Naming the Internal Editor

One of my biggest challenges in writing has been the subconscious belief that thoughts should always spring fully formed and polished from my brain. This has been the case for as long as I can remember, going back to term papers in college and even reports in high school.

The part of my subconscious that is responsible for this is known as my Internal Editor. Even now, as I write something as simple and innocuous as a blog entry, this voice in my head makes me go back and fix things that are perfectly valid, but just don't sound quite right.

One of the benefits from this BIAM challenge I am doing is that to make any progress at all it needs to be done without the internal editor. This has been a very helpful exercise for me. My internal editor is very insistent, and at this stage of the game he just gets in the way.

Another writer participating in this exercise has given her internal editor a name, and it was suggested that everyone think up a name for their own editor. I've recently gotten into naming things, so I figured I'd give it a try.

The name I have chosen for my internal editor is Ponopono, which means (among other things) correct, revise, work carefully and neatly.

So now when he slows me down to try and make me polish a sentence, I can say "Hamau Ponopono!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guavalicious Contest Rules

As many of you know, I grew up in Hawaii, in the quaint little village of Laie . Many of you also know that I have been working away at my version of the Great American Novel for the last little while. Due to a bout of homesickness brought on by a cruel Utah winter, my story is set in (surprise) Laie. It was also in Laie that I learned to love the great taste of guava - the same taste I am about to share with a few lucky people in the form of my Guavalicious apple butter. To enter the contest, simply add a comment to this post that completes the following sentence: "A story set in Hawaii simply has to include _____." There are no right or wrong answers. I'm just curious to see what everyone has to say, both "insiders and outsiders". I also think it could be fun to try and use as many of these suggestions as possible. You can make as many as you want, but your name only goes in the hat once. I will add a jar of Guavalicious to the prize pool for every four entr...
Read more

Canoe-Paddling Polynesian Guys

Image
We have finally hung a picture on the wall here in our house. The fact that this is a blog-worthy event eighteen months after moving in is, I admit, rather pathetic. But it is also very exciting. I finally feel like we are really moving in. Slowly but surely we're picking away at the projects that need to be done, and (for now) avoiding the temptation to take on any new ones. This picture is called Hoe Kama Kani , which means "paddle with the wind." We found this picture at a home show in Honolulu while we were students, and I just fell in love with it. I stood there and stared at the picture for quite some time, but I simply couldn't justify the $140 price. The salesman told us that they had a smaller print available for much less, but they had sold out at the show. We could look at it if we came by the studio the next week. Unfortunately, the little 8x10 just didn't have the same effect as the full size print. So as you can see, we bit the bullet, got the big on...
Read more

The Liar's Game - Post 500

Image
Here it is - the 500th post here at Fifteen Minutes of Delusion. To celebrate, I'm having a contest. You can find the rules here . Post your guesses on this post. And now, on to the game. 1. My lunch with Michael Dorn. For several years, I was the Utah Wing Leader for Angel Flight West, a charity flying organization that donates flights in private aircraft for people who need medical attention. Each October, the Wing Leaders would get together with the board of directors in Long Beach, California, for a Wing Leader Planning Day. The first year I attended, actor and pilot Michael Dorn was on the board. I didn't recognize him at first, but as soon as he spoke, there was no doubt who he was. Kara and I were big Star Trek fans at the time. Although we didn't have any direct interaction, we sat at the same table during lunch. I was pleased to note that he took the onions off of his sandwich, just like me. 2. My flight with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. One Christmas Kara and...
Read more