Discovery

When I was a kid, I dreamed of the day I would be a writer—a real writer. I wrote tons of short stories when I was a child, mostly about slavery in the South and the Holocaust (random and very depressing, I know). Choosing to major in English in college seemed like a natural next step in my quest to be a writer. After college, I took a job as a writer/editor at a natural supplement company. I enjoyed the work but always assumed it would be a stepping stone to what I really wanted to do.

Over the past few years, I've come to a very different realization. I still love writing. But where I always saw myself as the next great novelist, I finally understand that I kind of suck at writing fiction. I have the hardest time coming up with cool characters and storylines. I'm much better at writing non-fiction.

But what I've really figured out is that I love editing. I used to think that being an editor sounded so boring. But I really enjoy taking a document that needs help and making it better—more concise, more interesting, and more focused to its audience. Even when it's a long and difficult process, I always feel such satisfaction—maybe even joy—when I realize that what I've done is good, really good.

So, maybe I'll never write a great novel. Maybe I'll write an awesome non-fiction book someday. But I'm grateful that I finally realized that being an editor is a critical part of the creative process. It's nice to feel like I'm good at what I do. And yes, I do find joy in making ticky, tacky grammar changes. I love being an editor.