Thursday, July 22, 2004

Thought of the moment, on editing:

Revising other people's work is very weird to me. When someone asks me to edit something, I'm just sort of stumped. You want ME? To change stuff? What do *I* know?

So after reading a piece my first thought is "It's fine." Then I stop, and realize that handing back someone's work and saying "Looks good! Yay!" is unproductive, and stupid. Perhaps lazy.

And it's times like these I wonder: Is my self-esteem *that* low that I'm honestly unable to start making suggestions? How in fuck's name was I the editor in damn chief of *anything*?

I began by forcing myself to come up with opinions on their work. And like writing, it comes easier now. My suggestions might even make sense. There's still a moment of hestiation, but I get over it.

Unexpectedly, editing has been really great for me, not just in the work and learning sense, but also in alleviating the indecisiveness and other attributes which are the causes of great self-annoyance.

....

Ooh. I got all introspective/self-revealing on yo' ass, didn't I?

Well, then, how about, er, uhm...
a story about a drunk naked guy covered with cheese in Tennessee
? (via Todd H.)

There ya go, that's better.

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