Because I think a few of us may need this now or at some point

[xerinmichellex]

So this made for an interesting read this morning: Perfect is the Enemy of Good

I kinda want to print this out and stare at it. Because: This. "This" is all I have to say. Bracken perfectly captures what I've been going through for the past 4 years. The paralyzing need to get it "right" the first time; the futile attempts of telling yourself you can't correct what isn't there; the internalized self-doubt and self-loathing.

The thing is, I'm sure reading this article isn't going to suddenly make everything all right. But, on some level, I think knowing I'm not alone helps. In the end, it does come down to me figuring out a way to stick to a single story idea. To write down that story idea. To understand that a terrible, no good first draft is okay. To accept that I don't need to be so hard on my writing.

To stop being so hard on myself.

Comments

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

You are definitely not alone on this. I'm feeling a similar pain, and have been feeling it all too keenly, for a long time as well. Sometimes, I don't even want to think about writing, lest I feel guilt for ignoring my muse because I don't feel confident at the moment.

For me, it helps to remember that the foundation layers in paintings never look very awesome, but you got to get them down to pave the way for the detail work that really makes the whole piece.

It's weird that we writers hold ourselves, and ourselves alone, to these impossible standards. Maybe it's an artist thing. Maybe we overthink everything.

Guess we just have to think inspiring things to help keep us going. (Which is tough when the imagination seems most attracted to the melancholy.)

[xerinmichellex.livejournal.com]

For me, a lot of it is that I have such a clear vision in my head of the story, but I feel inadequate in capturing that vision for others to see. Like, I'm not using the right words or imagery to re-create the story in written form. Or, because I have such a clear vision, I feel like I'm OVER writing everything and trying to capture every minute detail, which can make for a very boring read.

It's weird that we writers hold ourselves, and ourselves alone, to these impossible standards.

I think it's because on some level our creations are personal to us. We also know that to some degree they are going out in the world to be criticized. Nobody likes to be criticized; and because our creations are personal, sometimes it feels like an attack to us.

IDK. Sometimes we also get into funks where we think everything we write is atrocious, when really it might not be. Which probably circles back to me having the "clear vision" in my head and lacking the skills to recapture that vision on paper to my satisfaction.

[gothrockrulz.livejournal.com]

Or, because I have such a clear vision, I feel like I'm OVER writing everything and trying to capture every minute detail, which can make for a very boring read.

Oh, yes. I can relate to that very much. It's so hard to splash your imagination properly across a page, by hand or by computer or phone or what-have-you. Whatever is reflected back at you doesn't always seem to work.

As opposed to reading the writing of others, where the only imagery you have to go on is what the words invoke in your mind, and so you love it if it's good (even if the author can't stand it).

Ah, the woes and joys and more woes of writing.