Pleasant Surprises and Unpleasant Realities
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool."
~Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman is one of my personal heroes--a physicist whose theories are an enduring legacy to the field of quantum electrodynamics. He also was appointed to the team that invesitgated the Challenger disaster, and he was so critical of the final report that he wrote a minority report urging NASA have a complete overhaul. He was ignored. He passed away in 1988, but his contributions endure. And that quote? Brilliant.
It applies as much to NASA and physics . . . as it does to writing and life. In life, I found I grew as a person by leaps and bounds when I stopped mentally justifying my failures as a human being. When I was cross with my kids, I blamed it on being tired. But really . . . there aren't many excuses in life, just failures.
So it is with writing. I have to say, I pressed "send" on the Magickeepers, delighted with the knowledge that I think I nailed it. Certain scenes just came out SO good. Certain emotions. And a BIG surrpise (to me anyway) occurs in the climax. Holy cow, but the kid was fathered by someone else!
But there is one scene that . . . I am not sure about. I think it "tells" too much, even if the scene is touching. We'll see what my editor thinks. Because every time I turn something in, I have that nagging doubt about x or y. Each book has its pleasant surprises and those unpleasant realities that it needs more work.
Getting honest is the first step. Honing an inner critic that you can rely on it the second step.
Thoughts?
~Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman is one of my personal heroes--a physicist whose theories are an enduring legacy to the field of quantum electrodynamics. He also was appointed to the team that invesitgated the Challenger disaster, and he was so critical of the final report that he wrote a minority report urging NASA have a complete overhaul. He was ignored. He passed away in 1988, but his contributions endure. And that quote? Brilliant.
It applies as much to NASA and physics . . . as it does to writing and life. In life, I found I grew as a person by leaps and bounds when I stopped mentally justifying my failures as a human being. When I was cross with my kids, I blamed it on being tired. But really . . . there aren't many excuses in life, just failures.
So it is with writing. I have to say, I pressed "send" on the Magickeepers, delighted with the knowledge that I think I nailed it. Certain scenes just came out SO good. Certain emotions. And a BIG surrpise (to me anyway) occurs in the climax. Holy cow, but the kid was fathered by someone else!
But there is one scene that . . . I am not sure about. I think it "tells" too much, even if the scene is touching. We'll see what my editor thinks. Because every time I turn something in, I have that nagging doubt about x or y. Each book has its pleasant surprises and those unpleasant realities that it needs more work.
Getting honest is the first step. Honing an inner critic that you can rely on it the second step.
Thoughts?
Labels: inner critic
posted by Erica Orloff at 7:06 AM
24 Comments:
Erica, congratulations on finishing Magickeepers! What a fun revelation about the kid's real father. I just had one yesterday in my wip.
When I have that niggling feeling now, I do go back and look at where it came from to see if it needs more or something different. It often does. As for failures, I fail often. I recently read that successful people have more failures than unsuccessful people. That's how they learn. Many unsuccessful people are afraid to make mistakes so they don't try or they take the safe way.
Hi Edie:
I just read (now I have to think of where) . . . that the secret of successful companies is a risk-taker at the helm.
E
Congrats on getting that out the door. Must be a great feeling.
I think sometimes its hard to figure out when to stop writing. When to say "I'm done" and really know it's so.
Aimless:
I am often a prisoner of deadline--hence it leaves when it's due to leave. But I have been workshopping one book for over a year, and I keep tweaking and so on--AND it's still not done. It's an ambitious work, and I am not sure when it will feel "done."
E
Congrats, Erica!
I've been sitting here tweaking my synopsis for the past four hours, and last night I put the final coat of polish on the manuscript. Out the door they go, today, come hell or high water.
I think the book is good.
I'm sure there will be more revisions down the line if it sells, but I'll be ecstatic to tackle those unpleasant realities. ;)
Jude;
I'm usually pretty happy to tackle revisions.
E
I've often noticed it's that "little voice" in your head, the one that says, "hmm, I'm not sure that's quite right" that we have to learn to listen to. It's so easy to say, "No, you're just obsessing, let it go," or, "no, it's good enough." But usually (I want to qualify that) that voice is the one we need to learn from.
My qualification is that the voice isn't always right. Inner Critic sounds an awful lot like my Doubting Thomas voice, the one that's wrapped up in failure and pessimism rather than Inner Critic that just wants to make things better. This probably means they're twins or something, but it can be hard to figure out which one is whispering in my ear.
Mark:
That's that excuses thing . . . you know, we can all rationalize when DEEP DOWN we know.
On the flip side, I do know people with some BRUTAL internal critics. A true critic is honest and fair--and we need to be so with ourselves.
E
Sometimes I suffer from delusions of literary grandeur, and other times I'm paralyzed by the Doubt Demon.
What's that called, Dr. Orloff?
Jude:
Literary Schizophrenia.
Dr. O
What can I take for that?
Jude:
Unfortunately, there is no cure.
It's terminal.
E
I fear you might be right, Dr. O, but there's an alternative treatment I'd like to try before giving up hope: MORE &#%@&#@% COWBELL!!!
Congrats! I can't wait until Magickeepers comes out! That's the Russian family one, yes? I'll be all over that.
I have a really good Inner Critic, LOL. EXCEPT, and this is so annoying I can't tell you, I read over stuff, read over stuff, fix stuff, etc. Read it again. Ask her. She says nothing. I really focus and read it again.
I double check with Inner Critic again. She tells me to send it.
I hit send.
And THEN, and only then, SHE LISTS FIFTY THINGS!!!!!!
Jude:
:-)
That cures fever only.
E
Spy:
LOL! I met the Inner Critic on my last two books.
E
Congrats! I'm looking forward to your book signing announcements.
My inner critic - an egomaniac with an inferiority complex. My writing is the best in the world and it sucks. So I have to shove that pendulum back to the middle all the time.
Sarah:
What a brilliant description of Inner Critic!!
E
Erica, like everyone here, I'm so anxious to read Magickeepers. Sounds fabulous! As someone who recently experienced an unpleasant reality, biz related, I'm focusing on those pleasant surprises now. I need 'em, so hands out ready to catch them is my motto these days!
THoughts? Thoughts!!!!!
I WANT TO READ IT!!!!!!!!
That's my only thought. ;o)
ladonna:
I am sure new blessings will head your way soon!
E
Hi Ello:
Honest to God . . . I am SO happy with it!!!
E
Can't take credit for the description. Considering the source, my inner critic must be an alcoholic. ;-)
sarah:
It's still a brilliant description. :-)
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