Just a Writing Thoughtlet

Ahhh, proofing. The activity that I love and hate with equal intensity. I'm a little bit OCD about my writing (okay, okay, my life) so I dearly love to proof things, because it gives me one more opportunity to make them better. On the flip side of that, one more read-through normally compels me to try one more read-through just to see if I can find anything else. That, combined with the fear that I'm missing something very basic...annoys me.

With seven chapters to go in this read-through, I find myself loving this particular edit. I'm trying to forget that I've already read this work dozens of times. I'm trying to see it as a reader would see it. I'm trying to love and embrace my words.

I used to feel guilty about doing that. I figured admitting you loved your words was like describing yourself as beautiful. Maybe that sort of thing is better left to others' judgment.

But at the writing conference I went to last fall, one of the speakers talked about editing. He edits every manuscript many times, and one of his edits is the "underline" edit. That's when he goes through and tries to guess what people might highlight or underline as they read his book. I loved that! Permission to look for quotable phrases!

And though my work isn't perfect, I am finding some sentences that surprise me. I wrote that? Really? That's not too bad! I would underline it. In fact, I just may.

When I get my book. :)