Editor friend of mine had to fix something the other day that, technically can’t be fixed. The best that can be accomplished is giving the impression that it has.
I found myself offering advice not specifically because I thought my friend didn’t have the technical chops to tackle this one... but because I’m well aware of what a trap this kind of thing can be: trying to fix what can’t be fixed.
And the way you begin that process is by first acknowledging that I can’t fix this. You have to be honest with yourself that what you’re really trying to do is fool people’s eyes into perceiving there is no problem.
This is important.
It’s important because editors will pursue a straight up fix for hours to no avail. They will become lost in a process that’s very much like Captain Ahab in Moby Dick... but without the whale.
I told my friend that they had to be clear about the objective: fooling viewers’ perceptions. They also had to have some idea at which that goal had been met, the point at which they’d achieved what was possible to achieve.
It’s an approach that not only prevents us from wasting precious time on what can’t be done... but also helps us retain control.
Because I wasn’t joking about the "Moby Dick... but without the whale” metaphor. It’s easier than you’d think to slip from a process you control... into one in which your actions are being controlled. One which causes you to dig in your heels to no logical purpose.
In the end, I’m not sure that my friend needed the advice. They’ve got plenty of experience on board,
But.
It's always a good thing to remind myself that these traps exist.
If for no better reason than to reduce the likelihood that I’ll engage in stubborn pursuit of whales...
That aren’t there.