Editing is crucial. Probably, for me, it’s the biggest and most important part of writing a book. But sometimes I have to step out of the editorial phase and remind myself just how much I love writing for my eyes only. It’s okay to make mistakes, to write badly, to mess up, to put in characters who won’t stay in the final draft. This is the phase of writing when I remind myself that the first draft is not the last draft. I feel like I’m arriving in a new country when I start writing like this, but I’ve forgotten my travel guidebook. I have only the days before me and all those new foods, places and people to encounter and explore, all in a language I don’t know. I love that feeling. And I know I’ll come back to visit this same new country better prepared next time – perhaps with a full first draft, perhaps only with a few thousand words under my belt. For now, it’s all about exploring and having fun.
What are you working on and what part of the process are you at? Leave me a note (see the top right of the home page) and let me know!
