//truth//

Many want to right wrongs; few want to write wrong.

In a conversation with my editor, our discussion focused on the undervalued, yet priceless role editing plays. In writing, for sure -- but also in life.

Editors read an author’s words and apply expert scrutiny, a process at its best when brutal. Then a corrected version returns to the writer who now faces a choice: Make the changes or ignore them. Personal experience has proven that revisions carry immense value and, therefore, deserve strong consideration. Writers do their best work when they trust their editors to share the truth about what must improve, even when the feedback feels lousy.

A similar dynamic happens whenever willingness for scrutiny exists. A board chair once shared advice to help sharpen my decision-making: “Listen closely to people who disagree with you. If no one does, invite someone in who will.”

She continued: “The best decisions emerge from hearing truth, not from hearing everyone agree.”

Ancient wisdom reinforces the ultimate value of who and what you believe: “…the truth will set you free.”

©Copyright 2021, David Staal, all rights reserved