Why it’s Good to Make Mistakes as a Writer

Home > Blog > Tips > Why it’s Good to Make Mistakes as a Writer

As writers we need to write correctly, right? It’s embarrassing if you publish stuff with mistakes. Yes, all of us writers need to guard against extravagating. So, let’s see if you know how to use some important words correctly.

But before I do that, let me tell you a story:

I was recently enduring a kilfud-yoking with a fellow-writer.  His pawky humor was enough to make me keck. In fact, after a while I felt like levigating him!

With me so far?

No?

Well … the words I’m introducing you to are unusual. OK, so using them correctly isn’t maybe that important. And that’s the point here. So often, we are obsessed with ‘getting things right’. Many writers never publish anything because this fear holds them back. I know a bunch of would-be bloggers who never get going because they fear they won’t ‘get things right’.

We all have our particular problems with GTR (Getting Things Right). For example, I have problems with proofreading. Why, oh why can’t I see those nasty, obreptious little gremlins? Luckily, most readers are kind and give me a heads-up about what needs correcting. Some send me strange emails, like this one:

“Are you aware that there is a mistake in the first paragraph?”

Answer: “No. If I was aware of this mistake, I would correct it.”

A few months ago  I got a fire-brand email that made me murl inside: “How can you call yourself a blogger if you can’t even PROOFREAD what you write?!” (I deleted that email…)

Are YOU anxious about ‘getting things right’?

If so, my suggestion is to allow yourself to be less than perfect. It’s nice to be perfect, but creativity and perfectionism aren’t good bedfellows. I think it’s much better to be creative and productive as a writer than to get things right.

A great antidote to GTR is to have some fun. Here is a task that will help you refollicate:

Find a weird word in a reputable dictionary and use it elegantly in a comment below.

Let’s see who comes up with some funny examples, followed by a glossary. Like this one:
To extravagate: to wander away from the right course into error.
Kilfud-yoking: Fireside disputation
Pawky: dry humor.
To keck: to make a sound as if to vomit.
To levigate:to reduce to powder.
To murl:to crumble
To refollicate: to refresh.


What words can you find and use creatively? How do you deal with GTR?

RECENT POSTS

How To Launch A Writing Career: 10 Tips For Success

Many creatives want to launch a writing career, but taking the steps to do so is a frequent roadblock. The good news is, if you want to launch a writing career and are committed to doing so, you’re likely to succeed.  Of course, the definition of success is...

6 Book Introduction Examples: Helpful Secrets To Compelling Intros

The topic of book introduction examples is vital to dive into due to their influence on readers’ mindset. How a reader feels when he or she starts chapter one and page one of your manuscript impacts how they respond to your writing. When you’ve spent weeks, months, or...

5 Tips To Write Faster: Finish Your Book In Record Time

Did you know that if you want to write faster than the average typist (40 words per minute) there are actionable steps you can take to do so? Whether you are working on typing out your debut novel or have been in the game for years, there’s always an opportunity to...

Vision Boards For Writers: 3 Ways To Achieve Your Dreams

Vision boards are more than just a fun activity to engage in at the start of a new year or season. While vision boards are often designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be a relaxing activity, they actually can be more helpful to your writing dreams than you...

JOIN OVER 2 MILLION READERS

WANT YOUR NEXT BOOK TO BE A BESTSELLER?

Then you need KDP Rocket – the killer advantage of pro authors.

Related Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

About The Author

Mary Jaksch

Mary Jaksch is best known for her exceptional training for writers at WritetoDone.com and for her cutting-edge book, Youthful Aging Secrets. In her “spare” time, Mary is also the brains behind GoodlifeZEN.com, a Zen Master, a mother, and a 5th Degree Black Belt.

Latest Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. - Jack London No matter how much you love writing, there will always be days when you need inspiration from one muse or another. In fact, I would argue that inspiration is not just a desirable...