Let It Go

 I'm in final edits. And there's always a point where you find a paragraph that you could phrase better. Maybe a better word choice. Something that needs to be checked.

Let it go.

It's a truism that no writer is ever satisfied with their work.  And it is also true that eventually, you will find yourself putting in just as many errors as you will be fixing. There is no perfect book. Never. Ever. 

And that means that at some point you have to kick the book out the front door, fully aware that someone will write you a twenty-page letter about the comma splice you missed. But that's better than the book sitting on your desk, more and more edits piling up until you've essentially written a new book--one you will then proceed to edit again. 

But there's another risk here. 

Some of the best, most famous writers, have books that break the rules, or little quirks of writing that are not fully compliant with the rules of English. But they are part of their tone of writing part of what makes them unusual and grabs the reader's eye. I've seen some stories, both published and fanfic, where the writer has worked hard. Every sentence is perfect. Not a single word out of place...

And it has all the character of a block of cement. Sometimes, the perfect isn't simply the enemy of the good, but the enemy of the memorable. 

So remember: There will come a time when you have to kick your book out the door, and let it sink or swim. Don't spend years trying to create the perfect novel, because that is a beast that simply doesn't exist.