Monday, May 19, 2014

Revising and parenting

I sometimes think it's a good thing I'm not a parent.  I can't imagine the struggles that parents go through, the fears and worries about their children.  And then, how can you let them go?  When do you let them walk to school alone?  Drive to the store by themselves?  How do you let them move across the country to go to college?  When do you feel safe knowing that they aren't sleeping in the next room?

Some of the same questions occur to me about revising.  My writing feels like my children at times.  How do I put away my crazy and overbearing editing?  When do I stop coddling it and let it go?  How do I let it go?  

When do I let it drive to the store by itself?  When do I feel safe knowing that it's not sleeping in the next room with me?

Writing isn't meant to be locked up in my laptop any more than children are meant to be locked up in a basement.  This blog has allowed me the freedom to express some of my fears and share some of the journey in letting it go.

Almost ready to let the kids out of the basement.  More to come on this.




1 comment:

  1. Excellent post, David. I'm feeling many of these feelings as my son graduates from high school next month! Letting go is hard, and it's very hard when your writing is also your baby and you're afraid the world will think it's an ugly baby. But good on you for letting it out of the basement soon. :)

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