How Do You Persevere?

Writing a novel is one of the hardest things I've ever done. The manuscript I'm working on now has its hands around my neck and is choking the life from me. I want to set it on fire and if it wasn't for the support of my critique partners I might do just that and bag this writing thing forever!

I've edited this nemesis I call my WIP at least six (yes, I said SIX) times and it's still not done. Editing isn't just changing grammatical mistakes or coming up with a better word choice. It's having your characters make different decisions which leads to a different plot line, a different setting, a different outcome. You add characters and delete characters, but that leads to other characters having to say it, do it, feel it, see it. And after all this changing around you have to go back and fix the things you missed like telling the reader who Gayle is because you've edited the book so many times you don't realize you've cut out the part where you mention she's your protagonist's life long friend!

As I write this post I'm faced with almost another complete rewrite of the novel and frankly, I don't know if I have the energy to do it. And what if after all is said and done I still can't get someone to publish it? (Ah, the real issue I think.)

I know, no one said this was going to be easy and anything worth having usually isn't. Any pearls of wisdom from those of you out there? How do you keep going in the face of challenges?

I'm going to borrow a good idea from a friend. I'm going to eat a bag of peanut M&M's and maybe by the time I'm done this book will have written itself!

Talk to you later...