Michael T. Hare

I am 12,000 words short, but nothing has gone to waste. Untitled Dragon Rider Project just underwent a significant shift, forcing me to rethink two characters, throw over 12,000 words out the window, and start drafting from scratch.

However, I can safely say I’m hopeful about future drafts. I signed up for this when I decided to write a dragon rider fantasy, because it’s an area of perfection for me. To me, a dragon rider fantasy is the best fantasy. So, naturally, my body will seek out the inconsistencies and point them out.

Annoying? Absolutely. Unnecessary? Absolutely not. My perfectionism has a habit of going haywire, yes, but it remains a valuable tool in the field of art, as it’s also my sense of accuracy and quality. Perfectionism is a gift from God—powerful and good. But in this fallen world, such a gift can accidently become a festering, destructive virus.

Perfectionism becomes a virus when we give into the ‘perfectionism frenzy’, a frantic period of time when we analyze everything we write until our brain is completely and utterly fried. We can’t determine what’s good or bad anymore, and we might even start hating our book!

Here’s one example of how to avoid that:

My book will never be perfect, but I can evaluate it against realistic standards without succumbing to the ‘perfectionism frenzy’. Think of it like spice on a steak. Perfectionism is the spice, and the book is the steak. It requires a dash and no more. It’s necessary but shouldn’t be overused. The same goes for writing a book. Perfectionism isn’t a curse; it’s merely a potent flavor that needs to be mastered and used sparingly.

The 12,000 words I removed from my book weren’t a result of the ‘perfectionism frenzy’. It was a real developmental issue that my perfectionist mind picked up on, and I’m grateful for it. I would’ve regretted it if I’d moved on and ignored what my brain was telling me. So, after a brief conversation with my mom, I decided I’d made the right choice and sacrificed 12,000 words for the good of Untitled Dragon Rider Project.

I also mentioned that nothing had gone to waste. Why is that? Didn’t I throw 12,000 words away and leave myself with nothing? Not exactly. I’m starting over with new knowledge about the characters I’m writing about. My previous draft revealed their true personalities and relationships to me, allowing me to craft a bigger, better story this time around.

Traveler, it’s been a wild ride (as riding/writing dragons should be), but it’s been worth it. The characters, plots, and worldbuilding are already benefiting from this shift, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!