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| cartoon by Doug Savage, of Savage Chickens fame |
Everyone has one. Everybody has an inner critic. Sometimes they rear their ugly head when we look in the mirror and spy the two honkin' huge zits that sprung up on our face. (What kind of cruel god would give me hot flashes AND zits at the same time?)
Sometimes they tromp on in when we're writing. And instead of saying, "Yikes! You are one hot mess,' they say, "That story sucks."
Most writers have their own ideas and strategies when it comes to rough drafts. Many just hunker down and get the story/article/novel down on paper. Even if you think some of your word choices could be improved upon. Even if you know there are huge holes in the piece. Just get it down, and worry about fixing it up after the first draft is done.
Some even conjure up an image of their inner critic. Mine is a middle-aged lady. She never wears anything except a faded, thread-bare housecoat. On her feet--dingy slippers. She smokes, and the ash of her cigarette is so long, it's always on the verge of dropping off onto the floor. And she wears glasses--pink-tinged plastic frames. Cat-eye glasses.
When I have to explain my piece to Cat-Eye Lady, when I have to rationalize my choices to her, my writing becomes stronger. I either become more convinced, or my explanation results in me heading down a different trail with my tale.
So, how do you handle your inner critic? Do you kill them off (I'm overly fond of "death by wood chipper") or do you embrace them?
Despite my list of publishing credits, my inner critic and I go 'round and 'round everytime I write something new. She screams, "You're a wanna be!" I scream right back, "I'm a gonna be!"
ReplyDeleteLinda--You ARE a "be." ;) (in more ways than one)
DeleteMy inner critic tells me that I'm not a real writer. That I'm nothing more than mediocre. Can I borrow your wood chipper?
ReplyDeleteMama Zen--Definitely, but right now it's in Fargo...
DeleteAnd your inner critic is so wrong, because you can do so much in so few words, it's astounding...
MZ's inner critic needs to put the crack pipe down.
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree...Crack is whack! ;)
DeleteI'm sure you know my inner critic because that thing does not shut up and likes to be verbal too, not just "inner" however, I work through her regardless. It's not easy because I can't believe how many times I nearly threw in the towel. Me stronger than that ole inner critic.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Lynn--You are MUCH stronger than that mean-spirited critic of yours. Every time you smash her mouth against the ground, every time you successfully are able to hiss, "Zip it!"...you're the victor.
DeleteI've come to realize my inner critic is really a warrior who tries to save me from the outer critics. The problem is in keeping her from getting so carried away that she kills me off with them, so it's always a battle. That's what I love about the WWWPs - it's like having Dr. Phil (only more fun) step in and solve the dispute. And he brings chocolate.
ReplyDeleteTammy--And the things that come out of the mouths of the WWWPs are so much funnier than the corn-pone sayings that Dr. Phil says...
DeleteYou, Madam, are going to be single-handedly responsible for the regulation of wood chippers. Please remember that when wood chippers are outlawed, only outlaws will have wood chippers.
ReplyDeleteMy inner critic is one of those overly-permissive types. She would rather be my best friend than my inner critic. I pretty much get away with anything I set my mind to. That's why much of my writing is not quite what one would consider socially acceptable (put those last two words in Chris Farley Bennett Brauer quotes).
At this moment, my inner critic and internal editor are most likely cooling their heels in the local hole-in-the-wall, tossing back beers and commiserating on their atrocious working conditions. Or, perhaps, posing for their milk-carton photos.
Val--When I run into them, I'm going to buy them a round...or two...or three. The longer they're "hydrating" themselves, the longer you can write uninhibitedly.
DeleteInteresting question. I think I think about the quote I've heard that writers that are no good never doubt themselves. Now, I doubt myself all the time, and that doesn't mean I'm a good writer, but hopefully it's a step in the right direction. I also try to discuss things my inner critic is saying with my trusted critique group members. I find that helps!
ReplyDeleteMargo---Oooh, you let your inner critic meet your critique group members? I can't trust my inner critic. She's always so hopped up on coffee, I'm afraid of what she might say in public. ;)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, my inner critic is a loud mouth bitch. And she enjoys rolling her eyes at me not only when I'm writing, but when I'm parenting, working, presenting... you name it - she criticizes it. Seriously, the wood chipper is not a bad idea...
ReplyDeleteBeth--
ReplyDeleteOh, so you and your inner critic are identical twins? ;)
Your inner critic sounds a lot like Maxine. LOL Mine is a bitch with a whip and she sits on my shoulder while I type, slowing me down, forcing me to edit as I go. These days she screams at me to just get started, for heaven's sake. I'm pulled in so many different directions that writing--the kind of writing I want to do--doesn't happen very often. Like today -- I sat down to write and ended up helping my kids with stuff, and not fluff stuff, but important stuff. I don't regret the way I spent my time, I just regret that my writing is still undone. And listen to the whip! Cr-aa-ck! She's at it again!
ReplyDeleteLisa--Wow, you've got a rough one. Glasses of wine (and time to whine) help sooth the whip welts.
ReplyDeleteI have an inner critic for a lot of things, and she's a dead ringer for Mommie Dearest. I have learned to mimic her to comic effect. As for my writing, I think *that* inner critic gave up and moved to South America years ago. Not even a post card...
ReplyDeleteAs far as the "Mommie Dearest" one, just don't use any wire hangers.
DeleteAnd for the one who went to South America, I'd say you doing quite well in their absence...:)
My inner critic is impossible to ignore. She won't let me slide on anything, even if it's something that's already been published.
ReplyDeleteOh, Sioux, I just noticed the photo of you on the sidebar. I love it!
Donna--Apparently it's a good match, since you have so much writing success.
DeleteThanks. Tammy or Lynn took it--it's not as unflattering as most are. ;)
My inner critic feels like an unstable new mother putting the infants of my ideas in the washing machine and walking away. Sometimes she doesn't even speak! I'm sure she's trying to protect me from the big bad world but she's become a lunatic!
ReplyDeleteI write and I push past her, I ignore, sometimes I get drunk and drown her just so I can work but always with original fiction she is a murderer, with fanfiction she is either silent or particularly insightful. Its not enough though, I desperately need her voice out of my head so I can hear my muses. She has nothing to say right up until the SECOND I begin on the actual manuscript - I make it 100 words like I'm climbing a vertical mountain carrying a bulldozer on my back. If I could just get a sniper to take her down at that exact moment I first start...