I read a post one time about how you should never apologize for not blogging regularly.  So I’m not apologizing for my absence from my blog.  Instead it is a reflection of a busy life.

I’ve been immersed in writing and editing this weekend. And I was reminded today of why I really love being a writer and editor.  It isn’t about seeing my name in print – although that is really cool. It isn’t about how much I’m paid per word – although that is really nice (and important).  It isn’t about making sure I write about myself – which I prefer to avoid.

This weekend, writing and editing is about sharing with others the stories that might not ever be shared otherwise. It is about digging into the deep parts of a source’s thoughts and passions to find out what really makes them tick.

I was reminded of all of this as I emailed back and forth with a source on a story I am writing.  I loved her email responses to my questions. Even in her statement of “my answers are messy and honest.”  I loved it. I got to see who she really is.  And I get to share that with others.

It is also about finding the nuggets no one else gets to see. The story I’m working on right now has 4, 114 words of notes all in one document. Some are in perfect paragraph form. Some are just notations of what I need to expand on. Some are questions of where I need more information. Some are just jumbled sentences that need to be “prettied up.”  Sadly, not all those words will remain in the final version. Especially when there is a 1,200 word limit.

What happens to the extra stuff? It gets cut.  And a lot of it is really really good stuff that no one else will see. But you know what I love?  I get to see it.  I get a glance at the nuggets. The words that maybe have no other impact than directly in my life. And I love that!  I love how God speaks to my heart through these “cut parts.”  And the fun part – these nuggets show up in every story I write or edit.

So what nugget did I gain today?  It was about living simplistically.  Simple living of less is more.  Beautiful words and descriptions that touched my heart.