Passionate Detachment

Not becoming attached to your writing may seem counterintuitive. But actually, it's exactly what you need to do in order to write effectively. Becoming attached means being overly fond of certain passages or turns of phrase to the point that you are unwilling to change them even in the face of feedback that they aren't working. Writers must always be willing to tear into their work if necessary to make it better. That often means throwing out some of your favorite parts. I counsel my writing students to not become so attached to their writing that they're unwilling to change it because they can't grow as writers if they're too attached. So a healthy detachment from your work that allows you to write with passion and commitment, but also be able to step back and take an objective look is what you should strive for. This means being willing to delete or change significant sections of your work if necessary. It means being willing to scrap everything and start all over from scratch if that's what it takes to get your message across more effectively. The more you are willing to change your writing, the better your writing will become. Pay attention to the feedback you get on your writing. Pay attention to your own instincts. Then approach it like a master craftsman, one detail at a time.