The Part of Writing That I Don’t Care For…..

I love writing.  To be able to express your thoughts through simply your words alone, is just the best.  Over the last year or so, writing has come to be an outlet for me through which I can talk about anything that I so choose.  On my blog, I’ve talked about everything from Pop Culture to Friendship.  Writing is just an amazing way to express one’s outlook on life.

Feelings On Writing

Writing is awesome!  After I finish writing something, I feel great!  Although, as any writer knows writing is just the first step of the writing process.  The next step that every writer has to deal with after writing something is……..ugh, editing.  That’s the part of writing that can be the most frustrating.

Writing can be a very much carefree and enjoyable experience.  It is because one can simply just write.  Sure, thoughts of “Is that a typo?  Is that a run on sentence?  Should I put a comma there?”, are in the back of one’s mind when writing, but those are questions that don’t have to be answered immediately.  The time for answering those questions is when one is done writing.  For what comes after writing is……. Editing!

Feelings On Editing

Editing.  Editing.  Oh, Editing.  Anyone who writes knows that this is the part of writing that can be just a “pain in the you know what”.  For those of you who follow my blog (my many thanks), know that I tend to write a lot sometimes.  I’ll think of something to write on, and next thing I know I’ve written pages and pages and pages.  Editing is not something that I tend to focus on when writing.  And the reason for that is because editing can feel overwhelming.  So when I am writing my focus is solely on just writing.  It’s only when I am fully completed with my writing when my focus will shift to that of editing.  When I do begin to edit, the same thought always comes to my mind, which is: “Girl, you wrote too much, as always!  Oh hello, never ending editing session!”.

One might ask how if I am aware that editing can be a “pain in the you know what”, than why would I write a lot?  I know, I hear ya.  It’s like “If you write less, there will be less to edit”.  I totally hear that too.  When I write anything I write as much as I feel is necessary for what I am discussing, and sometimes there is just a lot I want to cover and talk about.  And while editing is something that I know I will have to deal with when my writing is completed, I tend to focus more on writing when writing, and less on “Omg! I am writing too much!  I will have to edit so flipping much!”.

Editing can be a long and draining process for any writer.  And though there have been many times after editing where I feel completely drained, I also feel a sense of accomplishment.  Writing anything is an accomplishment.  Whether it’s a blog post, a newspaper article, or a book.  Writing takes time, commitment, and much dedication.  The time between writing, editing, and publishing can feel like an eternity.

When it feels as though you’re never going to finish editing

While editing my last article, I felt that eternity like feeling between writing, editing and publishing (I acknowledge I wrote way too much in my last article.  My many thanks again to those who read it).  Editing my last article felt as though I was climbing a mountain.  It was as though with every single edit completed, I was stepping just a little bit closer to reaching the top of the mountain.  Some days I made only but a mere few steps, while on other days I would reach the next level of the mountain.  At times, it felt as though I would never reach the top.  And than after what felt like an eternity, finally came the day where I completed my very last edit.  I reached the top of the mountain!  After months of working on my article I finally was ready to hit the publish button.

I’ve had a blog now for over a year and a half.  During that time I’ve learned that I love  to write. Anything in life that is worthwhile takes time, and that goes for writing.  To write is to go on a journey.  A journey of ups and downs of highs and lows.  Some days it may feel as though it’s not worth it, it may seem like you’re never going to get to reach the top of the mountain.  In time though, you do reach the top of the mountain, feeling a sense of accomplishment for never having given up.

While I find writing to be fun, I find editing to be the opposite.  If one chooses to write though, one must deal with the editing process, that’s just what being a writer entails.  And so I write.  And so I edit.  At the end of the day, being a writer means the world to me, and if being a writer means having to with put up with a “never ending editing session” from time to time, than so be it.  Because at the end of the day, something as annoying as editing won’t stop this gal from writing and writing and writing.

 

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