Sharing

Interesting topic that's been on my mind lately. What prompted me to write about it today was a discussion in one of my writer's groups about who you share your stories with, who you don't and why.

I don't share my work with my family, for a variety of reasons. The main one is that I often deal with subject matter that would meet with (at best) rolled eyes and patronizing comments or (worst case) harsh judgement. And so I figure, why set myself up for that?

Yet, I blog and share my work and family life on Facebook and share my work in some of the largest most well-known forums on the web. Ironic, isn't it? The Internet offers a certain amount of anonymity, which is a good thing when you're putting your work out there for public consumption. And, with work, there's the added benefit of exposure, as I've seen work in my favor lately.

On the downside, I'm so over Facebook lately. Between the way they keep changing the site and the stuff people post, it's not nearly as fun as it used to be. And since I've been contemplating building a name for myself as a writer, I'd be concerned that somehow something I'd say on there would be taken the wrong way and damage my professional reputation. Not to mention that the aforementioned people I don't share with are all on my Facebook, so I have to censor what I share there as well.

I'm rambling, I know. I've just been contemplating this all the past few days and thought I'd get it out of my head and onto paper. Every one's thoughts are welcome!