On Editing

     Why is that the scenes true to life that I've experienced are questioned by editors, while the scenes where I'm winging it and really writing true fiction sound more believable to them? Guess truth can be stranger than fiction.

     Feedback is incredibly important to me. At the same time, it's also both helpful and unhelpful (depending on the attitude of the critic). I've never bought the idea that hurting to help is useful. Criticism always hurts. It's never easy to allow one's work to be criticized, and yet the work of performance artists of all kinds lives and dies by criticism.

     That's why the editing of writing before publishing is important. It's harmless criticism before the world sees it, or so I should remind myself. It's not rejection, although it feels that way. It's cutting back weeds to see flowers. Creators, whether artists, musicians, writers, even creative scientists, should have their work judged by an audience if not of peers--of interested parties. It's better for audiences, and improves the final product. And as we all know, perfection is an ideal.

     Excellence, fortunately, can be reality and a more attainable goal if we work at it. 

Keep Writing