On writing

I wasn't planning to write about writing actually, but rather about a conversation I had with a friend last night, which stretched until past 11 pm -- which is why there was no bloggity last night -- but seeing a recent discussion prompted me to switch topics. You will have to wait another day to know what the Fainter and I spent hours discussing over Mexican food.

In another forum, I've been watching a writer reach out for feedback on ideas and debating the ideas in public. I'm all about discussing ideas with other people because it can help turn an idea into something tangible, something you can actually write about. But I think there's a point when you have to stop talking and start writing. I've never been a big fan of writing by committee or having more than two people look over a piece. I also think there's such a thing as over-editing and the only way to get over the hump is to produce several drafts of a story, have them looked over by one or two people you trust, and then send/post it somewhere.

Endless discussion on whether an idea actually works or not isn't going to get anyone anywhere. Ideas that may seem to work in concept may not work once it's time to write and something that may seem like a bad idea may turn out to be fantastic. The point is, you're never going to know if you muddy up the writing waters with multiple cooks. And now that I've mixed metaphors, I've got some writing to do (g).