Editing lows and writing highs

[Penpilot]

I currently editing a novel, and all though I tend to focus on finishing one thing before doing another, a deadline forced me to start a short story while I'm editing, and I made an observation about myself today.

When I'm editing, I tend to have a lot more emotionally low days in regards to my writing, and think I've figured out why. (Although I retain all rights to change my mind after I press post.) When I'm editing, I'm in a negative mood. I'm looking for the negative so that puts me in a negative mindset, and I sink into the writerly blues.

But, when I'm just writing a first draft, I noticed I tend to be more cheerier. Even though I know there will be problems, I have this positive outlook that I can fix them. My mindset is all about the potential the story has and how totally made of awesome it will be when I'm done.

I just typed The End on the first draft to my short story, and I'm on a bit of a writerly high.

Opinions? What do you all think?

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

A great example of the psychology theory of mood congruence. Makes perfect sense to me.

Focused on the negative, you will respond more (and faster) to negative stimuli, reinforcing a negative mood.

Maybe that's why editors and agents are all such cruel people?

 

[Damian]

I am the opposite. The writing part takes me ages... I seem to have a good writing day then I am lost for a day or two until I get the gist back. The editing is my favourite part... having a rough draft, going through each sentence perfecting it, choosing really good words... I love the wordplay of editing.

 

[Alex97]

It's mixed for me. When I first write something I feel really good about it. Then I tend to change my mind when I read through my work and think that it's crap. However, after the first edit my writing seems vastly improved as my first drafts are usually a very basic outline of the final product. Can't say I enjoy the final editing as that's mainly grammar and spotting negative points.

 

[Jamber]

That's such an interesting observation -- I'm going to try it out on myself. (Am I more negative if I spend the day editing? Probably!)

Maybe the trick is to only edit for part of the day, and then write freeform for a short time to clean the slate?

 

[Rob P]

We all have days good and bad. Days when the white page remains a taunting irritation when the words won't come. Days when the page is too full of meaningless drivel. Then there are the days when your fingers can't type fast enough and 2am approaches with ideas bursting out of your mind. Days when tweaking a tired cliche into something ravishing and new fills your heart and mind with joy.

Our days are perhaps no more than odes to Janus, looking foward, back, transitioning, beginning, ending but always something.

Three years of writing and currently three months of editing have shown me the glory and devastation of both writing and editing.

 

[wordwalker]

Then there are ways to mix things up. I like the theory that the mind's more social and creative in the morning, and more analytical in the afternoon; if you're actually a Morning Person too, editing in mornings becomes a real drag when you want to start throwing ideas around. But, I can start a session by looking at my most intense recently-written scene, less to edit it than to get me in the groove for writing the next part.

 

[BWFoster78]

For me, writing is a creative experience. I love finding out what happens to my characters. Though facing a blank page is a challenge, there are a lot of rewards associated with it.

The second draft is all about making the first draft readable. Frankly, it's a lot of work without the rewards of the first draft.

Third draft editing, on the other hand, is a lot of fun. It's about making something that's already readable better. It's tweaking it to get the perfect effect, and that is rewarding.

 

[Addison]

A problem with me is I think I edit my story to death. Or something along those lines. My first draft was rough. It got from A - Z but it wasn't a steady inclining mountain. My characters kept bungee jumping back down, exploring caves, going down waterfalls and riding mountain goats. First thing I did was spell check, grammar check and basic stuff like that. I made notes, changed the story and made the journey easier, it wasn't perfect but it was better. But now it's weird. I know how to fix it, to get my characters straight up the mountain. But my brain just won't let me sit down and write the stupid thing. It's like I need a password that I don't know to turn on my own writing brain.

Hopefully that will change today. Lord willing, and lack of annoying visits.

 

[wordwalker]

But now it's weird. I know how to fix it, to get my characters straight up the mountain. But my brain just won't let me sit down and write the stupid thing. It's like I need a password that I don't know to turn on my own writing brain.

Remember the "scary bicycle:" even the best writers spend a lot of time hating to sit down at just start a session, but once they get into it their skills come right back.

Then again, for editing, it might mean there's some aspect of the story you want to enhance but haven't put your finger on what that is, so you might check with trusted friends or review stories that work for you.