Shut Up and Write

Ever hear the phrase done is better than perfect? Well, the little voices in my head are screaming it at me this morning. Actually, they aren’t being that nice. Their language is a little more colorful, with musical accompaniment. I’m hearing “shut up and write” to the tune of Rihanna’s Shut Up and Drive.

Yes folks, the voices in my head come with their own video playback. Aren’t I special?

But there’s a point to be understood here. Sometimes over-thinking things keeps you from actually doing them. For writers, there’s not much worse I can think of than letting the voices in your head keep you from meeting your writing goals, whatever those may be.

In this case, my analysis paralysis has kept me from uploading content for The Blue Inkwell. I’ve sat on dozens of partially completed posts, pages of post ideas to expand on, and even more snippets and half-baked thoughts running through my head. I’ve struggled for weeks trying to craft only the best posts. Every sentence had to be perfect – for readers and the search engines. Let me tell ya, perfection is my biggest weakness.

Polishing your WIP (work in progress) is 75-80% of what a writer does. We’re supposed to write, edit, rewrite, edit some more, then more rewrites, and more and more rewrites. It’s all a part of the process. No self-respecting writer or writer hopeful would simply throw something together and let it stand as is for public consumption, right? But at some point you have to put the pen down, pull your hands back from the keyboard, and turn your work loose. It will never be read sitting in a desk drawer or in a folder on your hard drive.

Likewise, you can’t chew on an idea forever. (Which is what I have done these last few weeks.) You can’t perfect an idea in the vacuum of your own little mind. It doesn’t work any more than letting a WIP sit in your desk or on your hard drive. Don’t be afraid to flesh out an idea on paper, or with another group of writers (or in my case, right on your own blog.) Get the idea out of your head. Work with it, play around with it, let it see the light of day (and other people even, if you’re brave enough.)

Just do it! Just sit yourself down, shut the little nagging voices up for a second, and just write. Write until you’re drained. Write until the words in your head stop. Don’t worry about what you’re writing, how it sounds, the rules of grammar & punctuation, just WRITE. When you’re done, go back through it and pick out the gems. Throw out what you don’t like, don’t need, (or in my case, what has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.)

The important thing is to start. Turn the key, rev up the engine, put it in gear, and just go. Enjoy the ride. Shut up and write!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find another song to get stuck in my head so I can write something else today.

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