When I was living alone and first writing, I used a Smith Corona manual typewriter I bought on Capitol Hill. If I got stuck, or didn’t like what I was writing, I pulled the sheet out of the roller and started over. I saved the drafts in a stack, as evidence I could do what I said I could do.

But with all the editing, I turned things inside out and forgot where I was going. It was like polishing a stone so much, I either ground it down to nothing, or lost it between my fingers.

Editing is important, of course. It’s the dirty work of weeding that takes hours, which no one sees, that makes the garden look just right.

But somewhere in the editing process I lost the love of writing. I wanted it to be just right, and of course it rarely was, and I lost interest.

I owe thanks to Seth Godin (three years now I’ve read his blog every day), and his advice to “ship.”

Don’t get lost in the fear, doubt, and over-thinking part. Your brain is there for a reason, and I don’t know how much it belongs in your writing.

Categories: Errata

Tags: DPchallenge, Seth Godin