babynoz said:

I'm pretty secretive about a project until it's almost done. At that point I feel more confident about sharing it and getting feedback. Even then I'm selective about who I get input from.

Yeah, me too. Crafting a story and believable characters is a sensitive process and I need to stay focused on the vision in my head to keep it coherent in terms of narrative and tone. Outside input at a too early stage can endanger the "personality" of the project.

And then when it's recently finished, the main reason I still keep it mostly to myself is that I feel too damn sensitive to criticism, lol. It's like I've just grown a new skin and it's still very thin.

I do feel lonely sometimes during the process though. Sometimes it helps to talk to another writer about the pains and labour of creative writing in general, just to get a feeling that we've "got each other's backs". Other times I just need some plain old social contact to get my creative juices flowing again.

Lammastide said:

PunkMistress said:

3. I like your curiosity, retina. It seems genuine, and I enjoy answering your questions.

I agree.

Aw, thanks you two! I'm glad you can tell that it's genuine, and that you appreciate that. I'm a lot more interested in what people think and feel and have to say than most people are. Sometimes that gets appreciated and I get called things like "good listener". Other times people think my questions are too intrusive (not necessarily because they're too nosey in and of themselves but because there are so many of them) and then I get a negative reaction. I never intend any harm or to invade any privacy though.

first thing in the morning... before the world has a chance to get into my head

retina said:

Lammastide said:

I agree.

Aw, thanks you two! I'm glad you can tell that it's genuine, and that you appreciate that. I'm a lot more interested in what people think and feel and have to say than most people are. Sometimes that gets appreciated and I get called things like "good listener". Other times people think my questions are too intrusive (not necessarily because they're too nosey in and of themselves but because there are so many of them) and then I get a negative reaction. I never intend any harm or to invade any privacy though.

I never get the impression that you wouldn't back off immediately if someone was uncomfortable answering something.

The questions you ask actually make me think and question my process, feelings and approach to things. That's a gift to me!

PunkMistress said:

retina said:

Aw, thanks you two! I'm glad you can tell that it's genuine, and that you appreciate that. I'm a lot more interested in what people think and feel and have to say than most people are. Sometimes that gets appreciated and I get called things like "good listener". Other times people think my questions are too intrusive (not necessarily because they're too nosey in and of themselves but because there are so many of them) and then I get a negative reaction. I never intend any harm or to invade any privacy though.

I never get the impression that you wouldn't back off immediately if someone was uncomfortable answering something.

The questions you ask actually make me think and question my process, feelings and approach to things. That's a gift to me!

The great Hal Riney said it best (at the beginning of this)...

This is a great film, by the way. When I left a screening at the Wisconsin Film Festival, my brain was on fire for days.

Oh - and if you're more concerned with process than ideas, you aren't really creative.