Is it finished?

How do you know when the editing is finished? For me it never is until I realize that the changes I'm making are superfluous and picayune. We all need to be able to let our baby go, to let the finished product find it's way in this world of books and writing and work on the next project! Could it be better? probably, but there is the law of diminishing returns. I know this is difficult from personal experience and have found myself depressed after completing a project. The Wolf Moon is the last one of the series--just to write that makes me feel weird. I started the sequel, Valley of the Moon, a year and a half ago but since the protagonist comes directly from the trilogy and has taken a different shape, I have a LOT of work ahead of me!

Lately my yoga class has been focusing on the 3rd chakra, the hara, where our creative juices are born. This chakra is yellow, the color of the sun, and is represented by a flame--the flame of will and intention. Without this fire we lack motivation and our projects lie unfinished under beds and in drawers. We need to cultivate this chakra and the sound to help with this is 'raam' the r's rolled like a motor starting up. Brigid, the goddess of fire, can be invoked to help us in our quest for creativity, as can Cerridwen, the Welsh goddess who keeps the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration. Light a candle and take a sip from her cauldron the next time you sit down to write.

And so, my book is now in the hands of Christine Myers, who has reasonable prices and can help with all marketing needs as well as editing! I've begun the process with createspace and look forward to their cover design and interior details I asked for, such as a celtic knot around each chapter number. I'm working on a glossary of unexplained Gaelic and Scottish idiom as well as names of characters. And of course, the front matter and back matter.

How do you know when your work is complete?