Beating Books Into Submission

I'm going through one of those phases where I eat, sleep, and dream my book. Over the past few weeks, I've been busy beating the plot and character development into submission, and praise the Goddess of Wine, there's finally light at the end of the tunnel.

I read somewhere recently that writing is like the process of distillation, and it's certainly true for me. No matter how clear I think I am in the beginning, I need to write . . . and write . . . and write again until things become clearer and everything crystallises. I can't even tell you how many times I've written some scenes, trying to get everything to hang together just so.

I tell you, if anyone ever says this writing lark is easy, they'd better get out of the way of my boxing gloves!

What irksome things make you want to don your virtual boxing gloves, writing or otherwise? Not that I condone violence, of course... :)