In a new post, Mary Carroll Moore asks how we can know we’re any good at writing.
Moore quotes a recent blog post by George Saunders, who says this question is best considered during the editing phase. When asked during the writing part, the question can halt your progress. Instead, save this query for after the rough draft, Saunders said.
Moore agrees, suggesting that finished manuscripts should be set aside for a few weeks before the editing starts. “The goal of this rest is to allow a clean transition between the writer who is typing words on a page and the editor who is asking, Is this any good?” she explains. “The two are not usually in sympathetic conversation.” Letting the editor into the writing process is a recipe for self-doubt, even though the editor voice is crucial at the next stage. “Timing is everything when incubating a story,” Moore says.
