Eating Your Words?

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A while back there was a news story about a critic who literally ate what he wrote (check out my facebook page for the news link). Although I'm pretty sure newspaper doesn't make a tasty mouthful, we have a lot to learn from that wise phrase reminding us to be careful or risk eating our own words some day.

The point is, what we write can really backfire.

I think we all have had our share of embarrassing typos, mistakes, and story flaws. When it comes to our latest project, we are often so caught up in the happy halo of writing, that we fail to see the obvious errors. This is where the editing process or even a friend's honest opinion really saves the day. Be grateful for a harsh editor... it is probably best to bleed a few words here and there if the overall result is something that you can be proud of having written.

Over this past weekend, I picked up a book that had been published and it left me wondering, "Why???"

The grandmother dies, and after sharing this sad news, immediately, the grandchildren are asked if they want breakfast. Hungry, anyone? The father is tragically killed, and immediately, the kids ask their new guardian if they will have a new dad. Yep. Replacements are easy to find kids, no need to worry.

Don't leave holes in your writing... write to avoid having to swallow your words later on. Take your time, have someone edit your work, and don't be hesitant to accept criticism. It will spare your readers from wishing they'd picked something else to read.