberately packed with as many clichés as I can fit into it, which leads me to asking people if they consider "such-and-such" to be a cliché.

[Go for Gin]

I'm pretty liberal about what I share on here. If I'm asked about it, I'll usually either go into great detail, or just say "it's kinda hard to explain...."

My cousin is my primary editor, so she sees chapters as soon as I finish them. My parents, on the other hand, have only seen what they've read over my shoulder while I work on it. I don't know what it is, but I don't really like showing my parents. Of course, I do show my work to many people, just because I'm the sort of person who loves a ton of feedback.

On a related matter, wouldn't it be horrible if I stopped posting my work here right during the climax? That would just be mean.

[Dominic]

Hmmm, yeah, Dwarves Rule, for some reason I also don't like showing my parents. It's not that what I'm writing is bad it's just...I don't know, it's weird. I have let some of my brothers and sisters read it though, and of course, you guys on here. I absolutely love tons of feedback also, so I can't help to post what I have, plus I don't have a real life editor, so I edit myself if no one ever replies on here.

[Ultima Valenhart]

I don't show my parents because they don't like fantasy stories. My stepdad likes crime stories along the lines of John Grisham and my mother likes romances by Josephine Cox. I can't even mention it to them without them rolling their eyes, although I have to listen to all the bits of Generic Love Story that mum loves, and I don't bother with my brother as, somehow, he'll manage to change the conversation to be about football instead. It's actually been a while since I've posted something on here.

[Black hole]

I first started writing because I stumbled across my brother trying it years ago, and I decided to join him and we each wrote a fantasy story. He is the only person in real life that I ever talk to about writing. My parents and maybe a couple of other people know that I write, or at least have wrote at some point because they came into my room when writing (I used to handwrite stories years ago). I acknowledge that I write but never mention anything about it to them, and I never mention it to anyone else.

With my brother, he would always tell me all about what he was doing or planned to do in a story... I never liked to though, because describing the story outside of the story always made it sound really crap to me, especially spoken rather than written. I did talk about some things obviously, but not to the same extent.

And online, people don't know my stories really, and since I don't want to be one of these people that starts blabbing about their own novel in every post to people who havent read it or dont really care about it, I dont really mention it.

[Spinner]

I tend to keep the details of my stuff as private as possible--mostly for my own sanity and so I don't have people judging incomplete ideas. If anyone asks, I usually give a typical one liner, like, "Lanternfly is about x. And that's that.

Otherwise they gotta wait to read it.

Ben

[Darth Futuza]

Admittedly I'm a little paranoid about people stealing things, usually ideas and sometimes keep it close especially if I know its good and original.

Which is why you guys don't get to see much more from me here on IF. Not that I don't trust you guys...

[PottersPimp]

Whenever I have someone ask me, I always hate to reply, because boiling my trilogy down into about 2 sentences is VERY hard without then having to make it not sound like some cheesy fantasy or angsty-teen-whinge-fest. So when they ask me it, I say, "It's about a boy who's lost his shadow and wants it back." If they are actually interested in what I'm talking about and not just asking out of politeness, I delve deeper into the whole thing.
This is done only, of course, with people face-to-face. Online, other than on my blog, I normally don't talk too much about stuff.

[Marth Matix]

But what about showing my character drawings to my friends? Would that spoil too much? They're just getting a glimpse of who my characters are--I'll remain mute on everything else. Would that hurt my originality at all or judgement of incomplete ideas?

[Pixel]

I think that showing a couple of drawings is fine. They might not even remember those drawings when they read the story, because people often create their own image of what a character looks like.

[PottersPimp]

I think drawings are fine, and unless you have taken names from people you know personally, I think it's fine to reveal there name. There was one name in my story that I haven't revealed to anyone who hasn't read the story, because it turns out he shares his name with a person I work with, and having to explain it was a accident that he happened to share a name is just too much explanation for me.
Though if you really want to take my advice, do whatever you think in best. If you only want to show them pictures of the characters and that's all, that's fine. The only things I ever showed to my friends when I was writing The Severed Umbra was the cover, the map, and this one drawing that looked freakishly like Zant from Zelda: Twilight Princess. I went a little further once I was comfortable and gave everyone names of my characters, and which actor would play them if, for some strange reason, a movie was made. Before long, I had confided the entire story in one person, mainly to get an idea for a title for the book, but so that I also had someone to bounce ideas off. This can be very helpful when you're trying to decide something.
But do what you think is best.
As to your originality, nothing's original in the world of fiction. Everything is inspired from somewhere else, whether directly or indirectly. As to the judgement of incomplete ideas, say that they're not fully fleshed out, and your friends and family will understand.
If you don't want to tell this to every Tom, Dick and Harry you know, then confide in one person, like I did, and it will feel like a great weight off your chest.
PS, I'm writing the 3rd book in a trilogy, my friends have all read the first 2, and my family still has no idea what the story's about coz I haven't let them read it.

[Spinner]

Paranoia about people stealing your idea is a bit... eh, I don't want to say its arrogant, but it acts under the assumption that the idea is more important than the writing. Writing's a lot like saying something funny--sometimes it just sounds better in your head. You won't know something is good until you actually sit down and write it. For all you know, those ideas that you're coveting could be absolute crap. The only way you'll know is writing it and showing it to people for critique.

As to your originality, nothing's original in the world of fiction. Everything is inspired from somewhere else, whether directly or indirectly.

I vehemently disagree with this. Nothing's original if you limit yourself to a genre. You won't know what's outside of the box if you stay inside it. There are a million things you can do if you disregard the "boundaries" that are set by genres. Genres are the mathematics of the writing world in that they are build upon and built upon until they become sub-genres and other genres entirely--an element of this, an element of that. If you think on those terms, you'll never write anything original.

Ideas are broad. Originality is subtle. It comes with characters, chemistry and execution. You're playing with elements of perception, not elements of a preset genre of literature. If you stick with that, you'll lose at any attempt you make to create something different.

Ben

[Regitnui]

I keep my mouth shut as to what my novel is about, but my parents have a vague idea, my sister skim-reads if i let her, and My beta readers will devour anything i tell them. The people at work are probably mystified as i read books as related to the current section i'm working on.

And i was really reluctant to put Child up here as i really don't want someone to snatch the idea. that's why i'm releasing as little info as possible. Not that i wouldn't mind a few more questions... But that's advertising and i'll stop right now.

Originality is found where others fear to tread. (A famous misquote i just came up with) Mixing your genres is a way to go, but people have an uncanny ability to find a similar concept and compare it. I get several comparisons to 'Heroes' and 'X-men'. I can see the similarity, but I try to do as little copying as possible.

---,-'-@