It feels like I’ve been editing the manuscript of my third novel for ages now. With every pass I make on it, I keep thinking it will be the last time I’ll need to go through its 300+ pages. But I always seem to find more sections that need to be rewritten, more passive voice that needs to be removed, more modifiers to kill. I’ve actually lost track of the number of times I’ve gone over the entire thing.
As frustrating as this can be, with every round I complete, I know the manuscript is improving and that, eventually, it will be done.
I found this petunia growing out from the foundation of my garage this morning. I haven’t had petunias in years, so I don’t know how it got there. But it reminded me that almost anything is possible if we refuse to be deterred from our goals.
My novel will be finished soon, and it will represent the best work I can do. I won’t settle for less than that just because rewriting and editing are tedious and time consuming, just because I really want it to be done. Almost anything worthwhile requires work.
May you refuse to be deterred from your goals no matter how long it takes to reach them.
ENP
Emilie-Noelle Provost 