What's an Inner Editor?
- Thread starter Yakamo
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Like your mother nagging you to do the dishes, and won't shut up about it until you do it right. -_____-
I have an excerpt from a book I'm reading. And I would be more than happy to scan it and post it here, with full permission from a MOD.
I have an excerpt from a book I'm reading. And I would be more than happy to scan it and post it here, with full permission from a MOD.
How about just posting the title and author? I'm sure Yakamo can find the book and section, if s/he so desires.
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It's that small voice in your head that's picking away at what you've written.
You don't want to get rid of it, you want to contain it. Put it on a leash or put it in a cage until it's time to edit. It's really useful then, but deadly when you're still trying to come up with an idea. Trust me, I know.
The "inner editor" is the voice of self-doubt that can force a writer to second guess himself or herself, and thus make writing difficult.
Posting excerpts is not a good idea. Please don't.
Just post the book's title, author, and publication data if you think it's a good book.
Posting excerpts is not a good idea. Please don't.
Just post the book's title, author, and publication data if you think it's a good book.
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What works for me is to honor my inner editor. She's trying to help. But she tries to help when I'm writing a first draft, and she helps in a way that interrupts me.
So if my inner editor starts bugging me about some problem, I make a quick note of what she is saying. That way she knows I won't forget what she was bugging me about, and can safely stop bugging me about it. And then I have to actually address the problem later; otherwise she stops trusting me.
Dale
So if my inner editor starts bugging me about some problem, I make a quick note of what she is saying. That way she knows I won't forget what she was bugging me about, and can safely stop bugging me about it. And then I have to actually address the problem later; otherwise she stops trusting me.
Dale
It's that thing that makes completing NaNoWriMo extremely difficult. I've actually beaten it by turning off auto spell check and typing in the same color as the background of the document. Gotten some weird looks for it while typing at the coffee shop, though.
An inner editor is like an inner child, only you have to kick its little ass more often.
Everything I learned about writing novels came from the Eagles, which is why ... oh, never mind.
Everything I learned about writing novels came from the Eagles, which is why ... oh, never mind.
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I thought it was some catch phrase made up by some dude who makes money selling books about writing to people who want to be writers.
BTW, my inner editor has undergone a lobotomy. He sits in the corner with a drool cup and I bounce gummy bears off his head for my amusement.
BTW, my inner editor has undergone a lobotomy. He sits in the corner with a drool cup and I bounce gummy bears off his head for my amusement.
It's like having the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.
Both are a pain in the butt.
devil: That sounds like crap. If I know it, an agent will know it, too.
angel: No it doesn't. Keep writing we'll fix it later.
devil: Better fix it now while it's fresh in our mind.
angel: Ignore the dummy on your left shoulder.
devil: I'm not a dummy, you're the dummy.
Me: Shut up and go away.
Both are a pain in the butt.
devil: That sounds like crap. If I know it, an agent will know it, too.
angel: No it doesn't. Keep writing we'll fix it later.
devil: Better fix it now while it's fresh in our mind.
angel: Ignore the dummy on your left shoulder.
devil: I'm not a dummy, you're the dummy.
Me: Shut up and go away.
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Barry Longyear has a neat article called Editor on the Shoulder from the 1985 issue of Writer's Digest:
http://www.sff.net/people/bblongyear/articles1editor.html
I read it when it first came out. (1985?! Cough cough cough) As he says in the article, it's really raising questions about "Why get into this business in the first place? Once there, why stay?" But he also gets into the editor-on-the-shoulder. And the monkey on his back.
http://www.sff.net/people/bblongyear/articles1editor.html
I read it when it first came out. (1985?! Cough cough cough) As he says in the article, it's really raising questions about "Why get into this business in the first place? Once there, why stay?" But he also gets into the editor-on-the-shoulder. And the monkey on his back.
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He's the fellow you stuffed in your trunk at the BEA, and currently keep locked in your attic. You buy him red pens and occassionally a can of Spam.
When you're ready to let him go, blindfold him, stuff him back in your trunk, and drop him off at a Barnes and Noble or Borders, because after the months of confinement, he'll probably want a latte.
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