Polish does the novel good

I've been failing to accept the very thing I've posted in the past, which is that I have to be willing to edit things out of my novel. Rewrite them completely if necessary. I finally accepted that my first chapter simply isn't cutting it. I love my first chapter the way it is, but sadly there's something missing. I can't even tell what it is.

I do however know who I have to thank for helping me come to this realization. A little self-help book called "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers". You can find it [here] at Amazon.com.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The section on beats alone changed the tone of my novel entirely. Every time I sit down to do an editing run on my novel I go through and reread the parts of this book I highlighted on my first read. It keeps me centered and focused. I'll say it again, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

If at first you don't succeed...

After a short stint of getting down on myself and feeling like a failure (all part of the whole getting thick skin process), I had yet another choice to make. I could give up, or I could continue writing and try again. Obviously I chose the latter.

Not only did I continue writing, I made a conscious choice to become a better writer as well. I did research. I read about ways other writers got to where they are (much like you are now). I put in the time. Some of it paid off, some of it didn't.

You'll hear it countless times throughout your writing journey, but I'm going to say it anyway. You have to have a thick skin. You ARE going to be rejected. You ARE going to be critiqued harshly. There are going to be MANY people who do not like your writing. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, "Not even God and puppies appeal to everyone." The important thing to remember is that perseverance will pay off, eventually. As long as you are willing to go back to the drawing board, listen to criticism, and even cut parts out entirely if necessary, you can grow as a writer.

Even Dr. Seuss was rejected by 28 publishers before he got a yes.