Don't Slip on a Banana Peel

In the days of slapstick comedy, the banana peel provided more than its share of laughs. Of course, in real life it could bring about a painful injury.

I've discovered the banana peel has a positive side. Instead of chucking it in the trash, I now put it in my compost pile. Next year, when I start my garden, I'll have nutrient-rich dirt in which to plant my veggies.

Recently, I went on a cleaning spree. It became a necessity since I could no longer see my desk. I'm now contemplating clearing another area of the office. In a comment to my Blogging Buddy, Rita Gerlach, at InSpire, I told her I'd planned to discard some of the older versions of my manuscripts. Her post made me re-think that course of action.

That old "banana peel manuscript" could provide some important benefits to my current and future writing endeavors. Our progress as writers is often slow and not always noticeable to us. Looking back at an old version can show us how far we've advanced in our writing techniques and thereby encourage us. Not all of our past writing is trash worthy. Some of it didn't move the story along, but contained some good fodder for another project.

What are the ways you recycle words that end up on the editing room floor?