Writing tip #11: Don’t worry about “perfect”
A gentle note to encourage letting yourself pivot in favour of excellence and enjoyment + re-introducing myself
Dear readers,
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Who am I?
“Who am I? Who am I?” (Disney’s Mulan, anyone?)
If it’s been a while or if you’re new to this writing community, it might be helpful for me to re-introduce myself. My name is Marisa and I’ve loved writing since I was 5 years old. That’s when I started writing a lot of short stories, then later poems, then novels.
Knowing that I absolutely love writing, I followed my heart to a Specialized Honours B.A. in English in university and a post-grad certificate in book and magazine publishing from college, hoping to create a career where I can work as a writer and editor while continuing to write books. I’m very grateful that this is the case.
Since graduating, I’ve written several articles for magazines, newspapers and websites, including Today’s Parent, the National Post, This Magazine, Best Health and more. I’ve also had the pleasure of working as the editor and copyeditor of multiple publications, including co-managing a team of 50+ amazing editors and freelancers across Canada.
After my children were born, I wanted to work part-time to spend more time with our family so I feel extremely grateful to work part-time as a UX writer for one of my favourite companies.
While working, I kept writing and especially editing my books too. I’ve submitted my YA novels The Ridge and In Your Dreams for publication several times, with no acceptances yet. One of my short stories won a monthly contest, and one of my poems won first place in a contest a year later. I sought feedback on In Your Dreams from kind and talented Alisha Sevigny (in 2016) and Parker Peevyhouse (in 2024) as well as generous loved ones and readers. I also realized that I’ve grown a lot as a writer, so In Your Dreams has grown too. I’m about halfway through a final round of revisions of In Your Dreams before sending it off to literary agents for publication. I’ll keep you posted!
In 2018, I figured out an important change in my approach towards making time for writing (and I wrote a post about it). Since then, I’ve been writing regularly, and I’ve learned SO much about storytelling and the publishing industry through education, workshops, reading and my own experience, and I knew I wanted to share that with other writers and creatives to hopefully help them too.
I really hope Doing the Write Thing brings you support, inspiration and motivation along your writing journey or as you pursue another creative endeavour. Please know that feedback is welcome, and I hope you enjoy this next edition of Doing the Write Thing!
~ Marisa
In this newsletter…
The Heart of Storytelling: A writing tip that can help if you sometimes struggle with perfectionism or expectations getting in the way
For the Love of Writing: A brand-new section dedicated to celebrating that spark, that feel-good feeling we get when we enjoy writing
The Writing Life: Updates on my writing projects, including In Your Dreams and my first time booking an author table at a writing event
Writers’ Corner: A writing magazine/workbook I stumbled upon that you might love too
The Heart of Storytelling
This is where I’ll share writing, editing and publishing tips, based on my experience.
Writing tip #11: Don’t worry about perfect—or getting it right the first time
I think it was during a writing webinar last year when I heard something that immediately resonated with me: sometimes we get in our own way.
Hearing that, I realized that sometimes, it’s true. When I KNOW the next editing session or the next part of the book requires choosing between multiple versions of a scene, or that it involves figuring out more complex or overarching decisions that may have an impact on other scenes too, it’s like…it’s like I hesitate or pause instead of running towards that editing session. Instead of feeling excited and eager, I feel somewhat discouraged. Instead of a can-do attitude, I feel almost overwhelmed.
I can feel an obstacle there—something between me and that editing session. I feel this before those editing sessions EVEN though, usually after I edit a scene, I feel so happy and excited about the edits because the scene becomes so much better and just right.
So how do you change that? How do you remove that invisible obstacle that’s stopping you from working on that scene, or from feeling excited to work on it?
Here’s what helps me:
I observe and acknowledge that I’m feeling that hesitation
I remove the doubt/hesitation by reminding myself that:
I can do this. I will do this —> A change in attitude makes ALL the difference. A positive attitude helps good ideas flow
It’s okay to take time with it —> Let go of the idea that you have to get this right right now. That removes some of the unnecessary pressure that might be coming between you and working on the scene (if there is a timeline for your book, then hopefully there is still some wiggle room, otherwise refer to the power of 2. a or 2. c)
Every little bit counts —> Choose to work on the scene for 3 minutes. Or 5. Something that you deem “small”. Something that takes off the pressure so that maybe you can surprise yourself with how do-able this really is
Right now you might be thinking, “But I’m editing my book. Literary agents and publishers and readers aren’t looking for ‘okay’ storytelling. I’m literally supposed to make it perfect!”
I know they say those first few pages are all you have to catch someone’s eye. And I’m not saying not to make your book the best it can be—it generally is advisable to make it the best you can. But it does help to let go of the idea of “perfect” (this comment comes from someone who found out, while editing, that she is a perfectionist when it comes to writing).
When you read books, especially books you love, do you sometimes find yourself thinking, ‘Hmmm, I don’t really love how that part/line was done’ or ‘I would have done this part differently’? That’s okay! You can absolutely love a story and the writing and be a big fan of the writer and still think that. This is just a reminder that writing is subjective—there is no “perfect”, per se. And sometimes we set such high expectations that we can get in our own way (again, this is difficult to type, as I am a perfectionist and will probably keep thinking in a perfectionist-like manner sometimes when editing).
I think what I’m trying to say is that what you’re writing is probably better than you think, if you don’t see that yet, and you’re probably more talented and capable of more lovely creating than you think, if you don’t know that. I hope that you do see the beauty in your work and that you believe in yourself.
And if you know a scene could use more work, I hope this helps remove the “perfectionism” obstacle, if it is in the way, so that you can make that scene the best it can be. You can do it!
Do you sometimes experience the perfectionism block too? You’re welcome to talk about it and/or share your tips below in the comments too!
For the Love of Writing
Welcome to this brand-new section of the newsletter!
This section focuses on simply enjoying writing. That can mean many different things for different writers, and this section especially applies to other creative endeavours too that aren’t necessarily writing based.
For now, I envision this section exploring topics such as:
Ideas for writers’ dates: writing somewhere different from your beloved, still valued routine can feel like a special “treat” or simply “more exciting” sometimes
Writing activities: short exercises with no judgment or expectations, which free you up to simply write
Writing space: ideas for creating a writing space that feels cozy or inspiring or whatever works for you
Lifestyle pictures that are focused on writing supplies and books. I’m not a professional photographer, so it’s not about that—it’s about seeing pictures that feel “writerly” and that might inspire you
Writing supplies that sparkle
I don’t typically spend money on writing supplies; I usually work with what I’ve lovingly collected already or excitedly receive them as gifts from loved ones who know I love writing and writing supplies.
This past Christmas and for my birthday, I received and found writing supplies that I love including in my writing routine.
For example, I really love this floral-and-gold pattern (pictured below) from one of my favourite brands, Nota, sold by Indigo. I got an “office pouch” for storing my pens and also a lap desk and mouse pad in that pattern.
A lot of thought went into this because I don’t want to spend money on something that isn’t useful—plus, writing is very budget friendly, so you do not need/have to break a budget for it. The lap desk has been extremely helpful when I leave my desk to work on a couch somewhere else at home, and getting a lap desk with a mouse pad too was the right choice for me (my laptop mouse doesn’t work, so I must use a separate mouse). It feels super comfortable and lets me stay in the writing zone.
I also really like the office pouch—I usually pack one or more pens in there and carry them downstairs in a beautiful Anne of Green Gables bag one of my loved ones gave me for Christmas.
How about you—do you have writing supplies that feel like an exciting and/or helpful part of your writing routine? Is there a writing supply you’d like to add to your routine?
Please feel free to share in the comments below!
PS. I do not earn any money for any products mentioned in this newsletter. I found these products myself and genuinely love using them! (She says while typing on a laptop on the lap desk with mouse pad.)
The Writing Life
As I announced in January this year, I’ve been publishing chapters of my YA novel In Your Dreams on Wattpad weekly on Thursdays, and it DEFINITELY helps me stay on top of editing.
If you’re looking for an extra nudge to edit or write the story that’s on your heart, I will say this approach has proven effective. Knowing that I want to publish a chapter every Thursday is keeping me on track. It’s also okay to be flexible—I’ve paused publication twice so I could catch up on other things too.
If you’re new to Wattpad, I should mention that it’s a place where writers can publish their stories online and where readers can enjoy discovering new stories (some free, some paid). You might recognize some stories that were made into movies.
A new chapter of In Your Dreams is posted weekly on Wattpad for free.
If you enjoy reading stories with the following themes, you may enjoy In Your Dreams too. If you know someone you think would enjoy reading it, they’re of course welcome to read it too!
YA
sci-fi
best-friends-to-more
family
friendship
university
swimming
philosophy
nature
Booking an author table for the 1st time
Another exciting update: I recently booked an author table for the first time at a writing event!
While I’ve written poems, articles and short stories that have been published, I haven’t published one of my novels yet, but I booked the table to share this newsletter and the chapters I published so far of In Your Dreams on Wattpad.
I’ll share more on how I created the promotional materials and what they look like in an upcoming editing of Doing the Write Thing soon!
Writers’ Corner
This is where we’ll gather around the virtual cozy fireplace to talk about writing and participate in fun writing exercises and contests!
My son and I were at a store when the cover of a magazine drew my gaze. I picked up the magazine, turned the pages and knew I wanted to buy it. That magazine is called Bella Grace Field Guild to Every Day Magic.
Have you heard of this magazine?
Bella Grace Field Guide to Every Day Magic is like a writer’s workbook (the publisher provides a free sneak peek of the magazine online). It’s filled with writing exercises that celebrate the beauty in the everyday, so you can tote this book around anywhere you go and spend a few minutes here and there writing out your answers, ideas and favourite things wherever you want.
Sometimes the writing exercises involve lists, or answering questions about what-ifs or beloved experiences. I liked that issue of the magazine so much that I subscribed as a Christmas gift. I’m sharing this here in case this gem is something you’d love too!
Thank you all again so much. I hope you enjoy this issue of Doing the Write Thing, and here’s wishing you well with your writing and other from-the-heart creative projects!