On editing.

My writing group and I met yesterday, and workshopping brought up an interesting conversation on editing. Editing is something that both impedes and strengthens writing, and it depends on when and why the editing occurs.

Editing and workshopping as a story is still in progress can be damaging. If an author is too caught up in reworking one particular scene, he or she may get stuck and eventually give up on the story. It's important to keep working on moving forward. Take down whatever notes on the story you need, and then put those notes in a drawer.

Outlining can help clarify the purpose of a scene. See where you're going, and then build your scene to the moments you envision occurring down the line. Or, try writing the ending or pivotal scene in your book.

Most importantly, keep going. Don't let one scene be your undoing!