Revisions. They're a writer's best friend and mortal enemy, all rolled into one. On one hand, you get to tear apart and rebuild your book until it shines. On the other...well, it's a lot of work. And by a lot, I mean A LOT!

For example, about five (ish) years ago, I started a book. It wasn't my first book. I'd written two shorter novels up to that point. So I was feeling pretty good, all kinds of confident, when I started this one. Well, as soon as I typed "The End" I shipped it off to a wonderful critique partner. And, for a few months, we sent chapters back and forth, me soaking in all her priceless advice, her doling out bits of pointers and suggestions. We never reached the end of the book together, but I learned a lot from her.

Getting off track here.

The book I was working on then is the very same book I'm working on right now. I revised and rewrote it to death all those years ago, then sat it aside and picked up something else. Now, I'm completely rewriting it (in first person instead of third) and it's a thousand times better.

At least until I get to the revisions.

Revisions have a way of bringing glaring mistakes and god-awful writing to light.

The thing I notice fixing the most when I start to revise is timing. I always have scenes out of place all over the darn book. 2009's NaNoWriMo novel is a prime example. I cut the first 7k and started at the real meat of the story only to find that, in doing so, 90% of the rest of the book had to be rearranged.

My point here is: Revisions are a bitch. But they're a useful, necessary bitch. And, I have to admit, sometimes I love every second of them.

As for the other times...well, no one likes a bitch.