Oh, My Eyes

Image by Bruno Henrique from Pixabay

​My eyes. Oh, my eyes. They are forever tainted, forever ruined. 

Lol. A little over dramatic, but in a way it’s true. I will never be able to look at a piece of writing the way I used to. I think back on how I used to read, even in high school or early in college, and on certain days I long to return to that way of viewing the written word.

But, alas, that is not my way. I must learn to accept I will never read anything, and I do mean anything, without editing it. Whether it’s line edits, formatting, character development, etc., I will always be editing in some way.

That’s not to imply my work is perfect, and my writing doesn’t need editing. On the contrary, I know it does, and I know I can’t see everything it needs. It’s a funny thing how the mind sees what it thinks is on the page and not necessarily what IS on the page, especially when you’ve been working on something for a long time. The more invested I am in a piece, the less likely I’ll be able to see the things that need fixing. That’s part of why beta readers are worth their weight in gold. 😊

And it’s not to say I can’t enjoy reading. I still get lost in stories. I just can’t turn the editor off. Really good books help me turn it down like turning down the radio while driving. But I still hear it.

I have no one to blame but myself. I’m a writer. It comes with the territory. But I do miss my old way of seeing sometimes.
 
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#writerslife #amwritingfantasy #amediting  #editing