Like all good ideas, this one originated in chat. What percentage of writers are perfectionists? What does that percentage look like among published writers?

I tend toward perfectionism, at least, although I'm not so sure it affects my writing, since I generally like my writing...

Anyway, unpublished perfectionist is what I voted.

I said perfectionist, but it's a bit erratic, so I'm not sure if it's entirely correct. But I'm more of a perfectionist than not, at least.

Hence the question being, "Which best describes you?"

Where are all the non-perfectionists? Is HW hopeless?

*waves* Unpublished unperfectionist!

Another unpublished perfectionist here.

*raises hand* Hopeless perfectionist.

*waves back*

Although sometimes I wish I was a perfectionist, I feel like that would make me finish the projects I start...

So I'm not the only unperfectionist?

Perfectionism has its pros and cons.

Pro: Your novel will usually have great quality and few mistakes

Con: Like me, it takes you forever to finish a single paragraph

Pro: That paragraph will be the most amazing paragraph ever!

Con: Now you have to work on the next one...

Halloooo!!!! Looks like I am part of the Unpublished Perfectionist.

I'm not a perfectionist, and my books haven't been published yet. However, I have the first two books in my trilogy done (120,000 words each), and I am 25,000 words into the third book.

Another unpublished perfectionist here...



Exactly! I get discouraged when, at the end of the day, all I've written is a few sentences...but they are (usually) pretty good My thesaurus is my best friend!

See, I wonder if I am a perfectionist or not. For instance, it has taken me forever to finish my 110k word novel. About 3 years, but that's partially because I don't have much time to write during school. But I am definitely not a perfectionist because its basically 110k of crap. But then, I know I need to perfect it before I show it to anyone. At the same time, I'm super lazy and will sometimes just stop writing three paragraphs too soon because I smell the end and I jump for it too soon. So, I'm definitely not a perfectionist. I am a perfectionist when it comes to writing English papers because I know that a. I enjoy writing them and b. I can do really well. I'm not a perfectionist in anything else in life, though, so, yeah.

I think now, as I embark in the editing process, is the time when I should start to be a perfectionist. :p

I'm not a perfectionist at all. Anyone who has seen my handwriting (my print isn't even legible, let alone my cursive), or my bedroom, or my spelling, or my SAT math score, can testify to that.

I don't think most successful and prolific authors are really perfectionist: between deadlines at what not, it would be easy to get really depressed, unable to "finish" anything.

Non-perfectionists, however, often have the opposite problem of not caring about deadlines. Or about how our chapters start to drag on, and then the book drags on, and pretty soon it's much longer than we intended and not even about the same thing at all (and I've done that with articles and blog posts, not just fiction).

Aw yeah! High five girl!

I am only a perfectionist in writing. If I want something to count when I'm writing, i.e., instead of just scrawling in my journal, I'm a hopeless perfectionist. My room can get messy, (though I clean it up occasionally to start the messing process all over again) my handwriting is scrawling, my desk is always in disarray, but when it comes to writing fiction, I'm far too pedantic.


Me. Exactly.

Same here Bush. I can actually be quite the underachiever at times...

I'd differentiate between being a perfectionist as a personality trait and just being too picky with one part of your life - for example, writing. However, being a perfectionist doesn't mean you tend to try to be perfect in every aspect of your life, just the parts you care about. I don't care about my room. Guess what it looks like.

*high fives Green Mist back*



Very true. The things you care about most deserve your best effort, especially as a perfectionist...and the state of my room isn't usually one of my priorities, either!

Any tips for us unpublished perfectionists from published perfectionists?? Or are we doomed to stay unpublished forever??

I am a die-hard perfectionist. Not just writing, but life in general.

Oh my word, I am a crazy perfectionist. It drives even me insane sometimes.

I am a published perfectionist, and I enjoy being a perfectionist.

I'm a total perfectionist, and it's the bane of my writing existence. Need to work on that.

I am only a perfectionist in my writing! I have been known to be rather slap dash in everyday life, but when writing I will go over and over a sentence that bothers me until I am satisfied.

Some of us are never satisfied with our results.

Nicole here, joining the ranks of unpublished perfectionist.

A group of reputable worth, or so I've been told.

I'm something of a perfectionist in some things, mostly in what I'd consider "writing background"---and perhaps "completionist" would be a better word. I feel driven to make sure I know where all my major characters are, and what they've been doing,for the entire series before I write them in, and similarly want to know that all the details of the settings, races, etc., are "right" before I start putting them into a story. (I'm also similarly somewhat obsessive about software development: I use essentially every static-analysis tool I can, and try to keep my code as close to zero warnings as possible---and when I'm forced to deal with someone else's code, I find it tremendously annoying when that code isn't warning-free, and it makes me want to fix the warnings rather than doing what I'm supposed to be doing.)

Incurable perfectionist over here. It is often the source of depressing thoughts such as "This story will never be worth reading! " Ah well...

Where is the "Depends on my mood" option?

I second Celestria's question!

I have my moments. I can be a die-hard perfectionist about some things, but most (including my writing), I'm just 'whatever, let it go'. I'm also unpublished, so...I guess that's unperfectionist unpublished? At least I'm not alone...

I could be varying between perfectionist and OCD... I'm the kind of person who needs the crease in the middle of the tablecloth to be in the center of the table; the volume at an increment of five on the TV, and the fuel gauge to read a round number. In that same breath, I can't use that word, because I already used the same one in this paragraph, I can't start that sentence with "But" or "And", and heaven forbid I ignore Microsoft Word telling me that's a fragment.

AMEN. XD

I'm not quite so OCD with some of those, but I generally am with the grammar ones.

*grins* Twinnie moment! But yes, that part of me is what makes solid writing a nightmare. I CAN'T just write! THERE'S A TYPO BACK THERE!!!!

Exactly! I'm a little lenient with myself if I'm in a casual chat, but I try to make sure I'm actively aware of the mistakes I'm making. Not sure if you noticed, but look at the beginning of your second sentence.

I still kick myself in chat. Yes, I noticed. *takes out "And" at the beginning of this sentence*

Yes, I kick myself quite frequently. *grins*

I'm a perfectionist with a few OCD tendencies, especially if someone puts me in charge of decorating a room -- those tablecloths will be perfect, or so help me.

As far as writing goes, I'm a perfectionist. My grammar is far from perfect, but I want my ideas to be carried perfectly with the words I pick; they often aren't, though, especially in a first draft.