Find Oomph in Creative Editing!

Thoughtful comments filled the box following my post on why creativity shuts down if you stop to edit as you write. Want to find some excitement in editing? Joanna Young approaches editing creatively and offers refreshing tips to put a punch in your editing. Here're brilliant approaches to try...

Robyn, thanks once again for exploring some of the brain science behind this common complaint. Fascinating stuff as usual, though I'm curious - do you literally change hats? Or put an editor's hat on?

I think I might distinguish between the editor and the critic. Editing can actually be quite a creative task, just different from getting the words down. It can be enormously satisfying cutting, shaving and polishing so the best words show off in all their glory.

Or to put it another way, to cut the excess words and allow the natural rhythm of the piece to flow - to find the punch, the oomph, the unstoppable force which will leave your readers reeling

The critic I think of as the person who asks: is this a good idea? should it be written like this? now? or saved for later. Think on, think hard.

When things go skewiff is when we let the critic talk to us before we've written anything, because he (why does the critic appear as a he? well he does in my mind!)is likely to anticipate our very worst, mediocre, dull boring writing... and stop us writing anything

This gets worse when we compare our feeble efforts (not yet written) to the demands and expectations of our audience. It'll never be good enough, people will laugh... that is, we anticipate criticism

The way I get round this is to focus on my purpose. A positive purpose like: to express a powerful idea, to share some important news about brain research, to inspire someone, to let people know about the fantastic work we've been doing. Something that makes me feel positive, enthusiastic, and motivated. I keep focused on that, then let the words flow.

It's the most effective way I know to keep the critic at bay and let the writing job be done.

Gosh, that was a long comment, almost a post. I've been meaning to write a post on this, so might use this as the raw material for it. Thanks!

Joanna, thanks for taking your time to let us see editing from a whole new perspective. Writers who go skewiff might learn even more by asking purposful questions before putting pencil to paper...I know that they'd gain much from your series on how to ask purposeful questions. As you say it's a matter of knowing and being excited about our purpose. There's the crux of the issue.

I'll now approach writing and editing tasks with much more verve. What about you folks? Anyone who loves to play with words can learn to be a playful editor! After all, your brain has amazing plasticity so that we can develop new ways of doing tasks!

Do readers have additional ideas to edit more creatively?

Surprises Lurk in the Comment Box!

Conversations with others benefit in so many ways. Unexpected surprises surfaced for me recently since I was the 1,000th commenter on Brad Shorr's Word Sell, and the 2,000th commenter on Joanna Young's Confident Writing. They offered a choice of books as a prize!

I comment to engage with people in many fields - to encourage or to learn more. Hearing peoples' thoughts helps me see ideas afresh. So I leave bloggers' sites with extra takeaways, besides building friendships with folks around the world.

Brad said,

I’m glad that Robyn was the 1000th commenter for a couple reasons. First, she was one of my first readers. Without her early encouragement I don’t know if I would have kept it going. Second, I think she was really disappointed she didn’t come up a winner in the recent “nano contest”.

Brad, you were amongst the first commenters on Brain Based Biz, too. I sense we kept learning from each other along the way. You could be right about the nano, but I've been thinking now about purchasing one!

Joanna announced me as 2000th commenter with such fitting words in the title... Brainpower in the Comment Box. I also like the way she encourages me...

She was one of the first people to leave a comment on my blog at a point where those gestures of friendship, encouragement and support are so invaluable. And she's been here ever since.

I hope it gives you even more power to your writing elbow Robyn. You share some powerful and exciting ideas with us about the way the brain works, and we all benefit when your words fizz, crackle and soar.

From Brad's bookstore I chose The Little Blue Book of Advertising by Steve Lance and Jeff Woll. And, from Joanna's store On Writing Well by William Zinsser. I've already had some ideas springing since thumbing through The Little Blue Book... I can see why you recommend it, Brad! And, I can't wait until Zinsser's book is in my mail box!

Thanks Joanna and Brad! Winning prizes through commenting seems like pouring fresh strawberries over warm buttermilk biscuits... extra good!

Hmmm.... It also stirs my thinking about possibilities of a contest here. My thinking cap's revving as we speak...