I may be exaggerating slightly about the number of times I’ve edited my WIP, but it feels true.
There are times of discouragement while writing, especially when you’ve worked on the same piece for a very long time. You start to wonder if you really want to do this, but it’s like my wife said, “This is your first novel.” She stated it simply, but it had a profound impact. This is probably a good place to make a suggestion. If you’re interested in writing I’d suggest starting with short stories of around 4,000 words. They’re a great way to work on a manageable project and see how the process works.
If you’ve found yourself discouraged by any project, I may have some advice you’d benefit from. Wait until tomorrow. I don’t mean procrastinate. I mean, take a breather. Remember that hard work pays off. Look at the end goal. It’s a strange saying, but I think it holds value. “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Okay, so that’s a little gross, but you get the point. A novel is similar to that. How do you get through it? A little at a time.