Is it crass to talk about your writing?

The politics of sharing your work, query stats from a new literary agent, the feeling your book imparts to readers, and the power of white space.

Growing up, I treated my writing like a deeply guarded secret, hiding notebooks in a series of ever-larger padlocked chests and trunks. I wasn't just being precious about my material—I was terrified of letting anyone see the raw pieces of myself scattered across the page.

It wasn’t until I was required to turn in mandatory journaling to a college writin…