Writing and Ego - Part Two

Every writer possesses a certain amount of "I like that" enthusiasm about their writing. We all want to achieve lofty goals and be able to claim the effort as ours. This is natural and is not necessarily a bad thing - unless it gets in the way of healthy editing.

I have attended far too many writing critique groups where a writer will read her work and upon receiving excellent feedback she responds with "That's not how I write. She just wasted everyone's time and came across overly egotistical.

"Writers kill their babies" is a harsh but true quote. The best writers are willing to strike a sentence, paragraph or even chapter they love for the overall strengthening of the book. Sometimes this ability to cut favorite aspects of the work out becomes painful, but required. A novice, or a writer too hung up in his or her own words will often balk at improving their work through deletion.

Writers who understand the critical importance of strong editing can put ego aside and forge forward and even embrace the process. When you see your book getting stronger and more vivid through the editing phase, you come to understand the incredible importance place on setting ego aside.

Also, if you've ever listened to twenty minutes of really boring exposition meant to thrill, and the writer blows off excellent suggestions as to how to improve the work, you know the frustration of having lost those precious minutes of your life to someone too caught up in themselves to listen to good advice.

Make no mistake about this - the person who does not check their ego at the door when reading something they claim to want feedback on, that writer creates a reputation for himself that will follow him around well after that particular reading is done. Since writing is largely about networking, place yourself in the best position to get ahead. Make sure your ego is firmly and positively in its proper place at the proper time so you will be able to bask in the knowledge that your writing has reached its highest pinnacle, not because you proclaimed it, but because you listened and kept your ego under wraps.

As I mentioned in Part One, ego is totally necessary for writers to get 'out there' and expose their creations with the world. In the editing phase however, ego is a liability. Yes, you should defend your 'voice' and you have control over what you change and what remains, but you must be open to better ways of writing whatever you are working on. You will grow as a writer when you allow your mind to openly consider other's suggestions.