Looking at our work in a new light

"Who are you, and how did I
end up in your arms?"

As I prepared to write today's post, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Amy wrote about the same kind of experience regarding writing epiphanies last week.

I'm currently in the process of editing a novella that's due to come out very soon, and something about it has been bugging me. (Imagine the baby in the above photo as the novella, and the guy holding his head as me. The baby/novella is totally confused, and the man/me is like, Arghhh... Now what do I do?)

After receiving the editor's notes and working on it for a couple of days, I knew the thing bugging me had to be addressed, and (nervously) sent an email. Her response turned out to be a great. I let out the breath I'd been holding for over a day. Her suggestion? *Simplify* it. Make it fun. That's it! (You'd think that would have been obvious, but sometimes we get stuck on specifics and try to make too much of things and lose sight of the big picture.)

The flood gates of ideas opened, and suddenly, I knew exactly what to do. That's the good thing about epiphanies: they make for such a pleasant writing experience! Even if more work is necessary, that's okay, because you know the solution. The end is in sight!

I like this quote by Marcel Proust:

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. 

Here's to new eyes for all of you, no matter where you are in the writing process!