Perfectionisim?!?

[shadowgod]

Hey guys and gals,

 

Does anyone else out there have that pesky perfectionisim bug? I know I do , and I trying to find ways to get around it and or rid of it for good.

 

I'm somewhat of a good writer, at least thats the feedback I have gotten (the worst being that I needed to tone down the font size on a page I submited to Nifty) My only real problem is that Im never satisfied with what I write. I am at the moment I write it but the moment I get a little stuck I want to go back and rewrite the whole thing over again.

 

Am I the only person that has this annoying affliction? Its cuased me too much stress already. considering the two multi-chapter stories I have both remain unfinished becuase I think I could have done more in the chapters that have already been posted.

 

Steve

[Empathy]

I'm kind of the same way. When I finish a story I read it twice before I send it to an editor and then once I get it back from him to go over the changes and his comments about the piece. I often end up doing further editing... and now i've gotten into the habit of sending it off to a second editor as well as a few beta readers.

haha.

[Krista]

Lol.. Aww.

 

I'm not a perfectionist at all. I hardly ever go back over and edit my own stuff (which is probably why my chapters are pretty untidy). Anyway, I would like to rely on a perfectionist editor though.

 

If I were a perfectionist I'd not get anything done since I have so many stories going at once. I'd also drive myself insane. So it's good that I'm not, but it's also good that you want your stories to be up to your standards. Just when you find yourself overdoing it and becomming stressed out about it just read it over one last time and call it quits... and post. lol. There is no need to work yourself that hard. Especially if your feedback is positive.

 

Krista

[Dio]

My only real problem is that Im never satisfied with what I write.

I think as authors we should always strive to become better writers. I don't think that's a problem necessarily. On the other hand, if you're obsessive compulsive about it then you might have cause to be worried. Move on, you're not helping yourself or your story by getting stuck in a rut. My suggestion would be to treat your story like a Nanowrimo 50,000 words in a month assignment--it'll make you stop constantly returning to edit until you've written a nice honkin' chunk.

 

Am I the only person that has this annoying affliction?

No. Join the club. Whenever I look over stuff I've written, I can't help myself, I always end up fixing something. Especially pieces I've written months ago. My writing style is still evolving and changing as I learn from mentors and editors. >_> Once I decide something is done, I don't read it again. It's bad for my sanity.

 

Its cuased me too much stress already. considering the two multi-chapter stories I have both remain unfinished becuase I think I could have done more in the chapters that have already been posted.

Solution: Stop thinking. Have a little more confidence. As you've said, you've received favorable feedback--what's the problem? I can understand your desire to succeed--to create the best story possible--but temper that with a little reality. If a story never finishes you will definitely have failed.

 

-db-

 

P.S. On a completely unrelated note... what is a 'shdow'?

[shadowgod]

Forty pages? OMG if I ever attempted to delete forty pages I would hope someone was hiding around the corner to slap me or something. I think the most Ive ever excised would be the first two chapters of Failure ( which Im currently rewriting ... told you its an imbalance or something) But I had very good reason to chop thos chapters off. I tried that whole non-linear storyline approach begin at the end end at the begining type thing. failed miserably in my opinion. LOL I guess cuase I sorta killed one of the main characters at the end of the first chapter.

 

Yes Dio, I have recieved positive feed back but it wasnt for either of the two unfinished stories Im working on. It was for a seperate serialized story called a shot of bourbon. I'm guessing that also has me rethinking the works as flawed in some way.

 

Completely off topic btw.. broken pegasus wings = good creepy blue guy with sickeningly sweet mouth = bad (on so many levels) LOL

 

as far as shdow well ive had this name since back before you had to use numbers with aol accts.. LOL only problem was shadowgod was already taken so I opted for removing the first vowel ( right.... I just couldn't afford that many vowels and vanna was being a heartless wench that day)

 

Ohh and just about anything krista writes is good but Im rather partial to are you christian. You guys rock!

 

I just realize upon reading chapters at a later date that I have completely glossed over major plot points in a hurry to get to the next chapter. but I guess Im really doomed to never be satisfied. perhaps I should just heed Dio's advice and not read anything after I have sent it to be published.

 

But rhawes16 made a good point I was ever completely satisified Id prolly need to be commited

 

Steve

[Graeme]

I deleted about ten pages from my current story because the feedback I got from my beta-readers was that it just dragged down the pace of the story. It was useful background information about the characters but it didn't advance the plot, so out it went.

 

That's the worst I've done. After I've finished a chapter, I'll go through it and refine word choice and try to fix any mistakes before my editor gets hold of it, but I won't keep working on it. The exception is particular key scenes, which I may go over multiple times until I'm happy that they have the impact that I want. I just can't afford to do that for the entire story.

[DomLuka]

Used to do that, right before I

[Jack Scribe]

Uncertainty is normal. Double checking yourself is normal. But if it

[shadowgod]

As a good friend of mine used to say, you can polish a turd all you like but you'll never make it shine.

 

LOL Truer words I guess have never been spoken. So I guess Im stuck looking for an editor. Yipes thats a daunting task in itself. Counting the three I have gone through. I do have a small group of readers that I share my chapters with before I make them public. They are just too damned nice having failed miserably To point out my brushing over of major plot points the first time around. I guess I'll have to find new beta readers as well. Nope couldnt do that they are all good friends.

 

Steve