Lately, I’ve been struggling with my internal editor. For example, I’ve been revamping my initial chapters over the past few days because I keep thinking, oh, this is a much better way to snag the writer. Do this instead. Clean up that sentence. Tighten the character’s angst more – yeah, that’s it.
Unfortunately, that’s the freelance writer/editor side of me talking–the part that rudely butted into my precious writing time and has no idea what she’s talking about because she’s applying freelance rules to a novel. What’s the difference? Well for starters, freelance articles are short(er) and quickly completed. Ergo, I can write and edit almost simultaneously. But I can’t do that here. Not anymore.
Hello, internal freelance editor? Guess what? I’m writing a novel. Not a 1,800 word researched, non-fiction business operations article but a N-O-V-E-L. So just stop what you’re doing, step away from the white board outline, and go away for a few months. You are making me totally counterproductive–for now.
There’s plenty of time LATER for your visit and that’s when I’ll really need your expertise. Just not now.
