October 15, 2019 - 32 - "A Fine Vintage Post"

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"We will sell no wine before its time."  

-Paul Masson

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     Well, that's where I differ with Monsieur Masson.   A post would surely improve with age (and editing).  A little more 'time in the barrel' might soften the edges and improve the flavor, but I regularly post way before its time.

      The main reason for this is that all of my post ideas are absolutely hilarious and beautifully written...in my head. And until I actually hit 'Publish' they remain perfect.   It's only when the words mix with fresh air that they go sour.  When someone else is able to see them, then I can see all the flaws too.  Suddenly I notice I've written one long string of misspelled, badly punctuated, half-baked thoughts, using the same words over and over again...leading nowhere.


     I wish I could 'take off my writer's cap' and 'put on my editor's cap' as so many suggest.  But even if I  set something aside for months I still can't seem to really see it.  I can tweek and adjust 'til the cows come home but the real problems are invisible until they are 'out there'.  Then, finally, I see it, and notice when a sentence, or the whole thing, makes no sense.
   

     The other thing is that if I get into the habit of waiting for posts to actually be good (or even to make a little sense) I'd never share at all.  Believe me, I've tried this technique.  Julia Cameron talks about ways to silence our inner critics.  This seems to be a way for me to do that.  Making a non-negotiable deadline, working furiously to get a concept on paper, then pushing it out the door ready-or-not (mostly not) seems to be the way to keep creating.

     Then I can go into overdrive to fix the problems.

    I guess what I'm saying is...  It's best to leave some lag time between the day something's posted, and the time you read it.  If you do read it the day of and don't like a post, just keep coming back.  Eventually I'll clean it up a little, fill in the backstory, fix the word that didn't work, etc. 

     And it will probably improve with age.

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"Only a blank page needs no editing."  

-Marty Rubin

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"Perfection is the enemy of progress." 

-Winston Churchill

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