Overcoming Perfectionism

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019| LynnLynn| 4 Comments|
https://writingfamilyhistory.wistia.com/medias/8qnl5jcjsg?embedType=iframe&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=640

4 thought on “Overcoming Perfectionism”

  1. SO TRUE Lynn!! I have that myself as I write scenes of some of my ancestors. I look it over..tweek a bit but I keep feeling it is never good enough just yet to show the family. Several times at family gatherings I have read out a piece that I had worked on and everyone said they liked it. However, afterwards I wondered if I had made it “perfect” enough…could I have worked more on it before I put it out to them or If I did would it have even more impact. Anyway, thanks Lynn…your comment that there are no perfect writers and no perfect stories made me feel so much better. Upward and onward and thank you very, very much for Storylines.

  2. Lynn, thank you for saving your video lessons on your home page. I have inadvertently deleted some of your tips which caused me no end of grief. I’ve just discovered them on your home page and would like to suggest you advise your viewer they are located there.

    Also I’d like to know if your Inner Circle will be continuing once you have announced your Masterclass lessons. I was waiting until September 2019 to join the class. Summer is a busy time and I thought others in the class may not be available to critique during the summer.

    Recently I shared a creative non fiction scene with my writing group. My group said it was fiction. I had researched my scene from original records as well as reading other peoples journals pertaining to the time frame and knew my information was accurate. Needless to say I was devastated. I’m not sure if I will continue sharing my writing with this group thus my query about the Inner Circle.

    Thank you for your weekly inspirational videos, I for one look forward to reading them even if I accidently delete them.

  3. Lynn- Thank you for this important boost. Your ideas today are bringing me closer to finishing a piece that I have found difficult to finish because I want it to be perfect. Thank you for that. I will probably listen to this talk again because of its effectiveness for me. At the same time I wonder about one of the elements within your talk. I wonder if you would expand upon the place that a writing community can play in helping to let go of perfectionism. We have something going on in ours that seems to do the opposite. It seems to stifle writing by encouraging perfectionism as you have described it. My writing group has been meeting for many years. It has in it a couple of people who go to workshops where they meet together for just a few times, are encouraged to give negative criticism, and then they part. They do not develop lasting relationships with each other in these groups. In them, the emphasis is on quick writing, and swift critique. These workshops tend to bring out meanness in them which they then bring to our group. These two people seem to have lost interest in listening for the meaning of a piece that is read by their long-time friends in our group, and often miss the point entirely. Meaning seems to me to be the most important thing, and for me, all critique needs to come from an understanding of meaning. That means that the critic within a group like ours must ask the writer clarifying questions to help the writer to get closer to their meaning, not to blast the writer with negative statements based on how they are taught to behave in the workshops they have attended. It seems to me that this blasting method is more about the critique than it is about getting at the writers intent and meaning. This behavior ignores the fact that a writer does want to express something important, and just needs a few nudges in the right direction. I would like to hear from you more about the elements of an effective writing group. Your talks always feel encouraging. You mention a writing community in this talk, so it seems that you know something about developing the best in a writer through writing community. If it is within the scope of your mission, I would like to hear what you know, and how you view the whole genre of writers’ workshops and their relationship to long-standing writing/friendship communities. Thank you!

  4. Thank you….
    I’m just getting my story or stories started and looking for a lot of help!

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How Reading Can Improve Your Writing with 6 Actionable TipsHow Reading Can Improve Your Writing with 6 Actionable Tips

March 14, 2017March 14, 2017| LynnLynn| 0 Comment| 11:19 pm

 

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” —Stephen King

 

I believe three things make you a better writer.

Learning the craft of writing.

Practice, practice, practice.

Reading books by other authors.

 

I can help you to learn the craft of writing. The practice, well, that’s on you. So today,  let’s address the third item on the list, reading. Let’s first look at why reading can make you a better writer.

A good writer should read for pleasure but to also learn the craft of writing. When we read the books by other authors, styles, voices and other genres, we expand our knowledge.  Most importantly, it presents us with writing that’s better than our own, and through osmosis, as well as applying the techniques it helps us to improve our own writing. Reading can help you to expand your vocabulary and to craft better sentences. It helps you to understand language better. Quite simply reading helps you to learn from the best and gain new knowledge.

Reading can help you to understand how others think and process information.  This is an important skill to learn if you wish to express yourself through the written word to others. When you analyze what you read and share it with others, you learn to understand a book and in turn convey that understanding to others.

Reading reveals the secrets of a writer’s job in practice. And finally, you will find reading will offer inspiration.

 

6 Tips for Improving Your Reading Skills

 

  1. Establish some good reading habits.

    Dedicate a set amount of time each day for reading. I like a minimum of 60 minutes. Somedays, I will read more. But no less than 60 minutes every day. Carry your book with you to maximize your time. Consider making a book list and plan your reading for the year. I choose a minimum of 24 books each year. That’s 2 books a month. My goal is to improve on this each year. Choose your books wisely, plan your books, read from a variety of books from classics to trash to contemporary literature. Read outside your genre. Join a book club – it forces you to read books outside of your genre, to read with a deadline and to read with a critical eye.

 

  1.  Take notes.

Break down the stories you read. Analyze character, plot and theme. Highlight passages, make notes of words or passages that stand out for you and the effects they create. Make notes throughout the reading process. I love Kindle for this reason. I can highlight passages and make notes right in the Kindle. After finishing the book write a one-page Keep a binder with your one-page summaries of each book you have read.Write reviews, Amazon, Goodreads, or consider a book review on your blog. It helps you to analyze the book and think about the story with a more critical eye.

 

  1. Consider creating a reading journal. 

A reading journal combines the skills of reading and writing. You record your impressions and ideas about a book you’ve read in your journal.  A reading journal will help you record the not only the feelings it created within you as you journeyed with the characters but the writing lessons you learned. It is worth taking a few minutes after each book to record your thoughts in a reading journal. All these things can help you become a better, offer inspiration and build your confidence.

 

  1. Try the techniques you’ve learned in your writing.

Experiment with what you discovered, and then give the techniques you’ve discovered a twist to make them your own.

 

  1. Don’t read more than two books at a time

I recommend limiting the number of books that you read at once. If you do read two books at a time, read from two different genres, for example, read a fiction and nonfiction.

 

  1. Enjoy your reading.

Don’t waste your time reading books you are not enjoying. Life is too short to read a book you dislike. But before you put it down learn from it. Identify why you are struggling. Write down your analysis of why the book is not landing for you before you move on. We can learn from the bad books as well as the good ones.

 

To learn more about how to read to write, I recommend. How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. For more books visit our Writers’ Resource Page.  (affiliate links) 

 

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