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#1000wordsofsummer 2023, Day Nine

Today, I tried something different. Instead of adding to what I’d written before, I went back to the draft and did some editing and cleaning up.

If you remember one of my earlier posts, Jami granted permission for people to spend the challenge editing rather than adding to their works. In all candor, even if she hadn’t, I’d have done it. I needed to get a feel for what was here so I’d know what I was adding to. It’s still rough, but I spent well over an hour sorting through text, reading and cutting and editing. Since it usually takes me something like an hour to create 1,000 words (not, mind you, 1,000 good words), I figure this evens out.

I don’t plan to spend the rest of the challenge editing every day. I still have a major section that requires drafting. The next five days are my best shot at getting this done, at least in a very rough form. From there, I can edit it, because as all writers know, you can’t edit a blank page. Once I’ve written a version, I can change it.

So my lesson today is this: sticking rigidly to a challenge or plan isn’t always in the best interests of the work. Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, the discipline to follow the plan is important. But on other occasions, it can be useful to veer off the path, if only to afford a view that shows how following the plan will fit into the ultimate goal.