Sorry for the slow reply, Anthony! I don't get notified about these comments for some reason.
Great questions. It's interesting, because questions like these make the word "perfectionism" sound ridiculous.
I'm aware that no writing is perfect, because it's all subjective and everyone has their own opinions, preferences, etc.
For me, when writing fiction, I don't think I'm ever actually expecting to produce something that's "perfect." It's more an inability to consider something finished and let it go unless it feels good enough. But deciding where to draw the line with that and just move on to the next project is a challenge, unless you have something like the writing programme mentioned in this article with a specific deadline.
To me, it's much more important to me that the reader enjoys the work and has a great reading experience, of course. I just need to get better at remembering that that is still possible without spending months editing each story!
How about you? Do you struggle with similar issues, or have you found ways to overcome this already?
No worries! I'm still around, and I'm a pretty patient guy ^.^
My mantra is "Capture the Moment."
If you have captured the moment, you have succeeded. Whatever that moment is. That's all that matters. Everything else is extra. Perfection is a captured moment, nothing more, nothing less.
Also, there is this tale of two poetry classes: one that was told, "This semester, just make one perfect vase." The other class, the teacher said, "The goal is just to make as many pots as humanly possible, and they have to have these dimensions, and that's it."
And the class that had the MOST pots also had the best pots. Across the board.
Bravo, You. Stretching limbs and shape shifting is where it begins.
Thanks, Bev! Much appreciated!
I love this! I can tell you're on the verge of a huge breakthrough, just by reading this.
Two questions for you, take them or leave them:
1) What does perfect look like? Can you point to a work of writing that you would call perfect?
2) Which is more important: that it's perfect to you? Or that the reader loves it?
Sorry for the slow reply, Anthony! I don't get notified about these comments for some reason.
Great questions. It's interesting, because questions like these make the word "perfectionism" sound ridiculous.
I'm aware that no writing is perfect, because it's all subjective and everyone has their own opinions, preferences, etc.
For me, when writing fiction, I don't think I'm ever actually expecting to produce something that's "perfect." It's more an inability to consider something finished and let it go unless it feels good enough. But deciding where to draw the line with that and just move on to the next project is a challenge, unless you have something like the writing programme mentioned in this article with a specific deadline.
To me, it's much more important to me that the reader enjoys the work and has a great reading experience, of course. I just need to get better at remembering that that is still possible without spending months editing each story!
How about you? Do you struggle with similar issues, or have you found ways to overcome this already?
No worries! I'm still around, and I'm a pretty patient guy ^.^
My mantra is "Capture the Moment."
If you have captured the moment, you have succeeded. Whatever that moment is. That's all that matters. Everything else is extra. Perfection is a captured moment, nothing more, nothing less.
Also, there is this tale of two poetry classes: one that was told, "This semester, just make one perfect vase." The other class, the teacher said, "The goal is just to make as many pots as humanly possible, and they have to have these dimensions, and that's it."
And the class that had the MOST pots also had the best pots. Across the board.
Just do more, and better will happen.