It’s ok to delete things
Hello Dear Readers!
Today I want to talk about deleting things.
A few weeks ago I was working on one of the drafts for Dwarves and Dragons and I ran across a section from the previous draft that was really just not working. I knew it had to go. Rather than fussing with it and trying to salvage it, I said BYE. And I deleted about three or four pages of work. (Don’t worry, I have the previous draft saved separately, so I can still go back and reference it if I need to.)
I shared this with the Dust and Phil and it went something like this:
Dustin was a proud writing mentor that day.
A year or two ago I don’t think I would have felt this way. I think I would have been upset and anxious and felt like a failure for not getting it right the first time. But my mindset has definitely shifted quite a lot since then.
A first draft’s only job is to exist. Then we edit to greatness.
So rather than bemoaning how I had to delete so much work (which, granted, sometimes is worth lamenting), and focusing on the negative, I actually felt really empowered to do a better job the next time around. And also feeling confident that with each subsequent draft, the story will improve. There will certainly come a time when I have to declare it good enough and put it out into the world. But until then it’s awesome to know that each time I rework something I’m learning, I’m improving, and my story is getting better.
For most creatives, it’s a labor of love. The vast majority of us are not making oodles of money. We are composing songs and writing stories, and painting paintings for the love of it. Of course it would be amazing to be wildly successful. But even if I never become famous, I’ve got stories to tell. Even though my readership is incredibly tiny right now, people have said some amazing things to me which have been so touching.
One reader said they were reading my book while going through a difficult time and seeing a protagonist on the page who is staying true to herself and trying to do the right things in the face of overwhelming odds was really inspiring. Another reader said they were reading my book while a beloved family member was passing away, and so the book would always hold a special place for them. I’m tearing up now just thinking about it.
I’m so incredibly lucky to have readers share this information with me. This is the power of stories and of storytelling.
I’m getting slightly off topic.
The point is, you should feel empowered to do what it takes to make your story (or art, or craft, or sport, or whatever) the very best it can be. If it has the power to impact someone so deeply, you should take pride in having made your work the very best that it can be. For us writers, if that means deleting a couple pages or a couple chapters and then starting over, then roll up your sleeves and get to work my friend, because the results are going to be awesome.
Till next time dear reader, don’t be afraid to delete a couple pages and start over when necessary. <3 Tiff
