Sunday, March 1, 2015

The Editor in my Head

You may have heard that the editor and the writer often argue, to put it nicely. Well, here's an idea for you: what if they're the same person?
Yes, I am in fact talking about myself. I used to just be the writer. I had that mindset through and through. And then college happened.
I took an editing class last fall. Which was interesting and great. But it seems to have warped my mindset on writing. When I read a book, mine or anyone else's, I can be very analytical. Of course, I can also just be very creative. It all depends if I'm being the writer or the editor.
To some, this might be a great inconvenience. I have found it to be very good for my writing.The key is to learn how to turn it off.
Now, this may seem like a pointless blog entry to most of you. I mean, who cares? You should. Here's why:
1. Writers should be good editors.
2. And editors should be good writers.
For you writers out there, this is a skill you really should learn. See, as a writer, your creativity is endless. But sometimes that means we write things that, really, shouldn't be written. Bad dialogue, bad prose. Not what the public wants. And that's where the editor comes in, with a very scrutinizing analysis. Think about what would happen if you could have both. Think about what would happen if you could learn to turn each side on and off (something I'm still working on). Your skill as a writer would be unmatched!
So that's my little speech for the day. Write like an novelist, with all that awesome creativity and unparalleled imagination. But read like an editor. Find the flaws and fix them.
Trust me. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Okay, that's it. Thanks guys! As always, feel free to comment!

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