Let it rest

Aug 7, 2013 | Better Writing

William Wordsworth said that the best poetry comes from “Emotion recollected in tranquility.” That’s almost poetic.

Ernest Hemingway is often quoted as saying that you should, “Write drunk, edit sober.” He probably didn’t say that, but it sounds romantic and Hemingway-esque.

Whichever form you prefer, the point is the same. The best writing channels passion, but only with dispassionate editing and revision.

Bottom Line

When you write with passion, let your work rest before you revise it and share it with the world.