Revising

There are times when I will revise a sentence or a paragraph numerous times and not feel like it’s done. I can see countless variations that all work just as effectively, but none of which will be final, since I can see yet a few more variations to try.

But after minutes or hours of trying to get that sentence or paragraph right, it can get frustrating and even tiring to try out a multitude of possibilities. It’s as if there is no right answer, just a gray area of possibilities. But I know in the back of my mind that there is one right answer, and if only I kept going, would I find it.

For me, that feeling of finality is reached when I can step away from it and not feel the urge to revise it again. Not all sentences or paragraphs are like that, however. Some just come naturally and effortlessly. But there are others that need so much work and polishing that I’ve reached the point where I’d rather delete them. But deleting them isn’t the answer either, since it leaves a void that needs to be filled.

For me, what helps is to just leave it alone, to come back to it later after a few hours or a few days. And when I do, it’s as if the answer was simple and straightforward, and I didn’t need to edit it to oblivion after all.