Life Edits

I belong to a critique group that meets every other Monday night. After the four of us give updates on our personal and writing lives, we exchange pages of our work and dive into reading. Then we brainstorm solutions for problem areas and make suggestions for edits.

If someone were to listen in, they’d hear things like:

“That scene doesn’t work for me.”

“Love the tension on this page.”

“Boring. Cut it.”

“Needs more conflict between the characters.”

“I’m soooo into the story.”

Honest feedback from people you trust is not only helpful - it’s vital to the process of creating a strong, compelling story.

If a section needs to be fixed in a manuscript, we can backspace or cut what isn’t working and replace it with something better. A hurtful comment can be softened. An inappropriate action can be eliminated. A broken relationship can be fixed with a few taps on a computer keyboard.

If only I could so easily edit experiences in my life.

I would have . . .

been nicer to a girl who was outcast during High School.

broken up with my teenage boyfriend with more kindness.

pursued a different college degree and career path.

changed jobs sooner than later.

always focused on pleasing God, instead of people.

not said or done hurtful things to the people I care about.

Do you ever wish you could make edits in your life?

We may not be able to change our past, but we can choose how we treat people and handle situations today and in the future. We can choose to follow God’s direction for our lives and look to Him for guidance in making daily decisions.

Each day you write a page in your own life story. What would you like people to “take away” from reading yours?

Make it a good day!
Dawn