A few days ago my roommate mentioned how impressed people are when she tells them she lives with a journalist. (Incidentally, she works in retail but her photography career has gone from zero to 60 in a couple of months.)

I kind of got off on that. But then I went back to work on a story that was kicking my ass and my shoulders slumped. Sure, it's impressive, because it's annoying and difficult most of the time.

My main issue: I am a perfectionist, albeit a slightly lazy one. And I hate the editing process because I hate being told to change things or that some sections of my stories are weak. I really do not enjoy having to revisit a piece, which is quite common and necessary for magazine features. BUT, two things: 1) I almost always can identify weak sections or problem areas before receiving comments, showing that I'm very intuitive but just lazy and 2) it actually is nice getting feedback that helps you create a better story.

I understand that editing is key to creating a good story and making someone a better writer. But still ...