There are moments in writing when the desire to “get it right” becomes more prominent than the act of writing itself. A sentence may be held back, revised repeatedly, or left unfinished because it does not yet meet an internal sense of correctness. Many writers notice that this feeling can slow the process in ways that are difficult to move past. It may not always be clear what “right” means in that moment, only that the writing does not yet feel aligned with it.
In some contexts, this desire can come from care—care for the subject, for the audience, or for how something is understood. At the same time, it can create a kind of pressure that makes it harder for the writing to continue. Writers often come to recognize that writing does not always need to be resolved at the moment it is produced. What feels incomplete or uncertain can be revisited, reshaped, or clarified over time. The need to get it right, then, may not need to be removed, but it may need to be held differently so that it does not prevent the writing from moving forward.
Reflective Question:
What shifts when you allow your writing to be unfinished rather than fully “right”?
Sources & Further Reading (optional):
- Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. 1994.
- Sommers, Nancy. “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers.” College Composition and Communication, 1980.
