Labouring over the Words by Mary Folkerts

 

Writing can be like birthing a baby into the world; no two labour stories are the same. Some babies arrive before they are expected, while some are long overdue. Some babies come relatively easily, and some have a complicated delivery. My babies, for instance, always came long after "the plan", as if they were little perfectionists in the womb, not presenting themselves until they were as right as rain! This, to their mother's chagrin!

The words that pour from our hearts onto paper can feel like precious “babies”, as often they are birthed in vulnerability and pain. It can hurt to strike through words that we struggled over, or that we thought sounded just right, but to make a good piece of writing great, it takes editing.

What’s the right amount of editing to do on a written piece? How do you know when it’s good enough to hit send? The answers to these questions may vary depending on what you are writing, be it a blog piece, a submission, or a manuscript.

When I need to write for a deadline, it can sometimes feel like I’m trying to wring water out of a dry sponge. Writing comes easier for me when I get hit by a wave of inspiration, a sentiment I’m sure most writers share. But even as the deadline looms, and I sit staring at the words slowly leaking onto the page, the mind begins to lubricate, and the ideas slowly form.

Once the ideas have begun to gel into a cohesive piece, I read it through and edit as I go. I love using my Grammarly Pro editor to help me identify mistakes and make my sentences flow more smoothly. I use it as a tool, but I don’t rely on it alone.

If I have time, I like to leave what I wrote to simmer. I will come back in a day and reread my words for further edits. I read it out loud and have someone else read and critique. Second eyes often catch things that I missed.

Editing is an essential part of excellent writing, but I don’t want to get hung up on writing the perfect piece. And though I go through deleting words, changing phrases, and adding commas, I must never edit out my voice to make it sound like someone else’s. My voice is what makes my writing unique, as your voice makes your writing what it is. We each have our way of telling the story God gave us to share.

And sometimes it’s just time to hit send!


Words fall on my heart,
like drops of rain
soaking the parched earth–
a collection of words
spoken
from lips that sought to encourage,
drawn up from the recesses of my mind
words
committed to memory
returning
in moments of drought.

There is no expiration date
on the power words carry
like rain,
they revive the wilted flower
whose head is bent
low–
Let the words of my mouth
linger like
sustenance.

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the Small Things https://maryfolkerts.com/ or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/