I spent a very frustrating morning at the DMV. After realizing that I would accomplish nothing today, I decided to declare defeat until a later date. The stress of days like today is palpable. My job is to try to focus that energy. As I felt like bursting into tears, I went to my coffee shop instead. I’ve been editing for the past hour and will continue to do so for a while (free refills on drip coffee is pretty much the best thing int he world).
Refocusing stress into the perfectionist mindset that is necessary for editing is beautiful. I remember always trying to erase my stress by jumping in a hot tub or going for a walk. I still do that from time to time. But this is so much better. I feel like I am using that stress to do something productive. I am now almost halfway through the second draft of my novel. I’m going to get back to it. I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.
With Love,
Richard
There’s a part of me that loves the by-the-book, rules and regulations part of editing something already written. No creativity, no thought – just look for the next typo or split infinitive. It’s a great way of blanking the mind.