Writing Anyway
My Achilles heel of writing is something I will come to terms with. Perhaps it’s the last hurdle to a completed work that bothers me; you know, the old “no one can reject it if I don’t finish it” problem. Perhaps I’m just too close to my own stuff. Editing is simply part of the writing process. As much as I love editing the work of others, I don’t love editing my own. Line edits are no problem. Scope and overall story arc are things I simply put off.
I’ve received advice lately:
- Put it away. Work on something else.
- Let it simmer. You’ll know when it’s time.
- Maybe you’re not so invested. Try something else.
- Get after your edits or you are just a quitter.
Hmm. The thing is, I don’t want to put it away. I want to work on the novel, improve it, make it stronger and more readable. It has simmered for six weeks. Isn’t that enough? I’m not a quitter. I am invested. I’m just…lost.
I hope I’m not the only one to go through these things. How I envy those writers who produce chronological chapters and scenes that don’t muddle their brains figuring out where to fit what. Aren’t their continuity edits easier for it?
Still, I plug away. I do a little every day, even if it is just following a scene’s consequences through the rest of the story in my head. I work the line edits on hard copy and work the scope/story arc on the computer. Slowly, oh so slowly, I’m getting somewhere.
I have several writing friends with angst over the creative part. That’s just not me. I can knock out the roughs. Give them a rough draft and they will happily give it a polish and make it shine.
I can do the same. I will do the same. I’m a writer, damn it. It’s what we do, and I will not be left behind because of a little uncertainty.
I’m not a writer, so will ask a dumb question – Why not let someone else edit for you?
Glad to see you are hanging in there.
Line edits and grammar/typo/punctuation is something that could be done, but the big edits to the story arc and character development…that’s what makes the story mine.