Editing

I have been writing quite a bit this week. Poems, short stories and commentaries.  Each time I edit and review a poem I see ways to make it better. Same goes with the stories and commentaries. We all believe that we can write better.

Editing is very important because we want to connect with our readers. It's amazing how one word or one sentence can change the whole piece of writing. Editing can be painstaking but it's worth it in the long run. The poem in my last posting went through several rewrites until I felt comfortable with it. A piece of writing can be shortened or made longer. It may need a whole rewrite.

The lesson I learn from editing is that of perseverence and patience. More mistakes are made because people are in a hurry. That can mean the diference between a good story and a bad one. A few changes can make a good poem into a masterpiece. It's very subtle but very true.

Finally, look at editing as a vocation. It is another phase of writing that can improve other aspects. For example, when I edit sometimes  refer back to the dictionary or a thesaurus. Some words have many different meanings. I like using a word similar to one most commonly used. As you can see there's value in everything. Editing is one of many.