I’m one of those people who first reads the Acknowledgements pages of a book. Somehow, it gives me context for the writing to come and helps me appreciate all the effort that went into publishing the words I hold in my hand.
In The Tuesday Murder Club, I received a piece of advice along with the back story. Author Richard Osman wrote that his friend always reminded him to “get it done, then get it good.” Of course, it’s a brilliant mantra for writing, but I believe it applies to most work we do. We procrastinate while seeking perfection, make the task seem too daunting to start, or stop prematurely when we get stuck.
I have written before that the main lesson that has stuck with me since college is that “writing is different than editing” (dot #48). It’s the same premise. Get it all on the page, then fine-tune it.
No matter how you say it, the advice is the same. Just start.
Source: Lucy Prebble as quoted in The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, 2020.
