1. Marcelo

    Marcelo Member

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    Story in Development + Perfectionism = FAIL!

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Marcelo, Aug 27, 2008.

    Thanks to it, I've never written many stories that were in development. That's because (until I knock it off) perfectionism makes me try to make the story perfect. As if there was such a thing. Any one also experiences this?
     
  2. Ungood

    Ungood New Member

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    I believe you are not alone with this problem.
     
  3. ciavyn

    ciavyn New Member

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    Yep! I have several stories I have started as well, but I will say this - I also have one done. It's not that I stopped being a perfectionist - Lord knows, I'll always be one. But the desire to finish - to say I had it done - was stronger than my desire to have the unacheivable. Perhaps you should map it out, gather a solid outline, brainstorm a bit, and then just launch in with the commitment that you've made as solid a start as you can, you are going to see it through, EVEN IF it isn't ideal.

    At least you recognize the problem - that is often the hardest part!
     
  4. Palimpsest

    Palimpsest New Member

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    Oh, yeah, I hear ya!

    But I believe, while absolutely no final draft will suit everybody's opinion of perfection, perfectionism does have its place... it's just not at every sentence that peeks out trying to help make concrete the concept.
    Gah, it's like building a house of cards on a snoring sleeper's face!
     
  5. Scribe Rewan

    Scribe Rewan New Member

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    I had this. My book has been rewritten dozens of times, and I dont just mean after Ive written the first couple of chapters. I managed to get to about 75,000 words and then go no this isnt good enough, and so I started again. It's taken me five years to get to the point where I am almost ready to send it off...

    I think in the end you just have to look at it rationally and go, 'this isn't perfect, but it's as close as I'm going to get.'
     
  6. Nilfiry

    Nilfiry Senior Member

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    Actually, alot of people have this problem. I had it myself, but I still do it often since I improve from it and gain new ideas.
     
  7. tehuti88

    tehuti88 New Member

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    Actually, I'm the opposite. I can't write a story unless I'm writing it the absolute best that I can in the first place. Otherwise, it feels like an immense waste of time. Why write the thing if I'm not going to get it right, and give it my all, the first time? Anything else seems like laziness.

    Plus, if I find bugs in the story, I have to write or work them out while it's in progress else they might endanger the consistency of the plot. Waiting until I'm done with the writing before addressing such problems could spell disaster for me.

    Granted, 1. I'm not claiming this is perfection, it's just the best I can write it; and 2. most writers don't work like this. But I have to.
     

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