Author Stacey Rourke

Friday, September 24, 2010

I'M EDITING DISABLED

I have recently learned of a disability I have. For those of you that know me it is not my inability to cook or my bladder failure every time I see a snake. Those disabilities I already knew about. It is a difficulty I have discovered when I edit.

There are some writers that can juggle numerous works in progress at the same time. They spend a little time on this poem, then jump over to this short story and then transition smoothly to the novel they are penning. I can't do that. Yes, I may have loads of story ideas floating around in my head but I can only concentrate on one of them at a time. I have to see one character's story through before I can start up with another. I'm loyal that way.

When it comes to writing this isn't a problem. With editing it is. Come to find out my one track mind also plays into my editing. If I am editing for content I can only see content issues. If I am editing for dialogue I can only see dialogue. That means editing that should only take three or four rounds of careful scouring is taking me about a dozen. Pain in the boo-tay!! Much like anything with writing I know it will just take practice, in the meantime I'm going cross-eyed from reading and rereading and rereading and rereading, etc, etc...

It'll all be worth it in the end. Now where's the Tylenol?