Member-only story
The Toughest Question A Writer Faces…
And It Has Nothing To Do With Your Story
Obsession with perfection is incompatible with creativity. It curbs your output and exacerbates self-doubt. It comes from the inability to answer the simplest of questions.
Am I finished?
It’s the most challenging question for a writer to answer. It shouldn’t be. It’s a simple yes or no answer. There are a dozen other questions that require greater cognitive strain.
What is the plot or subject?
Who is it for?
Who is the lead character?
What is her motivation?
What is his goal?
Who is the antagonist?
What change am I trying to make?
What is the title or headline?
Why is it so difficult to say I’m finished. Obsession with perfection is an expression of fear.
What if they don’t like it?
What if they ridicule me?
What if there’s a lingering typo?
What if…
I struggle with this myself, not with my blogging but with my fiction. There’s a simple mechanism to overcome the fear of rejection or self-doubt when it comes to blogging. But my novel is a different story (sorry for the bad pun).
I’ve gone through nine versions of my manuscript. I’m debated a tenth, but decided against it. I’m calling it. I know another version won’t improve it enough…
