Remember When Writers Were Advised to Have Thick Skin? I need thick skin today.



What does it feel like to have my work edited?

 

 

A professional writer…	The novice (me)…
realizes that once they submit the best writing they can get into Word, often the book no longer belongs to them and things can be changed, improved.	insecurely wonders about her writing ability.
analyzes the changes that were made and tries to learn from them.	huffs and complains about how she doesn’t see what was so wrong with what she wrote.
understands the editor’s job is to make what’s written shine and is thankful for it. (Years ago, a colleague said, “It doesn’t matter if I know how to spell or use proper punctuation in every instance, I have an editor.”)	learns how important an editor’s work really is and keeps writing even when she feels rejected or untalented.

 

I'm still learning about the business of writing-- and I'm enjoying the opportunity to do so. This matters to me.