Leo To the Bone
I am Leo to the bone, a fact that my dear friend Anne never lets me forget. She lovingly teases me when I exhibit Leo-tastic™ traits, and while sometimes I get exasperated, the truth is, she isn’t wrong. While I unabashedly revel in these traits, sometimes they can be a drawback.
One such trait is my struggle with perfection. I need to do things perfect. I would much rather leave something undone than to put out anything that is less than perfect. As you can imagine, this is a double-edged sword. There are times that perfection is not only desirable but necessary. Without a doubt it is reasonable to expect perfection from airline pilots, brain surgeons, and architects. As an NICU nurse I want to do things perfectly at work (and as a patient, or rather the parent of a patient, you would expect no less of me.)
So, when does perfection fall on the other side of the sword? Well when it comes to things like writing. I want the PERFECT words to flow from my brain, spill out my fingertips onto the page in the most beautiful, coherent, moving, PERFECT sentences ever written. Yeah, I’ll wait while you laugh.
Did you get that out of your systems?
No, not yet?
Okay take a few seconds more.
Feel better? Okay times up, let’s move on.
As writers we all know that this is just not how it works. Oh how great and glorious it would be for us if it did, but it doesn’t. AND, this struggle for perfection is a major roadblock to productivity. I’ve been working on the same project for several years now and I have ten, count ‘em, ten pages written. Well I have ten pages remaining, that I haven’t personally sabotaged that is.
I have written pages and pages on this project and erased them all because they weren’t, you know, PERFECT. At this rate it’s going to be another 30 years or so before I complete anything. So while getting it perfect might seem like a good thing, getting it written is an even better thing. My focus needs to be on the WRITING, getting my story on the page. Then I can worry about polishing it, which is what editing is for after all. Of course I have been working on this post for what seems like years in an effort to make it perfect, so I obviously need to work on redirecting my energies.
(While working on this post I received this tweet from Billy Ray Cyrus: “Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. You’ll be afraid you can’t achieve it. Instead strive for excellence.” How’s that for serendipity?)
My challenge to myself is to let go of perfection, strive for excellence and above all get it written. As of today my new mantra is “Just Get It Written, You Can Make It Pretty Later.” If struggling for perfection is holding you back I invite you to join me.
Tish
Ah, Bear, I truly commiserate with you. At least now you are on the right track. Keep writing, turn off your internal editor, and get a complete first draft finished. Then you can go back and make it “pretty”. And you’ll always have us in KWI to give you support and encouragement.
Angela
Great post, Tish! You’re right — get ‘er done and beautify later. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be expecting to see more than 10 pages in critique group.
-Morgan
Tish,
I know it isn’t easy to turn off the perfectionism. When I first began writing I was completely the opposite. I wrote in non-linear chaos. And I created non-linear chaos. The thing is, if you obsess over each word in the first draft then it’s probably already pretty darn good. Save the obsession for revisions.
Great piece Bear…..I’ve all ready deleted this twice…..so much for turning off the internal editor….:C)
I am so late to the game to comment on this nearly year-old post. But I’m so glad I found it.
I, too, struggle with the whole perfectionism thing and unfortunately, not just in my writing. But I do struggle with it there especially so. (Just ask Christina, she’ll tell you. On second thought, don’t ask her.)
However, I’m getting better at turning off that annoying internal editor, but I still have a little work to do in that area. (Ahem, okay more than a little.) But I love your new motto. I think I’ll adopt it too. The trick will be in actually applying it.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that, for me, having a perfectionist attitude is borderline arrogant. To think I could ever be perfect is ridiculous! But I’ve always been that way — even as a little kid. But striving for excellence is doable. Notice I didn’t say arriving at excellence is doable for me. LOL But I can certainly try to improve my craft and strive for it. I can dream afterall.
Enjoyed the post immensely, Tish. Thanks for sharing!
Love Morgan, Shayne, and Tish’s new newsletter and that is where I caught up with the link here! I am a procrastinator but not so much a perfectionist anymore about my writing. This summer I had real reasons; my mother passed away June 20th and since then to now (August 21st), I have been journaling only. I have stepped back to reassess my mystery story about Great Bend, Kansas and the Cheyenne Bottoms farming area, over it’s title, all characters, and the main plot. I did submit two short stories, and another poem in contests, to hopefully have some money coming in. Yes, I heard Morgan above, about the money situation. For me, a timely, meaningful, and greatly written blog, Tish! I will hope to hear more from you!