Editing

I am not an educated writer.  I remember writing short stories and essay's as a teenager but I never gave writing as a passion or a hopeful profession any serious thought.  My experience and education in writing is simply that I began writing this blog a few years ago and have been writing since.  Last year I began writing a book.  It's fiction, something I have never really attempted before and something I am not sure I have the patience to complete. 

I have written around 8,000 words for this book, which is not a great amount.  The hardest part in the writing process for me is trying to not edit as I write.  When I sit down to get words on the screen I find it very challenging to not go back and rewrite everything I just wrote until I think it's perfect.  I find it hard to focus on what comes next unless I feel what I've just written is in order.  From what I have been told by other writers this is one of the worst things a writer could do, editing while writing.  Writing and editing are two completely different processes and should not be intertwined.  The writing process should begin and continue and continue and continue and continue until literally everything that is within me is left before my eyes on the pages.  Only then can the editing process begin.

I was sitting outside this afternoon with a cup of coffee, enjoying the 73 degree weather of central Texas in mid-November while I was trying to prepare for another writing session with my book, trying to align everything in my head before I sat down at my desk.   I sat outside contemplating the ways of the universe, watching the butterfly's float around the yard, and thinking about not editing as I write.  

I have always had an issue with my past.  There are many things in my life that I have regretted doing, I think that is only normal for the average person.  But I cannot go back and edit my past.  I cannot go back and change things I have said or done.  As much as I wish I could go back in time and rearrange events that took place, go back and tell my younger self to go in another direction, I know that I cannot.

I will never finish writing my book, never complete my dream of writing a book, if I continue to edit while I write.  I will always be seeking perfection in my writing but perfection will never come because I am not a perfect being, I was perfectly and wonderfully made, but I still make mistakes.  If I constantly focus on what I have just written I will be unable to write what is in my head and my heart at the moment.  

I am thinking it is the same with life.  If I am constantly focused on my past then I will not be able to live my life in the moment.  If I'm always looking at what happened yesterday, and trying to fix it so it is perfect, then I will miss all those great moments and relationships I could be involved in today.

I think Jesus would agree with me on this one.  The Bible says to "cast your cares upon The Lord."  I can't exactly live my life based upon His plan for me if I am constantly looking back at what was and how I could have done a better job.  Maybe this is similar to Lots wife.  She looked back and we all know what happened to her.  Being Italian I think I would've turned into a pilar of parmesan cheese instead of salt, but what do I know.

I suppose it boils down to choosing to live a great life right now, choosing to put word after word on the page without hesitation, or choosing to constantly focus on the past that I will never make perfect.  Thinking about it like this helps me write better and hopefully it can help somebody live better too.

- Cheers