Backhoe, shovel, broom

I work at a forensic engineering firm. Yes, it's a little like CSI, except that instead of dead bodies we investigate car accidents, fires, and property damage.

It's my job to proofread the reports that the engineers generate. I go through pages of technical writing regarding seat belt use, burn patterns, and electrical voltage. Some days it makes it hard to come home and be creative.

Today we were having a meeting and the subject of report writing came up. One of our engineers is having trouble writing his reports. He has mental blocks and can't write, (sound familiar to anyone). Anyway, another engineer suggested he just open a blank file and randomly write down all the facts of the case. He said that sometimes we get bogged down in trying to make it perfect the first time around, (sounds familiar again).

Then another engineer made a perfect analogy. He said it's like trying to remove a dirt pile with a broom, attempting to make every brush stroke even. Instead you need to use a backhoe and get rid of the majority of the dirt (write as much as you can not worrying about the mess). Then you can use a shovel to pick up the small chunks that the backhoe missed (the first editing process). After that you use a broom to clean up the little things and it may take you a more than one stroke. (edit after edit).

I thought it was a great analogy and had to share.

Here's hoping we all get to the point where we can put all the dirt in the dust bin.