On the Masterpiece Fallacy

When we think about the work we have created, especially when we think about the work we want to create, we may imagine our masterpiece: our greatest work deserving of all the admiration of readers and scholars alike. Maybe we see ourselves stepping up to a podium, receiving an award, and delivering a speech. Maybe it's our book being studied in colleges and universities. And what do we feel immediately after this fantasy? If you're like me, it's a feeling of inadequacy or hopelessness that I cannot produce such an amazing work.

This leads to the paralyzing fear of not writing, of writer's block, and of a general lack of esteem. We too often think of the finished product and its reception before we begin a project. Now, many writers push through this feeling and can produce great work. Many of these writers are practiced and find a way around this fear. For those who have not and struggle to find a beginning because the end is overwhelming, consider lessening the value of the finished piece.

If we really look at the stories that are masterpieces, we will probably have a very short list, especially when we compare it to the total amount of work created by everyone. Sure, if you consider a masterpiece as any given writer's best work, then we all have masterpieces. Let's be honest: the term "masterpiece" is reserved for excellent storytellers telling their best story in the best way. We may eventually produce our own "Moby Dick" or "Blood Meridian." If the thought of it keeps you from starting, you must set the expectation aside.

I have spoken with a lot of would-be novelists who are stuck on one story idea. They tell me they are almost ready to write their masterpiece. Once their life creates more space, or once their story is fleshed out enough, they will then begin writing this one story.

One story is the problem. We fall victim to seeing successful people's finished product. We don't fully appreciate what it took for a famous song to be written and performed, for a movie to be written, shot, and produced, and for a novel to be written, edited, rewritten, and published. This leads us to think that the finished product and the excellent examples of those products can easily be reproduced by amateurs.

The masterpiece comes after a long journey of learning and mastery. It may not be the final work of a master, but it certainly isn't the first. Objectively, we know this to be true. Emotionally, I don't think we do. We want to write our best story from the start. One effort, and we have the Great American Novel. We may not fully understand the work to get to become a master. It may feel daunting and unpleasant.

This is why we should find projects that give us the experience we need: projects that are fun, educational, and enlightening. We should work on projects that are only destined for a file folder. We should write for the sake of writing. After enough of this, we will move closer to writing "our story": the one that is ready for a publisher, and maybe even a college classroom.