Hey! It’s Monday! And, like most, there’s been a glitch or two. Hoping the ISP tech being dispatched tomorrow can figure out why we’re not getting the speed we’re paying for or why it’s been intermittently dropping. And not just the wifi. My desktop was disconnected for about 20 minutes this morning, even though the router/modem said all was good.

What’s the point of sharing all of that? It reminds us we’re not all perfect. While we hope that things proceed according to our plan, sometimes they don’t. Because characters choose to do different things, react in strange ways.

No first draft is perfect. We all have to go back through our work, do some editing. Rewrite entire pages. Add some detail here, move it from there so it doesn’t become redundant. Sometimes even rearrange the order of paragraphs. Why? Because it has to happen.

One of the biggest things that can kill your novel faster than anything is failing to recognize that you have to do rewrites. That edits, from an objective third party (aka not your best friend who will never tell you anything besides ‘it’s amazing!’), are a necessary step. They’re not evil. Changing a single word will not make or break your manuscript.  But refusing to believe that your story isn’t perfect from day one WILL.

Glitches happen in life. Whether it’s internet not connecting, a busted phone, or cracked tooth. We learn to roll with it, accept that some things are out of our control, and get them fixed. Your book should be no different. I approach a rewrite and editing feedback as an opportunity to fix those things that I’ve missed. Add that level of polish that a first draft doesn’t always have.

Believing in your work is fine. And, at some point, you have to let it out into the world. But skipping rewrites or fighting your editor? That’s your pride and ego. Authors are too busy to let their ego dictate their future.

By the way, the first draft of ‘Wielder of Tiren: Book 3 of The Raven Chronicles’ is officially done. Rewrites started on Saturday! Yes, they give me headaches. But the book is that much closer to being ready for my publisher now. And I’d rather do the rewrites now and make the job easier on the editor than make her curse my name.

BB