Hi
As you might already know, I'm a big Star Wars fan.
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of “maker” videos on Youtube where Star Wars fans custom-build their own props and toys.
One of the things I’ve noticed about these videos is how often things go wrong.
For example, in this video, the creator scraps his project (a homemade Terrarium for the Rancor monster from Return of the Jedi) after the first attempt, and then starts over using a totally different technique.
And in this video, Adam Savage of the Mythbusters television series, makes several mistakes while trying to construct a lightsaber.
What really interests me isn't the mistakes as much as the makers' reactions to the mistakes.
Despite Savage’s evident frustration when things continually go wrong throughout his video, his ultimate takeaway from the experience is that he will better understand the complexities involved next time round.
I wish more writers would reflect this mindset.
The experimental mindset.
The “it’s okay if things go wrong” mindset.
The “I don’t expect to get this right the first try” mindset.
Whether you're custom building a Star Wars prop or writing a scene in your current work in progress, don’t be surprised if things don’t work out on the first try.
Creativity demands mistakes. It requires drafts and second attempts. It asks that you come at things from a different angle when your first attempt doesn’t quite work the way you thought it would.
Give yourself permission to make mistakes. It's in the revisions process that the magic happens.
Your pal in writing,
Kevin T. Johns, writing coach
P.S. Are you currently in the planning stages of your next fiction project? If so, hit reply and let me know. I have something I want to tell you about.