Courage comes from other people

Friends can help you find your courage.

The first professional edit I had done on a manuscript was one of the most painful moments of my author life. It was also the most empowering.

My editor (who is probably reading this right now… Hi, Katie!) didn’t pull any punches and told me in no uncertain terms what was wrong with my book. She told me what I needed to do to fix it. And then, she turned around and told me everything that was great about it too.

Was it easy to hear? No. Was it what I wanted to hear? At that time, no. I wanted to hear that the book was perfect the way it was. (Yes, laugh with me.) Was it what I needed to become a better author? What I needed to write a better book?