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#Microblog Monday 492: Get It Down

Not sure what #MicroblogMondays is? Read the inaugural post which explains the idea and how you can participate too.

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A line in Austin Kleon’s newsletter spoke to me deeply because I’m halfway through a new writing project: “I am deep into writing at the moment and I keep repeating to myself: ‘It doesn’t matter if it’s good right now. It just needs to exist’.”

It led to a great quote from Bird by Bird, which I haven’t read in many years and probably should again.

It’s a good reminder that things are rarely great on the first try and that you should never compare your first attempt to someone’s fully edited finished product. This is true for all things in life.

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Are you also doing #MicroblogMondays? Add your link below. The list will be open until Tuesday morning. Link to the post itself, not your blog URL. (Don’t know what that means? Please read the three rules on this post to understand the difference between a permalink to a post and a blog’s main URL.) Only personal blogs can be added to the list. I will remove any posts connected to businesses or sponsored posts.


3 comments

1 Jess { 06.10.24 at 8:48 pm }

Oh, how lovely. Yes, it is way too easy to compare things in progress with things that have gone through a zillion iterations and are polished and edited. How exciting to have a new writing project!

2 Mali { 06.10.24 at 11:25 pm }

Such a good point. It’s like comparing our lives with what we see of others on Insta or Fbk. We’re not comparing like with like.
I loved “Bird by bird” and also need to read it again.

I second Jess. How wonderful to have a new project. Good luck!

3 loribeth { 06.11.24 at 8:45 pm }

Sorry I didn’t get a #MM post done this week. My mind was a blank! I’m glad to hear that’s not the case for you, if you have a new writing project you’re working on! 🙂

So true — I’ve always found it best to just WRITE (and write and write, and then go back and polish (and repolish, until I’m satisfied) and fill in the missing blanks later.

I’m reminded of another saying (not sure who said it): Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. 🙂

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