Don’t Worry About Perfection – Go For Effective
August 17, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Perfection is a trap for writers. It’s a trap simply because there’s no evidence procedure, no way to know if you’ve reached it or if you’re even getting close.
The way I talk to myself about this is:
Hmm, Anne. You wouldn’t recognize perfection if it knocked on the door and introduced itself!
Another way to see this is when you recognize that, perhaps poetry aside, there isn’t a piece of writing out there that couldn’t be improved. That includes the classics as well as everything else.
I think the goal for any piece of writing is effectiveness. That’s much easier to determine and possible to achieve.
Let the notion of perfection in your writing go, and go for effective writing. Your life will be easier and you’ll probably make a whole lot more money.
Write well and often,
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Hello Anne, my name is Kaj and I follow your blog for a little while.
I think my question has to do with this subject. Because when can you call yourself a writer? Is that when you ca write effective? What is effective writing?
Kaj, I called myself a writer even before I was published, but I was submitting regularly. Once I was published it was true…
I see what you mean. You can say that it is something that is already in you.