Okay, so I've been editing my little heart out for quite some time now. Quite honestly, this process is fantastically riveting, adverb intended. I love feeling out a sentence until it sings. First draft writing is nice, second draft writing is great, but after that tenth, fifteenth, twentieth revision...boy, oh, boy. I think we've got a winner!
Whoever said writing is writing and editing is editing was dead wrong. EDITING is writing, and writing is editing. Let's get this point straight. Without great editing, great writing cannot be. Period.
Being immersed in your own writing, staring at word after word, killing darlings left and right, and only having yourself to thank when magical writing emerges is one of those rewards that you can only enjoy with yourself. And we writers, well, we're happy to be alone. Although, I'd like to give you a tiny sneak peak at my opening lines...
My birthday isn't just the anniversary of the day I was born. No. It's also the anniversary of the day I died. Born and dead on the same day. Not much to celebrate.
Now off to printing out my chapters and reading them to myself out loud. Try it. You'll catch far more mistakes and needed changes than if you were to silently read them on screen.
2 awesome comments!:
I enjoy editing - but I'm not sure about that 10th round, I'd rather have just one or two intense edits. Your first lines sound fantastic. :-)
I know what you mean. I went through twice a while back and was like, no more! I'm done! But then I put it down for a bit and when I dove back into it, I realized I just didn't love it yet. That, and I just can't leave well enough alone! ;)
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