Novel Update: My Fourth Edit

So, I am in the early stages of editing (re-writing) my novel for the fourth time. I got a one-on-one appointment at the Lancaster Writer's Seminar this past weekend - and received some encouraging news. This dear sweet published author asked me if this was my first novel. I told her yes. She said that a first time novelist will re-writer their novel five times - and then every novel after that will need to be re-written three times. I hope that doesn't count the re-writes you do with an agent or an editor :)

She liked my "hook" which is the first sentence...and first several paragraphs, I think. Hurrah! Last summer, I repeatedly heard that I needed a new "hook." I also heard someone say (at the L.W.G.) to take that part and write it ten times. Often, what you will end up with is a combination of several of those ten attempts. So, that is exactly what I did!

You know, if I knew what I was getting myself into when I started writing this novel almost exactly three years ago, I probably wouldn't have attempted it. The funny thing is though...I'm in the early stages of plotting to start my next one...