Stick a Fork in It?

In a back and forth email discussion about our works in progress, a writer

friend wrote this about her novel: "I'm sure there are at least fifty more things I could change, but at some point you just have to stick a fork in it." I love this line because I get her point. And I relate to it. Plus it made me laugh. When it comes to the little fixes in a manuscript, revising could be a lifelong process.

In Writing Magic, Gayle Carson Levine writes: "There is no such thing as a perfect book or a perfect story. Every book in every library on this planet has something wrong with it." Her point is that perfection is unattainable. And it doesn't matter. Readers want a story that they can be involved with. Most people probably care less about a description that goes on a bit too long than they do about the characters and the plot. What do you think?

I never feel like my work is perfect. Never. But, as my friend wrote, I know that there comes a time to "stick a fork in it." For me, this is usually when I can't stand to read the story any more. I feel like someone has stuck a fork in me.

Do you feel you've reached perfection when you have finished revising a manuscript? If not, do you itch to keep fixing or do you let it go?

And when you are reading, do you notice minor issues that need fixing? Or do you tune out the imperfections and swim in the world of the story with the characters?

P.S.: A big THANK YOU to Maeve at http://lollipopscottage.blogspot.com/ for the Versatile Blogger Award! : )