Monday, February 5, 2018

THE EDITING PROCESS: IS THIS MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT CLARITY OR MY BEST WORK?

While rewriting my posts, my processor is not seeking perfection
I rewrite each post until the emergence of my innermost thoughts
Are expressed in word choices that clearly make sense, first
To me and then hopefully, to you. and here is why
It’s not uncommon for an extensive editing process to
Prove necessary before clarity is achieved, all around:
Though intuitive trains of thoughts often prove profound, they
May also be so complex as to emerge from my brain’s
Inner sanctum in such a disorderly formation as to
Suggest why the conscious portion of my processor must
Reread whatever has been penned until, upon further review
My think tank’s organizational prowess can kick in in
Order to focus my intelligence upon how best to simplify
Natural streams of consciousness, which, having
Emerged in a highly complex state of being, arouses
My processor's awareness of need to create
Change for the better by modifying
Trains of thought, again and again, so as to ease
Readership’s comprehensive absorption of
Strings of insights, which, likened to
Christmas lights, lining up and lighting up
All wired together, illuminate
Your conscious awareness and mine to
Identify this classic truth, repeatedly:
No matter how brightly enlightened
Our processors continue to feel as
We age, there will always be additional
Insights, concerning the absorption of wisdom when
The subjects at hand are life, love and the human brain's
Contrasting, interactive functionalities
And here’s why the words chosen to bring that
Deeper truth home proves profound:
No matter our age, we don’t know what we don’t know but
Need to know concerning how to make such sound use of
Our smarts so as to communicate so wisely that
Our listening skills, talking skills and solution-seeking skills
Grow to be so effectively and expansively instrumental as to
Create changes for the better, which will improve
Our lives as well as the lives of everyone we 'touch'
(See what I mean about need to simplify
The highly complex profundity of intuitive trains of thought?)

And now that today’s post has clarified the fact that
My editing process strives—not toward achieving
Perfection but toward easing readership’s
Comprehensive absorption of profoundly compelling
Strings of interrelated, insight-driven chains of
Thoughts, which prove so complex as to have
Emerged from within my intuitive depths in such
A confounding state of being as to alert
My intelligence to remain aware of inner need to continue to
Work toward simplifying streams of consciousness that
Have already been penned and published for public consumption
And as an example of that deeply intuitive, editing process
You may find it of interest to know that
I still feel compelled to back track in hopes of
Improving a post published earlier this week, on
Monday, to be exact ... why?
Because thoroughness is my thing

Years ago, when I’d coached my trio of young sons to
Produce their best work during moments when
Each one’s mental concentration was
Focused upon completing daily homework assignments
I was guiding their processors to develop the personal
Strength of thoroughness—however
If thoroughness concerning clarity of purpose is
The name of the game then when the subject at hand is
Creative writing, most writers would agree that
The first draft, penned by scribe, is called
rough draft, because grammatical mistakes
Have need to be caught and insight concerning smoothing
Out wrinkles that prove disruptive to our processors’ connection to
Clarity are ironed out during the editing process, and now that
Auto correct has a mind of its own, I also have need to catch
Computerized mistakes, which all too often escape
My detection until the editing process offers
My eyes reason to widen in surprise before they roll upward in
Quiet frustration—I mean, seriously—it’s quite enough
Work to simplify complexity of thought that has
Emerged from deep within my brain without
My having to zero in in ORDER to
Correct auto correct, which
Stubbornly changes my word choices or corrects
My grammar choices, at times when neither one
Proves in need of correction in the first place
For example, much to my exasperation
I find auto correct changing the possessive form of ‘its’ to
‘It’s’ (it is) so often as to frustrate my sensitivity to
Writing with attention to grammatical correctness, so that
Each time auto correct makes a mistake that somehow
Slips by until it leaps out at me, piercing
My awareness at some point during
The editing process (or often times, not until
After I’ve published a post or sent a text), once
I come to spy computerized mistakes, which were
Most certainly not my fault, I hear
The fifth grade teacher in me clearly declare:
Auto correct, please straighten your thinking cap!

Hemingway on his writing process:

“When you start to write you get all the kick and the reader gets none ... After you learn to write your whole object is to convey everything, every sensation, sight, feeling, place and emotion to the reader. To do this you have to work over what you write. If you write with a pencil you get three different sights at it to see if the reader is getting what you want him to. First when you read it over; then when it is typed you get another chance to improve it, and again in the proof. Writing it first in pencil gives you one-third more chance to improve it. That is .333 which is a damned good average for a hitter. It also keeps it fluid longer so you can better it easier.“
     — Earnest Hemingway

Though I can’t find the direct quote on Google
Hemingway also said:
Good writing is in the editing

Being a guy, Hemingway used very few words
Being a woman, who’d mistakenly gotten into the talking line twice
I can’t figure out how in the world to achieve such a feat ...

PS
Wow! That was some game yesterday ... right?  Right!

Just picked up on mistakes in this post as well as mistakes in the post published, Friday ... Geez ...

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