100 Things You Should Know About Writing (Part 1)

21) Knowing When You're Done

As I mentioned in the previous section, people get so caught up in writing 50k for NaNoWriMo that they actually forget that it's really more important to finish a story than it is to write a certain number of words. 

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's more important to write a story that can be used for rewriting (if you're like me) or editing. That means not trying to force more words into a draft because you're 20k or so short of your word count goal. If the draft is done, it should be called done and treated as such. 

Heck, finishing any rough drafted story is a huge accomplishment. Especially if it's your first story to get finished. You shouldn't miss that experience just because someone told you that you haven't written enough. 

You'll know when a draft is done. Maybe for you, it might be when you actually write "The End." For me, it's invariably the point at which I know what I want from a story and how I'm going to achieve that. In my case, it means I sometimes finish drafts without realizing it. But the point is that I stop. Yes, I can write more (say, to win NaNo), but that just wastes my time. It's actually a big reason why I work on multiple projects during NaNo. I know I'll probably finish at least one rough draft before the month ends, and I don't want a mental block when I'm supposed to start another. 

Another aspect to this is editing. Most people won't know what I'm talking about, but knowing when to stop writing is nothing compared to knowing when to stop editing. Yes, many people find editing to be hard, but because we want our stories to be the best they can be, we keep polishing and tweaking. Even when we should have stopped. 

Yes, there is such a thing as editing too much. In fact, it's possible to edit the soul out of your writing. You don't want that, ever. Because from what I've seen/read/experienced, the only way to put the soul back is to draft the whole thing again. Maybe a year or two from now. As a result, I actually have a whole method devoted just to editing (which I will share in Part 3). Basically, the thing is to stop while everything is enough. 

One's writing needs to strike the right balance between creativity and accuracy. Which is to say that yes, by all means ensure that readers understand what's happening and why. But you also need to accept that you'll never get everyone to understand your writing. Some people just won't. 

I, for example, still can't understand why people see Wuthering Heights as this huge romance. Nothing romantic about a simpering fool and an abusive asshole. Yes, I've read it. Yes, I know thousands of people will try and stone me for stating this opinion. Millions of readers think Wuthering Heights is a romance worth aspiring to. I don't get it, and millions of readers are going to share my opinion.

So don't go trying to make everyone like your work. All that does is to weaken your story. Which means no one will (honestly) like it.

It's sort of like food. Your story might be something with a ton of zing in it, and some people will love that. Others won't. That said, it could be sticky sweet, which won't be in everyone's taste. But no one (as far as I know) likes dishes with no flavor or, worse, with all flavors thrown in to please everyone.

Just don't go there. Always stay true to your story first, even as you're editing with your potential readers in mind.

And when you're as close as you're going to get to perfect, stop. NEVER EVER GO AFTER PERFECTION. Because that's the weird thing about art. Those little imperfections that you might have gone gunning after might actually be exactly what makes people love the story. 

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear from you if you have editing questions. Or writing questions. As always, I dedicate sections to people who inspire them. 

Coming up: 

More Tips on Surviving NaNoWriMo

Worldbuilding (Dedicated to JaneCorinne) 

Internal Logic

Ideas and Cliches

The Excuses We Use

In case you're wondering, my NaNoWriMo Word Count is at 11,172 words. And I've finished one rough draft. Yep, that's what got me writing about this section.