Writing truly is an art form. From the initial hook, through the tumultuous middle build, culminating in the crisis/conflict then resolution, it takes the reader on a journey as much as the writer. It starts from nothing, much like a blank canvas or a slab of marble. Then you gather your tools and voila – a masterpiece emerges. The fact you can edit your work sets this artform apart from its loftier cousins, though not always in a good way. Just because the written word can be changed a million times before it goes to print, doesn’t mean it’s not art. It doesn’t mean anyone has the right to tell you your work is wrong. Or incorrect. Unless of course you can’t spell. Or punctuate. But I digress. All I mean is I can’t imagine Michelangelo’s editor calling him and saying, “Dude. There are way too many naked guys on that ceiling. You should delete a few.” How a book should or could be written is entirely up to the writer and no one else. Those of you who are considering picking up that pen or dusting off that half-finished manuscript from back in the day, don’t be discouraged by the naysayers. There is no better day than today to prove them wrong.