Sarah Z. Creates

Revising is hard. Have I mentioned that revising is hard? Revising is hard, y’all!

But I’m continuing to plug away and celebrate the little victories (like finally finishing the revisions on the first part of my manuscript —- woot!). Here’s a few things I’ve learned as I’ve revised (none of which are particularly useful!):

• First chapters are a P.A.I.N. There is so much in them that you have to get right. I think I’m on version 9 of chapter 1!

• I’ve decreed that questioning what’s normal is, in fact, normal. Mostly because I’ve done so much of it! Is it normal to start disliking your protagonist? Is it normal to think you’ve picked the wrong title for your book? Is it normal to change your mind so much (and thus have to re-write so much)?

• My new kitty does not approve of hard-copy edits. She wants to sit on my manuscript and eat my pen.

• It feels like I’m never going to be done revising. At what point do you say, “this is good enough” and stop tinkering?