I used to think writing was a solitary act.

I wrote alone, brainstormed alone, edited alone. Only rarely did I invite someone in.

For one thing, I was shy and self-doubting. Who would want to read what I wrote?

Also, showing someone your writing can feel extremely vulnerable.

As David Mitchell said, it’s like “giving someone a sharpened stake, lying down in your coffin, and saying, ‘When you’re ready.”

Gradually, I opened up, thanks in part to a couple dear friends who saw the best in me and wanted to share in the creativity.

Now, I still write and edit mostly alone – but it’s also shared.

I bring my ideas to my writing partners. I show my clients drafts before they’re polished. I even (gasp) post regularly on this blog and LinkedIn!

And along the way, the quality of my writing has increased a hundredfold.

Why?

Because other people can spot potential and help it grow.

They often see the beauty in what you’re writing, and can help you see it when you can’t.

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Don’t get me wrong – in order to write well, we need solitude.

We need time to let our minds wander. Time to be bored. Time to relax and notice the weird and wonderful ideas that are dancing around us, sometimes just outside of plain sight.

But many writers tend to err toward too much solitude — often, out of fear.

That fear of sharing our work can be what’s keeping it from growing.

If you feel like that’s you, I encourage you to let someone in.

Hand someone you trust a sharpened stake.