Try, Try Again by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Motivation Frame Decoration You - Free photo on Pixabay

Mindset.

There has been much talk about mindset of late.

As writers, if we change our perspective about self-editing and revision, it could make the process far more enjoyable.

Even experienced writers and authors rarely publish the first draft of their work. It's fine--important even--to pour out our thoughts in our first draft, allowing our creativity to run free. We could consider this our play draft.

Polished writing, however, is a blend of play and work--as is life.

If we assign our inner editor a chair in the corner as we complete our first draft, we are free to play. We will need their input, but only when it comes time for revisions.

Going into our writing project knowing that self-editing is a crucial part of the process can help us see it in a more positive light. 

It can be exciting to strip away the elements that don't enhance our main message, the story we want to share with our readers.

Have you experienced the joy of replacing a mediocre word or phrase with one that evokes deep emotion or paints a clear picture? That's revision at its best.

Even the persnickety work of figuring out where that comma belongs or if you've included too many exclamation marks can give a deep sense of satisfaction. 

When it comes to making revisions, we may seek out help from our team (our critique partner, beta readers, editor, etc.). Still the ultimate responsibility of deciding which suggestions to incorporate into our work rests squarely on our shoulders.

Writing and revising are about sharing our message in our voice in order to effectively reach our audience. If we see doing so as an ongoing adventure, polishing our work will not be as much of a chore. It may even become something we look forward to and learn to enjoy.

A Few Words of Warning

Just as we can't expect our first draft to be publishable, we must set aside the idea of attaining perfection with our writing.

One publisher's style guide may vary significantly from another's.

Reader expectations vary from one genre to the next.

A reader's age and gender can affect what they expect in the materials they read.

Academic writing is expected to conform with a traditional polish that does not necessarily apply to other forms of writing.

And of course, our unique author voice will determine many elements of our writing.

How do you feel about making revisions?

Do you have any suggestions that will help your fellow writers improve their mindset about the process?

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in the spring of 2026. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Honesty in Writing by Steph Beth Nickel

But I’m writing fiction. It isn’t true. So, how can it be honest?

I’m writing a memoir but can’t remember every detail. How can I write it honestly?

How vulnerable do I have to be on the page to be considered honest?

 

We can be honest in our writing—even if we’re not writing objective journalistic pieces.

 

What makes fiction honest?

There’s much truth to be found in fiction—even fiction that is set in a fantasy world or in space.

How many times have you felt connected to a character that is very different from yourself? Maybe you see your less-than-desirable traits in them or feel as if you would respond as they do. And hopefully, you recognize yourself in their emotional journey—maybe even in their personal growth.

Real. Believable. Authentic. Whether the reviewer is referring to the characters and/or the storyline, these are adjectives many (most?) of us want to hear applied to our own writing or to the novels we choose to read.

There is a lot of honesty in well-written fiction. We must remember honesty isn’t always synonymous with factual.

 

How can a memoir be honest—even if some of the facts have been lost over time?

While working on Paralympian Deb Willows’ first memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, we did our best to relay situations and dialogue as they happened.

Of course, none of us can remember our conversations verbatim—especially those that occurred years ago. However, if the conversation reflects the speaker’s voice and is something they would have said in that particular circumstance, it can still be considered honest.

When writing memoir, it’s important to stay in the memoirist’s POV. In this way, the author relays events as they remember them—even though others may remember the same events differently.

When is a memoir dishonest? When the author deliberately slants the story to deliberately lead readers to a conclusion that is not true.

 

Just how much of ourselves should we share?

It’s important to open our hearts and share elements of ourselves on the page. At its core, this is where our author voice comes from. Whether we’re writing fiction or nonfiction, each of us has a unique way of expressing ourselves. This is often what draws our readers back to our work time and time again.

But just how vulnerable do we have to be as writers to be labelled honest?

Whether on the page or in our dealings with others online, we have the right to decide how much of our personal life to share.

In my mind, honesty in writing includes integrity and authenticity. Are we proud to say, “I wrote that” or would we be embarrassed if someone found out?

Even in the fiction we write, do we see ourselves in our work? Are we expressing our worldview, whether overtly or as the underlying current? Is our work superficial or have we dug deep to make it real?

When writing nonfiction, does our voice ring through loud and clear?

 

How do you remain honest in your writing—even when your work is not strictly factual?

Steph Beth Nickel is an editor, writer, and author. She is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. Steph is currently working on her coauthor's second memoir. Much has happened since Steph and Paralympian Deb Willows wrote Deb's first memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances. Steph has a YA speculative fiction novel, hopefully, the first in a series; a devotional book on the gospel of John; and  the first in what she is tentatively calling the Hard Choices Series swirling around in her brain.