A Thoughtful Life

As I write more (and go back to re-read more of what I write), I realize that my first draft is never as good as I think it is when I’m writing it.  Sure, it isn’t bad… especially when I compare it to what the average population writes (read that as “people who don’t want to write for a living”).  But when I compare my writing against others in the field, I realize that I’m wordy, and have a very formal way of organizing my sentences.  I also over-use commas… chronically.  I rely on the word “that” way too often.

Now, before anyone jumps to my defense (and thank you very much if that was your first thought!), I’m not belittling myself or my writing.  I’m trying to be honest about the faults and flaws of my chosen craft.  I’ m not perfect, but I also don’t stand a chance of becoming “closer to perfect” if I’m not honest about my writing.  I hope that by knowing exactly where I always seem to go wrong, I’ll be able to quickly put it right.

Though I fear I may regret it… I’ll ask all of you to chime in with your flaws also.  And why would I regret it?  Well, some small part of me is worried that your flaws may also be my flaws and that I just never noticed them before.  When you bring them up, I’m hoping I don’t smack my head and say “D’oh”.

So please, join in and let me know where the flaws are in your writing.  When you start the editing process, what errors do you immediately look for?  What do you absolutely know will be wrong with your first draft, before you even look at it again?

[tags]writing flaws, writing errors, overuse commas, writing process, editing process[/tags]

[dels]writing flaws, writing errors, overuse commas, writing process, editing process[/dels]