Hurricanes and Editing

Really?  Hurricanes and editing.  How does a hurricane make someone think of editing. Well, the simple answer is because I am editing chapter two right now but the longer and truer answer is that when I started writing I realized in order to accomplish the task of a writing a whole book I had to also think about editing.  So I created my own personal "editing philosophy."

Okay, so that may a bit dramatic but if you ask my family that is who I am.  This is not about my crazy self though.  It is about discovering a philosophy in life.  I feel that you need many philosophies in life when you are passionate about something or anything really.  So of course it is no surprised that once I started writing and then had to edit what I wrote that I decided to have an editing philosophy.

Simply stated, I write one section or chapter and then edit it once or twice and then file it away.  Once I am done with the novel I will read through it again to make sure it still flows smoothly but I don't want to over-edit.  The continuous edits do work for many writers but for me it would be too daunting, so I knew if I edited the piece just once or twice that would be much better for me. 

I learned this difference because my old boss is writing his novel which I type out for him and he likes to edit as he is writing and then continuously.  He is a good writer himself and that is his editing philosophy but when I first started to write and tried that same track I was overwhelmed with the writing and the continuous editing.  Instead, I realized that I had to take my own path and, thus, I created my own personal editing philosophy.  Again, I will state it is better to create your own philosophies and paths in life and, if you adopt someone else's philosophies, spin them a little to make them your own.  Be original!

I know you are asking, how does editing go with hurricanes then.  Well, a hurricane comes in and often leaves destruction and can change the way an area looks.  When you edit you can often destroy what you wrote and as long as you like the way the area looks once you are done with cutting and re-writing then your process is working.  Okay, the truth is I just made that up.  Editing has nothing to do with hurricanes.  I am just stuck at home tonight and I am editing chapter two so I had editing AND hurricanes on my mind.  That is how they go together for me right now...not everything needs a metaphor or lesson, sometimes its just timing.

So on this quiet, rainy, blustery Saturday night I will sit and edit and then file away the next chapter of my book and with a clear mind move on to chapter three and the continuation of my character's lives and dramas and adventures which have paled to the adventures of my own life this week with an earthquake and a hurricane to contend with.