Embrace The Metamorphosis

When I write a post for Cheff Salad, I will do one of two things: Write about a thought I am having, or write about an idea I had. The former is basically like having a conversation or giving an impromptu speech. It is easy enough because it really is just typing my thoughts as they come to me. The latter is a little trickier.

When I write about an idea that struck me at a previous time, it is never quite the same. I usually only leave a title and a descriptive phrase for my blog ideas, specifically because I don't want to post pre-written articles. But because of that, I never have quite the same words as I did originally. Along with a change in words, there is often a change in path. Different words lead to different thoughts, which lead to a different entry.

So although I had the same title and subject matter as my original wording, I now have a distinctly different final product. Often times, people are upset by this. They feel that all they have now is a disfigured bastard, the original, more beautiful version having been lost forever.

Stop thinking that way. It is not a bastardization; it's a metamorphosis. Embrace that metamorphosis. Writing is always changing and growing. Your work always goes through multiple versions as you revise and edit. This is just a second version that happened in your head. It is never fun to give up your germinal idea, but it is not truly gone, it has simply grown into a new form. The heart and soul is still there.

Remember that, and carry on.