Thinking Like Edison: Why Perfection is the Enemy of the Indie Author

Apr 17

Thinking Like Edison By: Christopher Valentine

Well, I'm back yet again. In this post I would like to share a few ideas about writing that I discovered through the creative process with my books Damara and The Valiant Knight. To put it simply, as a creative, you need to think like Thomas Edison. If you don't understand what I mean, dear reader, please push on, and hopefully you'll learn something valuable, and if not, you should get a laugh from my mad ideas.

The Unrefined Diamond

To illustrate my point, I would like to bring up a term a reviewer of Damara once said. They described my work as an unrefined diamond. Initially, I was just flattered they called my book a diamond. However, I gradually came to a deeper understanding of that statement. What it really meant is that, despite whatever positive qualities my work had, they weren't functioning at their best. And I found out that difficult truth as I kept pushing Damara as well as my other book.

So, naturally, I endeavored to fix the problems with my books. As I kept reworking what I wrote, thinking about it more and more, one thing became very clear to me. I went into writing with the flawed idea that I had to be perfect from the start, that I would only get one chance for my books to receive respect for their artistic merit.

I believe one of the sources of my problem must have been hearing about the success stories of the different artists and creators I respect. These stories blinded me to the harsh reality that is making good media. The truth is that failure, especially painful failure, is a natural part of the process of getting something right. And each time something either metaphorically or literally blows up in your face, the incident teaches you a lesson that can bring you closer to ultimate triumph if you don't let it break you.

Accept Failure

This brings me to my final point. Simply put, accept failure as an inevitability without pride or shame. Once you can do that, your eyes will be much clearer for your projects. You'll be better prepared to rewrite your work if someone else identifies a legitimate flaw with it. Most importantly of all, the weight of failure won't break you, so you can persevere, seeing your book to the end.

Additionally, for those who think this is easy, make no mistake; it's like exercising a muscle. You either do it on a regular schedule, or you won't see any results. And I can't stress enough that I'm still repeatedly forced to put this lesson into action each time I write my books. Thank you for your time.

About the Author:

Christopher is a returning contributor to Feeling Creative?. He is a proud fantasy and sci-fi author from Jamaica who adores the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Visit his website.