If I can look in the mirror one day and think, not bad, while other days, all I see is every fault, and wrinkles that I know were there the day before suddenly are as deep and as numerous as the cracks in a dry riverbed, I have to ask myself, what’s going on? Once I’ve confirmed that it has nothing to do with the mirror, my eyesight, or the failure or success of my moisturizing cream, I have to face the reality that it’s about where my head’s at.
When considering our own work, if we are overly confident or debilitated by pessimism, how can we hope to judge our work fairly? On the journey to publication, one obstruction that we can and must obliterate is self destruction. Another gem from the August RWR is a quote by Sylvia Plath. “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Conversely, an equally powerful enemy is baseless confidence.
Finally, this is a subjective realm that can be influenced by so many factors. Once the first draft is complete and it is time to put on our editor’s hats, we must employ a clinical scrutiny in order to be able to judge the work fairly. The removal of ego and emotion (self-doubt) will enable us to ready the work for others’ evaluations.♥
Anne Mohr has been a member of RWANYC since 1993. She lives in Southern California, and is a real estate agent in both California and New Jersey. She writes as Jacqueline Stewart, Helen St. James and Max St. James, and is published in short fiction (magazines.) At the forefront of several writing projects, she is currently writing a screenplay.
Very sensitive and insightful, Anne.
ReplyDeleteYour quote from Sylvia Plath reminds me of something else I once read about her writing self-evaluation. I think it was her ex-husband, the poet Ted Hughes, who wrote that Plath used to evaluate whether a poem she had written was a "table," a "chair," or merely a "stool"--depending upon how substantial and well-finished she considered her final product to be. Interestingly, even a "stool" had its function, according to her assessment, although that function wasn't nearly as grand as that of a "table"; her publishing expectations of a "stool" would not be as competitive as those of a "table," but she would still look for venues to publish those "stools" too.
I find that I often evaluate my writing in a somewhat similar way--although the labels of "table," "chair," and "stool" don't work for me!
Margaret
Well said! Too much self-confidence is just as much of a hindrance as too much self-doubt! We all fall somewhere on the spectrum, don't we? This is why a second pair of eyes is so crucial is evaluating our work. Though I have to say, after wording pretty steadily on my manuscript, why anyone would do this for any other reason other than a sick compulsion is beyond me. There are many easier and more enjoyable ways to try and make a buck I am sure!
ReplyDeleteMary Lamb
Thanks for reading and for the comments. Margaret, I was fortunate that Plath was required reading when I was in high school. And, Mary I agree. I've yet to make real money from my writing, but when I write, my soul sings.
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