Coddling Versus Protecting

A delay in gardening season.

I started dozens of garden plants from seed. The past week, the temperatures had been warm enough to set out the tougher varieties. I’ve held back, though.

Usually I toughen up my starts. I set them in the sun for an hour, then two hours, and finally all day, before moving them into raised beds and planters.

The wind this spring has been ferocious. I’m afraid my tender little indoor starts will be snapped by the wind.

There is a difference between coddling and protecting.

When I hear the word “coddle,” I imagine an excess of care, to the point of actually weakening the subject of your attention. Protecting, in my mind, is defending the subject from the threat of actual harm.

If I had set my plants outside in the harsh weather, that could have been disastrous. I protected them from certain doom. If I don’t get them outdoors soon, I’ll be coddling them. Making them weaker.

It’s a delicate balance.

In writing, you need to know what you (or your critique partners) want. Do you need encouragement to keep going? Or a hard edit before submitting your work to an editor or agent?

I attended the Pikes Peak Writers Conference a couple weekends ago. Writers have the option to seek input on their work from professionals. This can be a bruising experience.

With my own work, I have definite stages. I begin with an idea, which might morph into a very rough draft. Next it goes through drastic rewrites, pruning the excess words and fertilizing the good lines, until I’ve worked out the rough spots. Then I polish.

When I’m in the conceptual phase, and early drafts, I know it stinks. Honest - especially big picture - criticism helps move it to the next phase of revision. I don’t need to have my work brutalized in excruciating detail. That comes when I’m about to submit my work to my publisher. Then, I hope my critique partners are as harsh as the work deserves.

If you’re new to writing, know where you are in the process. When you show your work to someone, do you really just want encouragement? Or do you welcome detailed criticism? Be clear with what you want.
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Like the plants growing indoors under a lamp, abruptly placing them outdoors in the harsh elements can be deadly. Coddling, on the other hand, can be as damaging. Overwatering leads to root rot, and overprotection can cause them to become leggy, killing seedlings with kindness. Be gentle with your work, but learn when it’s ready to be toughened up.

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