My Inner Editor

My inner editor annoyed me last week.  Usually I don't mind it when she adds a tweak here, or changes a word there; it flows better.   And it means I submit fairly clean copy, which always makes someone else's job easier.

Last week I had the pressure of deadlines.  The deadline for my magazine articles was last Wednesday; I had three left on the Monday.  You can imagine how it felt then when my inner editor
decided to be her usual helpful self, forcing me to go back and keep changing a line of text here, or a word there.   "Leave me alone, and let me get to work," I grumbled.  "Shut-up, I'm on a deadline here.  You'll get your chance to play," I told her.   It took me the better part of a day to write this one article because of her.

The inner editor got  her chance to play on the weekend.  Besides working on magazine stuff this month I've been taking a Short-story writing workshop at the library.  For class last week we had to have copies of two short stories we'd written to hand around to everyone.  We were assigned six to read, and critique at home for this week.   This made everyone happy; my inner editor because she got to pick apart someone else's writing for a change, and it made me happy because at last she was off my back.

This process is going to be interesting.  I tried to give balanced criticism; started off with the positive; things I liked about the story.  Then I gave at least 2 suggestions to everyone on where to improve.   I also corrected  grammar, spelling, and word  choice.  The manuscripts were covered in blue ink of my pen by the time I was done.

This will be a test for me.  How will I react to being picked apart in semi-public atmosphere? Were people as fair with me as I tried to be with them? I'd like to think so, but we'll see.  I'm open to the idea some people hated my writing; didn't get the story I was trying to tell.  The thought makes me uneasy, but it is  possible.