Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Victoria Sandbrook Flynn on October 8, 2009 at 8:04am

I'm torn between experiences as a writer and experiences as an editor. I feel "at the top of the world" when I'm doing both. So my specific examples are varied:

• Working with ESL students editing essays and conquering language barriers, especially when I'm able to explain nuances of the English language to someone who already grasps the art of composition. In particular one student from Spain just got it in our tutoring sessions when I was in college. He's the only one whose name I'll never forget.
• Setting a really solid blog post live. My most recent set of favorites has to be the work I did for my graduate directed study.
• The first month or so after I get back into writing after a hard semester of school. This may be my favorite time, even though I've got it listed on the third bullet. Learning a character, loving the calm and peace of working alone, bugging my boyfriend with the exciting little details I discover--it's heavenly.
• Editing a longer work. I think the editing I did as part of a class in grad school still holds the top spot for "favorite concrete example" of this point. Getting to discuss character and style and point of view was phenomenal; working with writers who were simply hungry for comments was fulfilling and exciting. Even when we disagreed, progress was being made.

So what does this say about me? I think I need to focus on people-centered work and certainly keep writing and editing tied closely if possible.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth King Humphrey on October 9, 2009 at 8:28am

As a freelance writer and creativity coach, when I feel that I am at the top of the world I am:

Helping someone figure out what the next step is to take in realizing their creative potential. Having taught college writing classes, I find the coaching more fulfilling because I get to help clients as they reach towards an important personal goal without the distractions of grades.

Writing a piece that resonates with readers--and myself!

Brainstorming and finding a great hook to pull my readers into a piece.

Permalink Reply by Vanitha Sankaran on October 28, 2009 at 4:25pm

I am on top of the world when I am either:

- Writing, editing or revising my own work (usually my novel)

- Editing or critiquing someone else's manuscript (fiction)

- Reading a well-crafted piece of work

If I could carve out a life around this, I'd be in heaven.

Permalink Reply by M. Sparks on June 18, 2010 at 8:37pm

What treasures you are dear fellow "She Writers"

As for myself, it's exactly what I am doing at this moment !

- Transforming the original language in which a book is written into another language.
- Ensuring that the translated version conveys the meaning of the original as clearly as possible.

And exercising my own creative writing just for fun :-)

Sincerely,

Marsha

Permalink Reply by Fi Phillips on January 8, 2011 at 11:29am

1. Writing in a quiet house without distraction. There's usually a good latte involved in that too.

2. Reading back my work and being surprised that it's actually quite good.

3. Watching a performance of one of my plays.

Permalink Reply by Shari Lynne Smothers on January 11, 2011 at 2:16pm

I feel like I'm on the top of the world when I am free to fully engage things that can consume me and take me out of normal time. Four things these days draw me in so fully that I can lose track of time and I notice that I'm caught up in the activity:

1. Writing something that sings itself to me - and the whole revising, editing, proofing process.
2. Editing - being the second pair of eyes for writers, to review and catch oversights that get missed when writing is flowing. I enjoy working on writing not my own, helping someone else.
3. Website development - making websites perform in a desired way by writing the code is a total rush, (especially, too, since I rarely get a chance to do this).
4. Working on computers - like, upgrading, troubleshooting, installing drivers. When something goes wrong with my computer and I can fix it, I'm over the moon.

Odd assortment, to be sure. But, there it is.

 

Thanks. This was fun!

Shari

Permalink Reply by Kim Ringler on March 17, 2011 at 8:19pm

1. Working on grants or other materials for non-profits

2. Reading my work and feeling satisfied I did my best for the client.

Permalink Reply by Rosanna on May 30, 2011 at 4:54pm

1  Exploring my options after giving up my writing career 10 years ago to hearken to a call to heal

 

2 Find more writing jobs (even if it's content writing and not feature writing which I miss a lot)

 

3 Build a real blog, one that will hopefully help bring in some bucks so I can support myself while I try to write a book (Ugh!)

 

4 Work on options that offer promise, like the Digital guide I signed up to do even if pay is only in the form of a small profit share; and the Uturn guides that I can create