Episode 22: You're Not Perfect, So Get Over It
Description
Podcast Episode 22: You're Not Perfect, So Get Over It
Perfectionism is a kind of resistance that keeps us from creative progress.
00:56 There is a new way to support the podcast. See more at www.WordsMatterESW.com/donate
03:55 Teaching creative writing reminds me of things I need to apply to my own writing life, and that brings up the topic of perfectionism.
06:08 Tangents in our writing can be both beneficial and a drawback to our creative flow.
07:07 Being distracted by the next flashy thing can distract us. It threatens our ability to finish a work.
09:55 Find a way to keep track of tangents, so you can go back to them, but don't abandon the work in progress.
10:53 Being too focused on the current work can be a problem, too, though, if we fall into the trap of Perfectionism. It can also keep you from finishing, or sharing, your work.
12:50 If we are always improving (which we should be) we have to balance the idea of perfecting a story with the concept of "the best story I can write right now."
14:24 I shared a story on the podcast that is far from perfect, but it was the best story I could write at the time (20 years ago). If I allowed perfectionism to control me, I would have never submitted that story and had it published, and I certainly wouldn't share it now.
15:24 For newer writers, I suggest writing more and not being too focused on making a story perfect, or even better. Not yet anyway.
16:12 For newer writers, I think it is better to make progress and improvement and then go back and improve some of the first stories based on what they have learned.
17:10 Over time, we develop more ability to discern when we've done "all we can" for a particular piece.
18:20 Thoughts? Comments? Questions? I'd love to hear from you.
Learn more about supporting the podcast at www.WordsMatterESW.com/donate
My book, Your Legacy of Words: The Workbook is a great gift for anyone in your life you wish would write down some of the stories of their lives.
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