credit

A friend recently asked me an interesting question about how I write.

“Do you edit or just let it flow?” 

Much of my writing is actually done in my head before putting pen to paper or in today’s venacular, fingers to keyboard. I’ve always written this way, mulling things over and sorting them out in my mind before beginning to write them down.

Once I actually start writing, however, I edit, edit, edit! Every sentence is read and reread. Changes are constantly being made. When it comes to my writing, as in many other aspects of life, I’m a perfectionist. Downright anal might be a more honest assessment!

Like anyone who writes, I have my own personal style. I realize that there are many ways to  say the same thing but if something doesn’t sound quite right to me, it gets changed. To my mind, writing is a craft.

Editing is so much easier than it was in the pen and paper days. The internet is a fabulous tool. I often google a word meaning to ensure that I’m using it properly, sometimes finding a synonym that I like even better. Similarly, when I don’t want to use the same word too often, I search for a synonym. Though I’m pretty confident about my spelling, spellcheck is also a valuable tool.

Titles can be tricky. Sometimes, as in my post entitled Turn left at the three legged dog, the title comes to mind first but that’s quite rare. More often, I begin writing without a title and think of one later, sometimes after the article itself is completely finished. Occasionally, I begin with a working title but change it before I’m done.

My husband is one of my greatest fans and whenever I’m unsure about a post, I have him read it over before I publish it. Most often, he assures me that it’s fine but occasionally he points out something that I’ve missed or that isn’t entirely clear.

So, fellow bloggers, I’m interested in knowing how you write.

“Do you edit or just let it flow?”