I am in the midst of editing my novel, Looking for Love. It is, to say the least, a daunting task. I worked on this novel for what feels like forever. And now I am going back through again, fixing flaws that my editor found.

At first, I felt resentful about this task. After all, I worked very hard on it. It was read by several trusted critical readers, and my critique group helped me during the writing process.

But I eventually hunkered down and stated the re-write in earnest. I hope the outcome will be a more readable, more dynamic novel.

Writers have a style or voice that is distinctive. At first, I feared losing my voice in the re-write. The novel is about Irish- Americans, my ethnic group.  It is important to me that my characters stay true to themselves. I want my novel to be authentic above all.  I hope that my editor understands the experiences I am sharing in this novel: growing up in a traditional Irish-American community which clings to a world that used-to-be while everything around them changes.

The art of writing is about work, and a lot of it. Hard work: tearing your own writing apart and taking a step back, removing your emotions from it. If you want to be a writer, you have to accept criticism which isn’t always delivered kindly.  A writer loves her writing—it is part of her. Writers are supposed to accept critiques professionally, listening attentively to the advice that is offered. Sometimes the critique hurts, offends and is harsh. A professional writer is expected to smile through it all, and then rewrite the book she has worked on for months or years.

I plod through this labor hoping what evolves is a better novel, one that will fly off the shelves, and will be downloaded onto hundreds of Kindles and Nooks.

Now it’s time to get back to work.