The revision process is time-consuming, but at the same time, gratifying. Whenever I read another book on the craft of writing…and I have read many…there is always some piece of advise that makes sense to me, and I go back into my chapters and write what I hope are improvements.
The most recent craft book I’m reading is called “Characters, Emotions, and Viewpoints”, and is one of the best collection of hands-on advice that I’ve read for that facet of writing fiction. Creating the characters without just laundry-listing a description is one of the toughest challenges. The key is to sprinkle their description and personality as I go, and not to lump it all at the beginning. Leave a little more to be discovered later in the story. How delightful!
I’ve also just converted a scene at the police station from narrative and boring repetition to what I hope is a more exciting and tension-filled episode. Only my readers…current and future… will be able to tell me if I’ve succeeded.
It occurs to me that although it is taking me a long time to finish my novel, I justify my slowness with the fact that I’ve practically rewritten the entire story, although the basic plot has not changed. It begins on a different day [closer to the action], has more interesting characters…I hope… and moves along at a good pace without getting stuck in backstory and menial distractions. my downfall when I first began this project. Not to mention that I feel satisfied that I’ve found my style.
Back to the keyboard!
Debi Graham-Leard 
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