Jessica Kilmesh
LET YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS DO THE WORK
There’s no question that writing is hard work. But thinking too much about what you’re writing can make it even more difficult, hindering your progress. This may be especially true if you’ve received a lot of feedback on a piece. Some general guidelines to consider:
- Don’t try to incorporate every piece of feedback you’ve received, and don’t do it all at once.
- Trust your subconscious. Your mind is working even when you aren’t.
- Be flexible and expect the unexpected. Similar to trusting your subconscious, recognize that ideas can come from anywhere and that your “final” draft may be a stark departure from your first draft(s).
Have you ever worked so hard at incorporating others’ feedback that what you were writing became something else, something that was no longer “yours”? Feedback is important in the writing process, but internalizing it too deeply can sometimes do more harm than good. To avoid what might be called “over-editing,” consider the following steps:
- Read over the feedback, then put it away. Don’t make any changes to your work yet.
- After a break of a few days or a week (or longer), read over the feedback again. You might be surprised to find that you interpret it differently after a break from it. If you feel compelled to, make some changes to your work now, but avoid making any sweeping edits.
- Don’t look at either the piece or the feedback for a day or two (or longer); instead, take some time to just think about both.
- Revise your piece without looking at the feedback again. Your subconscious already knows what to do.
Regardless of whether you’re dealing with feedback from others or your own inner critic, the key is to trust yourself. Let your subconscious do the heavy lifting. Expect the unexpected.
Inspiration can strike at any time: while reading, running, driving, showering, or anything else—any time you’re not focused on the piece you’re working on. Listen to what is going on around you. Invite inspiration, but let it come naturally.
Flexibility is your friend in creative writing. Let the ideas flow, and write on!
Jessica Klimesh is a US-based writer and technical editor whose creative work has appeared or is forthcoming in Brink, Variety Pack, Ghost Parachute, Bending Genres, FlashFlood Journal, Cleaver, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Cedar Crest College and an MA in English from Bowling Green State University. She is currently working on a novella-in-flash.
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