fiction – Page 48 – Andy writes!

Is it ready yet?

I wish there were a surefire way of knowing when a piece was finished.

I’ve been working on — and reworking — an essay over the past two months, and I’m reaching the point of frustration with the effort. Mostly, I’m getting frustrated with myself for the constant tweaking I’ve been doing with it. I feel like I’ve been working it over more than I should, but I still don’t feel the piece is ready yet.

If only there were a surefire way of knowing when a piece was finished. Maybe a writer’s version of the pop-up thermometer used to determine when the Thanksgiving turkey is ready to take out of the oven. Could someone please invent that for me?

In the meantime, I took to the internet to ask some writers for their take on how to know when a piece is done.

Shifting gears

Making the switch from writing short fiction and flash fiction to creative nonfiction feels like switching gears for me. Or maybe it’s better described as switching vehicles entirely.

With fiction, I quickly get in the zone. I’m driving a Porsche or a Ferrari, zooming along the autobahn.