OK. I admit it. Sometimes I’m a slow learner. What does Holly say about revising a novel? She does not say to open the file and start typing away after you’ve read through and made the easy changes. She says get a notebook, multi-colored pens, and go through the printed copy while asking several particular questions about it.

I knew this. I’ve read “How to Revise A Novel” several times. I’m sure I’ll read it several more times. Was I doing what she said to do? Of course not. I guess I didn’t have QWERTY embedded firmly enough in my forehead. Holly’s a good mentor and an even better friend, so she does not laugh as I realize what I’ve done (well, not too noticeably, anyway). She provided a few generic suggestions to get me back on track, and we returned to work.

After a few false starts (but not starts without merit), I’m back on track–at least for a little bit.