The Third Rule of Writing

So, now you’ve completed your book, you’re done your revisions, and you’re still staring at your computer screen (or notepad, or whatever). You suddenly have the almost-uncontrollable urge to rewrite. To tinker endlessly, seeking perfection. Should you follow this instinct? Should you look over that book for the hundredth time, making change upon change?

I’ll tell you a little secret: there is no such thing as the perfect novel. It simply doesn’t exist. When writing your first book, one of the hardest things to do is to learn to let go. Eventually, you’ll have to find the courage to stop tinkering, to say to yourself, “That’s it, I’m done.”

So, the third rule of writing a novel is simply to know when to stop. If your book is publishable, or as close to publishable as you believe you can make it, it’s time to stop. Your plot is complete, your characters are rich and lifelike. It’s time to push your baby out of the nest.