Passion Project Blog, Entry #2: Disobeying Your Inner Editor
Within us is the strange temptation to self-criticize.
John Green, award-winning novelist of The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, deletes 90% of his drafts. Ernest Hemingway describes the first draft of anything as “sh!t.” I’m waging a war against my inner editor too, who frequently sniffs at my plot holes and insists that I delete the last 500 words that I’ve just written. One of the most annoying problems that I’ve had to tackle as I’m writing my stories is the instinct to edit my work as I go. It corrodes at my drafts and has made me panic in the attempt to write as many stories as possible before the project ends.
To begin with, I’ve decided to switch from writing a long, single novel to writing shorter stories. They’re easier to finish, and the quantity of them make me look like I’ve achieved more progress within a shorter period of time. The first one that I’ve been working on is a short story about a changeling (an elfin creature) living among the 19th century French elite and suffering through discrimination. Two days ago, I started on the first draft, but because my inner editor keeps pointing out my lengthy exposition or the flaws of every single plot idea that I suggest to myself. (“This dialogue is way too monotonous!” “But Chopin wouldn’t just dedicate one of his miniature songs to anyone!”) It’s annoying, because the more I self-criticize, the less interested I get in my story, and the more likely I’m going to randomly get interested in another story idea.
The inner editor is something every single writer has to strangle — until they finish furiously typing the last few words of their first draft.
Self-criticism is also slowing down my progress. You know how painfully sad it is to write 2000 words and then realize how disgusting it looks? I have two 3000-something-word first drafts of the same novel and one unfinished short story. However, I only have next week to finish my Passion Project, because the teacher reduced the number of weeks that we have to do whatever we want before we have to begin preparing for our presentations. Because of this evil inner editor, I worry that I won’t have much to present, because honestly, writing is a long process involving lots of dedication and time that I barely have. (This is due to my Expeditions project, my AP Spanish test, and the terrible, terrible coincidence of the project due date being one week from the end of school.)
Therefore, I’m giving this extremely important word advice to fledgeling writers like me who are eager to get something published: never let that spawn of Satan known as your “inner editor” get to you. Just wheel to your computer on your swivel chair, stretch your arms, and let that tidal wave of trash in your mind fill your Google Docs. The time for you to review your work and get rid of the nasty parts is LATER, LATER, and only LATER.
There are some people (like me) who reread their first draft to get into the vibes of writing a kung fu story or a romantic novel. This may also accidentally summon your inner editor from the deep depths of Hell. In the beginning of your Google Docs, or maybe in a separate document, add some aesthetic images that fit the setting and/or the mood. Or make a playlist on YouTube or Spotify to get you in the mood. Either way, if you’re not finished with your first draft yet, do not commit the grave sin of HEEDING YOUR INNER EDITOR, especially if you have a deadline.
