I've had almost a week to think about some of my editors suggestions. Because her initial reaction to the book was favorable, I really was thinking I would not have to do too many rewrites. when Rick finished reading Book II he told me that it was so much better. He claims my writing and thought processes have progressed and he made the remark that maybe I should rewrite Book I. I, of course, scoffed at that (at him really). He irritated me when I showed him the notes from the editor. Of course he had the four most hated words in the English language written all over his face (he knows me too well, to say them out loud) I TOLD YOU SO.

I finished reading Book II and adding my edits. I'm almost done putting my and Rick's edits on Book II into the computer and I can see everybody is right. including my characters, because I keep waking up at night rewriting scenes from Book I in my head.

All of the advice for writers is pretty diverse, but there is one thing that keeps coming up in every advice article and that is join a writer's group. Get the support of other writers to know your not crazy,lazy, totally insecure, obsessive, etc, etc, etc. Kind of like a Cancer Support Group, you can get through this dread disease if you know others are going through it or have gotten through it too. Well, in my circumstances it's a little hard, but I do follow almost exclusively writers on twitter (I know, I know, your thinking; Are you kidding me? Social Media?). Yeah Social Media that's my Writer's Group. I read quite a few of their blogs and yesterday by accident I was lead to the blog of a very successful young woman writing in the same genre. Her blog was devoted to"Changes" and went on to say how hard it was to listen to editors and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite, but she wanted the book to be the very best it could be. I've read her book. It is. It was interesting to note that it was not what or where she started out. Guess I didn't find that blog by accident after all.

So, I'm ready to listen and rewrite. Some of the suggestions have already been worked out, in my head anyway, best to get them on paper. Funny, after all these years I'm becoming a perfectionist. I do want this to be the best it can be.

Whew! Don't worry, 'thinking is still optional.'