So NaNoWriMo's come and passed. Now you're sitting there staring at your manuscript in abject horror. Do you really have to edit it? The answer to that is yes, yes you do, but first you have to get rid of the troll lurking in your mind.
I think most of us writers have that pesky thing called an inner editor. You know, that evil, high-pitched and raspy voice in our minds that whispers, "This sucks, why are you writing?" At every word we type? Yeah, that dude is kind of annoying, and I'm going to offer some helpful tips on how to shut him up.
1. Punch him and tell him no one's first draft is perfect
If you think that you've just thrown up a 100k monstrosity that not even Van Gogh could save, you're probably right-and that's okay! You don't have to get it right on the first draft. The fist draft is pretty much your permission to suck and not give a flying fudge about it. Editor-Dude can take a chill pill while you word vomit away.
2. Read him your old writing
It's no secret that a lot of our beginning writing isn't the best. We're beginners, what do people expect? Sometimes taking a break from your writing and reading something you wrote when you were ten can be the first motivator. You'll feel good about the improvements you made. Trust me, you have improved.
3.Make fun of him
This ties back to the read your old writing. Sometimes us writers make hilarious mistakes. Sometimes a sentence goes so wrong, we can't tell the original meaning, or there's a plot hole the size of the Mariana Trench. Laugh at that! Mistakes like that are often funny and you should never feel embarrassed by them.
Two nights ago, my roommate and I were sitting around reading our old writing, laughing at the silly things we wrote. It actually made me feel more inspired towards the current story I'm working on. The ability to laugh at yourself in any situation is always a good skill to have.
And if you want a snippet of how bad fourteen-year-old me was, here ya go:
Yes, I had a kitty named Charles Montgomery. No I'm not ashamed.
CONVERSATION