The writing process is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it for those who are thin skinned. When you write, eventually someone sees it whether you want them to or not and, inevitably, someone is going to critique it whether or not you ask it of them. If you’re writing for publication, you certainly don’t want them to lie to you but criticism hurts, even that of the most constructive kind. If you get hurt easily, a writing career may not be for you.

That said, the writing process is a long one. First, you dream up your plot and sub plots, your characters and your world. Then you put it all into words. Some may think it’s easy. It is if you want to tell a story. Personally, I try to show what happens in my books. I attempt to drag my readers into the thick of the plot kicking and screaming.

When you’re finished with your manuscript, you edit it, polish it, even send it to a friend for a fresh perspective. When it’s as error free and perfect as you think it can be, read it again. If you still find no errors, it’s time to submit. Check your target publisher’s guidelines, make sure the book fits in their line and trot down to the post office, or e-mail it if the guidelines allow. Good luck!

Your manuscript was accepted? Congratulations!

After your acceptance, there are edits. Some people hate edits with a passion that I wish I could write into my books. Personally, I like to edit. When I get them back from the editor, I look forward to fixing things I may have missed in the writing process. Like everyone else, I’m not perfect. I do have plot holes and inconsistencies from time to time, so I appreciate the hard work my editors do to point those things out to me.

After the edits are more edits. All of my manuscripts get a second round with the editor to be sure everything is as it should be. Sometimes there is third round of edits where you get to read your manuscript again. Even I am getting tired of rereading this book I wrote by now.

Finally, there are Galley edits. This is your last chance to find your mistakes and get them fixed before the book goes to publication. By the time you get your galley, you’re so sick of reading and rereading your manuscript that you wish you’d never wrote it and went to get a root canal instead. You vow it’s not worth it. You’ll never go through that torture ever again. Your computer is now a haven for games and relaxation. You swear it will never again see a manuscript brought to life on its colorful screen.

After all of the above, the book goes to the printer and you anxiously await your copies to come in the mail. You can’t wait to hold that baby, your baby, in your hands and stare at its beautiful, glossy cover. When it arrives, you rip open the box like a kid at Christmas and hold it up for all to see. You have a book!

Then, after the newness wears off, you glance at your computer and an idea forms. Laughing gleefully that you have another great idea, you sit yourself down, crack your knuckles and start to write another novel.

 Of course you do. You are a writer after all. It’s your life.