I make my living as an optical
engineer. I've been doing it for many years. During the first half of my
engineering career I worked for other companies before starting my own.
During the time of working
for others, I observed the very common tension between engineers and
salespeople at companies that develop products. The old saw goes that engineers
say the product is never ready to be released, and salespeople sell it before
the first drawing is done.
Obviously reality lands
somewhere in between.
Writing does too. One
difference is that the writer, alone, is both engineer and salesperson. The
writer has to finish writing something. Sometimes you never think it's done.
Sometimes you're so fed up with it that you wish it would simply go away.
I write, re-write, re-write, get critiqued in group, re-write. Then sometimes I let my
writing sit for a while, maybe weeks, maybe months. When I pick it up and read
with fresh eyes, I usually find a way to make it better. Sometimes I also
realize that despite my lack of commercial success (so far), I can be pretty darn
good, on occasion.
But I don't do this more than
twice. My inner salesman yells, "It's finished. Next!" And he's
right. You can always do better, but don't make one story your life's work. Polishing
brings diminishing returns. Writing IS.*
*with apologies to Robert A. Heinlein.
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