I don’t know if this is a phrase your familiar with but there’s a saying that says to eat an elephant you need to take one bite at a time! That’s so helpful as I think we can see our destination and want to get there. We’re at A and we want to get to Z. So we’re looking for the one step to get there. But first we need to get to B, then C and so on. Sometimes progress is slow and others we seem to skip through the steps.

Writing and editing a novel is a lot like this. As you write your first draft, you see the word count climb and you get more and more excited that you’re actually doing it! Then you get to the end and feel you have written the most perfect novel there ever was. Then you look at the start and realise you still have a lot of work to do. You make it through your eighty thousand words again and change things and polish it. Then you timidly put it into the hands of your editor, bracing yourself for the inevitable amount of work about to come back at you!

This isn’t just a principle for writing though. I think it can be applied to every area of life. Starting a new job, you want to be good at it right away but instead you make mistakes, have to ask again what you’re meant to do or find yourself crying in the toilets as you battle self doubt!

A major area I’ve faced this, is in parenting. I know what I want my kids to grow up like, but when they were two, three, and even four that really seemed impossible! They’re still not fully grown but I have two teenagers who I think are amazing! It’s gone so fast.

At the moment though I’m editing ‘Reflections’ again! I’ve lost count of how many versions I’ve gone through now. I’m realising patience is a virtue in writing as in everything else. I’ve also learnt that I get as defensive about my writing as I used to be about my parenting! For more about my struggles with editing read my blog on it here.

So whatever ‘elephant’ you’re facing, don’t be intimidated, what’s your next bite?