Editing sucks! / Editing’s great!

I am of two minds on this topic, obvy.

Let’s call it a journey, shall we? You can’t develop much of a writing career if all you do is write. And let’s face it – writing is the fun part and editing, as stated above, sucks.

At least that’s how I view it right now.

Current writerly wisdom states that first drafts are systemically awful, and that the true magic of storytelling happens in the editing process. Editing is also the barrier between a story and a publishable story. So my current views on editing are hobbling me as a writer.

I have always defined “progress” as “writing,” believing that if I wasn’t writing anything new, I was, in essence, standing still. All of my goals as a writer have not been focused on learning more about craft or honing my story-polishing skills. Wordcount, wordcount, wordcount, has been my mantra of writing success.

Until now.

I will be setting editing goals, just as real and relevant as my writing goals. Perhaps more so. I have seen the light, and the light has politely informed me that I have been getting in the way of my true end-goal, which is and has always been publication.

So here’s my new mindset: editing is awesome! Editing is fun! Editing is just as creative as writing! Editing and writing two inextricable components of the same process!

Editing’s great!