The title is the method Stephen King recommends in his book "On Writing". Now, I really like this but sometimes I really want to ask someone their opinion on an idea or plot point before I've written it. Is this a bad idea? It feels like I'm "writing with the door closed but occasionally peeking out and asking someone what they think". Perhaps having a previous career in Marketing has conditioned me to do this. Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks Adrian. Diff'rent strokes I guess as I really liked King's book and related to a lot of it, biographical or not.
Ewan, you should follow your instincts and use whatever tools are at your disposal: friends, family, work colleagues, peer review sites, professional literary services.
I, certainly would not recommend that would-be authors read, On-Writing - Stephen King.
King has a fantastic ability to chill with words, but I'm not a fan of On-Writing. It is mainly biographical. As I recall, I didn't find anything useful until about page 38. However, King does quote from authors. I expected to see examples of the good and bad aspects of writing, examples of how to improve my writing, for King to offer clear solid advice, and lastly, for him to suggest the best books to read.
I highly recommend that would-be authors read, The Art and Craft of Novel Writing - Oakley Hall. You can buy cheap second hand copies on Amazon.
I hope that helps.
Good luck.