Here is what Chris Baty (original National Novel Writing Month instigator) has to say about it.
The first law of exuberant imperfection is essentially this: The quickest, easiest way to produce something beautiful and lasting is to risk making something horribly crappy.
I love that, and not just as a reminder to let my imagination fly during NaNoWriMo. I like it because it gets at the reason we are often afraid to try new things (or push ourselves to new heights on the things we already do): We don’t want to suck. Especially publicly.
Little kids don’t worry about that. They just do. I wonder sometimes when it was that I became aware of (and unduly concerned about) what people would think of me. Second grade, probably… when I found out I had cooties.
So, I like the idea of exuberant imperfection, and I LOVE the notion that beauty may very well come from the messes we create when we are awkward and learning, or playing, or stretching ourselves beyond boundaries we’ve too readily imposed. It reminds me of the famous quote from French novelist, Colette: “You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”
That sounds right to me. I’m going for it. Feel free to provide positive reinforcement in the form of irrational compliments. Like this: “J, you look stunning in your exuberant imperfection. Have you been working out?”
Hmm, is that exuberant imperfection you’re wearing? Smells good! :)
I’m still behind on my Nano count from being out of town Sunday and most of Monday, but I’m catching up. Still, struggling between natural tendency to edit as I go and the mandate that I write, write, write whatever comes to mind (which I don’t particularly believe is the best way to finish my novel ;-D). Good luck as you continue on with your Nano quest!
I do think that “write, write, write” is the best way to check your inner editor. Deadlines are magical. But I have never written this way before so I’m having trouble tapping into the exhilarating free flow. It’s only been three days, though. We’ll get it by the end. We’ll make that exuberant imperfection look good! ;-)
Yoga seems to work well with your exuberant imperfection, how many times a day do you do the exercises?
You’re saying something there with “deadlines are magical”. I wanted to write my Halloween short story for a week at least to get it ready for #fridayflash before I sat down on Friday night afert a lot of running around, generally a very full day and finished it by Saturday…
Okay, so maybe I’m not the best example, but it was great, my idea came about 99% fully formed and it was ready by Halloween ;)
J at the writers section at Bloomingdale’s…
“Do you have this exuberant imperfection in a small?
“I love this exuberant imperfection, I hope it comes in purple!”
J at the end of the night…
“Oh, you should have seen the way Chabon was checking out my exuberant imperfection at the book signing”
J during a writers bloc while mowing the front and back yard….
“exuberant imperfection my a@*#…”
Gotta tell ya, while it is incredibly difficult for me to get behind anything where the premise is sheer output, quantity while disregarding quality, lowering of ones expectations and standards, etc, I will do my very best to rah-rah you on for the month. Not going to be easy, I don’t ever remember a story about Picasso’s brush stroke count!!?! ha!!
The best antidote I ever heard for writers block was — lower your standards.
Go Judy.
“J, I LOVE your sparkly exuberant imperfection. You wear it well. You pull it off like a master!”
I know you can let go and live in the moment and accomplish your intent by staying focused! Go J! You can do it!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Estrella, Yoga has been really good for me. I do it every morning. It’s my version of meditation, because I can’t seem to get the hang of that! And yes, I’m coming to fully appreciate the power of a deadline!
Bobby, thank you! It might be a writer thing – the whole shitty first draft idea, in which it’s better to get bad words down and edit later, than agonize over words that may not make the final cut anyway. I also think that in letting go of the editor in the first draft, we have the best chance of delightfully surprising ourselves, and the people who read us. (You!)
Karen, Spoken like a writer! (And it’s only for the first draft. That’s what I have to keep reminding myself.)
Terre, Why thank you! I thought at first it might clash with my adorkable clumsy, but I think they kind of work together after all! ;-)
hey J, was your comment to me in its “first draft” form — I thought it was perfect!
Sorry so late to the party. I’m willing to bet you can produce quantity AND quality. When you get done you’ll see, you’ll like at least 70% of what you did and that’s a pretty great chuck for trying out the whole exhuberant imperfection thingy dingy.
70% of a new novel to start the new year with?
n i c e .
Hugs and go j go!!!
Ahh, Bobby, Are you buttering me up? ;-)
Karen, Yay! The birthday girl has arrived! That is a perfect way to look at it. And you go, too, nano-buddy!
I am going to take one of those risks as far as just writing what came to my mind — for some reason, when I started to read the comments on this post, I was hit with an image of when I watched the film “The Color Purple”. I thought about how different I feel when I am writing to a friend (particularly a friend that I believe is (or will be) really excited to hear what I write) . . . I imagined how the character from the Color Purple felt (it was Nettie, right?? Nettie to Celie?), writing to her sister that she wished was there with her. I think that a lot of our ‘exuberance’ in writing has to do with who we imagine we are writing to. It has definitely made a difference for me in my life. Soooo, my compliment to you is how happy and, actually, well, the word that comes to me is thirsty, I am to read what you write — I am so totally on the side-lines cheering for you and absolutely positive that I will be seeing a literary touchdown for Judy (which is very important to me because I live vicariously through you). I am sleep deprived so I’m sorry for errors, but the sentiment is quite genuine when I’m in this state ;-)
Carey, I think you’re right, though I never thought about it before. Often, I write with no idea who’ll read, but certainly here, in ZS, I have you guys in my head influencing me (delightfully). Maybe I should always think of you guys and see what happens in my stories and essays!
A literary touchdown. Love that. Keep thinking those thoughts!