Words from Patton

Too often, as story writers, we don't write. Instead, we procrastinate using in some very creative ways. "Before we can write," we tell ourselves, "we have to come up with a good solid outline, we have to have good strong characters, and it has to be perfect."

So we do character biographies. We outline the story, constructing every single piece of conflict, no matter how miniscule it is, and make sure every reaction of each character is perfect. We obsess over it completely and utterly for days on end.

...and then we write the first paragraph, hate it, and throw it out.

Sound familiar?

I know I was just the same! I wanted to be the best writer in the world, and if the first paragraph wasn't perfect, then I would either just throw the idea away or I would revise the first paragraph over and over and over...

Haha.

Since I am a stubborn little #%^&, I decided to the latter. That is, I wouldn't continue writing FREAK until it was perfect. Coincidentally, I didn't write that much at all, and then I would lament my sucky writing. Finally, several people bashed me on the head with blunt objects (figuratively!) and I finally started writing again. But wow... that took a while!

No. Don't do this, I beg you.

Instead, take Patton's words of advice:

"A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

Have fun!

*Applauds Snoink*

Aaaaah!!! I sooooo love Patton!!!

*runs around in circles*

Can I just add two more quotes of his here? Please? *takes blank stares as a yes*

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."

Profound, no?

The other one made me laugh.

"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty. It may not sound nice to some bunch of little old ladies at an afternoon tea party, but it helps my soldiers to remember. You can't run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn't fight its way out of a piss-soaked paper bag. ...As for the types of comments I make, sometimes I just, By God, get carried away with my own eloquence."

Patton certainly was a character.

So true, Snoink. Back towards the beginning of the summer I was outlining like crazy, then kept hitting blocks where I couldn't think of what should come next. The solution? I actually did some writing, not just outlining. It's all taken off from there.

I might just have to do that.