In my experience it never is, you could edit forever, and in the end you just have to let things go. When my first novel was published I was booked to do an event and as I was reading the first chapter on stage I was doing more edits and changing words, or cutting them, as I went along!
I really like your frame of the question as "when is it time to let it go" rather than "when is it done." This seems like a more answerable question, perhaps. And releases the need for a thing to be perfect. Thanks, Amanda!
I recently did a creative writing fiction course, and the tutor said she couldn't bear to look at her first novel now! A fewm months ago I came across something I'd written several decades ago, and groaned at how much it left to be desired BUt I think that's just a result of growth as a writer, and perspective. My motto is, when it comes to a certain point, to channel my inner Wellington and say "Publish and be damned"
Reassuring at least, that even experienced authors are never quite satisfied (and can experience that cringe of re-reading an old work!). I'm working on embracing the process of getting better, which can only happen by continuing to write.
Why do you think authors have a haunted look? 🤣 To my mind, being satisfied is a kind of stasis. I think good writers are forever striving for perfection.
Somehow seeing this very belatedly, sorry, but your comment rings true - stagnancy feels like nothing worthwhile is happening. The haunted look you mention also has a bit too familiar a ring! 😱
Wonderful thoughts, Stephanie. I'm on board with things never truly being done. Polish and polish and edit and edit, but then at a certain point let go. And share it. It's been a rush for me to start doing that on this platform over the last year. I hope it will become that for you too.
Thank you, Nathan. I'm looking forward to how being here might change my relationship to my writing and sharing. Regardless, it's been great for reading and discovering other writers like yourself!
I second Amanda Saint's comment, that it's never done, you just reach a point at this moment in time when you think you're ready to let your post go. The advantage on Substack is that you can edit even after publication (edits that will only be read by future readers, but new readers will be going back over your past posts). For me, this point is after I send test emails to myself about six times or more. I like test emails better than "preview" because it puts me more in the place of the reader.
Tests emails are an excellent idea. I will definitely give this a try. Deciding it's time to let go is a bit trickier - but I will be working on this too! Thanks, Don.
Knowing when a story is done is a challenge. I've heard sculpture described as finding the shape hidden in the stone, and I feel writing is the same: I'm finding the story hidden in the words. I’m done when the words on the page are, to the best of my ability, exactly the words needed to express the story I discovered while writing. This is terribly subjective, and means I work through the story over and over, often with long breaks between sessions. Hopefully, eventually, I reach a point where I can't find anything out of place, or inconsistent, or missing from the story. All of the words seem sufficient and necessary and they all fit snugly in their sentences. The story, which almost always has become something other than what I thought when I started, resonates in a way that feels complete but still shimmers with traces of ambiguity. At that point, I call it done and publish it, but I know that later, under a different light and with more practice, I will look at the story and find it lacking. That's just the way things go, and while I might indulge in some light editing, or, rarely, write a completely new version, most of the time I just shrug and turn back to trying to find a new story in a new pile of words.
Ah, yes - finding the story in the words. Aptly put. And I think getting there really can't be forced, other than by showing up enough to find it. For me as well, these things so often end up becoming something different than I thought I meant them to be, and sometimes it can be difficult to let go. For instance, last year I had this idea for a story, together with the perfect title - striking at the heart of the story concept from a dark and clever angle. But the story ended up being a very different one than I thought it was, and I couldn't really get it down until I dropped the title and with it, the original idea. Seems a silly thing to get stuck on -- but I still love that idea and wish I could make it work! Anyway, thank you for sharing your helpful approach to knowing when a story is done!
Part of the answer depends on what you hope to achieve with Substack. To be specific, you coulkd take the view that X (where X is a post) is a work in progress that you might wish to refine or change at some point in the future. I think also it goes with the territory that once you've published something you will almost inevitably wish youi'd have done this or that. At least, that is my experience. For example, I spent a long time (for me) on a post called Experiments in style: epistrophe, which went live today; people seem to like it, but I think I should have added a few sentences. So I also think we have to discard our desire for perfectionism, and adopt a "good enough" approach.
I will check out your post! I think that honestly I am still figuring out what I hope to achieve with Substack, so I will be working through that as I go and will adjust accordingly.
In my experience it never is, you could edit forever, and in the end you just have to let things go. When my first novel was published I was booked to do an event and as I was reading the first chapter on stage I was doing more edits and changing words, or cutting them, as I went along!
I really like your frame of the question as "when is it time to let it go" rather than "when is it done." This seems like a more answerable question, perhaps. And releases the need for a thing to be perfect. Thanks, Amanda!
I recently did a creative writing fiction course, and the tutor said she couldn't bear to look at her first novel now! A fewm months ago I came across something I'd written several decades ago, and groaned at how much it left to be desired BUt I think that's just a result of growth as a writer, and perspective. My motto is, when it comes to a certain point, to channel my inner Wellington and say "Publish and be damned"
Reassuring at least, that even experienced authors are never quite satisfied (and can experience that cringe of re-reading an old work!). I'm working on embracing the process of getting better, which can only happen by continuing to write.
Why do you think authors have a haunted look? 🤣 To my mind, being satisfied is a kind of stasis. I think good writers are forever striving for perfection.
Somehow seeing this very belatedly, sorry, but your comment rings true - stagnancy feels like nothing worthwhile is happening. The haunted look you mention also has a bit too familiar a ring! 😱
Agree, Amanda. It is never finished, but the joy is in letting things go so that other things can take their place.
Yes there's always more to be written!
Wonderful thoughts, Stephanie. I'm on board with things never truly being done. Polish and polish and edit and edit, but then at a certain point let go. And share it. It's been a rush for me to start doing that on this platform over the last year. I hope it will become that for you too.
Thank you, Nathan. I'm looking forward to how being here might change my relationship to my writing and sharing. Regardless, it's been great for reading and discovering other writers like yourself!
I second Amanda Saint's comment, that it's never done, you just reach a point at this moment in time when you think you're ready to let your post go. The advantage on Substack is that you can edit even after publication (edits that will only be read by future readers, but new readers will be going back over your past posts). For me, this point is after I send test emails to myself about six times or more. I like test emails better than "preview" because it puts me more in the place of the reader.
Tests emails are an excellent idea. I will definitely give this a try. Deciding it's time to let go is a bit trickier - but I will be working on this too! Thanks, Don.
Knowing when a story is done is a challenge. I've heard sculpture described as finding the shape hidden in the stone, and I feel writing is the same: I'm finding the story hidden in the words. I’m done when the words on the page are, to the best of my ability, exactly the words needed to express the story I discovered while writing. This is terribly subjective, and means I work through the story over and over, often with long breaks between sessions. Hopefully, eventually, I reach a point where I can't find anything out of place, or inconsistent, or missing from the story. All of the words seem sufficient and necessary and they all fit snugly in their sentences. The story, which almost always has become something other than what I thought when I started, resonates in a way that feels complete but still shimmers with traces of ambiguity. At that point, I call it done and publish it, but I know that later, under a different light and with more practice, I will look at the story and find it lacking. That's just the way things go, and while I might indulge in some light editing, or, rarely, write a completely new version, most of the time I just shrug and turn back to trying to find a new story in a new pile of words.
Ah, yes - finding the story in the words. Aptly put. And I think getting there really can't be forced, other than by showing up enough to find it. For me as well, these things so often end up becoming something different than I thought I meant them to be, and sometimes it can be difficult to let go. For instance, last year I had this idea for a story, together with the perfect title - striking at the heart of the story concept from a dark and clever angle. But the story ended up being a very different one than I thought it was, and I couldn't really get it down until I dropped the title and with it, the original idea. Seems a silly thing to get stuck on -- but I still love that idea and wish I could make it work! Anyway, thank you for sharing your helpful approach to knowing when a story is done!
Part of the answer depends on what you hope to achieve with Substack. To be specific, you coulkd take the view that X (where X is a post) is a work in progress that you might wish to refine or change at some point in the future. I think also it goes with the territory that once you've published something you will almost inevitably wish youi'd have done this or that. At least, that is my experience. For example, I spent a long time (for me) on a post called Experiments in style: epistrophe, which went live today; people seem to like it, but I think I should have added a few sentences. So I also think we have to discard our desire for perfectionism, and adopt a "good enough" approach.
I will check out your post! I think that honestly I am still figuring out what I hope to achieve with Substack, so I will be working through that as I go and will adjust accordingly.
Thanks, and I will look at your newsletter. If you see any errors in mind, pretend not to notice 😂
😂 got it!