Quit While You're Ahead

Maybe not for long, and definitely not forever, but there's something to be said for knowing when to be done.

This is a conversation I actually have a lot. I'm an editor, and that's not just something I do for work. Long before I knew I had any creative ability, I knew I had the capacity to look at something and make minor adjustments to improve it. However, editing isn't just about looking at words and adding commas, changing a phrase, or removing a sentence. It's actually about paying attention to when it's time for a break, a change in pace, a release. And that can apply to just about anything we do.

Now, I'm not claiming to be a perfectly aware and regulated person because I'm an editor by nature.

I'm much better at feeling out the rhythms of others' lives and sensing where they need to show some restraint, capitalize, and/or actually retreat than I am at seeing the same patterns in my own life. It's easier for an outside observer. For myself, though, I still work really hard to try to catch the problems and pitfalls before I fall into them. I've done a lot of introspection and tracking of my habits and thought processes in an effort to be more present and aware of myself, so I've noticed a couple things in my own life as well as from observing others. Here are a few of those things.

1) A lot of editing is cutting down, but, sometimes, it's equally important to make additions.

When editing, the inclination is to just start hacking away at a piece to "cut it to size" or to "trim the fat". That's often necessary, but the whole picture includes making sure that the final product is still whole. And when you start removing chunks of words, it's important to double check that the information and meanings you're working to convey are still present and understandable. There are plenty of times where my natural brevity needs beefing up, and those are instances where addition is important. When things are stressful or overwhelming or full of any negative feeling, the human urge is to start removing things from your plate, but this can make our lives very small and joyless if we're not careful. Instead of just trying to remove the negative, it's important to look at where you can add positive elements to your time. Whether it's something small and whimsical or something that's measured and needs more time to properly integrate, making time and space for good things is part of the editing process too.

2) Make small changes rather than full re-writes.

This sort of goes hand-in-hand with the previous observation, but a huge part of editing is honest assessment and an openness to change. Sometimes, no matter how much you like something, it's just not working. People think that means it's wasted, but that doesn't have to be the case. Simply removing something that doesn't belong doesn't mean throwing it out. There are times where I write a paragraph, realize none of it fits, then save it for another piece or it grows into its own thing entirely. And looking back on something you love and breathing new life into it is its own kind of magic. Knowing when something needs to be adapted or even transformed isn't a painless process, but it is generally worth it for the good of the creator and the creation. But you do still need to learn how to know when to let something go, and that part–that part can actually suck. There's no getting around it sometimes. It comes down to what you want in life and art: Good enough or true potential.

And, lastly . . .

3) It really is important to know when to stop. And actually end it.

This wasn't just an inflammatory statement labeled as a title. This I learned from dog training, actually, but it's a truly amazing principle. It's not just a platitude to not take risks. It's the whole concept of building on solid foundations and keeping motivated and rewiring the brain. When something is going well and we still choose to step back, we are likely to come back to the thing and continue forward once we do. When something great happens, but we take a break, we give our brains and bodies space to process and ideate and refresh. And when we end on a feeling of achievement (no matter how big or small), we have a greater level of satisfaction in the work we're accomplishing. We see the bigger picture with greater clarity once we get some distance, and isn't that something we could all use a bit more of lately?

So there you have it, three things that editing can do for you in your writing and in your life if you take the time to apply the principles intentionally. I hope you have a use for them. Agree? Disagree? I'm always happy to hear back and discuss, so send a message and let me know!

Happy reading!