THE SWEET SMELL (HOLLY SCHINDLER)

I've been in the revision cave since Christmas. And when you're looking at the same project day in and day out, it is SO EASY to hit a point where you want to dust your hands off and just declare, "Done!"

But if you don't--if you stick with it, if you read through the project once more...read it CRITICALLY and really think about it, I guarantee you'll find a plot hole (or ten). Holes that you can fix before publication.

Trust me. Your readers will find the holes even if you don't. They're smart, those readers.

It's tough. It is. I'm right there. I know. It is tough to put your rear in the seat and read that book for the 7.5 millionth time. You can get so sick of your own thoughts.

But you have GOT to stick with a project until it's finished.

And I mean really finished.

Finished all the way to completion.

Not just finished at the point at which you get fed up with it.

Take a day off if you need to. Push yourself away, but make sure that's only temporary.

Come back fresh. Read that book. Read it as hard as you possibly can. Read scenes out of order. Find your holes. Mend them.

Don't just write the book. Polish it until it shines.

And then you'll take a deep breath and you'll smell it:

The sweet smell of success.