Why Should I Edit?

[Lizzie]

The Stephen Fry? I'm through the first chapter, have to pick it up again, enjoying it so far. Ala rowens, Sad to say I got a retired hardback library copy on the cheap, sad it's not on the shelf but great for me.

Yeah, it's this one. Hey, I'm two pages into the first chapter now! Whoo hoo! Only 300 some pages to go

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some would like to keep the romantic idea alive that there is no logical causation and poems just appear in us [or from us] like spontaneous generation. they are opposed to the mapping of a process because it alienates them. there is the misconception that tradition says "if you do X, Y, and Z, you will write great stuff" the implication being "if you cannot [or have no inclination to] do X, Y, and Z, you cannot write great stuff". and of course, there is some fight back against this: "fuck you! i can write whatever i like and it will be great!" and not just from the pretentious. but this is just laziness.

Ok, keeping it very real, the poems that I've had the best success with here that people have resonated to, came out of free-writing sessions. I loved the "writing from the heart" exercise that Leanne set up, and I free write every day now. When I deviate from that, I don't have as great of luck. I try all the time to do exercises that I'm supposed to like "write a poem about this" "write a poem that uses this technique" "write something in this style" and it hardly ever works. My last flaming wipeout was because I was trying to do a new exercise. And that's ok, because I need to learn and try new things to see what works for me and what doesn't. But, honestly, for me the best stuff I've done did originate from within, and I can't always control it or make it appear. I hear what you're saying about consistency, and I don't know what to do about that except to free-write every day so that maybe once a week I'll glean something that I can use.

Now, that having been said, after the big mess of word vomit has been produced, that's when learned techniques are essential to try and mold it into something compelling. I love the idea of having a roadmap for the creative process, but that has never worked for me. But, I've only been writing since March, so take it for what it's worth.

I almost didn't post The Watch Man because it came out mostly intact from a frenzied free-writing session, and I only did minimal edits, and that seemed lazy!!! So, you're cracking me up with this laziness notion because I worked much harder on the flaming wipeout than the one that seems to be working. I don't think it's fair to automatically equate failure with laziness.

Are there a lot of lazy writers on this site? Do people just post any old thing here? I'm not sure.