Let’s Work on Keeping Our Thoughts Inside Our Heads
What family TV night taught me about writing
Over the weekend, my daughter was watching the television series From with my mom.
For context, watching TV with my mom is quite the experience.
She reacts out loud to everything.
Random questions. Guesses about twists that haven’t even been set up yet.
She the kind of person that asks, “Is he the killer?” during the first 10 minutes of a movie before a murder has taken place.
The most frustrating part? She is blissfully unaware that she’s doing it.
In the middle of the episode, my daughter takes the remote control, pauses the show, and slowly turns to face my mom.
In an unusually gentle voice, she says:
“Let’s work on keeping our thoughts inside of our heads.”
I laughed so hard I had tears forming in my eyes.
The Quote I’m Keeping
I’ve started saying it to myself every time I sit down to write.
“Let’s work on keeping our thoughts inside of our heads.”
It’s hilarious, but it’s also incredibly useful.
Because not every thought belongs in the book.
When I beta read, I can usually tell when a writer hasn’t learned how to hold back yet.
You see it in the paragraphs that drag on because they are trying to explain every detail instead of trusting the reader to connect the dots.
It’s Not Easy
This doesn’t mean the writer isn’t talented or that the book isn’t worth reading.
Usually it just means they are still figuring out the difference between what belongs on the page and what doesn’t.
And that is normal.
But part of getting better is learning when a thought belongs in your story and when it needs to remain unsaid.
And that can take several drafts (usually with the help of an editor) to figure out.
The Power of Restraint
The goal isn’t complete silence.
It’s choosing what matters for the story, and gently letting the rest go.
Sometimes what you don’t say is just as impactful as what you do.
Until next time!
-Mia
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