Ha, I experienced this recently. What's kept me from sending out some of my writing is doing the tedious research of where to send the work. So I've spent the past week doing just that. And you know what, with a glass of wine and some jazz in the background, it's actually an enjoyable process. Same with editing/rewriting.
If you don't love the full craft of writing (and it truly is 90% rewriting), then it probably isn't for you. There are a lot of people who want to "have written", meaning they want to have the published something but they didn't want to do the grunt work to get there. Think, the first draft is so brilliant it doesn't need editing and is published immediately - ta da! Yeah, that's not reality for hardly any writer. And it's really because editing and rewriting is such a process - a NECESSARY process. Can it be painful? Yes. Can it also be very rewarding and teach you more about your craft than anything else? Absolutely.
Very well said Chris. Your event ND26 was amazing and life changing. Met amazing people, learned I was not the "only one", and learned action steps to go forward and live a better fuller life. Took away the stigma on medication too! Definitely coming next year with my ADHD daughter (already bought tickets). Keep working your spreadsheet/floooooow magic, grateful! Great volunteer staff too!
IMO this applies to having a democracy, and who likes that work? More likely we tend to think, "Can't somebody else do it?" (props to Homer Simpson on that one). Community-building is the "sanding" here.
Well said, Chris! The first draft of my book took 3 months. The editing (and subsequent 19 drafts took 3 years!
I love writing. I don't enjoy editing nearly as much, but whittling away the parts that don't fit, finding that perfect phrase or sentence amidst the chaos, etc. So i'm willing to do those boring parts!
Surfing is 95% paddling against the current or waiting. But that 5% of catching a wave is so magical. In fact, sitting on your board, hanging out with friends, waiting for waves. It's the best.
Ken Burns talks about editing for his documentaries being 90% editing and boiling things down to the essence. Living in New England, he says something like "it takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup."
This made me laugh: Nobody at the event said “Wow, great spreadsheet work.”
This is why I quit sewing--it's 90% ironing. Keeping the "why" front-and-center really helps when you're grinding through those details!!
Ha, I experienced this recently. What's kept me from sending out some of my writing is doing the tedious research of where to send the work. So I've spent the past week doing just that. And you know what, with a glass of wine and some jazz in the background, it's actually an enjoyable process. Same with editing/rewriting.
If you don't love the full craft of writing (and it truly is 90% rewriting), then it probably isn't for you. There are a lot of people who want to "have written", meaning they want to have the published something but they didn't want to do the grunt work to get there. Think, the first draft is so brilliant it doesn't need editing and is published immediately - ta da! Yeah, that's not reality for hardly any writer. And it's really because editing and rewriting is such a process - a NECESSARY process. Can it be painful? Yes. Can it also be very rewarding and teach you more about your craft than anything else? Absolutely.
I recently read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and love how she says it: “choose your sh*t sandwich.” 😆 There’s monotonous work in everything.
Very well said Chris. Your event ND26 was amazing and life changing. Met amazing people, learned I was not the "only one", and learned action steps to go forward and live a better fuller life. Took away the stigma on medication too! Definitely coming next year with my ADHD daughter (already bought tickets). Keep working your spreadsheet/floooooow magic, grateful! Great volunteer staff too!
IMO this applies to having a democracy, and who likes that work? More likely we tend to think, "Can't somebody else do it?" (props to Homer Simpson on that one). Community-building is the "sanding" here.
This is such great framing-- most of life is sanding, so you might as well whistle while you work!
Thank you for the reminder that I probably should be doing more "sanding". :-D
That's also what I look for in hiring people - someone who loves the outcome so much that doing the detail / sanding well is a point of pride.
Well said, Chris! The first draft of my book took 3 months. The editing (and subsequent 19 drafts took 3 years!
I love writing. I don't enjoy editing nearly as much, but whittling away the parts that don't fit, finding that perfect phrase or sentence amidst the chaos, etc. So i'm willing to do those boring parts!
Surfing is 95% paddling against the current or waiting. But that 5% of catching a wave is so magical. In fact, sitting on your board, hanging out with friends, waiting for waves. It's the best.
Ken Burns talks about editing for his documentaries being 90% editing and boiling things down to the essence. Living in New England, he says something like "it takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup."
Thanks for sharing this dude!
Silversmithing is similar, lots of sanding and dust. But lovely in the end! 🩶