The Joy of Editing

I always thought I would just hate editing. How dull! I read this book already!  Why do I have to read it again and again and so soon?

Much to my surprise, however, I actually quite enjoy it.   I wake up in the morning and think, "Oh good!  I am working on editing Chapter Nine today!"  I get to read a story I love about characters I love even more, and I get to make it better?!  Quelle joie!

Counterpoint: Dylans Story author Ruth Sims said somethg that made great sense.  First of all, she said that editing allows her to spend more time with her characters.  She loves them and wants to hang out with them some more.  I could understand that.  I refuse to estrange myself from my An Involuntary King ensemble, and I set up a blog so I could keep writing about them.  I know there are at least two sequels...

Something I said to Ruth made sense to her.  I told her I like editing because I like how I write!  She said, "Me too!" and complained about people who don't get it and insist she shouldn't praise her own writing.  She said that if you don't love your writing, you have no business putting it out there and expecting other people to read it.  I agree wholeheartedly.  It doesn't have to be Shakespeare.  If you enjoy it, others will.  Not everyone, but so what!  Not everyone likes the way I make scrambled eggs either.

Ruth and I appear to be in good company.  Truman Capote once said “Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it.”  

Today I did my nearly last edit on a chapter where it turned out I had to completely rewrite a big chunk of it.  It was glorious!

(Ruth Sims is also the author of The Phoenix.)