In writing, work, in life as a whole
It can be hard at times to resist
The thought rejection is the sole role
Your precious work is ever given.
Sums it all up. You have to be strongly motivated to write at all and then to keep going when all you do get in the post/emails is yet another publisher turning your work down. Remember it is your work they turn down, not you. And sometimes successes come right out of the blue. I was stunned when Bridge House said they wanted A Helping Hand, amazed when Shortbread took some of my work and when the Brit Writers’ Award shortlisted my story, Got You! Mind you it is a really good feeling to be amazed like that! There are times I wish I could bottle it so I could bring that feeling out again during those times things are not going so well.
The way to really write well
Is to ignore all the hell
Of edits and rewrites
They help make the work right
Remember to show, not tell!
I think it best to assume you never write anything perfectly first go. There’s little that can’t be improved with a second or third or fourth read through. You will pick things up you missed as you wrote the work. Also as you read through again and again, is the story still gripping you? If so, good! It’s got life in it. If you’re not gripped you may have a problem. You will come to a point when you genuinely feel you can’t edit it any more. That’s the point to send the work out and test the market with it, but the story itself you should still care about deeply.