Have you heard Meghan Trainor’s song All About That Bass?  Catchy lyrics, great beat, terrific message.  I know this song is about body image, but you can also extrapolate a couple of writing tips, such as:

1. Perfectionism is the enemy of creativity.  If you try to sit down and instantly write the perfect piece, at best, you will miss out on all the brilliant tangents your brain might have generated if you had allowed it the freedom to be less than perfect.  And, at worst, you will be paralyzed at your desk, stubbornly waiting for the perfect words to drop into your brain. Think of how a potter works–throw all that messy unformed mass of clay on the wheel–everything.  Then shape it little by little.  After you’ve given your mind the time to generate multiple ideas/directions, pare down your text, looking at every paragraph, sentence, word.  Aim for elegance and quality in your writing, not absolute perfection.

2. Comparison is the thief of joy.  (Not my original words. A lot of people have said this.) Don’t compare yourself to other writers. Know why you want to write.  Know what you want to write.  Then go ahead and write with passion and conviction and JOY.

That’s it for today.  Take a look at Meghan Trainor and Jimmy Fallon singing this song.  It’s inspirational.