Last month, I shared my " 10 Lies You Might Tell Yourself While Editing ." However, brutal honesty forces me to confess that I've told myself many, many more half-truths (or fictional facts - let's call them fictional facts - 'lie' is such a judgmental word) over the past seven years. Here are ten more. Confession is good for the soul. 10. You meant to write this scene three times. It's an important scene. 9. No one will notice that the location of the rooms in the house keep moving. Or that the meadow leaps from the south side to the north side.  8. Your main character isn't an insufferable prig. He's just wise. 7. The jokes are funny. I know, I wrote them. I'm funny. I am, I am, I am.  6. (If, like me, you write mysteries ) It doesn't matter that any of your first readers haven't been able to solve the mystery. 5. It matters even less that they all say your solution comes out of left field. It's not unsolvable - it's in...

Completing any manuscript is a Herculean task. The icing on the cake (which has somewhat bitter tang) is that you're not done yet. No, not by a long shot. First...you must edit. You must edit with purpose and without emotional attachment. But before you head bravely into that good night, lighten your mood with these ten half-truths (lies is such an ugly word) with which I've had more than a nodding acquaintance.  Please note, I am not referring to professional editing, but to the labour of love - I had to say that - that every writer must complete at some point in their manuscript's development. I will admit to trying to sell myself on many of these; I will not admit to my success rate. I will also not admit the number of editing purges, er, passes,  some of my manuscripts have needed. I have enough pain. I hope you enjoy these. 10. The front door changing colour half way through your manuscript is obviously symbolic. 9.  This same symbolism seems to be a...