The best way to beat back the tyranny of perfectionism is to jump in fast, and write. Here are some ideas to help make you more interested in the process than in the outcome: Bother your characters. Have them say bizarre and surprising things to each other. Give them a good amount of trouble. Fiction is about trouble. Try to insert an animal or insect or an unwelcome person. If you were pissed off at your sister-in-law or destructive cat, let a character take it out on her neighbor, husband, etc. Put it in the mouth of one of your characters. If you have great passion for exotic fish, have a character say something loving about an animal (or fish!). And whenever possible, bring an object into the story that seems strange or interesting, like a warped broom, or a pigeon-shaped vase… like something you may see walking past a yard sale but wouldn’t buy.
Once you become interested in the writing, your brain will allow the idea of "being profound" to fly south for the winter— and you will grow as a writer. Writers think they are supposed to be inspired and create something profound. New writers set their standards impossibly high and this will lead to avoidance. THIS IS MAKE-BELIEVE. Get interested in what you are writing and you'll forget about how brilliant you need to be. Get lost while writing, and use your child's brain. And while you're at it, give the tyrannical perfectionist in you a hefty time-out...
