3 Tips To Battle Perfectionism - a guest post by Audrey Caylin

   Hey, y'all - guess who I have here at Scattered Scribblings today? The epic Audrey Caylin has agreed to do a post on how to battle perfectionism, and you guys are going to love it. So I'll go ahead and step aside so that you can read her wonderful words ;).

   *exit Savannah*

Even if they don’t get writers’ block, enjoy editing, and are absolutely joyful about rewrites, there is one thing I believe all writers suffer from:

Perfectionism.

Do you know a writer who says they adore their own writing and always have? Probably not (but if you do, please tell me who they are so I can contact them and ask them for their secrets xD). At one time or another, the monster of perfectionism strikes, and while some can battle it with a little help, others it cripples until they can’t stand to even think about their own work.

I can’t say that I’ve overcome perfectionism when it comes to my writing. I still cringe and groan and headdesk when I read my clunky dialogue, bland characters, and positively lame plot twists. Around and around all the criticism goes in my head, but always with the message “it’s not good enough. It’s not good enough.”

As this was happening to me the other day, I suddenly stopped and asked “who is this not good enough for? Me? Someone else? Who?”

And there I found three tactics that can be used in the battle against perfectionism, three tactics I’d like to share with you today.

To identify which one will help you the most, start by asking who your work is not good enough for.


1. Is Your Work Not Good Enough For Yourself?

Well, yeah, of course, you might be thinking. Of course my work isn’t good enough for me. I have good taste and my own writing isn’t living up to my standards.

Key word: my.

That means that other people could have said your work is good enough, anyone from a friend to a critiquer to an editor. Yet, in your mind, it is never good enough for you.

So ask yourself this question: who is going to be reading this novel of yours once it’s published?

Family. Friends. People you don’t know. But rarely is your own novel going to end up on your TBR.

See a pattern? Your writing isn’t going to be for you in the long run. You are not going to be the one reading it and reviewing it and being inspired by it. You are going to be the one writing more books, or editing other books, or maybe not writing at all. But if you wrote that book so you could write a “perfect book,” it will never work. You will never be able to completely satisfy yourself with your own work.

We are naturally blind to our own faults, and oftentimes our own virtues as well. We cannot see ourselves clearly, and therefore are not the best judges of whether or not our books are “perfect.” Sure, self-editing is great, but in the end, you should get a second opinion, someone who isn’t so closely knitted with your novel that they can’t evaluate it accurately.

Point is—you cannot and need not be the final judge on whether your book is really “good enough.”

2. Is Your Work Not Good Enough For Someone Else?

Having your work criticized by a friend or beta reader is probably the hardest thing there is. We’re alright with the brutal words when they come from ourselves, but they sting when they come from someone else. We either lash out in defense, or sink into a dark hole of saying no one likes our writing so we should quit.

But remember:

1) this person may have no idea what they’re talking about. If they read mainly classics and they say your plot moves way too quickly…um, what do they know about the pacing of modern YA sci-fi novels? While other opinions are good, remember who the person is who is criticizing you. Do they know anything about writing, or do they seldom pick up one book a year?

2) that’s just their opinion. No book is going to be loved by every reader. What you love, someone else might hate, and vice versa. If a single person says your writing is terrible, there could be ten others who say it’s great.

That being said, if you get a lot of feedback from a lot of people who say you need improvements (if every single person meanly bashes you, look for some new friends :P), then you should probably look at improving.

3. Is Your Work Not Good Enough For A Professional?

I can’t speak from experience on this point, as I’ve never submitted to an agent or editor before. But I do know that some of the above applies to this. Some books and agents just aren’t a good match. Goodness, just look at J.K. Rowling! Everyone said her books were terrible…and she became a best-seller.

Also remember that maybe your book isn’t meant to be published right now. Perhaps the rejection is just so you can re-evaluate what you’ve written and make it ten times better.


But What If You’ve Just Gotten A Ton Of Negative Feedback (possibly from your inner critic) And Are On The Edge Of Despair?


STOP LISTENING TO WHAT THEY SAY BECAUSE SOMEONE IN THE WOLRD LIKES
YOUR WRITING. If you are a writer and you work hard, someone in the world is going to need your writing, even if it’s just one person.

But if you’re drowning in feedback and can’t stop looking at how far short your novel falls, the best thing you can do is put your head down and start taking small steps forward. Keep consistent. If you write a ton, you can’t help but get better. Have people who know you give encouragement. I firmly believe that even if you think your writing isn’t good enough, even if your friends and critiquers and professionals think it isn’t, if you love to write, there is one person out there somewhere who will love your writing and find it to be more than enough.

Finally, know that you’re not alone in this. Like I said, just about every writer struggles with perfectionism. Encourage. Inspire. Uplift. And when that despair comes knocking, use these tactics to identify the source and put those negative thoughts away (or into a character’s head to improve your conflict ;)


<3
audrey caylin

do you struggle with perfection in your own story?
how do you battle it?
feel free to chat with Audrey in the comments!