The real truth of writing is that you will spend a lot of time editing. A. Lot. Of. Time. Hours, weeks, months, sometimes even years (or at least, what feels like years).

When the rush of new ideas is gone. When the thrill of filling in plot holes and working out twists is over. When the story’s set in stone but you still need to shape that stone into a majestic statue, that’s editing. And it’s something, as a writer, you need to love doing.

Accept It

The first step of learning to love editing is accepting you must do it. The sooner you do, the easier it is to work through drafts that feel endless.

And they will. You will probably spend more time editing than anything else. This isn’t because you’re a bad writer who can’t get the words right on the first or fifth draft. It’s…