When my inner editor starts getting to me through painful insecurity, I start to imagine that she has taken on an appearance of monstrous proportions. When I put all those insecurities into an imaginary persona, I can tame them, lock them up if needed, and get back to writing.
Here are three images I came up with for my inner editor last month:
On a bad day, my inner editor took on the appearance of an eight foot monster with orange skin, three foot fangs, messy green hair, and breath that stank like rotten gym socks. She carried a large club to smash through my entire draft.
On a horribly bad day, my inner editor took on an ultra-professional appearance with supermodel good looks, perfect hair and skin, and small fangs emerging over her blood-red lips. She stalked all over my laptop dressed in a red suit and three inch heels.
On a good day, my inner editor looked like a friendly librarian, showing me the books I needed to make corrections, quietly pointing out my typos, and giving me a pat on the back when I noticed my mistakes before sending them into the world via e-mail, facebook post, or tweet.
Have you ever used your imagination to tame your insecurities? What does your inner editor look like?
43 comments:
I think I will imagine mine is a cockroach and squash it.
Lol! I love it! I'll have to try this. :)
What a great idea! And since I'm a librarian, and a hope a friendly one, I like your good day choice. :)
Good idea! Fun images, too. :)
What an excellent idea! I'm going to imagine sticking my insecurities in a box and crushing said box under my foot :)
Oh yes. We have twin inner editors.
I can see your editors. Love the librarian.
I didn't realize I was harassing you that day! (your supermodel inner editor, that was me :P) I love this idea, fun, and helpful ;)
I'm going to imagine my good editor is Hammy the Squirrel, zipping through the manuscript with ease.
Let's hope there are more good days than bad, or horribly bad!
What a great idea! I never thought of molding my insecurities into a pretend person. I think I might be able to reason with 'it' that way. Thanks!
Lol! I so need to try this :)
Good choice!
Glad you like the idea! :)
I knew there was a reason I think your awesome! :)
Thanks, Madeline!
Sounds good!
The tall, smelly one, or the three-inch heel one? :)
Thanks, Natalie!
Oh, that was you?! :)
Glad you like the idea!
Nice! Hammy would be a great editor!
Yes! :)
You're welcome!
Glad you liked it! :)
I never tried that but if those first two monsters lurk in your office, I won't be visiting any time soon. LOL Pretty cool idea.
LOL! This is great! I think my inner editor is more of a mean librarian, who's mad that I reshelved her books in the wrong place. But I love your image of the nice librarian instead!
I haven't imagined my inner editor, but now I think I will!
Great post. I just wrote a post about My Muse & My Editor
My editor get frustrated with my Muse, because my muse likes to communicate in imagery, symbolism and metaphor and make my editor figure it out, lol. So my editor retaliates by criticizing to get out of it.
Juneta at Writer's Gambit
I just ban my insecurities. When our daughter was little, I used to say "There are no monsters allowed in our house." I use the same method with my worries when they try to crop up. I just tell them they at not allowed.
Thanks, Susan!
:)
I've never really imagined my inner editor, I love your imaginings though!
I imagine Danny Devito. He can never be scary and he makes me laugh. No matter how much he yells!
I think my internal editor is a bit like the second version of yours, without the vampire vibe. Supermodel Ivy-League grad who makes every idea seem like the stupidest ever with the slightest raise of one perfectly plucked eyebrow. Yeah,, her. Not sure how to imaginatively tame her though. On good days, she switches to sweats and geeks out with me about Harry Potter, then fixes all my mistakes.
I'll have to remember that. :)
That's great, Elizabeth!
I'm glad she switches to sweats and geeks out with you now and then, but I like the images! :)
Thanks, Laura!
You might like to know that the editing advice you gave me is spreading. Check this out: angelinetrevena.co.uk/news--blog/insecure-writers-support-group-on-editing
Hee, hee. My inner editor will never bother me again. Whenever it shows up, I'll be reminded of this post, and I'll be laughing too much to pay attention to it. :)
What a neat idea! I haven't really thought about what my inner editor looks like. Then again, if she's more the librarian type, she might look a lot like me. ;)
I have!! It was a giant green monster hiding my book behind its back! I drew it, painted it, and keep in on my writing folder to remind me to keep working.
I never thought about what my inner editor looked like. I love the descriptions of yours - they were hilarious! I think mine would look like Hannibal Lechter, with a sarcastic voice and contemptuous smirk. And he might eat me....
Hysterical post! At times my inner editor looks like the red headed monster from Bugs Bunny!
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