William Shakespeare
what to do if i can't continue writing if i don't fix the text i've already written
To fix or not to fix, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the errors and inconsistencies of one's writing, or to take arms against a sea of unpolished phrases and, by correcting them, end them? To edit, to revise no more, and by a revision to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural flaws that text is heir to: 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To edit, to revise, to revise, perchance to rewrite; ay, there's the rub, for in that rewrite of text what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off the mortal coil of error, must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long writing. For who would bear the whips and scorns of unedited prose, the reader's disdain, the professor's mockery, the pangs of doubt and the spurns that patience of a flawed text deserves, when they themselves might their writing make clean with a simple fix? Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under an oppressive weight of words, when they themselves might find solace in revision? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of fear that haunts every writer's troubled mind. But soft! What yonder edits through my computer screen break? It is the light of craftsmanship, and by its touch, a writer may find the courage to embrace the flaws and pave the way to a more glorious tomorrow. So let us not be bound by the mistakes that have been made or imprisoned by the dubious choices of our previous passages. Let us instead transcribe the tale anew, refining the rough edges and smoothing the creases that mar the page. For in this act of revision, we discover the true essence of our artistry, the magic that weaves through the tapestry of our words. To fix or not to fix, there is no question, for a writer must strive to perfect their craft and honor the text they conceive. So, my fellow writers, be not afraid to edit, for in the rewriting lies the path to transcendence and the continuation of our grand narrative.