Writing is like pregnancy, sort of
The other day I was (admittedly) whining that revising book #2 was hard. So freaking hard. Was writing book #1 this hard? Then it struck me. Much as mothers forget how difficult, gory, and altogether painful childbirth is so they can do it all over again I must have managed to forget that writing/editing is not so easy! Huh. My crap memory is actually protecting me. Or not. Suppose it depends on how you look at it.
So here's a note to my future self: you don't loved editing your first drafts. You never have. There will be moments when you're contemplating chapter cuts and character removals and you will want to hand it all to someone else and say, "Please fix this. Please." But you won't do that. Instead you'll stare at your pages and think "I have no idea if I'm improving this." But take heart! Occasionally you will have moments of genuine insight or clarity. Those moments are good, very good! And the editing will get done, though not as fast as you hoped. It never happens quickly.
For a great post on revision, check out Maureen Johnson's blog entry on the topic. Not only does it have good tips, but it also has pics of Cary Grant. Oh so dreamy.
Like pregnancy, after the labor pains you have a baby (of sorts). Even better: if the baby is handsome enough, you can sell it for money and acclaim. Whereas the world generally frowns on selling real babies.
So there you have it: writing is like pregnancy, sort of. Only better.