Loving Revisions

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        How do I change my thinking to make editing fun again? I've read too much about how editing is a pain and at some point I came to believe it myself. But – hey – isn't editing a part of writing? And I want to be a writer. Put two and two together and I need to do it. So why not enjoy it?

 

         To me, enjoying editing again doesn't mean a bunch of outside rewards – it means changing my thinking. Why did I used to enjoy editing? Wow, this sounds a lot like looking for the reasons I enjoy writing.

 

Editing is creative. I find ways to convey an idea better – sometimes a single word, sometimes a scene, sometimes an entire character or subplot.

 

Editing is exciting. expanding, deleting, rewriting, it is a game with all words. I Iove it all.

 

Editing is clarity of thought. My first drafts are bad. Revisions bring me further clarity. What is the story really about? Why do I care about these characters? What are the best traits of the story? Why is the story (poem, play, lyrics) worth rewriting?

 

So yes, I guess I do love revisions after all.