Overcoming Perfectionism

July 13, 2018 / Motivation and the Writing Life / 16 COMMENTS


Man in a button-down blue shirt holds paintbrushes in both hands (hands that are covered with various colors of paints).

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that I’m not a perfectionist.  There are too many typos for that to be the case.

There was a time, however, when I was a perfectionist.  I wasn’t nearly as productive as I am now, and I was extremely averse to hearing editorial suggestions from editors or even well-meaning beta readers.  The problem was that I wanted to fix my story’s problems myself … and even catch the errors myself.

I’m Type A now, but I’m not a perfectionist.  Usually I’ll do a task, any task, and figure it’s good enough.  It’s just that I’m very compulsive about doing the tasks. Laundry is done every day (the folding isn’t pretty), writing is done every day (sometimes it’s not pretty, either). But I’m extremely productive because I don’t feel the need to deliver something perfect to my editor.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t always this way. As a student, I was actually more like two different students rolled into one.  I was the English student who did very well, but felt pressure to be doing well, too (mostly internal pressure).  To me, hearing ‘do your best’ meant that a completed English assignment needed to be pretty extraordinary.  That’s what having even a modicum of talent does to you.

In math class, I was a horrendous student.  Despite tutors and hours and hours spent studying, I couldn’t grasp or apply concepts that I learned. Hearing ‘do your best’ in that class was actually very comforting.  It meant that it was understood that I might do (very) poorly on the test, but at least I had given it my all…which is all anyone can expect.

As a reformed perfectionist, this is my simple message for today: take ‘do the best you can’ the comforting, encouraging way when you’re writing.  Take ‘do the best you can’ the pushy, driven way when you’re revising your finished story, (if you take it at all).

For further reading on overcoming perfectionism:

17 Signs Perfectionism is Killing Your Writing Dreams by Mandy Wallace

5 Tricks to Sneak Past Perfectionism by Michelle Russell

Perfectionism is Murdering Your Muse by Veronica Sicoe

Do you struggle with perfectionism?  What’s helped you?

Overcoming Perfectionism: Share on X

Photo on VisualHunt

  1. Perfectionism really can get in the way of enjoying the writing life and getting the most from it, Elizabeth. I have a streak of perfectionism in me, and I always have to try to keep it under control. Otherwise, it has a habit of just taking over, and that can freeze you into immobility.

  2. I learned the phrase relative perfection long ago. Things can be perfect for their intended use.

    What makes that hard to implement is that it takes judgment, experience, skill.

    What makes it great is that we can publish a book and know it’s perfect, because our readers love it and we’re satisfied with the results.

    Erm, it is an imperfection to use ‘adverse’ when one means ‘averse’ . . . hee hee

    1. Yet another indication that I’ve gotten past perfectionism, ha! Corrected. :)

      Excellent point about striving for what’s perfect in the eyes of readers and for our own satisfaction.

  3. Hi Elizabeth – I was definitely an ‘A’ … but now I’ve reverted to a ‘B’, who wishes she could get herself back to being an ‘A’ … such is life!! It can take you on journeys you don’t expect … cheers Hilary

  4. Thanks for this post, Elizabeth! I was raised by a perfectionist, and some things still stick. As a former academic and now historical mystery writer, the perfectionist thing I struggle with most is the research. It’s hard to know when to stop, if there just some detail I want to have for my book but cannot find. I’m scared to death that I’ll have missed something or gotten it wrong under some special circumstance I didn’t know and someone with a Gotcha! mentality is going to wave it in my face. It really slows my productivity. I’m still trying to find a good compromise so I can get my books out faster. :(

    1. I can totally see how easy it would be to be a research perfectionist! Particularly the FOMO factor and worry about overlooking a great detail.

      Timers are my only suggestion for that. That’s the only way I can stop myself (and I don’t have to research nearly as much as you do) from going down a research rabbit hole. Then, when the timer goes off, make a note of where you left off for tomorrow.

  5. I’m so glad I read this! I haven’t been able to figure out what’s been my “problem”. I used to be way more productive, but lately, I stare at screens and pricrastinate about everything. As I was reading, it hit me. No one used to be watching and I did my muddled best. Somewhere along the line, I wanted to deliver something better than my best and it’s been a struggle ever since.

    Math stinks. I don’t know which was worse, it of PE.

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