Writers on the pain of hindsight in publishing: 'It's like a bad breakup – you have to move on' | Books | The Guardian

The problem is that I have had too much time to think about it - hindsight has got the better of me. I know the book is not awful, because it has been well-received and some objective readers have enjoyed it. But inside I feel it's not brilliant - it's not bad, it's no big deal, it's just OK. Which isn't quite good enough. I keep thinking I could have done better, written better. If only this, if only that. Don't we all feel that way when we're striving to express something we care about? They say hindsight is a wonderful thing. As a writer, however, it's irritating, an itch in an awkward place Huma Qureshi They say hindsight is a wonderful thing. As a writer, however, it's irritating, an itch in an awkward place. Hindsight does no favours for those who are naturally self-deprecating. Even though your work is already published, a writer can never quite draw a line and accept that something is finished. "Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never being satisfied," Zadie Smith wrote in her rules for writers. You self-indulgently edit and edit, tweak and tweak all the time in your head, and it'll never, ever be perfect.