or, How to Recognize that There is Danger in Your Writing, Will Robinson! Ever get the feeling something's not right? Is it real or your inner critic? Let's see!
"There are two critics watching what I write, but only one of them is helpful." I'd never thought about it quite like this and it's really helpful. Because of course our artistic critical sense is vital to the creative process. But that other critic, the one who just likes to bash us - what a teacher of mine likes to call "the inner tyrant" - has nothing constructive to say and in fact just stands in our way. The trick is to mute the useless critic without turning down the volume on the helpful one. Writing is one big mind game! Great article, Graham, much appreciated
Definitely worth mentioning! It's really the same old problem we're dealing with - trying to get out of our own way - but it's always helpful to have it reframed in new ways. Plus reassuring to remember we're not alone!
So funny Graham that you’ve put a name to this feeling, but I get it too for sure. I just keep going over it until the feeling is gone, or I toss it to my wife/editor and she usually flags the problem right away.
A second set of eyes always helps! Yes, I don't often have that (unless you count my clients, which helps, but I hope to do most of the heavy lifting for them... lol)
I'm glad others are sharing this feeling so that it's not just me. It sounds like we all have different ways of dealing with it.
It also sounds like I may be particularly oblivious to it -- might have to address that within myself somehow...
My niggle-meister is my son, who has an MFA in Fine Arts and can edit like nobody's business. He catches all of the flubs I make on a first go-round. When I get off track (with that shiny paragraph that just screams to be included), spelling (OMG it LOOKED right), dramatic tense changes, or ALL CAPS! Of course, me being me, I don't always listen. After all, it is MY writing.
Loved this article Graham. And my niggle-meister would cringe over this response. Oh well.
Nothing cringe-worthy about this comment. You're right: it *is* your writing. ALL CAPS IT UP!!!
Also, there's a big difference between missing something you wish you'd caught, and keeping something as an editorial decision. I've turned flubs into whole poems (I did that within the last week or so, as a matter of fact!)
Ah, the nigglings… They whisper, I pat them on the head. Sometimes they’re a bit more insistent, but other times they sigh and give up. They’re the ones that questioned that last perfect addition that almost made your heart stop. The one your critique group said, yes, everything—except that. But the more fierce ones? They’re the little Me’s. The one whose teacher used a red pen to correct every spelling, the little bit older but still little one who was told by classmates to stop sucking up to a teacher. Those littles need me to reassure them, to hold them, to convince them that we got this. Sometimes they’re still leery, but other times are almost giddy in a sweet way, not the self-inflated way that might have nudged a nibbling. And in the heat of the writing, keep reassuring those parts, ask them to go play on their own for a bit. Promise you’ll come back and spend time with them. We all got our ways. That’s mine. I got this. You got this. As long as we keep going, we all got this. Thank you for all your fun insights. Always a joy. ❤️
Oh. Is there a time limit? A word limit? Should I get off my phone and onto a screen where I can see what I’m doing? I’ll leave it there without its original ending. It got pretty sappy anyway, which I had a niggling about. There was even a heart at the end. Good grief.
Yes, they can be fierce, can't they? But unlike the self-doubt generated by The Critic, usually the nigglings are worth paying attention to you.
I'm not aware of a time/word limit on comments, but maybe? The heart is here in your comment, so maybe the whole comment doesn't display on your phone?
In any case, I think we got your message loud and clear! And, oh -- "fun insights" -- that's exactly what I'm going for. The best compliment I could get! Thanks!
"There are two critics watching what I write, but only one of them is helpful." I'd never thought about it quite like this and it's really helpful. Because of course our artistic critical sense is vital to the creative process. But that other critic, the one who just likes to bash us - what a teacher of mine likes to call "the inner tyrant" - has nothing constructive to say and in fact just stands in our way. The trick is to mute the useless critic without turning down the volume on the helpful one. Writing is one big mind game! Great article, Graham, much appreciated
Exactly! Mute the tyrant. Give airtime to the helpful one. And yes, writing is one big mind game... lol
It is such a careful balance, in my experience anyway. But it is such a specific phenomenon, I thought it was worth mentioning.
Thanks for the insights -- and keep playing those mind games!
Definitely worth mentioning! It's really the same old problem we're dealing with - trying to get out of our own way - but it's always helpful to have it reframed in new ways. Plus reassuring to remember we're not alone!
So funny Graham that you’ve put a name to this feeling, but I get it too for sure. I just keep going over it until the feeling is gone, or I toss it to my wife/editor and she usually flags the problem right away.
A second set of eyes always helps! Yes, I don't often have that (unless you count my clients, which helps, but I hope to do most of the heavy lifting for them... lol)
I'm glad others are sharing this feeling so that it's not just me. It sounds like we all have different ways of dealing with it.
It also sounds like I may be particularly oblivious to it -- might have to address that within myself somehow...
My niggle-meister is my son, who has an MFA in Fine Arts and can edit like nobody's business. He catches all of the flubs I make on a first go-round. When I get off track (with that shiny paragraph that just screams to be included), spelling (OMG it LOOKED right), dramatic tense changes, or ALL CAPS! Of course, me being me, I don't always listen. After all, it is MY writing.
Loved this article Graham. And my niggle-meister would cringe over this response. Oh well.
Ah yes, a good editor goes a long way, too!
Nothing cringe-worthy about this comment. You're right: it *is* your writing. ALL CAPS IT UP!!!
Also, there's a big difference between missing something you wish you'd caught, and keeping something as an editorial decision. I've turned flubs into whole poems (I did that within the last week or so, as a matter of fact!)
Thanks for the insight, Beverley!
Ah, the nigglings… They whisper, I pat them on the head. Sometimes they’re a bit more insistent, but other times they sigh and give up. They’re the ones that questioned that last perfect addition that almost made your heart stop. The one your critique group said, yes, everything—except that. But the more fierce ones? They’re the little Me’s. The one whose teacher used a red pen to correct every spelling, the little bit older but still little one who was told by classmates to stop sucking up to a teacher. Those littles need me to reassure them, to hold them, to convince them that we got this. Sometimes they’re still leery, but other times are almost giddy in a sweet way, not the self-inflated way that might have nudged a nibbling. And in the heat of the writing, keep reassuring those parts, ask them to go play on their own for a bit. Promise you’ll come back and spend time with them. We all got our ways. That’s mine. I got this. You got this. As long as we keep going, we all got this. Thank you for all your fun insights. Always a joy. ❤️
Oh. Is there a time limit? A word limit? Should I get off my phone and onto a screen where I can see what I’m doing? I’ll leave it there without its original ending. It got pretty sappy anyway, which I had a niggling about. There was even a heart at the end. Good grief.
So it's not just me!
Yes, they can be fierce, can't they? But unlike the self-doubt generated by The Critic, usually the nigglings are worth paying attention to you.
I'm not aware of a time/word limit on comments, but maybe? The heart is here in your comment, so maybe the whole comment doesn't display on your phone?
In any case, I think we got your message loud and clear! And, oh -- "fun insights" -- that's exactly what I'm going for. The best compliment I could get! Thanks!