IF Seal: When does revealing details of a WIP become too much?
Hi seal!
I find it really difficult to answer asks. People have so many nice questions and I so badly want to answer them. I craft a response, save it in my drafts but never post it because I am confused. I always end up wondering if answering it would be spoilery or something. Which is why I want to ask, what counts as a spoilery? Does revealing character dynamics count as spoilery? Not on the surface level but a deep explanation of what they can expect from the route? I have seen many authors do it, but i have also seen authors refrain from revealing it. If I were to say, character A will become emotionally dependent on the mc would that count as a spoiler? Please help me out with your wisdom TT
Dear Keen Answerer Friend,
Sometimes we do not feel comfortable shouting out everything, and that's OK!
This may not help with your confusion, but really whatever you consider too spoilery to share is entirely up to you. It will depend on your mood, even your project: in a murder mystery, for example, the identity of the murderer is probably something you will not want to share upfront.
If you want to answer the question and you feel confident in doing so, there is no reason not to!
On the other hand, if you want to maintain more of a mystery about things or if you think you will change things up as you write, you can keep things light and breezy in terms of revealing many details.
You might like to share that "the elephant seal is very bossy and selfish on the surface but is there something more going on?" but not necessarily "the elephant seal's bossiness belies a deep yearning for life's poetry and a change in lifestyle".
Or you might like either of those, but perhaps "the elephant seal will quit his job dramatically and the MC can have a choice of staying to help pick up the pieces or quit along with him" is too much. Or the latter might be something you'd enjoy sharing!
So: my advice is to take a look at your drafts and see whether you want to answer the questions, and in how much detail. The choice that feels comfortable for YOU is the correct answer.
Best of luck with your writing and your blog, friend!