Small Musings

Naming things is a hard and serious business.

I had an original title for this blog (A Novel Idea) and it seemed great, but apparently, I am not as smart as I thought I was as it was taken. Like I said, it's serious business. It took me a while just to get this title! Thank gods for a thesaurus.

I started writing my novel a few weeks ago now, and I am only 5 chapters in. I can't seem to wrap my brain around the process of creative writing anymore, as it seems that science is so deeply woven into my brain that it's taking a while to break. It has been approximately 6 or 7 years since I have actually written anything creative, dating back to the days that I used to write fan fiction (yeah, I went there!)

When I first started writing my novel, I had no idea what I wanted to do, just that I needed to do something. I tried plotting, taking inspiration from games that I used to play, different novels that I have read, but nothing was sticking. Nothing stood out and everything seemed trite. I had saw in the past, and read for that matter, that folks usually plan out their novels before actually executing them. That did not seem to work for me, and one night, a line popped in my head and I wrote it down. That one line turned into a rough prologue, which is now a whopping 5 chapters. Hey, it's something, right?

The topic I really wanted to cover today is editing.

Yesterday, when I was going over what I have written in my current chapter (which isn't much right now, but I will get there,) I felt that a section of my work did not flow. I sent it to a friend for a proof-read and she sent back my corrections. There was one part that we both felt was awkward but we did not know what to put in it's place. I told her that I usually edit around 5-6 times before I am satisfied with it, so I was sure that I would find a new sentence to put in it's place.

Editing 5-6 times, you say? Yes, I am a perfectionist. It took me years to finally come to terms with this fact, and even though it is something that drives everyone nuts about me (because I'm SO critical of myself and my work) I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon.

So, for all you perfectionists out there (and even those who aren't,) don't be afraid to edit your work. Edit so much until YOU are satisfied with what you have; but do not lose sleep over it. Don't be overly critical of yourself, because no one is perfect. No piece of work is perfect - every piece of work is unique and special in it's own way. Strive for YOUR best work, not to be the best.

Happy novelling,

T.