72: Progress Over Perfection
2/5/2014
I got Thiola’s introductory scene finished today. I think it turned out okay. In honor of Edith (upon whom Thiola is based), I wrote this one the way the books on writing fiction say it should be done – quick and free of all the anal editing on the first draft. I didn’t stop to try and perfect each sentence as I went. I wrote as fast as I could with a minimum of touching up as I went, not proofreading or reworking until the whole scene was done. It was only four pages, so it wasn’t too hard. Rewrote it then only once before editing the rewrite.
I want to try and do this with more of my writing from now on. My alla prima habit of writing is probably my largest obstacle to overcome. The anal perfectionism on the first draft is fucking up my pacing, my creativity, and the whole tone I’m trying to achieve. Wanting it all at once instead of layering is self-defeating.
I keep telling myself that my writing has improved over the past few years because I was able to set my ego aside and just do what the experts tell me to do rather than think my natural intuition’s the best guide. And yet, on this one rather important issue, I have continued to stubbornly cling to my anal habits by not trusting the method every book on writing fiction has recommended.
It’s time to put my ego aside for real, instead of just saying I do, and follow the advice of my betters. Because the way I’ve been doing it has been a royal pain in the ass, and the quality has also been inconsistent, to say the least. Even at my best, I could do a lot better.
Edith was the opposite of the anal perfectionist. She was a free and wild spirit, full of life and creative energy. I miss her and should probably let Edith (or Thiola) be my muse from now on.
Present-Day Reflection
8/5/2026
Speed has never been my gift, whether in drawing and painting or in creative writing. Both have been exercises in patience and perseverance. I’ve been told I’m fast because I get to an end result faster than others trying to do the same thing, but that’s an illusion. I get done sooner, not faster. The sooner is achieved from staying on task and not stopping until it’s done, rather than from a quick pace.
It’s the story of the tortoise and the hare, where slow and steady wins the race over the quick but inconsistent.
This is not always the case with me, obviously. I lay things aside all the time for months, or even years. I’m just saying that when I do appear fast, it’s an illusion. Nobody watching me work from start to finish would ever call me fast. Merely diligent.
This is connected to my perfectionism, where I’m often unable to rest until I get it right. But then I came upon the question, “Would you rather be right, or effective?” This was in the context of communication skills and interpersonal effectiveness. But it works with a lot of things. Would I rather be perfect, or successful? Do I want to actually finish something great, or am I just trying to stubbornly prove something?
Within the context of drawing and painting I’ve long since learned how to tell when a piece is finished. If I’m the only one who’ll ever notice or care about the changes being made to it, it’s done. That rule should apply to writing as well.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to look like it is.
