Dear Writer,
I finished the first draft of my poem/short story/novel/essay over a year ago. Since then, I’ve revised it on my own, and I’ve incorporated feedback from my workshop group. Three drafts later, here we are. I love the idea of being done and moving on to writing something else, but I’m terrified that the second I submit my piece for publishing, I’m going to notice some obvious issue in my work. How do I know when my piece is done?
Yours truly,
Third Draft’s A Charm
Dear Third Draft’s A Charm,
Almost three years ago, I saw a call for contributors to an online publication that I had been reading and admiring for years. While my confidence in my craft was still developing, I figured I had nothing to lose by simply submitting something. I researched past articles to get an idea of the content they published, and I jotted down ideas I hoped would feel unexpected, compelling, and would make me stand out among the other applicants. After lots of consideration and even more trepidation, I settled on and submitted my sample piece about my love of the movie The Sound of Music. To my surprise and joyfulness, the two sisters who started the publication were impressed and asked me to join the writing team. My experience with them was my first encounter with the power of creative communities, and I continued to contribute regularly for about two years.
The first piece I published with them was a sort of love letter to my mother, which, looking back now, was neither particularly fresh nor compelling, and it certainly had room to grow. That being said, at the moment of publication, it meant something to me, to my fellow writers, and most importantly, to my mom. Additionally, if we aren’t constantly seeking growth, then we really aren’t challenging ourselves as artists. It is important to remember that sometimes a piece can appear technically or stylistically unfinished, yet the heart of what you are seeking to say shines brighter than any fumbling or doubt you experience. As cheesy as it sounds, sometimes it is all about trusting your gut; it can be more valuable than all of the workshop critiques and machete-style revisions combined.
Of course, the finality of submitting something for publication can often feel terrifying, and it is almost inevitable you will second guess your work after pressing “send”. Ultimately, though, I would argue it is better to take the risk of sending something off than to force your work to float in the in-between because, honestly, it is rare that a piece of writing is ever truly “finished”, especially in the writer’s eyes. I used to think if I published or submitted something, then that piece could be filed away in a drawer to take a nice, long nap, but I have learned that is almost never the case. There are poems I have published that look completely different now than they do in the book and that’s okay! Our work, like ourselves, is constantly growing, and we can honor that while also giving it a chance to be recognized or left alone. At the end of the day, you will never truly know if something is finished, but you can take the leap to find out if someone else thinks it is!
Sincerely,
Katy Hackworthy