I don't think I phrased that well. (Why do people hire me, anyway?) I meant that the people who don't have self doubts about their writing are generally not the best writers. I happen to think I'm a decent writer, but that doesn't keep me from times of thinking it all sucks.

The ones who think every word is golden are the new writers, who almost literally bleed when I whack off their flowery but unnecessary first paragraphs, and Anne Rice.

I hope that's the case, Scrappy. I feel sick about it, but I just want to finish the book this week and get it out into the world.

I'm ridiculously emotional about the whole thing.

The ones who think every word is golden are the new writers, who almost literally bleed when I whack off their flowery but unnecessary first paragraphs, and Anne Rice.

BWAH!

Have to rip out the co-author's chapters

Painful, but not as messy as ripping out his heart.

Allyson, can I just say that when I read you were pulling his stuff I exhaled a huge sigh of relief? I mean, HUGE.

I really do hope he can be disappointed and motivated by that enough to work on his own projects, but realistically, if he hasn't touched this in a year, that's pretty much a default on his part. We're all busy, that's no excuse. And yes, I'd get the telling over and done with, and let him deal with the fallout from his lack of action.

It's a wonderful concept, the character is so adorable and easy to identify with, the story is charming and so perfect for kids and the people who read to kids. It will find its market, I'm sure of it. I hate that you have to re-harrow those parts you didn't write, but it will be so much better when it's done.

Why am I the only one who did not see this?

Well, you had a lot of other stuff on your plate at the time, and halving your writing commitment seemed like a good idea. His stuff was unproven, and you/we/he kept waiting for the crit to take hold, the switch to flip, and him to hit the groove.

Didn't happen. Not your fault, surely. Maybe not his either. Writing may not be his gig at all--I'm sure he has other abilities that he's happy with.

Time to cut your losses and move ahead. It's a great book. It needs to see shelves, and kids' hands and minds. It will make people happy, and you can feel good about having done that.

Yeah, if he can't manage to do anything with it in a year, that does seem like he's abandoning it on his own.

My experience working with other writers has been that the ones who think that they do a good job and that every word they write is golden are not very good writers and a pain to work with.

Wha--what?? But! I take dictation from the Scroll of Universal Understanding! The cosmos turn on the purity of every word that flows from my honeyed pen!

The horror, the horror . . .

I banged out a new Chapter 6 last night despite being pretty miserably sick. I have some corrections to make and then I'll move on the revised chapter 7. I really like the chapter ending locations for revised chapter 6, 7, and 8. These 8 chapters are what I consider the opening of the book so getting to that point in the revision will be a milestone of sorts.