Self-Criticism

So I’m going through another period of weirdness where I am writing a book and continually asking myself, “Is this any good?”  Truthfully, I have no idea.  I usually don’t deem any of my work satisfactory until I’ve put the final period on the final page—which is to say, I am a lethal perfectionist and hopelessly self-critical.  Maybe that’s why I have long been adverse to criticism—because I am my own worst critic.  Anyway, despite my dogged self-criticism—or is that dogged determination—I keep writing.  For as much as I wring my hands over it, it makes me happy at day’s end.

Editing

How much is it necessary to censor ourselves in everyday life? Clearly there are situations in which we need to maintain decorum and standards of niceness.  The weird thing about my writing is that, well, I never seem to find the need to do much editing.  Since so much of it just goes straight from mind to keyboard, I don't find as much need as I should to edit or reduce.  It's also hard to find constructive criticism, so even if someone told me to edit my work I would be hard pressed to follow through.  I'm sure all authors, and indeed any person who creates, struggles with this--letting your work go out into the world in order to be examined, disseminated, and scrutinized.  How will I feel, react, when I receive that inevitable bad review?  As long as it's not from someone I like, perhaps it will all be okay.


Currently listening to:  Forever Changed by Carrie Underwood