“My life needs editing.”
 – Mort Sahl, Canadian-born American comedian and actor

“Nicely done.”

“Visual.”

“Love a good metaphor off the top.”

I had just shared the original draft of a newspaper article I’d been working on with a group of fellow writers. Someone asked me when the article would be appearing in the local paper. I said never – at least, not the version I had just shared. I reached into my shirt pocket.

“This is an email from my editor,” I explained. “I’d like to share it with you.”

“You work with an editor?” someone asked. “I’m sure he has high praise for you.”

I chuckled. My...

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