Pink Think: “Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali
I’m scared.
I just finished editing my last manuscript and sent it off to an agent. I decided my next project would be a full rewrite of my historical novel called “Girl From Gurian.”
The problem is, every time I stare at the blank computer screen, I find myself erasing what I’ve started. I can’t get a handle on what scene to do, who will be in it. I’m over-analyzing my story. I’m thinking too hard and it’s sucking the joy out of the writing process.
I want to get it perfect the first time.
Of course I know that’s a lot of bunk. So I will try to plow through this inanity by taking on a very simple, obvious antidote.
Write.
Has this ever happened to you? What did you do to get unstuck?
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It happens all the time to me. The best thing for me is to one day, just write as many words as I can, then the next day edit it to perfection. If you write adn edit and the same time I end up with 3 words. (BTW–I served in Bacolod mission. I lived in Bacolod, ROxas, Ilo Ilo and La Carlota.)
Way to send out your manuscript. I sent mine to ten agents and it is maddening waiting for a reply!
Oh boy, does it. I have to shut out my invisible audience (all the people that may ever read it) and write for myself. Which is much harder than it sounds, but then I find that joy and just write. I start by thinking: what would I like to read? or how would I say that? I put myself in the story and let my imagination go.
PS-thanks for adding me to your blog roll. I did the same with yours.
berlinwritergirl: (I don’t think I’ve even been in Bacolod myself.) Yeah, I should stop editing, and just spit out something on the page. On the agent, I keep speculating, and I know I should stop that…writer’s imagination I guess :-).
That’s a great suggestion Melinda. I have this story in my head, and I wish I could just have it appear in print as I see it. Unfortunately, it takes some doing to get there.:-)
You are welcome, and thanks, too!
If I get stuck like this, I will start writing the most appallingly awful sentence I can come up with. That drives away my internal editor, and I have free reign after that.
Yeah, I’ll just have to launch the boat and see where it takes me…
Great suggestions. For me, sometimes it helps to break up the routine–write somewhere else or put on some music or even just take a break from it all for a bit.
It’s a bit freeing to think in terms of being able to revise later. You can’t revise what doesn’t exist. I see the first draft as just making the clay that I can later go back and shape into something.
Way to send your stuff out! Good luck! (And thanks for dropping by my blog. :D)
Welcome, Annette, and thanks for the your comments. Good analogy on first drafts being clay. I dread having to revise later, maybe that’s why I want to get it right the first time :-).
Oh, and as for sending out stuff, I honestly don’t think I’d be doing it now, if it weren’t for LDS Storymakers Conf. It’s really changed my life!