Comments on: When good enough is good enough http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Freelancing in the Digital Age Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:10:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michelle V. Rafter http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1908 Michelle V. Rafter Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:06:28 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1908 Ah yes, the old "inner critic" - I know her well. Great advice. Sometimes I take a yoga approach to writing - if I get stuck on a section or a sentence I try to think of a completely different approach to saying what I want to say, to attack it from another angle, as it were - and it really works. Other times I'll ask myself - what would happen if I just left this out? Many times the story would be just fine without that particular detail, so I just lop it off. Michelle Ah yes, the old “inner critic” – I know her well. Great advice. Sometimes I take a yoga approach to writing – if I get stuck on a section or a sentence I try to think of a completely different approach to saying what I want to say, to attack it from another angle, as it were – and it really works. Other times I’ll ask myself – what would happen if I just left this out? Many times the story would be just fine without that particular detail, so I just lop it off.

Michelle

]]> By: John McDevitt http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1907 John McDevitt Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:45:23 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1907 Sometimes it's best to say "ready, fire, aim..." Just start writing and worry about the editing later. You're right about good enough being good enough. Perfection is impossible. Every time I look at a piece I've written I want to change something. Once when I was working as an architect (I'm retired now) one of our clients mentioned perfect drawings to the project manager. Rick looked at the client and said "If I ever have a set of perfect documents, I'm not going to issue them. I'll keep them in my office so I can admire them for the rest of my career." Now when I'm writing, I have to make a conscious effort to keep going and let the words spill out because I have a tendency to edit as I go. I've been known to spend days on the first paragraph. Not good when you have a deadline. The funny thing is that when you simply let go and quit worrying you come up with some surprisingly good stuff. Sometimes good enough can lead to much better when you tell your inner critic to shut up and let you write. Sometimes it’s best to say “ready, fire, aim…” Just start writing and worry about the editing later. You’re right about good enough being good enough. Perfection is impossible. Every time I look at a piece I’ve written I want to change something.

Once when I was working as an architect (I’m retired now) one of our clients mentioned perfect drawings to the project manager. Rick looked at the client and said “If I ever have a set of perfect documents, I’m not going to issue them. I’ll keep them in my office so I can admire them for the rest of my career.”

Now when I’m writing, I have to make a conscious effort to keep going and let the words spill out because I have a tendency to edit as I go. I’ve been known to spend days on the first paragraph. Not good when you have a deadline.

The funny thing is that when you simply let go and quit worrying you come up with some surprisingly good stuff. Sometimes good enough can lead to much better when you tell your inner critic to shut up and let you write.

]]> By: Patty Harder http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1713 Patty Harder Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:19:16 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1713 Michelle, this is such great advice! I can't tell you how often I agonize for an hour over a single sentence - this is especially true for paid copywriting assigments. My clients would probably be thrilled with my first or second version of any given sentence. The re-writing comes from my own twisted pursuit of writing perfection. In reality, my "good enough" is a thousand times better than what my clients could produce on their own. That's why they hire me to write their copy! My goal is to take this advice to heart as I get started on my next writing project. Michelle, this is such great advice! I can’t tell you how often I agonize for an hour over a single sentence – this is especially true for paid copywriting assigments. My clients would probably be thrilled with my first or second version of any given sentence. The re-writing comes from my own twisted pursuit of writing perfection. In reality, my “good enough” is a thousand times better than what my clients could produce on their own. That’s why they hire me to write their copy! My goal is to take this advice to heart as I get started on my next writing project.

]]> By: Susan Birk http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1701 Susan Birk Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:19:31 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1701 I really do hear you, Michelle. I've also learned, after much perfectionistic fretting and sweating, that good enough is, well, good enough. A manifesto is usually not called for or needed. It doesn't mean be sloppy. It doesn't mean loosen your standards. It means lighten up on yourself a bit because what you've produced is fine, or more than fine. (I still get a bit stuck in perfection mode on occasion, though.) I really do hear you, Michelle. I’ve also learned, after much perfectionistic fretting and sweating, that good enough is, well, good enough. A manifesto is usually not called for or needed. It doesn’t mean be sloppy. It doesn’t mean loosen your standards. It means lighten up on yourself a bit because what you’ve produced is fine, or more than fine. (I still get a bit stuck in perfection mode on occasion, though.)

]]> By: Michelle V. Rafter http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1697 Michelle V. Rafter Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:35:42 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1697 I am right there with you. That's why I didn't post here for what, four days, even though I got enough material at the ONA conference for a month's worth of posts. But if I learned anything at the conference, and in the past 18 months of blogging, it's that something is better than nothing. Consider a blog post the start of a conversation, not the end all and be all on the subject. That became very apparent in the posts I've been on writing for content aggregators, which attracted so many comments the comments really took on a life of their own - and that's what bloggers live for. Michelle I am right there with you. That’s why I didn’t post here for what, four days, even though I got enough material at the ONA conference for a month’s worth of posts. But if I learned anything at the conference, and in the past 18 months of blogging, it’s that something is better than nothing. Consider a blog post the start of a conversation, not the end all and be all on the subject. That became very apparent in the posts I’ve been on writing for content aggregators, which attracted so many comments the comments really took on a life of their own – and that’s what bloggers live for.

Michelle

]]> By: Tweets that mention In writing, sometimes good enough is better than waiting for perfection | WordCount -- Topsy.com http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1694 Tweets that mention In writing, sometimes good enough is better than waiting for perfection | WordCount -- Topsy.com Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:57:37 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1694 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ron S. Doyle and Michelle Anderson. Michelle Anderson said: RT @MichelleRafter: New on WordCount #freelance #writing blog: When good enough is good enough: http://tinyurl.com/yfvqkul [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ron S. Doyle and Michelle Anderson. Michelle Anderson said: RT @MichelleRafter: New on WordCount #freelance #writing blog: When good enough is good enough: http://tinyurl.com/yfvqkul [...]

]]> By: Kathleen McDade http://michellerafter.com/2009/10/08/when-good-enough-is-good-enough/comment-page-1/#comment-1693 Kathleen McDade Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:54:54 +0000 http://www.michellerafter.com/?p=3784#comment-1693 Wow -- I really struggle with this. Since my hyperlocal site (http://parkrosegateway.com) is a part-time project, and I'm working a full time day job, I usually don't have time to make phone calls (especially to offices open in the daytime), interview people, be on hand for breaking news, etc. And I can't always attend events and meetings. So all too often, that means I just don't post about something, because I feel I can't do it justice. Wow — I really struggle with this. Since my hyperlocal site (http://parkrosegateway.com) is a part-time project, and I’m working a full time day job, I usually don’t have time to make phone calls (especially to offices open in the daytime), interview people, be on hand for breaking news, etc. And I can’t always attend events and meetings. So all too often, that means I just don’t post about something, because I feel I can’t do it justice.

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