Monday, October 12, 2009

Deleting Your Own Words Is Like Eating Your Offspring

That is all.

38 comments:

Lizzy Mason said...

So true! When I revise, I have to keep the excerpts that I pull out or I feel a depressing sense of loss.

Well said, Elana! :)

lisa and laura said...

Shh...don't tell anyone, but I sort of like it. Does that make me a baby eating cannibal?

Scott said...

Amen!!!

Oh, wait, I've deleted almost 15,000 words. Is that mass genocide?

Tere Kirkland said...

Nope, it's cathartic, like revealing a big secret or losing weight.

(But I do keep old versions on file before I start slashing and burning. Not because I'm sentimental or anything.)

Abby Annis said...

I understand completely, but I'm always happy when it's done. I like Tere's description. It's kind of like losing weight. :) And I save everything too. That way if I've cut too much it's not gone forever.

Unknown said...

I am not a murderer....I swear!!!

Michelle McLean said...

ROFL!!!

Corey Schwartz said...

Ha ha. Been missing your posts.

Amanda Bonilla said...

So. True.

Elana Johnson said...

Oh, LiLa, I like it too. And yeah, Scott I've committed mass genocide too. Mwa, ha ha!

I'm still glad others find this hard to do.

:) Elana

Stephanie McGee said...

Awwww, just think of all the words you get to give life to on your next project and maybe that will make you feel better.

Sounds like your edits have been going fruitfully.

Unknown said...

Aww... Sounds like you need some chocolate and bacon!

I felt that way the first couple of times I did it, but now I'm kind of getting used to it... I'm going to put up a sign that says, "Bad Words Beware1"

Carolyn V. said...

That is so true.

Jeannie Campbell, LMFT said...

PROMISE ME you'll read my post on Word Vessel on Oct. 22. PROMISE!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

But the real question is how much salt you put on them.

Jen said...

Grrr...I HATE deleting. Hate it! But I always find that when I do, and when I finally stop taking out my anger on my keyboard, the work that emerges from the edit is far better than what I started with. But I do keep the old drafts around, you know, for old time's sake!

Jen

L. T. Host said...

Hurts, doesn't it? :(

But--- as long as it makes the ones that stay all that more powerful, it's a good thing.

Danyelle L. said...

*snicker*

Elana, if you get any more awesome, I'm going to have to start wearing shades when I visit your blog. >:)

Christine Fonseca said...

mwahahahaha!!!!

Kate Karyus Quinn said...

What if you C&P them into a new document for undetermined later? Is that kind of like locking your offspring into the closet instead of eating them? And is that actually any less cruel?

Teri said...

Heeehee. I love it!!!

Anonymous said...

I secret mine away into other documents just so I can go look at them sometimes. That way, I only kind of chew them up instead of digest them. =]

Tana said...

I concur. (Gosh that doesn't look right, lol). But never underestimate the power of the delete button, eating your offspring brings no such luck.

Elana Johnson said...

ROTFL!!

So now we're locking them in closets, sprinkling salt on them to make them taste better and/or just chewing, not digesting. We could say, "I didn't swallow."

Can't... stop... laughing!

B.J. Anderson said...

LOL!! The delete key is my best friend, but I always stick the deleted words into another file just in case I change my mind. You are too funny!

Tamika: said...

Ouch, the truth hurts! Key stroke, key stroke, delete, delete. Repeat. Key stroke, key stroke, delete,delete.

I have the rhythm down to a science.

Blessings to you...

Aaron Polson said...

Only to make room for the stronger ones...um. That didn't sound right. ;)

Tabitha Bird said...

No wonder editing sucks :)

Jessica Nelson said...

I saw this earlier in my dashboard and laughed.
Don't have much to add to it. Heh.

Katie Ganshert said...

Classic. Classic post.

That is all. :)

storyqueen said...

ah.....smells like revision.

Joshua McCune said...

The world is overpopulated :)

Carolyn Kaufman | @CMKaufman said...

PRICELESS! And you have done an amazing amount of editing lately. A fantastic, stupendous, lie-on-the-floor-and-feel-too-exhausted-to-even-think-about-getting-up amount.

Helluva job, E!

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Yes, yes it is. Now go watch Equilibrium. :)

Stina said...

I kinda like deleting my own words. Couldn't imagine eating my children, though. I don't think they'd taste too yummy. Well maybe my daughter would. She's really sweet. ;)

Mary Lindsey / Marissa Clarke said...

My kids taste better than my words. Yum. ;)

Ryan S. Kinsgrove said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ryan S. Kinsgrove said...

Yes, I can understand how you feel about deleting and revision in general (most times it just sucks the life out of writing), but you also have to look at the good side. If you start your revisions in a new document than you will always have the old document to look back on and go "God, I really am glad that I deleted all that crap, the new draft is much better."

Edit...I forgot to dot an i I'm sorry:(

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