Writing strategies for perfectionism

Letter: ‘How Do I Find Joy in Big Writing Projects?’

A book worth working on starts out as a kind of mystery. Without that tension of uncertainty, there’s no risk—and no stakes—to the project at large. It’s a long journey. But there are ways to make the long journey pleasurable and even calming.

A perfectionist mind is always of two minds. There’s the mind who turns toward what one would do naturally, then the perfectionist mind that (usually) eclipses it. Instead of running forward smoothly, the perfectionist mind jerks you two steps back. The labor you feel may be the loudness of that jam.