First Can Be Best

When I revise my writing, I read through my piece and whenever I come across something that I don't like, I come up with a new version that I do like. When I really get into it, I become a rewriting machine. It is scary because it means that I don't like most of what I wrote in my last draft. But what is more scary is when I find something that I don't want to rewrite.

When I'm in editing mode, I want to edit. If I go through a page and have no changes to make, I feel like I'm missing something. But on occasion, I really like something I've rewritten. Even if I have no strong connection to it, the editor in my mind has no problems with it and might as well just leave it alone because there's nothing to do. It is at this point that the conflict comes. The editor feels like he isn't doing his job unless he makes changes, but he also shouldn't try to fix things that aren't broken.

Ultimately, I know that it is possible that the first version of something I wrote might just be the best version. I need to trust that if I can't find any problems with it, I should leave it alone. However, I also need to make sure that I never use it as a crutch. Just because I like something that I wrote the first time doesn't mean it's perfect. The bottom line is to always do whatever makes your writing the strongest. Everything else is less important.