Sometimes the best option still seems to Stink
Decision paralysis. I typically succumb to it when food is involved. The scenario might sound familiar. “What sounds good for dinner?” This should be an easy question to answer. And yet I can’t bring myself to simply respond. I’m paralyzed by the options afforded me. Am I feeling fairly formal? There’s a wonderful new restaurant featuring French cuisine. But what if we went with sushi? It always tastes so fresh (and if it doesn’t, you shouldn’t be choosing sushi…). Maybe quick and casual? There’s always a Coney. They. Have. Everything. A menu organized into chapters. Ultimately, a decision will be made but only after mental hand wringing and rolled eyes. She rolls her eyes with love. I’m certain. Still. These decisions are low stakes for me. I’ll eat. And it will be delicious. Well, if it’s the Coney, I’ll eat.
With my writing, I always feel like the stakes are higher. And sometimes the best idea, well, seems to stink. My solution is research, consultation and revision. Finish early with the best draft possible. Trust your gut. Be open to the possibility that what you created might need a lot of work. That’s okay. Revision is not a dirty word. Help is not a four letter…well, it is, but it’s also a normal part of the creative process. You’re writing for someone else, right? Get collaborative!
First research. The opposite of paralysis is movement. But it needs to be forward movement. In order to be certain that your movement is forward - put in the work. Writing is fun. And frustrating. Rewarding. And humbling. You can avoid future headaches by making sure that you’ve done your homework ahead of time. Book reports are infinitely more difficult if you’ve never cracked the spine. Research is the writing equivalency of “measure twice, cut once.”
Next, consult with trusted peers and professionals. Unless it’s your diary, you’re hoping for an audience to connect with what you write. Soooo, why not ask the audience for an assist. Sometimes we are too close to our own writing. We see blemishes that aren’t there. Sometimes we miss obvious ones. Authors have editors for a reason. Grammar matters, but fixing periods and finding malapropisms pale next to content. Content should always come first. Editing will come later. And that’s why…
Revise. Revise. Revise. Some writers fear revision. They see it as an affront. If you manage your time wisely, revision should be seen as polish. Have you ever seen an uncut diamond? It looks like a dirt booger. But by cutting away the superficial impurities a skilled lapidary can create art (Yes! I had to research that term! Thank you Diamond Reserve!).
Arguably the most famous modern American poet, Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” failed on some level. He knew what he wanted to accomplish. He wanted to convince Edward Thomas, an English poet and friend, to be confident in his decision making. In a 2011 article from The Guardian, Matthew Hollis writes “Amused at Thomas’s inability to satisfy himself, Frost chided him, ‘No matter which road you take, you’ll always sigh, and wish you’d taken another.’” Many fans of Frost believe that poem to be about taking the more difficult path, or blazing your own trail. While it might be an oversimplification to say it’s simply about making a choice, as Hollis points out, Frost himself realized the audience might be missing his intent when after a college reading he admitted “it was ‘taken pretty seriously,’…’despite my best to make it obvious by my manner that I was fooling…Mea culpa.’”
Look. You might not end up with valuable gemstones, or “The Road Not Taken” which for my money is equally beautiful; but, without getting over that decision paralysis which prevents you from getting content, you’ll never know. Maybe the best option does stink. Or, maybe, with some research, consultation and revision you’ll pull a diamond from the rough.
Need help with research, consultation or revision? Contact me.