Edit. Revise. Repeat.

I often hear writers talk about how much they love the editing process, about how revising and making those needed adjustments only makes them fall deeper in love with their manuscript, as they then proceed to gush and carry on about how amazing and brilliant their characters are.  Now I'm not knocking these writers, so please don't take my snarky tone as criticism...it's not. Really. It's more like purely concentrated envy, because when I sit down to do edits and revisions, my never fail response after a reasonable amount of time spent scanning line after line of my attempts at writing is...

BURN IT!!!

Now if you can't tell, I am clearly not one of those writers who delves into this process with rose tinted glasses.  One main reason being that I am thoroughly and fully aware that my first drafts & usually second drafts are complete literary garbage.  Sometimes I think of it as witnessing a trapeze artist trying to perform brain surgery and then afterward sitting back and asking myself, why did I just do that to myself?

Often in those moment I sort of see my aspirations to write and become published as me living in a Michael Scott moment and wondering...is this just a bad idea?

Of course I snap out it and breath a sigh of relief when I realize that 1) I am not Michael Scott and my life is not a spoofy comedy sitcom & 2) I'm no where near as off the wall as this guy.

So to say that the editing process typically leaves me stressed, frustrated, chronically depressed, and somewhat borderline bipolar would be a very accurate description of me during my edit process.   

So why does she even write?! You may be asking yourself.

Well...because I love it.  (And yes, I'm a masochist.)

But even with the not-so-pleasant aspects of edits and revisions, there is something completely freeing and ME in the desire to use words to express my thoughts, feelings, dreams, and over active imagination that ultimately makes all the stress, unwashed dishes, unfolded laundry, missed meals and nights of interrupted sleep when an idea hits me, all worth it to me.

Now know that I am not claiming nor am hinting that I am the standard writer that all writing and processes should be measured by.  Pffffffft! Not by a long shot.  And to be quite honest I don't think there are set rules or standards in this business that can be used to gain or measure success based on whether your writing style or another authors writing style will guarantee the results you seek.  Writing is basically one of those it-is-what-you-make-it sort of things.

So I'm curious to know, what are your experiences when it comes to the writing or the edit/revision process?

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!