5 ways to overcome the “perfection trap” when you write

Most of what makes writing difficult is your own fault.

I’m not saying writing is easy. It seldom is. But most writers make it far more difficult than it needs to be by trying to be perfect.

Here’s some great practical help to avoid the perfection trap from Publication Coach, at Perfectionism is killing your writing (and how to fight back):

1. Understand that first drafts are supposed to be terrible. This is the most important secret to effective writing. Your first draft is bad. Don’t try to fix it and clean it as you go. It’s okay if you spell something wrong. Or phrase something awkwardly. Or even put down something that’s mind-blowingly stupid. You’ll fix it later. Just get a first draft written. When you try to fix as you go, you end up with a first draft that’s already drained of energy. Writing and editing are separate activities that interfere with one another.
2. Set time-based goals rather than quality-based goals. When you are working on multiple projects, give yourself time goals for writing projects. And don’t make those single goals a whole lot more than 30 minutes at a time.
3. Separate drafting from editing. I know a writer who literally puts on different clothes when they are writing, and when they are editing. Whatever it takes to make sure you fully grasp that those are different jobs. Ideally, don’t go straight from one to the other. Put some time doing other things in between.
4. Share imperfect work with trusted readers. This can be hard. But if you have someone you can trust and who knows what they’re doing read your early draft (probably not the first, but maybe your second) you can avoid a lot of weak writing that you may never catch on your own.
5. Remember that “done” is better than perfect. No writing is ever perfect. The search for perfection is a trap that will waste far too much time. Make it as good as you can. Then stop.