The Beauty of Butterflies
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
Maya Angelou
The same could be said about writing, don’t you think? As a reader we’re presented with the final product, edited and polished until it shines. But how many drafts, revisions, and edits did it go though to get there? We should never be discouraged with our first attempts at a story. It will change and grow over time.
Perhaps it is a good thing that readers never have to read the first drafts of some very popular books. If they did they might not want to read the finished book at all.
Enjoy your weekend!
Posted by Laura Best on June 1, 2012
https://lauraabest.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/the-beauty-of-butterflies/
Darlene Foster
/ June 1, 2012So very true Laura!
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012Nice that you agree. 🙂
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timkeen40
/ June 1, 2012I one day want to get paid for the things I finish. If I could get paid equally for the things I have thrown away or rewritten, I would make much more money. Writing is such a process and those who don’t write, do not understand.
Tim
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012I’m with you, Tim. Getting paid for our first drafts would certainly help py the bills, then again we might be so happy if we didn’t have to make our work our best. Writing for sure is a process.
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C.B. Wentworth
/ June 2, 2012Lovely analogy! 🙂
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012Thank, C.B.!
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Carl D'Agostino
/ June 2, 2012I have just 2 tattoos. One is butterfly center of chest. Represents Risen Christ or resurrection and freedom of any secular kind too.
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012I love the symbol of the butterfly.Having seen a few at funerals really brings the message home.
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Diane Tibert
/ June 2, 2012I agree. Lovely photo. I tell the kids butterflies are like fairies: they should be protected and not harmed.
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012Yes indeed we need to protect both butterflies and fairies. What a nice thing to tell your kids. 🙂
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suzicate
/ June 2, 2012So true…what a great analogy!
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012Glad you liked it, Susan!
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Carol
/ June 2, 2012A great quotation and analogy, Laura. (And photo! Isn’t it beautiful???)
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012I love Mayo Angelo, she’s so wise. I was surprised that the butterfly set still to be photographed. There were two that day.
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joylene
/ June 2, 2012Sometimes I wish I could see an early draft of Eric Lustbader to see just how rough his first drafts are. At least then I’d know I’m not the only one. I know, shame on me for hoping his first draft sucks.
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012I bet most first drafts suck, Joylene. In fact, I’m counting on it. 😉
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jenniferneri
/ June 2, 2012Last week I wrote a scene with a moth in a coccoon that just hatched and the mc thought how far off it is was from the adult moths she saw flying around and how much work it still had to go through to. While I wrote it I was thinking this very thing! how funny!
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Laura Best
/ June 2, 2012Strange how these things seem to occur when we have our attention on something. I always take it as a sign of encouragement. You should too! 🙂
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pattisj
/ June 5, 2012I hadn’t quite thought of a book that way, Laura, but it is a metamorphosis.
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Laura Best
/ June 5, 2012There are so many ways of seeing things, Patti, we need only open our eyes to the possibilities that are out there. 🙂
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