A Writer's Rendezvous with Spontaneity: Embracing Imperfection in the Writing Process

A writer is often caught in a perpetual dance with words, constantly reworking and refining their thoughts. This can sometimes lead to a sterile, over-polished version that loses the raw and true essence. However, embracing imperfection can be a powerful tool for inspiration and creativity.

Breaking Free from Perfectionism

For many dedicated writers, the quest for perfection is an unattainable goal. This quest can be both a blessing and a curse. While it ensures a level of quality, it can also paralyze progress. As The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes suggests, many writers are too perfectionistic and spend too much time worrying about the form and structure before the words ever hit the page.

Take, for instance, the example of Stendhal. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, he established a routine that prioritized output and productivity, even if the work was not yet polished. This approach underscores a crucial point: it is far more important to be finished with a piece than to strive for perfection from the outset.

Free Writing: The Emancipation from Anxiety

Free writing, on the other hand, is like a stream of consciousness that bypasses the critical mind and allows the writer to tap into deep-seated creativity. By ignoring the voices of perfectionism and instead focusing on the flow of thoughts, writers can produce a vast amount of material that can be edited and refined later. This method is akin to Ralph Keyes' advice: “Discover what you want to say in the act of writing”.

Many writers find themselves compelled to reword and rewrite, but the key is to let go of that compulsion. As an English teacher, I reassess and sometimes rewrite extensively—sometimes multiple times. However, this process is often not a reflection of the anxiety over perfectionism but a pursuit of a more ambitious, perhaps hyper-poetic version of the same content. Yet, it's rare. Mostly, it’s just me undergoing this cycle out of a desire to improve the quality of my writing.

Pet Refrains for Perfectionism

I often advise my students that being finished is usually far more important than being perfect. As I told a student, “Being finished is usually far more important than being perfect,” emphasizing that the imperfection is not a showstopper but rather a stage in the journey to completion. This applies not only to writing, but to various forms of content creation.

A practical analogy I use is to compare fixing a broken car and creating a perfect one from scratch. The former is easier and quicker, and it gets the vehicle back on the road, while the latter is an entirely different enterprise that involves a lot more time and resources. Similarly, writing a rough draft and then refining it can get the project moving forward, whereas waiting for the perfect version can leave the project incomplete.

It is important to recognize the value in starting and completing a piece of writing, even if it is not poetic or perfectly polished. The perfection will come with time, but the barrier to entry for completing the work is far less daunting.

In conclusion, writers should embrace the imperfection of the early stages of writing. Spontaneity and free writing can unleash the true potential of creativity, and the pursuit of perfection should come later. By accepting the imperfection, writers can not only write more but also write better.