Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday August 1, 2007

Yesterday I received the edited manuscript for a special inspirational story I wrote to be placed in an Indiana Author's Anthology. The publisher had promised the editor was a very nice, compassionate and understanding girl with vast experience in the field of editing. Her list of clients is impressive. What a let down when I opened the large envelope and there before my eyes, enough red ink, pink ink, slashes and other horrible tools of editors to re-sink the Titanic. This girl sure has my publisher fooled.

Honestly, I had been warned that this would be a horrible sight and if I had not read some of Stephen King's books on the art of writing I would have been on the way to a homemade scaffold.

I have been learning something of value to me in the Lord's service through listening to professionals whom I deem to know more than me on the subject of writing, so I was not all bent out of shape, if you could see me you would know age has taken care of this, going over the editor's notations, inspired me to do a better job on my own next time prior to sending any article for crucifixion. Err, editing.

Criticism is a part of life. No matter what you do, there will be the critics. Learning to get over your bruised, even battered ego and confronting the truth, which in my case is simple, I sans the slightest idea about the nuts and bolts of writing, simply sit down, turn the computer on and go to it. For a daily this is good enough, but it is not the product I am striving for, though I settle for the often rough letter that rushes through the Ethernet. Some of the wonderful English teachers offer to help me; one even agrees to pay for psychoanalysis.

For the purposes of this letter I use edit, critique and criticize as one and the same, though there is a technical difference, the pain is the same.

A mentor is one who points out our mistakes and encourages us to use the correct method, and on occasion will coax us to new methods and new heights of achievement. A mentor, editor, even a mean spirited critic can motivate us to get on with life, with corrected actions and more importantly, thoughts and be thus better equipped to accomplish more through the improved practice of our profession.

As Christians we move a rung higher in the quest to better serve our Lord and His people when we refuse to let our friends smother us with kindness when they should tell us just like it is and then help us to adjust. And we should do the same for them and we each must get over the whiny weeping sufferer syndrome so prevalent in our circles. We may give our body to be burned, but I am quitting due to severe criticism. For shame.

You do understand the Bible is an editor, a mentor, a criticizer of our life? One commentator remarked Hebrews 4:12 sets God as the editor of the poem of our life; He edits the thoughts and intents of our heart.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit

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