Starting Over · 14 July 2018
Sometimes I write a piece and then need to start over.
(Wait. Try again.)
Sometimes I start to write something, and then decide that I need to start over.
I have been writing for a long time. Not today, but overall. I would not say it is a career, but I have certainly enjoyed blogging and writing consistently for over a decade. (Someday, people might even read what I write.) Still, even if not that many people read what others call drivel, I want to put out a product that I can be proud of. A product that I can put my name on. Even if that name is MediocreMan™.
Which means that sometimes I need to start over.
If you have read my blog for long, you know that I like to just ship it. It is what my friend and across the hall teacher colleague told me to do long ago. Not everything needs to be perfect. In fact, nothing will ever be perfect. At least nothing that we create. So get it as good as you can before your deadline and ship it. Simple.
That was his advice long ago. And I still follow it. Even when I have a piece of questionable prose that needs to go out that current week. But sometimes, I get to work on a piece a bit longer. And other times, I have enough time to start over.
Okay. Getting to start over is probably a misstatement. In reality, it is that I need to start over. I need to get things right. Or I need to word things better. Or the story has changed since I first wrote it.
That last one is why I started over most recently. The story had changed since I first wrote it. I scrapped the whole World Cup piece and started over (after hearing some passionate commentators). Well, not completely. I kept a few things. I reworded some other stuff. But overall, it was a new piece. In reality, I started over.
For those aspiring writers out there, do not be afraid to start over. Do not be afraid to throw out pieces of prose (or poetry) just because you wrote it. Or instead of throwing it out, just keep it digitally. That is what I do. I have written stuff that will never see the light of day. Stuff that I wrote and deemed it was not worthy of even my own mediocrity. But I still keep it. Maybe the idea will make more sense and the words will come better. Who knows. Maybe I just keep those unused pieces for the same reason I keep all those things in my garage. You never know when you are going to need them. But as soon as you throw them out, you will certainly need them.
Ah well.
I am sure I am not the only writer who starts over. Not on everything of course, but I do find times when I need to write the whole thing again. (Thankfully, this is not one of those times.)
© 2018 Michael T. Miyoshi
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