All Over the Place Is a Good Place to Start

You have to start somewhere, and all over the place is as good a place as any.

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash

I’m an overthinker. Most writers are, I reckon.

In fact, our propensity to think is usually what led us to become writers in the first place. Those thoughts have to go somewhere, after all, so why not a piece of paper (or a computer screen)? It’s only natural.

Before submitting a draft for review, I tend to proofread and edit obsessively. I’d be so worried that my editor or client would spot mistakes in my writing and deem me a subpar writer. So far, that’s rarely been true.

Usually, I got it right on the first go. And even if I did get it wrong, they don’t really care as long as I have a solid idea to start from.

Back then, way back when, my worries would often keep me from letting other people read my drafts. But I’ve learned that that’s a fallacious mindset.

You don’t have to judge yourself too harshly. Let others do that for you. As long as you’ve given it your all, your job is to trust yourself and be confident in your work. Let your writing speak for itself.

As Friedrich Nietzsche once said:

“The author must keep his mouth shut when his…