Editing

I remember a quote I think from Michaelangelo that when sculpting he took a block of marble and waited for the figure to emerge.

This morning I've been editing a long piece of text which I've written over the last few weeks.  Some writers hate editing their work but I love it.  The first draft to me is to set down all the thoughts in your head.

Editing is when you give it a shape and refine it.  Often we write as we speak with all kinds of hesitations, slang and ill formed sentences.  We've poured it all down on paper in a flood.  Now we channel it till it's controlled and effective.

It's interesting that as I progress through the text, there are fewer mistakes.  I've written myself in to the style and subject of the text. 

I'm looking forward to finishing this stage of editing, then I can move on the tightening the text even more till a word taken out destroys the meaning. 

That's the goal anyway!