Editing

I recently redecorated my bedroom. My room now reflects my current stage of life—a blend of traditional and contemporary infused with a touch of Zen. The backdrop is neutral with pops of color. The lines are clean and simple. I love it. And in keeping with the aesthetic I removed all functionless pieces of furniture and created a sitting area with a couch and a coffee table. I repurposed a round end table that was formerly in my living room and swapped it for my husband’s nightstand. But my side of the bed had no table or night stand at all and I wasn’t sure if the room looked off balance. So I dragged my nightstand down from the third floor at the risk of throwing out my back only to find that I hated it. When I stepped back and surveyed the entire room I saw that it was one detail too many.

The ceremony at the client wedding I attended last fall was performed by an ethical society priestess clad in a Navajo frock and Birkenstocks. The ceremony was flawless---that is until the closing prayer when in a roomful of devout Jews and Catholics the priestess summoned the God of the earth, wind, and fire to bless the newly married couple. The roomful of monotheist guests disapproved. The multiple Gods needed to be edited down to one. That final blessing needed to come from Yahweh—the one God everyone in the room could all agree on.

I am in the process of re-reading all my blog posts not just for typographical and syntax/grammatical errors but also for improved content. If I am really going to allow the book my husband created to be accessible to anyone other than me it is a chore I must complete. Because despite thinking that all of my blog posts were perfect the second I clicked “publish” on my website, some are not--particularly the early ones. Only now, when I look back can I see the revisions that are needed.

Editing is tricky business. There is a fine line between overdone, underdone and just right. Sometimes you can see errors right away, and other times you need calendar time to modify the content. They say the best way to accessorize an outfit is to put on what you think looks well and then before venturing out, remove one piece. The theory being less is more.

The same is true with words. Less is more. And the more you create less, the faster the meaning falls in place. It’s the touch of Zen I was referring to. Good editing leads to perfection.