Sometimes I get so excited to finish a cycle of edits on a novel, I decide it’s ready to go without giving a holistic read. The solution for this is to order review copies and pass over with a red pen. In the process of fleshing out 7th Avenue South (prequel to 5150) I inadvertently ruptured the timeline and told a half dozen stories twice. I was so anxious to get the paperback book out there. I published it before my review copies arrived.

I wasted a few hours being embarrassed before I buckled down and fixed the problem. I should hire a professional editor, but I make so little from my writing, it just isn’t worth it.

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I used to think I wasn’t a real writer because I made mistakes. I eventually found that mistakes are a vital part of the Creative Process. So write an imperfect novel, and push yourself to perfect it…long past the point you want to say, “That’s probably good enough.”