I’m a blog addict.  I freely admit it.  Besides having my own personal blog and being responsible for two days a week on this one, I visit way more blogs than I should on a daily basis.  Well, weekdays anyway.  This addiction has its pros and cons. 

We’ll start with the cons.  All the time I spend reading and commenting on blogs takes away from time doing actual work.  Lucky for me, my company is pretty laid back and I manage to get by.  The time I spend on blogs also distracts me from the writing.  Though if we’re being honest, everything distracts me from the writing.

Now we move to the pros.  I’ve met some incredible people through these blogs.  Published and As Yet Unpublished (as the Banditas call it) authors alike, they are all amazing, inspiring, and entertaining.  I’ve picked up tips about writing, plotting, networking and promoting.  And I’ve found laughs when I really needed them.  But maybe the best pro of all is the prizes.  I’ve won loads of books, few of which I need, but many of which I never would have picked up on my own.  So I’ve had my horizons broadened even if I’ve had my shelves overwhelmed.

But the prizes are not always books.  A couple of weeks ago I won a t-shirt from Christie Craig and last week I won something even better.  I won a critique from a published author.  Romance Bandit Loucinda McGary is going to critique part of my WIP.  Hence, my hyperventilating.

I’ve gone through a litany of emotions since finding out.  The Captain can tell you of my raving mad emails.  I mean, I’m not ready for this.  My stuff isn’t ready for this.  What if she reads it and realizes I’m a total fraud?! *ducks the various rum bottles hurled at my head*

But I’m feeling better about things since I’ve had time to process them.  Though I’m not sure how hard it’s going to be to hit that send button when the moment arrives, I will do it. And I’m kind of excited about it.  I’ve put my heart into this story, I’ve gotten good feedback and I think she’s going to like it.  Plus, she can give me important pointers that will make the story that much better.

How do you feel about showing your work to others?  Have you put it out there only to have your heart broken by what you got back?  Have you entered contests and sent out submissions getting lots of compliments and positive feedback?  Or do you guard every word with your life, still not ready to let it fly on its own?  If you don’t let it leave the nest, you’ll never know how far it can go.