I recently stared to re-read and edit “Win Some, Lose Some.” I’m glad that I decided to wait a while, let it breath a bit.

The process of re-reading is somewhat difficult as I don’t want to get lost in my own story. I find myself, from time to time, not paying attention to the items that I should be. Spelling, tense, what I see in my head vs what I’m reading.

I really hope that doesn’t sound too narcissistic. I think it’s more like getting stuck in a rut. I read a few lines and get my mind set a certain way, then stop paying attention as the scene plays out in my head and I stop paying attention to the writing. I suppose this is why you need other people to read your work, and why I see “thanks” to many, many editors.

Speaking of which, I find that having my wife read the bits that I have edited a wonderful experience. I’m getting that initial feedback that differs from my own thoughts and feeling- and I’m quite glad that we’re on the same page. It is awesome, as well, when she points out things I missed (like an explanation of what the main character look like [i have no idea!]) or things that I overlooked (a side characters reaction to crucial information, which I saw in my head but wasn’t on the page).

Coming from a place where criticism used to be something that I hated and feared; this is a breath of fresh air.

–Steven