Monday, May 18, 2009

Music Monday- Am I good enough?

Is it really eleven p.m.? My goodness how this Monday got away from me. Today was a fantastic day. In fact, I cannot think of a better day. Not only did I get to run with the rising sun, I ran again as it set. And to top it off, I enjoyed it with great friends and abundant laughter.

I am on a high. My training for the Wasatch Back in June is down to the wire. Which means I am logging hours and hours of weekly miles. In a word. Exhilarating. I can't begin to explain how much I have gleaned from pounding the pavement.

I've also discovered something quite exciting about myself. I love revisions. Yes. You read that correctly. Now to be fair, this is not my first round of revisions. I wrote a first draft last summer. Then spent the last six months rewriting the entire novel. The first go around, was very, very painful. So help me I will never try to write perfectly the first go around, ever again.

Joy!

The gloves are off. At last, I can sentence swap and fiddle with words until it feels just right. I can't believe how much fun I'm having. I am NOT a writer. I am a rewriter. How liberating. I can fully give myself permission to write horrible, embarrassing first drafts. Because now I know the freeing truth. The draft can always be fixed later. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can always fix them later! And the great news? They can be fixed. No matter how terrible the words flail about on the page. They will improve with each rewrite. I've read this dozens of times from other authors, but I never fully believed it until now.

Enjoy my song for the week. Call it a love letter to writing, or creativity or the daily ups and downs of living inside a writer's brain. Oh let's be honest, I just think this video is super cool. And since my sister-friend Melinda is looking for music to inspire a medieval yarn, I can't think of a better band than Evanescence.

6 comments:

Karen E. Hoover said...

Love the video and as always love your words. I'm glad you found the joy in editing! I'm finding it again as well. It's good to be reminded that those first drafts don't need to be perfect. Can't wait to see you this weekend!

Unknown said...

I too am a happy rewriter. Welcome to the club!

Evanescence is also dang good to run to. I've got to pound the pavement a bit more for the Wasatch Back, too. This training for an event in a month is not cool. Not cool at all.

Rachelle Christensen said...

Aah, I'm jealous cuz I'm just getting back to running after a year hiatus--baby boy--but good for you and I hope you have fun!I wanted to tell you about an awesome contest I entered at
The Original Scrapbox Check it out and please vote for me, #319 for the cutest craft giveaway. Thanks a bunch!

Cindy Beck, author said...

You're so lucky that you enjoy revising. I find all kinds of ways and reasons to put it off. Feel free to come and help me by doing my revisions any time. :)

Melinda said...

I love this song. My favorite of all the Evanescence ones that I listened to.

I'm so glad that rewriting is going so well.

I miss you! Can't wait to see you this weekend.

Jewel Allen said...

Good to hear that rewriting is going well. And I admire you for running. No wonder you look great every time I see you!