Writing Without Worry

Leave perfectionism in your rear-view mirror.

MAX PRITCHARD

Between my first and fourth semester at the U, I unintentionally settled into an enjoyable pattern; each semester, without fail, I wrote two articles for “The Wake.” This rhythm was upended last year, when I had more commitments and homework than ever. My total articles written across that whole year? Zero. And sure, busyness contributed to this. But another factor was fear, fear of submitting incomplete, inelegant, or ever-so-slightly incorrect pieces.

So often last year I’d see an interesting pitch, think, “someone should write about this,” yet never put pen to paper. How wasteful is that? How much did I obstruct my own growth as a writer, and how much did I withhold from readers? For most topics, I think that exploring an idea, raising some awareness, is surely better than doing nothing at all. Of course, I don’t mean to advocate for careless misinformation or harmful omissions. But if you approach a story with empathy and nuance, if you research and respect your subject matter, you should have nothing to fear.

First drafts don’t have to be perfect. Very few final drafts, if any, ever are! That’s why publications have teams of editors, nurturing and fact-checking stories and helping them grow, shine, and dazzle. Stories can’t start out perfectly. Maybe you’ll miss a detail. Maybe you’ll flub a metaphor. And maybe you won’t. But it’s hardly the end of the world if you do. 

If you, dear reader, see an opportunity to write for a publication and think, “Yeah, this is something I care about,” I hope you crack open an online document or dip your quill in ink and just. start. writing.