by CJ Meyerly, @mdippedinink
When I wrote my first novel in 2015, the words flew from my fingertips, filling up the screen. Writer’s block didn’t come. No editor’s voice filled my thoughts. Everything was simple. Then in January 2016, I began studying the craft. It didn’t take long to learn how little I knew.
As I studied, I edited that novel to the death before putting it away. Then, at the end of 2017, I began my current work-in-progress. As a family, we had many challenges that slowed me down, but there was one challenge I hadn’t expected.
The challenge of the inner editor.
I would put the kids down for a nap before settling into my office, intending to write a couple thousand words, but instead, I met a stark, white page. This bossy, perfectionist, annoying voice filled my thoughts, reminding me of all the rules.
Show. Don’t tell.
Don’t use adverbs.
Stay away from passive voice.
Before I knew it, my inner editor silenced my story, and it took months to finish my rough draft. I thought writing would be easier as I learned how to write better, but it’s different. When I had never written a book or looked at one single rule, I was free from the inner editor. As I learned, the inner editor grew stronger.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s good to have an inner editor. You need to learn the craft to write great books. But that inner voice can also be detrimental to your writing.
I finished the first draft of my book at the end of August. It’s messy. It needs a ton of work, but it’s impossible to edit an unwritten draft. The only way I managed to finish writing was to silence my inner editor, and here are three methods that worked for me.
Take notes. In the notes section of Word, I often wrote a line or two of a thought that popped in my head. Then, I continued writing, focusing more on dialogue and story plot than smaller details such as grammar or perfect phrases to evoke emotion.
Figure out what works best for you. I discovered that listening to music helped quiet that voice inside. It touched me emotionally, helped the words flow in my mind easier. Now that I’m rewriting, the music is off, because that’s what I need. If the writing isn’t flowing, change things up until you find what works for you.
Accept mistakes. I’m a perfectionist. When I can’t do it well, I don’t want to do it at all. Your first draft doesn’t need all the elements. The most important aspect of the first draft is for you to learn your characters, learn their story, and seek the lessons God wants your story to convey. You can deepen the emotion later with the perfect words.
Don’t let the inner editor keep you from writing. When it’s time, let that inner editor shape your messy draft into a work of art.
CJ Myerly lives in Texas with her husband and two children. She balances her passions of teaching and writing by homeschooling during the day and writing contemporary romance while her family sleeps at night. She hates clutter, loves organization, and has a love-hate relationship with technology. CJ is an active member of the ACFW and My Book Therapy. She was a 2017 Genesis semi-finalist in the contemporary category and a 2017 First Impressions finalist in the romance category. She blogs about books, motherhood, and homeschooling at http://momentsdippedinink.com. To connect with her, find her on Facebook or Twitter.