Lately, I've been struggling with writing one short sentence. It's one of the most important in a paragraph, so I can't just keep writing and put it off until later. I still struggle, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who "plays" with sentences like this. Thanks a lot, Glenn!
I've begun to feel that the neglected and crucial part of this struggle is the part where you give up, give in, and say "it's good enough, at least it's working in some way, I will let it be what it is." Of course you reserve the right, the plan, to get back to it later and "fix it."
This feels like a failure when you do it -- but later, when the stress of "getting it right" fades, you recognize that it actually IS good enough, in fact it is good. It is itself, flawed but unique - like people, like every good thing in every good work of art.
At least, that is how it has worked for me. And it HAS worked, so I'm putting it out there.
(And thank you for chiming in on the last livestream, I really apologize that it took a while for me to understand what you were getting at. Communication is hard! I truly appreciated it.)
You're a perfectionist. I remember you already told a similar story that happened to you in your youth, about a character who wanted to ask someone else if they wanted a drink and you couldn't find the right phrase. The same thing happened to me recently (in fact, I apologize if I didn't read this post immediately or participate in the live stream, even though I knew you would mention my post—and I take this opportunity to thank you). When I wrote to you, I was entering a small competition, and then I discovered there was another one that expired in just four days. If selected, it would go to the Berlinale. I had to hurry. Yet I spent hours and hours on the phrase (old Oedipus about his two sons fighting for the throne) "They think power is honor," "They take power for glory," "They believe power equals honor!" "They chase power, calling it honor!" and is he shouting? yelling? and omg "I fought fate" sounds awful. Fought-fate. Maybe three hours just for this phrase. With the clock ticking. It was a great experience. I didn't even think for a minute that just a few days earlier, I didn't even feel adequate to make art, and at that moment I was entering three competitions at once. I suffer, but cannot stop writing. Sorry for the long post.
"It was a great experience." How wonderful to see you write that about it!!!
I'm not a perfectionist, because I shrug and go with things. I am just a "spiral-er." I go around and around it, back over it, but I have no belief in perfection.
Giving up on the idea that there's a "right answer" (i.e. perfection) is the only way I survived that ridiculous writer's block when I couldn't decide how the guy should offer the wine. There's just the way you want to do it, at that moment.
Your process of carefully composing a sentence for your work is truly fascinating. I think it's more easily digestible and interesting than my train of thought.
I use <placeholders> a lot in my writing process. Sometimes I use it simply as a <rough note on what should happen here> or a <blatantly direct description of the event> that happens in that particular passage. Other times, I put notes regarding the current passage, stating <what is lacking in the following passage> or <why I think these sentences are wrong> But most of the time, it's a simple lack of diction or vocabulary, <istilah ini bahasa inggrisnya apa ya?> or <how can I say this particular indonesian/german/korean expression in english?> and <does this particular english expression only exist in the UK/US?>
Maybe I should try adopting a bit of your process. See if that helps me work more efficiently.
Lately, I've been struggling with writing one short sentence. It's one of the most important in a paragraph, so I can't just keep writing and put it off until later. I still struggle, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who "plays" with sentences like this. Thanks a lot, Glenn!
You are definitely not the only one!
I've begun to feel that the neglected and crucial part of this struggle is the part where you give up, give in, and say "it's good enough, at least it's working in some way, I will let it be what it is." Of course you reserve the right, the plan, to get back to it later and "fix it."
This feels like a failure when you do it -- but later, when the stress of "getting it right" fades, you recognize that it actually IS good enough, in fact it is good. It is itself, flawed but unique - like people, like every good thing in every good work of art.
At least, that is how it has worked for me. And it HAS worked, so I'm putting it out there.
(And thank you for chiming in on the last livestream, I really apologize that it took a while for me to understand what you were getting at. Communication is hard! I truly appreciated it.)
You're a perfectionist. I remember you already told a similar story that happened to you in your youth, about a character who wanted to ask someone else if they wanted a drink and you couldn't find the right phrase. The same thing happened to me recently (in fact, I apologize if I didn't read this post immediately or participate in the live stream, even though I knew you would mention my post—and I take this opportunity to thank you). When I wrote to you, I was entering a small competition, and then I discovered there was another one that expired in just four days. If selected, it would go to the Berlinale. I had to hurry. Yet I spent hours and hours on the phrase (old Oedipus about his two sons fighting for the throne) "They think power is honor," "They take power for glory," "They believe power equals honor!" "They chase power, calling it honor!" and is he shouting? yelling? and omg "I fought fate" sounds awful. Fought-fate. Maybe three hours just for this phrase. With the clock ticking. It was a great experience. I didn't even think for a minute that just a few days earlier, I didn't even feel adequate to make art, and at that moment I was entering three competitions at once. I suffer, but cannot stop writing. Sorry for the long post.
It's not that long, and I was glad to read it.
"It was a great experience." How wonderful to see you write that about it!!!
I'm not a perfectionist, because I shrug and go with things. I am just a "spiral-er." I go around and around it, back over it, but I have no belief in perfection.
Giving up on the idea that there's a "right answer" (i.e. perfection) is the only way I survived that ridiculous writer's block when I couldn't decide how the guy should offer the wine. There's just the way you want to do it, at that moment.
Good work, Glenn.
You worked that sentence into the right structure of enough but not too much. Plus, it pops off the page effortlessly (or so it seems).
Thank you!! "effortlessly" indeed :)
Your process of carefully composing a sentence for your work is truly fascinating. I think it's more easily digestible and interesting than my train of thought.
I use <placeholders> a lot in my writing process. Sometimes I use it simply as a <rough note on what should happen here> or a <blatantly direct description of the event> that happens in that particular passage. Other times, I put notes regarding the current passage, stating <what is lacking in the following passage> or <why I think these sentences are wrong> But most of the time, it's a simple lack of diction or vocabulary, <istilah ini bahasa inggrisnya apa ya?> or <how can I say this particular indonesian/german/korean expression in english?> and <does this particular english expression only exist in the UK/US?>
Maybe I should try adopting a bit of your process. See if that helps me work more efficiently.
Actually my process is placeholders too - that's just another name for what I call "trying things."