At work, I can take thin pieces of wire and tiny electronic components and solder them into complex battery-powered devices, or even works of art. That is what you can do after years of practice with a soldering iron, followed by more years with very little supervision during work hours. However, if someone asked me to build my exotic creations on a larger scale by using welding supplies, I’m pretty sure the result would be lots of singed hair, raging fires, and an inconvenient lawsuit.
That's about how I feel right now as I try to work on my writing skills. I learned the basics of putting words together into somewhat coherent sentences. But after years of very little supervision, I’ve developed bad habits and sloppy skills. Instead creating enjoyable prose, I might as well be trying to weld pieces of rusted metal together with toothpaste.
So for the past few weeks, I have been reading “how-to” books on grammar and composition. I’ve practiced as much as my full schedule will allow. What I need at this point is an editor - someone give me the guidance needed to develop my silly scribbles into a self-sustaining craft. Or, at least, someone with a arc welder to zap me whenever my motivation wanes.
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