Hurts So Good

I'm in the process of editing my third novel, the first in a trilogy. Every morning I wake up early, eat my bowl of Grape Nuts, drink my green tea, swallow my multi-vitamin, and then start redrafting my manuscript. My process goes something like this: write said novel (two years, minimum), take six weeks off (or as long as it takes to make the story's narrative go cold in my heart and mind), viciously and mercilessly line edit with red pen (like a used car dealership, every adverb MUST GO! Side note: a professional editor gave me this formula: no more than 3 adjectives and 1 adverb per page. Try to follow, if at all possible, and it is possible, even if you believe with all your being that the word "excruciatingly" belongs in your protagonist's description of his or her heartbreak, I'm willing to bet you we can do better), then correct digital copy, take a week off, reread aloud and polish, have trusted people read 3rd draft, compose 4th draft, and then let it go! Yes, you will want to change something later (and probably will), but it's as good as it's going to get right now, so like someone you love, set it free (i.e. submit like crazy). If it comes back to you (i.e. agent asking to represent you), it was meant to be. If not, you should already be in the process of writing your next novel.

In short, it takes gumption, hard, hard work, talent, faith, originality, and a little luck (okay, a lot) to get to do this for a living (from what I understand). And none of those things can exist without the other in a writer's world.

That's why not everybody can do it, and that's what makes it so worthwhile.