Comments on: How Perfectionism Can Kill Your Writing http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/ Author, Designer, Problogger Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:15:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: deborah.woehr http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-13934 deborah.woehr Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:21:41 +0000 http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/#comment-13934 I'd heard about Koontz's displeasure with his early works. If I remember correctly, Stephen King wasn't too fond of his early works either. He didn't toss them into the trash like he did with Carrie. Excellent parable. ;) You're right. In all the time I've taken to write this one book, I could have had eight to show for my efforts. I’d heard about Koontz’s displeasure with his early works. If I remember correctly, Stephen King wasn’t too fond of his early works either. He didn’t toss them into the trash like he did with Carrie.

Excellent parable. ;) You’re right. In all the time I’ve taken to write this one book, I could have had eight to show for my efforts.

]]> By: Steve http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-13924 Steve Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:39:57 +0000 http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/#comment-13924 I think that a lot of writers feel that way about their work. Are you familiar with Dean Koontz's The Demon Seed. It was a sucessful book and it was made into a very good (i think so anyway) movie, starring Julie christie. Great book. Great film. But Koontz read the book through later and was so unhappy with it that he rewrote it. I am also pretty sure that Koontz bought back the rites to some of his early works so that he could take them off the market, because, once again, he was not happy with them. So, like I said, you are not alone in the quest for perfection. Having said that, if you polish a table until it shines, but then keep going back to polish it again and again, all you have is one shiny table. Perhaps in the same amount of time you could have had several shiny tables, and looking back into a room and seeing several tables gleaming back at you must surely give you a greater sense of achievement. Have I just written the parable of the shiny table or something? Wow! I think that a lot of writers feel that way about their work. Are you familiar with Dean Koontz’s The Demon Seed. It was a sucessful book and it was made into a very good (i think so anyway) movie, starring Julie christie. Great book. Great film. But Koontz read the book through later and was so unhappy with it that he rewrote it. I am also pretty sure that Koontz bought back the rites to some of his early works so that he could take them off the market, because, once again, he was not happy with them. So, like I said, you are not alone in the quest for perfection.

Having said that, if you polish a table until it shines, but then keep going back to polish it again and again, all you have is one shiny table. Perhaps in the same amount of time you could have had several shiny tables, and looking back into a room and seeing several tables gleaming back at you must surely give you a greater sense of achievement.

Have I just written the parable of the shiny table or something? Wow!

]]> By: deborah.woehr http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-13922 deborah.woehr Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:32:45 +0000 http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/#comment-13922 I'm glad I'm not alone, yet feel for you at the same time. I’m glad I’m not alone, yet feel for you at the same time.

]]> By: fred charles http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-13921 fred charles Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:31:20 +0000 http://www.deborahwoehr.com/blog/2007/10/13/how-perfectionism-can-kill-your-writing/#comment-13921 I know all about this. My novel has been finished for almost years and every time I read it, I want to start changing stuff. Sometimes, I think I that I should just let it go and send it out....after just one more edit of course. I know all about this. My novel has been finished for almost years and every time I read it, I want to start changing stuff. Sometimes, I think I that I should just let it go and send it out….after just one more edit of course.

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