Love Writing, Hate the Editing

I love writing. The rush of creating new characters, bending them to my will, and dropping them into unpredictable story arcs is pure magic. Editing a manuscript is the bane of my existence!

First drafts are my playground — a place where rules don’t exist, and imagination runs free. Sentences pour out unfiltered, raw and impulsive. That’s the thrill — the joy of discovery as the story unfolds faster than I can type.

Then comes the edit. (insert groan)

That’s where the fun dies. The playground closes. Suddenly, it’s not about creation anymore — it’s about correction. Every misplaced comma, awkward sentence, and lazy word choice glares at me, demanding attention. What was once a joyous sprawl of ideas becomes a battlefield of tedium. I know some writers love this stage. They say editing is therapeutic, that fixing flaws brings peace. Not me. I groan at the sight of uncorrected pages. My eyes glaze over as I trudge through paragraphs that once sparkled with promise. (insert facepalm about here)

For them, editing is polishing. For me, it’s penance. (insert eye roll)

I can’t sleep at night. All I can think about is the next day of editing and ways to avoid doing it!

Yes, there’s relief when it’s done — a clean, crisp manuscript sitting there like a freshly painted wall. But I can’t pretend it’s enjoyable. The process is long, meticulous, and painfully slow. I envy those who find satisfaction in the precision of language. They find order in the mess; I find only monotony.

Still, I know it’s necessary. Without the edit, the magic of that first draft stays hidden beneath the chaos. So, I push through — not because I love it, but because I must. Writing is joy. Editing is endurance. And though I hate it with every fibre of my creative being, I can’t reach the finish line without walking that long, weary road.

–Michael (Dark Fiction. Author of SEETHINGS (the first book), free for a limited time)