It's not. It's just the first time they matter. A few rashy hives are to be expected.
Most novelists don't churn out publishable material their first time out of the gates. There's a learning curve that requires dedication, persistence, hope, faith, blinders, and even moments of blindness. In fact, intense hard-headedness served me well—both in terms of utter stubbornness, and believing I understood varying concepts. When it became clear that in fact, I understood nothing, the door opened to learning. And has stayed open ever since.
I have previous efforts where I inflicted more pain than grace on the page. Those stories, and many of the characters, were my sacrificial lambs.
This one could actually become a book.
The rewrite process has begun. It feels a little intense right now, but in a good way. To me, the hard work is finished. The story has been formed. Now I get to make it captivating.
CR: The Dead Whisper On by T.L. Hines.
It's all better with friends.
