A good editor

“The first draft of anything is shit.”
― Ernest Hemingway

I don't particularly like the body of work Hemingway produced, but he has a logic that is hard to deny. As a student, I write a lot of papers. Unlike a lot of students, though, (as I've covered before) I like to feel that I've learned how to be a better writer, and not just how to make the grade. Sometimes though it is easy to get caught up in arrogance, and just assume that I'm a better writer than my peers and that I need no editing because everything I produce is gold on the first try. 

Wrong. 

Wrong wrong wrong. So very wrong. 

Peer review is not my favorite tool in my writing class, but we do it every time. My favorite method is actually meeting with my professor to have him edit my papers himself. I have a lot more respect for his skills, knowledge, and talents than I do for the 19 year old sitting next to me who thinks that I'm "like... a really good writer, man."

It's fairly magical, though, to take a first draft into his office. Delicate and sensitive, it's like the first few glimpses into your soul. It's embarrassing and messy. But with the right editor.. the paper turns to clay. The two brains work together to mold that mess into a proper thought, a proper moment, a proper story. And then, when it's done, I can go home, reflect on notes and revisions, and REALLY start to write. 

It's magic. Editing isn't editing. Editing IS writing. There is no embarrassment in a sloppy, lazy first draft, as long as you constructively edit it. Nothing amazing was ever written on the first try.

30 pounds!!!

Finally, it's here! Today I was 176lbs. Back in October I was 206 pounds, and today, I weigh less than I did when I moved to Nevada, which was in 2006. Holy. Shit.

I weigh less than I did when I left college, and less than I did when a boyfriend did the wrong sort of encouraging and told me he would break up with me if I got past 175 pounds. And then promptly did not break up with me when I reached 180 and higher. Dumped him later, though...for being a dumb.

But fuck yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

And my dieting has been awesome. This has been so much easier than Dukan, so much happier. I don't constantly think about all the things I'm missing. I had a handful of strawberries yesterday. In heavy cream. And it was divine, and it was allowed. And in the morning, I still weighed less. I eat bacon all the time. I eat CHEESE. Great, glorious CHEESE. And I'm just melting away!


I even had someone say that to me the other day. "You're just melting away... you're like half the woman you used to be!"

Well, I haven't lost *that* much weight. But maybe... mentally, I'm double the woman I used to be.

Everything good is mine today.

Success!!

At long last... I'm seeing losses again!

182 today, after almost 2 months of stagnation at or around 186.

It feels so goooood.

I've been sick, and going through the hell of my wisdom teeth removal previously didn't help, along with the water retention from all the meds. But now that I'm on my feet and eating again (dukan is out, keto is in... it's delicious, and cheaper), I'm seeing losses!

School has started, Bioshock Infinite looms ever tantilizlingly, and the new BLOPS2 Zombies map is insane. Watched the bf play a little bit of Die Rise last night.... looks wicked fun. Can't wait to get my xbox back online....


<3