Rambling about the writing process, beneath the cut.
Mars, this is so utterly Not Just You I can’t even tell you. I’m about to drop this on my blog and you’re likely to see a good 50 reblogs from other authors going “GPO FUCKING YYYYYYY.”
Gaining the self-awareness as writers to be able to judge, analyze and actively improve our writing is a two-edged sword. On the one hand: insight yeah! Being able to see where we can improve is the first step to, you know, improving. TAKE YOUR WRITERLY DESTINY INTO YOUR OWN HANDS, etc.
On the other hand, once we learn how to do it, we start looking at everything critically. ”Is this the right word? Am I really getting at what I want to say here? Let me just look over this plot and think about where the holes in continuity and logic might be…”
There’s a point at which our inner critic runs amok and starts making us second-guess everything.And that does two things: it makes us feel like we’re doing worse than we really are, and it takes away the fun of writing.
I make jokes about chaining the little bastard up in a lightless basement and only letting it out when I want it for the editing stage. But unfortunately I have no fucking idea how to do that. It’s been killing my writing-joy for the last several months too.
Learning how NOT to listen to your inner critic is, I suspect, as much of a skill as developing an inner critic in the first place. I made some progress over Christmas when Michi and I were cranking out 1000 words of “Camera Shy” per day. Brutally battering it into submission with panicked “FUCK I NEED TO MAKE THE DEADLINE I DON’T CARE HOW HEINOUS THESE WORDS ARE FIXING THEM IS SOMEBODY ELSE’S JOB” does seem to help put a damper on the rampant self-criticism. But it’s also a great way to burn out, so.
Tips and advice welcomed.